[VHFcontesting] Goal-Based Contest Scoring

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Fri, Aug 26, 2005 at 02:51:07PM -0400, N1MU wrote:
> On Fri, August 26, 2005 at 14:12 WM5R wrote:
> 
> > > >  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.  
> 
> 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.  

This statement is interesting because it says a lot about the current debate.

My statement was that, all other things being equal, the winner of the 
contest _should be_ the best-designed station operated by the highest 
performing operator(s), and that the goal of the contest _should be_ to 
support that result.  Your counter-argument is in the present tense and 
describes the current situation, as if my desire to see a better situation 
is somehow wrong because it has not yet come to be.

If the contest rules supported the goal of rewarding the best stations
operated by the highest performing operators, then operating within the 
rules and having solid contesting strategies and skills would result in
the stations that most deserve to win taking the top prizes.  That would
be great!  But we all know that isn't always the case, that not all other 
things are equal.  Captive rovers and circle rovers create highly unequal 
situations.  Individual stations competing against teams of stations 
isn't fair, and the contest rules _should be_ changed to correct the 
problem.

>                                                     What's wrong with
> that?  Just because you paid more for your radio and can copy 100 WPM CW
> does not mean you win.

I did not say "the most expensive radios", I said the "best designed 
station."  Station design includes everything from radios to antenna designs
to antenna heights to operating position layout to logging software selection
to station maintenance, etc...  A great contest station is designed for 
efficiency, endurance, and performance - and there's a lot more to it than 
just throwing money at it.  I've known individuals with very modest incomes 
put together superior contest stations.

And I think we all know that 100 WPM CW is not a required performance skill 
for any contesting, HF or VHF.  There are, however, very important skills 
that contesting should reward: the ability to work stations quickly and 
efficiently, the ability to correctly copy and log callsigns and information,
the ability to tune in and copy weak signals, the ability to identify and 
exploit band openings, etc.

-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/