[UK-CONTEST] Sprints

[Christopher Plummer]

Robin,
 
Its worse than that, 'trying to get stick-in-the-mud CW operators on other modes'  Just getting any club member on the air regularly on any mode or any band is our problem.
 
Some folk just want to wander around chasing DX, others just a chat with their old mate down the road.  There are only a few who enjoy working the same calls for a few seconds with no personal interaction, ie contesters.  Its them that we have to convince to operate on particular modes and even in particular contests.  Just making the contest more complicated will drive some away rather than attract mode operation.  
 
Personally I do not favour Sprint type rules.  I have taken part in US contests when I was in VE6land for a while and did quite well in a RTTY event, but the 'move after a QSO when calling CQ' just made for a group of operators on high power moving 1kHz and calling CQ again, then repeating the process until the section edge was reached, and reversing the tuning. This no matter who was there before them on a particular frequency.  I operate a couple of RTTY events and to my credit came in the top 10 and got listed in the summary table and got a specific mention.  In the UK I prefer not to operate these sprint contests.
 
Now for the 80mCC events, I get on when I can on all modes, even PSK31 which really is not a contest mode at all.  Yes I even get on CW in these events though it is not my favourite mode.  The problem I find is the changing weeknight, is it CW,Phone or Data tonight? and is it Monday, Wednesday or Thursday this week.  My vote would be to fix the night of the week, and mode, say Mondays week 1 CW, Week 2 Phone, Week 3 Data (preferrably RTTY only).  This would stick better in peoples minds a regular night, rather like the UKAC VHF events on Tuesday evenings, remembering to be on is OK just which band to operate.  Then MAYBE you MIGHT get some more club members to come on the air, just don't frighten them away being too complex.
 
Chris G8APB
 

 

> From: robin at g3tkf.co.uk
> To: uk-contest at contesting.com
> Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2011 00:16:45 +0000
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Sprints
> 
> > 
> > Multi-mode sprints would be a disaster, we have nobody who could do all
> three
> > modes in a single evening.
> > 
> > 73 Dave G3YMC
> 
> But isn't part of the whole challenge, to try to make it more interesting
> for everyone?
> 
> A few hours spent demonstrating the software (by the few, to the rest) -
> showing the pros and cons of N1MM / MixW etc etc is what a club or group
> should be about .
> 
> Trying to persuade members within your club/group to try something different
> is never easy - and possibly more of a challenge for the keen members to get
> the "stick in the mud" CW only or Data only ops to break out of their moulds
> ... isn't this how we keep the interest going?
> 
> Robin
> G3TKF
> 
> 
> 
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