[UK-CONTEST] ROPOCO-The furure

[David, G3YYD]

Some observations.

ROPOCO is a single mode contest on Sunday morning. The CC and Sprint are 
multi-mode and weekday evenings. It is like comparing chalk and cheese

QRM to other band users: Total QSO count on ROPOCO must be about 2500 in 
the CW segment spread over 60 minutes (everyone has worked everyone else 
by then). That is an average of 32 QSOs a minute on a 200Hz bandwidth 
mode does not take up much of the band. Or with 60 entrants at 500Hz 
spacing all calling CQ at the same time that is only 30KHz. Compare that 
with CC or Sprint evening SSB then ROPOCO is not going to cause much QRM 
to normal band users, which CC and Sprint do and cause a lot of QRM for 
other band users. QRM to others is not a problem with ROPOCO so it can 
be held at any time and any day of the week.

Propagation at the moment for inter-G/GI/GM/GW working is better around 
sunset or sunrise. Taking into account most peoples sleep pattern, which 
is to rise after sunrise (in August) and go to sleep after sunset an 
evening contest would be a better bet. This suggests for the August 
ROPOCO that 1900 to 2100z would be better for both operators and 
propagation. A similar argument would produce an earlier time 1800 to 
2000z for the April ROPOCO as Sunset is earlier in April.

As for which day of the week, I leave others to argue that one, but 
Sunday evening is probably as good as any.

David G3YYD

Clive Whelan wrote:
> Well I can tell you Don that just like in AFS, those away from the 
> centres of population are severely handicapped anyway  i.e. NVIS 
> syndrome.  Ask any GW who has tried that event or ROPOCO from Swamsea or 
> e.g. Pembs.: anyway with a Butternut I am ONLY a good signal in GM!
>
>  There will always be winners and losers, but the current format is a 
> lose-lose situation. Actually I suspect the real reason for the ungodly 
> hour is to avoid upsetting the anti-contest faction. Do they actually 
> have an 80m chapter any more?
>
> 73
>
> Clive
> GW3NJW
>
> Don Beattie wrote:
>   
>> Just one comment, Clive
>>
>> I seem to remember that the reason for the "unsocial hour" was to allow the 
>> northern GMs to have a chance at any propagation.
>>
>> So I guess the answer might be to move it to an evening (like the CCs)
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Don, G3BJ
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Clive Whelan" <clive.whelan at btinternet.com>
>> To: "UK Contest Reflector" <uk-contest at contesting.com>
>> Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 10:27 AM
>> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] ROPOCO-The furure
>>
>>
>>   
>>     
>>> If this sounds like a whinge, let me start by saying that ROPOCO is the
>>> finest ( short) contest in the RSGB calendar, and it's a tragedy that
>>> it's dying on its feet.
>>>
>>> To me, the proposed solutions aired here seem like death by a thousand
>>> cuts. Surely any contest which cannot support  a duration of a couple of
>>> hours, doesn't deserve to survive? Sure it's a challenging format, and
>>> places great demands on the CW copying ability of the operator. Actually
>>> that doesn't challenge me personally, but stiff fingers and the short
>>> term memory span of a goldfish tend to militate against logging
>>> accuracy. So what, nobody said it was going to be a stroll in the park,
>>> and all the better for that.
>>>
>>> I had fully intended to be on for ROPOCO2, but a domestic exigency ( a
>>> sick dog) meant that my head didn't hit the pillow until after 02:00
>>> BST, so by the time I had risen, abluted, and consumed an appropriate
>>> amount of caffeine rich beverage, it was almost stumps in ROPOCO2.
>>> Succinctly, ROPOCO will never prosper while it is scheduled at such an
>>> unsocial hour on the seventh day. HFCC, move it to a more appropriate
>>> time slot or lose yet another event ( cf 7Mhz DX et al.)
>>>
>>>
>>> 73
>>>
>>>
>>> Clive
>>> GW3NJW
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> UK-Contest mailing list
>>> UK-Contest at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest 
>>>     
>>>       
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>>   
>>     
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