[UK-CONTEST] 144mhz UKAC 3/11

[Jonathan G0DVJ]

Hi Ray (et al.)

On 6 Nov 2009, at 12:38, Ray James wrote:

> There's no listing for G4IRC/P having entered any 2m UKAC's this  
> year so despite previous years success under the old "1 pont per qso  
> rule", I assume your comments and views are really based on only one  
> showing this year?

Errr ... no ... IRC entered all but the June session (when we had  
total equipment failure) again this year ...
See http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/results/09/2mukac.html  where we  
currently appear 18th in the Club Score listing and 2nd sandwiched  
between M0BRA and G0XDI in the AR section listing.

>> Interested in the posting from the north which mentioned Average QSO
>> distances we can only dream of ... around 200Km is about all we can
>> expect. Just shows how the benefits are different wherever you are in
>> the UK ... we have the benefit of the near continentals but not the
>> higher points per Q average of stations further away from JO01.
>> This is why I personally favour the current scoring regime rather  
>> than
>> some of the alternatives discussed recently.
>
> It balances itself out Jonathan.

I totally agree ... it balances out (as it is now).

> Stations in the UK furthest away from JO01/02 etc may get a higher  
> PPQSO average but work far fewer stations. They don't just miss the  
> continental stations well within your own troposcatter range but  
> miss many of your UK "200 Km average" contacts. One reason the  
> latter is not possible is that the troposcatter range of many  
> stations active is not that great.

Agreed.  The propagation differences I empathise with.

> In particular if they run low power and a small antenna, even  
> verticals.

The equipment situation I don't empathise with!  This is a fact of life.

> Those in populous areas of amateur activity can bag all these  
> relatively local contacts and rake up contact numbers those in more  
> distant parts of the UK can only dream about but you will have a  
> lower PPQSO average.

Agreed ... the pts/km change helps balance this compared to the old  
1pt/Q.

> Another reason is the dangling carrot of continental Europe.
> Those 700+ Km contacts you can enjoy into DL from Ipswich are more  
> than double that figure from other parts of the UK plus you get  
> square multipliers to boot. I'm all for you getting points for  
> working those stations but getting a square multiplier as well is a  
> carrot too many in what is after all, a UK Activity Contest.

This is where we differ because then I don't see it would balance  
out  ... I don't see that we should have fewer mult squares  
neighbouring us than other UK stations.
On a lesser point I also wouldn't want to devalue our continental  
cousins to the point where they (or EI stations) do not feel its worth  
contributing to our UKACs.  The more activity the better from  
anywhere, but by far and away these contests are great at encouraging  
UK activity I agree.

> I believe the CC should use this regular monthly event to encourage  
> greater inter-UK activity from GM, GI, GD, GW, GJ/GU and South West G.

Wherever you live in the UK ... inland or coastal, north or south, its  
better IMHO that there are as many stations as possible to work ...  
but it is very quiet a lot of the time for stations in this part of  
the world once they have worked the 0-50 pointers in their own square  
and the other main bulk from IO91.   Indeed other postings in this  
thread have alluded to or admitted that many UK squares most distant  
from JO01/02 are unlikely to be activated in midweek UKAC events!

Bottom line is that there have to be enough stations out there that we  
can work to bother all going out to the portable club station here at  
all, whether they are in the UK or across the North Sea.

73
Jonathan G0DVJ
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