[UK-CONTEST] IOTA Contest

[Chris G3SJJ]

  A bit more trivia! Thought I would have a look through the results booklets we originally posted out to all entrants from 1993 to around 1998. G3TMA 
managed the contest from its inception in 93 until I took over in 1996 to 2000, and then Don G3XTT for the last 10 years. In that time it has grown 
from 215 entries to the current 2000+. A ten times increase and during a prolonged sunspot low period. The first event had no CW section! I wrote an 
article in the ARRL National Contest Journal in 1998 and suggested we might reach 1200 entarnts that year. Wow. The current slick adjudication process 
is just fantastic compared to the piles of paper log sheets we received in the early days. Congratulations to all involved.

As far as I can determine non-island to non island QSOs have always been permitted but the wording of the rules were not as specific as now. I think 
initially there was an assumption that participants wouldn't be too keen to chase non-IOTA Qs.

I can understand the logic that we wanted to build up the contest but like others I would question the necessity now to continue encouraging n-i to 
n-i Qs. There has been some adjustment in the points over the years but I would support Paul Ei5DI's suggestion to reduce this to 1 point per Q.

The only other area of the rules I would query is allowing non-IOTA multi-op entries. I didn't think it was necessary before and still hold that view. 
I don't think it adds to the value or interest of the contest.

Happy to be corrected on any inaccuracies.

Chris G3SJJ