[VHFcontesting] Goal-Based Contest Scoring

n1mu-vhf@rochester.rr.com n1mu-vhf at rochester.rr.com
Fri Aug 26 14:51:07 EDT 2005


On Fri, August 26, 2005 at 14:12 Ken wrote:

> On Fri, Aug 26, 2005 at 12:50:39PM -0400, Ed K1EP wrote:
>
> > >* The number one, overriding goal of radio contests should be
"competition."
> > >  In the ideal world, the winner of the contest should be the
best-designed
> > >  station operated by the highest performing operator(s).  The goal
of the 
> > >  contest should be to support that result.  Once you start explicitly 
> > >  making it important to achieve other goals, like "camaraderie" or 
> > >  "activity," even if they are otherwise laudable in other
circumstances, 
> > >  the value of contesting as a _sport_ is diminished. 
> > 
> > People do not always share the same goals.  Many "contesters"
participate 
> > in CQ WW DX or ARRL DX CONTESTS to work DX.  They don't care about
score.  
> > But they know that the rare DX will only be on during the contest.  The 
> > same goes for VHF QSO PARTIES or contests.  
>
> You are correct that a lot of stations participate in contests for
purposes of 
> DXing, on both HF and VHF.  Some even submit logs.  But radio contests
are,
> and should be, like marathons or triathlons rather than some charity
feel-good 
> fun run.  We already have Field Day for that kind of thing.  That not
every 
> single entrant in a competition is there to win shouldn't be used as
an excuse 
> to diminish or harm the sporting aspects of the competition.  
> 
> -- 
> Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
> kenharker at kenharker.com
> http://www.kenharker.com/

Ken,

The idea was that the true "winner" in each operating category
(Multi-op, Single-op, etc.) would have the top score in all Goals---a
clean sweep.  Maybe you didn't read that part.  I know it's not the best
organized piece of writing in the world.

Anyway, if you truly feel this way, why change the rules at all?  You
said that the contest winners should be the ones with the best equipment
and operators.  Wrong.  The winners work within the rules and employ
strategies and tactics that maximize their scores.  What's wrong with
that?  Just because you paid more for your radio and can copy 100 WPM CW
does not mean you win.

Tom. 




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