[UK-CONTEST] NFD rules

[David Honey]

I agree with much (but perhaps not all) of what Paul says.

I think one fundamental question is what differentiates different 
contests. If all contests had the same rules and set of stations 
participating, the contest world would be much poorer and duller. It's 
the variety of aims and rules of the contests that add to the interest 
in participating at whatever level you feel comfortable or inclined to.

The USP (unique selling point) for NFD is self-sufficiency in portable 
operation. That USP runs counter to dependence on outside help including 
the internet or other spotters contacting a station with spots. CW 
skimmer lies in a grey area. It's not dependent on outside help. 
However, the other feature of NFD, particularly for the restricted and 
low power sections is simplicity of operation. So if we want to maintain 
this differentiation between NFD and other RSGB contests, I would prefer 
that both the restricted and low power sections do not allow it. There 
is an open section that has less restrictions, and in principle I would 
not have an objection to allowing CW skimmer in that section. However, I 
agree with Paul, that if you allow internet use and other external 
dependencies, even in the open section, that changes the character of 
NFD for the worse.

Reading and District have participated in NFD for many years, most 
recently in the low power section. We often run 3 stations, the 3rd 
being a casual one for any club member to use. We attempt to make this a 
social, fun and engaging activity. If the low power section allowed CW 
skimmer, this mandates that the two main stations would have to use such 
a setup. This adds to the burden of setting up for NFD and the extra 
complexity increases the risk of something going wrong. To me, this just 
seems to add to the effort in setting up without adding any enjoyment.

Regards,
David M0DHO