[UK-CONTEST] 144 UKAC

Thu Jun 7 04:12:04 PDT 2012

At the risk of re-opening a tin of worms and at the same time acknowledging
John's perspective on the 'M5' rule, I'd like to add some additional
commentary on the subject.

Multipliers are only half of the equation - while a greater number of
multipliers may, in theory, be achievable from squares like IO83, because of
its central position, points per contact are much lower for those of us
operating from that square and, at the same time, we're disadvantaged
because contacts with EU are unheard of out side of lift conditions - a
handful of contacts at 900km+ adds to the points pot very nicely. I also
acknowledge that those with a sea path to EU don't make contacts in that
direction in every contest but there's a much greater opportunity for them
to do so - John's neighbouring squares observation isn't as simple as it may
seem.

I should also add that a great many of the stations based in IO83 are
significantly disadvantaged by the surrounding hills, which are notably
lacking in other places... clearly though some of us go /P and use those
hills to our advantage.

It's probably fair to take a look at the current AC score table, which shows
top five stations in AO, AR and AL sections, for 2M, 6M and 70cm AC, spread
across the following squares - IO64, 72, 74, 80, 81, 82, 83, 91, 92, 93, 94,
JO01, 02 and 03.
I'm sure that many will feel that such a spread indicates that the M5 rule
is working well...and I note that JO01, 02 and 03 all feature in the leaders
table.

As an aside, my own stats suggest that the M5 rule has had negligible effect
on the ranking of our station - in some contests we're up a place on pre M5
rules contests and for other's we're down.

Don's tin hat.....

Roger, G0BSU

-----Original Message-----
From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of John Lemay
Sent: 07 June 2012 09:14
To: 'UK Contesting'
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] 144 UKAC

Adrian

Let me pick up on another point that you raised - "less JO squares seemed to
be active - I wonder why?"

These UK activity contests use an M5 squares multiplier, a (relatively) new
innovation. It means that the contest multiplier is made up of all the UK
squares that are worked, such as IO84, JO01, IO91 etc, but stations from
abroad such as JO22 do not count to the multiplier, just the cumulative km
total.

Let us suppose (we have to start somewhere) that a station can work his/her
own square and all the immediately adjacent squares, plus the adjacent
squares to those. Potentially there is a multiplier of 25 squares.

But, for us in JO01, that potential multiplier is less because some adjacent
squares are wet or abroad. In fact my own maximum multiplier from JO01 is
just 13. From IO83 the maximum multiplier is 23 on the same basis.

I enjoy taking part and winning is not everything, but I do not take part
unless I see less bias in the rules.

Regards

John G4ZTR

  _____  

From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of UKCONTEST
Sent: 06 June 2012 20:41
To: UK Contesting
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] 144 UKAC

Hi all

I entered the 144MHz UKAC Contest last night, mainly to check out the
kit for Sunday's PW contest.

I used to operate in the UKAC contests a few years ago, but work has
taken me away from home Monday - Friday so unless by fluke, accident or
in this case a bank holiday, I don't operate in these contests. My entry
is not a serious entry as I probably won't be able to compete again this
year, in the UKAC contests.

I must say that there does seem to be a lot more activity from the
central parts of GB this time around. Less JO squares seemed to be
active. I wonder why ?

Anyway I pondered an interesting question during my weekly 250 mile
commute to work, a question which is probably about rubber clocking....

So I commenced a contact with F1VNR/P, 30 seconds before the contest
finished. He called me.

I commenced logging the contact but didn't complete the details until
about 1 minute 30 seconds after the contest finished, hitting the enter
key as I did.

(Clearly I was past the finish time, but it was a new square for me this
year and loosing points isn't an issue).

However if I pressed the enter key at the start of the QSO (30 seconds
before the end) and then edited the so logged QSO, would that count as a
valid QSO? After all the QSO start time & finish time used to be the
paper logs.

At what point is a QSO logged, and credit given for, in a contest?

As an amusing aside, a local G8 (I think) called me after I completed
the contact to say I was past the contest finish time, according to his
atomic clock that is. (I resisted asking did he have an atomic rooster
to go with....).

This isn't a serious entry for me so I am not bothered about loosing points.

73

Adrian MW1LCR

_______________________________________________
UK-Contest mailing list
UK-Contest at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 7201 (20120606) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 7201 (20120606) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 7202 (20120607) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

_______________________________________________
UK-Contest mailing list
UK-Contest at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest

-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2012.0.2178 / Virus Database: 2433/5054 - Release Date: 06/07/12