[UK-CONTEST] New UKAC Rule Proposal

[Ray James]

Hi all,

A busy work schedule has delayed my response to the unusual way the M6 proposal consultation has been announced by being tagged onto the 6m UKAC result announcement. 
Nothing has appeared or been linked from the front page of the VHF contest webpage. The obvious location?
Minor gripe aside, I welcome the fact that an unknown period of consultation does exist.

Does the proposal provide the option for “no change” because as others have already mentioned, if “it’s not broken don’t fix it”?

I find the proposal to change something working so well quite incredulous. Why?
Almost 3 years in, if the CC wanted further confirmation that they’d got it right with M5 then it would have been far easier to consult on that question rather than muddy the waters with an M6 proposal from nowhere.
However, I consider it isn’t from nowhere but is to satisfy a very small minority of “hop to the North Sea” peers who do not really appreciate the difference between “level playing field”, “location of advantage” and what’s best  for VHF+ amateur radio in the UK when it comes to VHF+ contesting.

The protagonists we know well enough with Bob G8HGN here, John G4SWX on 2m and ON4KST and John G3XDY on microwaves, so there’s absolutely no need to beat around the bush.

As I’ve previously mentioned more times than I care to recall, a level playing field for VHF+ UKAC contesting is impossible. There are far too many variables regarding UK geography, proximity to the continent, personal terrain and the equipment each individual is able to accrue to participant. 
M5 provides the very best compromise for a UK contest with a centre of England bias yet also giving every corner of the UK the opportunity to produce different winning results.
This has been borne out with every corner and central UK area doing just that and leading to a most interesting, competitive and enjoyable series of monthly events that attract participation.
I cannot recall the UKAC events on all bands having such close scores and table position jockeying being up for grabs on a month to month basis. That’s fun!

The proposed M6 rule throws up a completely different equation.
We’re already well versed that Bob G8HGN lives on the wrong side of a hill and has far easier results into the continent than the UK, John G4SWX can usually work 700km or 800+km any day of the week across to Denmark, Sweden and deep into Germany, and likewise on microwaves John G3XDY is adept as I am with aircraft reflection to net many continental contacts well over 700km.
Anyone who has read Sam G4DDK’s GHz Radcom section or who operates near the North Sea coast will be well aware the stations within spitting distance from the North Sea enjoy far more coastal tropo openings on a daily basis than anywhere else in the UK. I’ve enjoyed it myself in the past from Great Yarmouth working LA, SM, OZ, DL, PA when folk further inland couldn’t hear a trace.

In a contest that looks to encourage greater UK amateur participation and level playing field as possible, the majority do appear to feel M5 wins hands down.

Do we really want to go back to the days when we could just about guarantee a year in advance where a particular winning station was located or who it was? G4DEZ (RIP), G4SWX, G3XDY.
Without question, excellent operators and equipment, but the location and close to sea path take off to the continent are very tangible assets the massive majority cannot match.

I believe the UKAC’s are something special. An opportunity for us in the UK to address UK needs to encourage even more activity and keep the weak signal spectrum buzzing and growing. I do not believe it to be the stamping ground of egomania, those that are only interested in working continental DX above all else including UK stations. Sure, they’ll participate, and some (not G4SWX/G3XDY) will compete unless the rules suit them, but the pull of the continent is far too great than working relative locals despite some areas of the UK being equally as challenging to reach.

We therefore have to bring into the equation the continental aspect.
The Tuesday evening contests primarily consist of the UK Activity Contest and the Nordic Activity Contest which on the whole share the same bands of activity. A Dutch contest also runs that evening but often without band matching.
The anti-M5 protagonists actually managed to pull the wool over my eyes and believe there was immense numbers of continental stations looking for UK stations to work. It’s not true! 
With regard to 2m we have an OZ1 to thank for his logs so now know the NAC is actually very poorly supported in LA, SM and OH and due to the square multiplier system that they that need us, the DL’s, PA’s, SP’s and others in order to win or be well placed. 

The NAC and UKAC is an ideal opportunity for continental DX’ers to flex their muscle and have a couple of hour’s fun on a Tuesday evening to be the DX Station and in demand, important, wanted, and who would blame them? Who wouldn’t want sit on a frequency, spot yourself on the DXC or KST to say you’ll be on whatever frequency beaming to the UK to generate a pile-up of G’s? 
Why pamper to them, modify our RSGB rules to accommodate it, care about their pleasure or a handful of “spit at the North Sea” G operators when the bigger picture is UK activity, encouraging it, sustaining it and having a multiplier arrangement that’s satisfactory to the majority of people throughout the UK?
It’s not perfect, that’s impossible, but it’s the best we’ve had for years.
M6 as proposed would move advantage back to the south east corner and negate the positive results we’ve been experiencing. For what gain? 
Many of the anti-M5 brigade would have done really well or even won over many months had they entered. Bryn G4DEZ is one example who threatened here to throw in the towel. I’ve no idea if my private emails asking him not to and suggesting he’d still win if he put just a little more extra effort into hunting UK squares persuaded him but he did enter and won but not by the massive margin previously enjoyed. So it got more competitive and not put on a plate due to his superb station, location and operating. I’m sure G3XDY and G4SWX would have produced exactly the same under M5 but they weren’t prepared to give it a try and I don’t see why the rest of us should suffer now as they’d certainly be game for an M6 rule as proposed. Who suggested it anyway? 

I beg to differ with Bob G8HGN regarding multiplier gain under M6. Whilst it could be 4 for him personally, under “normal conditions” that jumps to up to 7 for others based closer to the North Sea and at least 10 under slightly enhanced conditions. 7 or 10+ extra multipliers from stations who can also work well over 500km or 600km into the UK adds up to a staggering number before taking account of the substantial points per km they’re getting in the process as well. The further inland you get the worse the UK results would be.  

The bottom line for me is not winning but observing a healthy UK VHF+ UKAC programme.
Unfortunately we have a small minority for whom winning is more important than the health of the hobby in the likes of GJ, GU, GW, GD, GM, South West plus the very North of G.

No doubt some will agree and some will not. I’m used to it as you can read for yourselves!

2012-07-04 10:15:24Z  G4SWX John  	(G8HGN) 1 X LA, 2 X SM6, 2 X SM7 and 14 X OZ and NOT A SINGLE G - and proud of it !!! 
2012-07-04 10:28:41Z  G4SWX John  	(G4FUF) a bunch of G centric tossers who don't get VHF DX just like the new RSGB VHF manager who has screwed up several times already.    (He has since became SK)
2012-07-04 10:30:51Z  G4SWX John  	(G4FUF) The contest committee who generates rules that are counter to the amateur spirit and probably counter to Eu law...
11:04:30   G4SWX John (OZ1LPR) problem is that G stations get no multiplier for your square in their contest - only G squares are multipliers - twisted rules
11:06:17 	G4SWX John  (OZ1LPR) made by stupid people which is why I do not work any G* on Tuesdays...
11:10:10 	GM4CXM Ray 70/23/13  (OZ1LPR) not stupid rules Peter. UKAC is a UK contest not pan-european but non-uk contacts still gets point per km value. rules encourage whole UK activity and I mean IN89 to IO78
11:12:24   G4SWX John 	The UK RULES for Tuesday Contests are stupid - against the spirit od Amateur Radio and probably counter to Eu anti descrimination laws
11:16:24 	G4SWX John 	GM4CXM has a twisted view of life and is certainly not fit to be on the RSGB Contests Committee (I’m not!)
11:19:12 	G4SWX John 	If GM4CXM crawled away and died tomorrow I would clap !!
11:22:26  GM4CXM Ray 70/23/13 	The interests of growing UK VHF/UHF/Microwave UK interest is greater than your selfish interests John.
11:22:42 	G4SWX John 	(GM4CXM) you are a biggot who does not belong in amateur radio

So to sign off, my vote is to retain M5.
If no M5 retention option exists then include all the UK countries in M6.

73 Ray GM4CXM

If GM4CXM crawled away and died tomorrow I would clap - G4SWX