[UK-CONTEST] New contest proposal

[Paul O'Kane]

On 11/10/2012 10:59, Chairman, RSGB Contest Committee wrote:

> The Committee is appreciative of the work from Chris and Clive in
> creating and putting forward this idea. Don (G3XTT) has suggested that a
> "Europe works the rest" contest might be feasible, but 24-hour and
> without the QTC element, and this might be an avenue worth exploring
> instead.


Please consider a few comments from a relatively neutral
point of view.  Since it is generally agreed that the 21/28
is no longer viable there are only two options - abandon it,
or replace it with something else.

Assume, for the moment, it will be replaced, on the same
weekend.  In any case, there are no exclusive weekend slots
left, so co-existence is the name of the game.

I have seen contests come and go over the past 20 years of
supporting them with SD and, as Ed has said, the "Everyone
works everyone and Ruritanian provinces are multipliers"
events tend to struggle.  New contests need lots of support
(and marketing, and incentives) if they are not to wither
within a few years.

The IOTA contest is described as the RSGB's "flagship"
event, and rightly so in terms of activity levels and
numbers of entrants.  However, it's a summer event, with
far from optimum propagation in the Northern hemisphere,
with relatively poor support from North America where,
traditionally, holidays are shorter, and it's not so much
fun if you're not on an island.

It seems to me that, in events of 24 hours or more, HF
contesters like to be busy - rate is everything, even if
rate is not possible all the time.  IMHO, Europe works
everyone else (WAE without the QTCs) will not work, it
will be too slow.  Europe works everyone (including
Europe), and everyone else works Europe only, might work.

Here's the problem.  We all like multipliers, but what
should they be?  DXCC countries, prefixes, call areas
(as in SAC, where your call area is the first number after
the first letter in your callsign - giving a maximum 10
mults for each country).  It can't be district codes, or
counties, or provinces or cantons because there are simply
too many of them.  Should they count by band, or by band
and mode, or once only?  Should there be different points
for different bands, or modes, or countries, or continents?
Everyone you talk to has their own ideas.

If it were to be Europe works everyone, what about
Europeans who are only interested in working Oceania
or TRC members - they won't like being called.  Tough,
I say, there are no exclusive rights to bands, modes
or time segments for YOUR contest, however deserving
it may be - international HF contesting is unregulated.

The only option on the table right now is the one
proposed by GM3POI and GM3WOJ.  It should be either
amended or adopted - soon.

Does anyone really want the do-nothing option?

73,
Paul EI5DI













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