[UK-CONTEST] Domineering VHF Contest Stations

[Mark G4PCS]

Gavin Stirling, GM0WDD, wrote:

"The question is finding the right handicap and I think Rays suggestion
is the best to date. Surely you enter a competition to win, no other
reason. If the winner is already decided before the contest has started
purely down to his geographic location then what is the point of
entering?"


Good points. However, with many years of top-level VHF+ contesting under my belt (now semi-retired and considering myself "neutral"), I have *always* had a different motivation for entering contests: to work dx. It's a happy coincidence that setting up the best station one possibly can, on the best site one can find, using the best operating techniques one can develop in order to work the best possible dx, quite often results in a decent score! This is true wherever one is located, although a willingness to make the extra effort to travel, find an "advantageous site" and negotiate its use with the land-owner will, of course, enhance results. VHF+ contests have, to my knowledge, been won from at least GU, GW, GM and widely disparate locations in G over the last 30+ years.

Achieving such heady aspirations involves high quality teamwork, planning, innovation, engineering, design, operating skill, etc - there are some very talented people (not just in radio terms) in what would be considered the leading single- and multi-operator VHF+ contest stations across the whole of the U.K. Of course this level of dedication isn't everyone's cup-o-tea, and the "domineering" effect, i.e. the end result of all that hard work, does seemingly act as a de-motivator for anyone else who is entering to win.

I have to say that almost any "handicap" system that attempts to enhance the value of inter-U.K. is likely to have very little effect on placings. OK, a few of the numbers might be closer, but you'll find that the so-called east coast stations will still head the lists: they put considerable effort into working back into the U.K. (many G qsos score more than DL, for example) and often have a much higher inter-U.K. qso count even than stations in the heart of England. U.K.-only locators, post codes, names of local beer, division of local football team, it'd make no difference...

To be honest, I'd much rather get away from the mindset that says "winning" is the main incentive to enter contests. Perhaps we can try to value the simple act of taking part and enjoying the fun of working dx? Maybe, the answer for VHFNFD is to make it a non-competitive event, where the "result" is simply a write-up in the Comic of what people got up to and what they worked? Yeah, I know - that's ridiculous ;)

73, gd dx, Mark G4PCS