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

[Danny Higgins]

I didn't take part in the 21/28 MHz contest today as there was not many DXCC
band slots to pick up and I had no chance of a trophy.  I did however make a
few QSOs in the California QSO party because I collect US counties.
Obviously so do a lot of other people, as some of the serial numbers
exchanged by CA stations were over 3000 with still quite a few hours to go.
If you want to generate interest, then you need to offer something that
people want.  I don't think UK postal districts quite fill that requirement.
WAB squares, UK counties or QRA LOC squares would seem a better option as
they are more collectable.  My preference would be for a universal contest
exchange that includes the QRA locator, then I could take part in all the
different national contests while working towards a global QRA certificate,
as well as individual worked all UK/DL/UA/?? QRA square certificates.

Danny, G3XVR

-----Original Message-----
From: UK-Contest [mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bob
Henderson
Sent: 07 October 2012 20:42
To: UK Contest Reflector
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] New RSGB HF Contest... ?

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
>
>
>
>
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