[UK-CONTEST] IOTA -" nul points" for Fixed-to-Fixed, pse!

[Paul O'Kane]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Harrison" <robharrison at g8hgn.freeserve.co.uk>

> The raison d'etre is in the title, Islands on the Air.
> So at least one end of the QSO should be an island.

It's not quite as simple as that.  If you're a non-island
station (say HB9) and you hear a DL or a W4 calling CQ,
you have no direct way of knowing whether they're on an
island until you hear the exchange.  Since you don't want
to miss a possible multiplier, you call anyway.

It's easy for those of us who are already on islands to
say one end of the QSO should be an island, but what are
all the non-island stations going to do in-between
working island stations?  The simple answer is work one
another.

If the points for non-island to non-island stations
were to be reduced as already proposed, island stations
will benefit directly and there is no disadvantage to
non-island stations because they represent a separate
entry category.

There is nevertheless, another issue.  The present points
structure for island stations (15 points for other-island
QSOs and 3 points for non-islands), is a big disincentive,
a 5 to 1 ratio, in working non-island stations.  Yet we 
(the islanders) need the others, if only to keep busy -
we all like to be "wanted".  A possible solution might
be to increase the points for working non-island stations
from 3 to 5.

With 1 point for non-island to non-island and 5 points
for island to non-island, everyone wins.  It gives both
island and non-island stations a bigger incentive to
work one another.

73,
Paul EI5DI