[UK-CONTEST] FD Rules Changes

[ukcontest at btconnect.com]

Hello all
Having had a busy Christmas I have just gotten around to reading January
2012 Radcom, and I note some prospective changes to the Field Day rule set.
I am keen to understand the strategy & thinking around the 11m / 22m mast
height rule, and the 120m of wire rule, hence this post. 

I may have missed something but don't these rule changes put the UK SSB
Field Day at more of a disadvantage when competeting within Region 1, and in
particular the German Field Day (DARC) contest, which seems to be setting
the scene for all the other Region 1 National Societies FD contests?
Perhaps the RSGB HFCC strategy is to maintain a separate Country (UK) SSB
Field Day which just so happens to occur when the rest of the continent is
working together?

Forgive my thinking, but I think that aligning more to the European
categories (QRP, Low Power, High Power, Single -Op, Assisted etc etc) would
have been a better strategy. Therefore a UK contest entry as well as a
European contest entry could be possible. Please let me know, as I am really
puzzled at the approach being taken.

As to the inspection of sites, that's a great idea and I support that. My
questions are what happens when the inspector calls and the station is a
single operator? Does the entry get a points allowance for dealing with a
site inspection if a single operator, due to having to show the inspector
around ? Loosing a run or a few mults would be very annoying if you have to
show around an inspector. Has this been considered? What sort of notice
period is required prior to the event? A week, a fortnight? 

Maybe I have missed something, but I would like to understand the logic and
strategy driving these changes, particulalrly the antenna one's. 

73 & HNY

Adrian MW1LCR / GW9X