[UK-CONTEST] RSGB Contest Committee

[Colin]

Despite Peter's PC clock being about 6 hours slow I would support this idea.

73

Colin, G3PSM

On 12/08/2010 09:33, Peter Hobbs wrote:
> Not sure quite how serious this suggestion was (no smileys!) but I'd
> very happily subscribe to that idea Roger, however we might not have
> much in the way of company, apart from Clive, Dave and a few others I
> could think of.
>
> Unless of course there's a sudden rush of interest?  Quite a few left in
> Eastern EU of course.
>
> I assume manual bug keys are allowed :)
>
> 73, Peter G3LET
>
> Roger Cooke wrote:
>
>    
>> Hi Ed.
>>
>>
>>    One event I would very much like to see added to the RSGB calendar is a
>> Straight Key Night  (SKN).
>>
>> This would sort out the men from the boys! No PC logging, proper reports, paper
>> logging.........
>>
>> (   NOT 24 hours though!!!!!!! )
>>
>> Regards from Roger, G3LDI
>> Swardeston, Norfolk.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: "Chairman, RSGB Contest Committee"<G3SQX at EDTAYLOR.ORG>
>> To: uk-contest at contesting.com
>> Sent: Sat, 7 August, 2010 12:16:16
>> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] RSGB Contest Committee
>>
>>
>> > From the RSGB Contest Committee
>>
>> I'm replying to the main points raised on uk-contest about the Committee report
>> on its Spring meeting.  You can find a copy of this report at
>> www.rsgbcc.org/hf/information/decisions.shtml
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> RSGB contest calendar ...how parochial the events are.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> To some extent the Contest Committee is responding to the "market" by providing
>> such events, on 80m and VHF/UHF, for example.  These club events, of which there
>> is one almost every week in the evenings, have been a great success.  However,
>> they are not what some seasoned contesters might call "real" contests, but they
>> have attracted entrants who don't consider themselves contesters.  We have begun
>> a programme to get these entrants more interested: compared to countries like
>> the USA and Germany, our international contest participation is poor.   A small,
>> but possibly significant step for beginners is to encourage them to subscribe to
>> uk-contest, where they will find that there is another world of contesting out
>> there, a source of encouragement and information.
>>
>>
>> RoPoCo CONTESTS
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> If we don't keep the CW event you never will attract newcomers
>>> ... halving the CW sessions of RoPoCo is destined to reduce rather
>>> than to encourage newcomers.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>>
>>
>>      
>>> Correct copy of ... something unpredictable like ... a postcode in
>>> ROPOCO) is an excellent way of improving your communication skills.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> Only one of these contests will become SSB, and a similar argument applies with
>> regard to communication skills.  If the SSB contest proves popular, then
>> entrants might be tempted to try the CW version as well.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> highlight the two combined results and the overall
>>> winner's trophy. It is not obvious
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> Good point.
>>
>>
>> IOTA CONTEST
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> I have long thought that island stations should not send
>>> serial numbers.  The report is quite long enough with 599
>>> eu005.  Has this ever been discussed?
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> Yes, as well as the current uk-contest discussions on whether non-island to
>> non-island QSOs should be devalued or completely disallowed.  The IOTA Contest
>> rules are due for review in 2012, so views will be sought next year.
>>
>>
>> FIELD DAYS
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> encourage more Clubs to take part in NFD? ... 50's and 60's
>>> ... were around 150 Clubs participating with G portables.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>>
>> Contesters are getting older, and some find it harder to get out and about.  We
>> need more young contesters, and the contesting community in general can help by
>> trying to encourage anyone who shows interest.
>>
>>
>>
>> 1.8 MHz CW CONTESTS ... allow non-UK to non-UK QSOs
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> Whist fiddling with the rules for the 160m CW contest
>>> why not introduce an SSB 160m Contest?
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>>
>>
>>      
>>> any contest where USA can
>>> work USA becomes purely domestic
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> We are still open to suggestions for these contests.
>>
>>
>> AFS SUPER-LEAGUE
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> My cynical view suggests that all this will do
>>> is introduce louder (and probably) wider signals
>>> on the bands. I do not believe we need it.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> As a committee, we have to cater for two extremes (as well as all the people in
>> the middle).  At one end, we want to encourage beginners, as explained above.
>> At the other end, we need to make our contests interesting for the "experts", so
>> that they add at least one or two RSGB contests to the tally of international
>> ones they enter each year.  The Super-League is an experiment, to see how clubs
>> and their members respond to the challenge of operating both above and below
>> 30MHz.  We know from the results that around 20 clubs enter three of the current
>> four AFS contests, with about a third of that number entering all four, so there
>> is scope for a bit more effort to achieve a good placing in the Super-League,
>> without affecting the way the rest of us enter these events.  We'll be
>> monitoring signal quality very closely.
>>
>>
>> HF CHAMPIONSHIP
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> it is possible to win the HF Championship using only
>>> CW and not possible to win it using only SSB
>>> (or any other mode).
>>> [I favour the] highest positions in 2 CW contests plus 2 SSB contests
>>> plus 1 RTTY contest plus 1 other data mode contest
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>>
>> We are looking at ways to change the balance -- the question is still open to
>> debate.
>>
>>
>> CONTEST RULES
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> Remove the ridiculous rule which places 100w stations with
>>> beams in a category where they compete against 400w
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>>
>>
>>      
>>> VHF contests ... rules regarding power and antennas
>>> ... the current situation where a station with two Yagi's
>>> and 50 watts has to be in the same section as a 400W
>>> single or multiple yagi.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> Some contests make a distinction, and some do not.  There are several
>> conflicting goals -- making a roughly level playing-field, encouraging
>> improvement and innovation, and not fragmenting the entry categories, to name a
>> few.  However, all suggestions are welcome.
>>
>>
>> REAL-TIME SCORING
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> My current view is that it would be a waste
>>> of effort unless it become mandatory for stations
>>> submitting an entry to take part.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> This is still in the planning stage, and will not be compulsory.
>>
>>
>> DATA CC CONTESTS on 80m
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> RTTY is the major contesting data mode and up to now has
>>> been at 45.5Bauds. ... the BARTG 75 Baud contest, which
>>> a lot thought a waste of time, it has proven to be very popular.
>>> ... would be interesting to see how 75Baud RTTY performed
>>> ... extremely simple to go from one speed to another and the
>>> same narrow CW filter can be used.  ... enable scores to be
>>> increased, in the small amount of time spent on RTTY.
>>> [I would] not suggest an increase in PSK speed as the
>>> bandwidth is already very small
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> Any other thoughts on this, please?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> Disappointed not to see the introduction of scoring via
>>> locator exchanges for any of the low band contests
>>> ... also would be good to have a 4x multiple for QRP
>>> stations ... per Stew Perry.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> Again, more input requested.
>>
>>
>> CONTEST COMMITTEE MONITORING OF UK-CONTEST
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> At present we have no way of knowing whether input is
>>> acted upon or not.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> The reflector is monitored, but action is not always taken.  Contest rules and
>> adjudication have to remain relatively stable, and we have to consider this as
>> well as the conflicting ideas coming from many sources.  And those who are just
>> entering this segment of our hobby will have different concerns, which are
>> harder to assess.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>      
>>> ... the proposals have plainly been well thought through.
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> A happy customer!  There had to be one somewhere!
>>
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Ed Taylor, GW3SQX
>> Chairman, RSGB Contest Committee
>>
>> chairman at rsgbcc.org
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> UK-Contest mailing list
>> UK-Contest at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> UK-Contest mailing list
>> UK-Contest at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>      
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