[VHFcontesting] No Controversy for The ARRL 10 GHz and Above Contest?

[Zack Widup]

The 10 GHz contest is quite different from any other contest.  For one 
thing, the number of stations available is usually limited.  Bruce may 
well have had only 34 stations available to work in the contest. So a lot 
of "pack roving" is taking place between the only stations available in an 
area. EVERYONE in the area who CAN be worked is in the "group". I doubt if 
anyone who could be worked was left out.

In the Chicago area many of the ops line up on one or the other side of 
Lake Michigan and work each other across the lake, then everyone moves 
around at least 10 miles and does it again, etc. until they run out of 
time.

This year at least for the first weekend of the contest it appears most of 
the ops are going east to Lake Erie.  I think there will just be a few 
stations left in the Chicago area for me to work.  I can't travel too 
far that weekend, so I can't go to Lake Erie. So I sure won't run up a 
score like Bruce did.

I'm sure I'll have fun anyway.

73, Zack W9SZ

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005, Radiosporting Fan wrote:

> I'm curious...
> --------------------------------------------------
> >From the recap of the 2004 ARRL 10-GHz and Above
> contest (where summative DX-points are the norm and
> grids count for nothing), the following was stated...
> 
> "Bruce, W9FZ, who claims to be “off the deep end with
> VHF/UHF/SHF weak signal activity,” topped the QSO
> count list for the contest with 292 contacts from 34
> unique stations. Glen, KCØIYT, was third in QSO count
> with 256 contacts from 25 unique stations. His “QSO
> ratio” (total number of contacts divided by unique
> calls worked) was 10.2, the mark of a well- organized
> group effort. Two other stations also showed great
> team activity: Jim, N1SZ, with a QSO ratio of 12.2 and
> Geary, NØGY, with a ratio of 10.8. Of all the
> en-tries, the average QSO ratio was 3.2."
> 
> http://www.arrl.org/contests/results/2004/10GHz.pdf
> 
> >From the 2005 rules: 1. Object: North American
> amateurs work as many amateur stations in as many
> different locations as possible in North America on
> bands from 10-GHz through Light.
> ---------------------------------------------------
> ... why is there no controversy for this well
> documented strategy?  Isn't it "genomically related"
> to Grid Circling, Pack Roving in VHF contests?
> 
> Ev, W2EV
> 
> PS...I applaud these stations for maximizing their
> score within the stated rules of the event.  This
> inquiry goes to those who claim such strategies are
> unsportsmanlike in some way.
>