[UK-CONTEST] RSGB Contest Committee

[Paul O'Kane]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andy Cook G4PIQ" <g4piq at btinternet.com>

> RST adds structure and makes us look a little less
> ridiculous to non-contesters.


I'd suggest that it's precisely the meaningless
exchange of 59(9) in IOTA and other major HF
contests that makes us look ridiculous to non-
contesters and to many VHF+ contesters?

Does anyone disagree?

As for structure, we all know that when we call
another station and hear our callsign, we expect
to have to log whatever comes after the callsign.
None of us needs extra time to get ready - we are
contesters, and the Sprints have already shown
that "what you don't expect, you don't miss".

At the risk of stating the obvious, the only way
to shorten the IOTA exchange is to remove one or
more of the exchange elements.

The IOTA Reference has to stay because it affects
points and multipliers.  The leaves 5NN or Serial
to be dropped - and why drop an element that has
to be copied on-air, and can't be pre-filled by
logging software?

Here's what the structure of an IOTA QSO would
look like.

Me:    EI5DI TEST
You:   G2XYZ
Me:    G2XYZ 091 EU115  (you log 091 EU115)
You:   026 EU5          (I log 026 EU5)
Me:    TU EI5DI

A change too far?  Hardly!

73,
Paul EI5DI