[UK-CONTEST] New RSGB HF Contest... ?

[Bob Henderson]

I suspect it's inappropriate to measure the importance of awards by the
number who claim them.

In my experience people prefer to think they are doing something useful.
Some collect stamps without competing for who has collected most, similarly
coins, butterflies and goodness knows what else.  Folks just like to think
there is some purpose to what they do.

When I was new in the hobby with little understanding of what contesting
was about I was encouraged by my elders (or elmers) to take part.  How
could I hope to compete with such very loud stations sending CW at
miraculous speeds?  You don't need to, I was told, that's not the point.
Use the event to find stations you need for an award.  What award, I
asked?  Any award, I was told, DXCC, WABC and heavens knows what else.  I
had endless lists to tick providing motivation to make Qs.  Strange thing
is, with the exception of DXCC, I never applied for any award.  I have no
interest in collecting awards but this hasn't stop me ticking the boxes
just in case I might consider it worthwhile at some point.  Perhaps I am
alone in this but I somehow doubt it.  Folks just enjoy a sense of
achievement.

WABC to me was a worthwhile award.  The UK version of WAS.  I never managed
to complete it as some counties were rarely activated but the effort
nonetheless seemed worthwhile.  Whether, had I managed to work all British
Counties, I would have applied for the award is moot.  In truth, I
seriously doubt I would have bothered but it motivated me to work folks
anyway.

One man's perspective.

73 Bob, 5B4AGN

On 7 October 2012 16:57, John G3LZQ <
johndunnington at johndunnington.karoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Not being a real active member of the UK Contest Reflector I was
> pleased to see Fred had added me to this thread.
>
> There has never been any real interest in RSGB Awards directly
> linked or associated with contesting. In my view
> collecting awards is generally a different breed of operators as
> compared to contesters who prefer names in lights
> and annual awards. Certificates for contest section winners etc
> are different and in many instances keenly fought after.
>
> The lifetime Commonwealth Series of Awards have the annual
> Commonwealth Contest and in recent years this has
> been boosted by various special anniversary awards but generally
> with the exception of a hard core of applicants
> keen on reaching the ultimate supreme level milestones take up is
> low I suspect due to QSL receipts and the cost
> associated with obtaining them.
>
> As for Postal Districts well just looking at the RSGB District
> Codes you will see there are 132 of them so that means
> in the context of the new proposed contest every UK entrant would
> pretty much be a unique multiplier and not all
> Postal Districts would be represented.
> http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/information/districtcodes.shtml
>
> Perhaps a simpler system of using RSGB Regions as multipliers
> although I fear screams of foul from our IOM, Channel Is,
> Welsh, and Scotish players.  Using region numbers would be easy
> to adjudicate the contest and I am sure the contest
> Committee could pull out regional winners plus overseas entrant
> winners.
> http://www.rsgb.org/contact/regional/
>
> With my Awards Officer hat on it would not be too difficult to
> offer a series of awards based on either system with
> Phone, CW, Digital and single or multi-band options. However the
> key would be the general level of interest.
>
> F.W.I.W.
>
> John G3LZQ
>
>
>
>