[VHFcontesting] 6 Meter - Distance Scoring

[James Duffey]

In many ways, 160M ops and VHF ops are sisters under the skin. I think  
that most people that are proposing a distance based scoring system  
would base it on The Stew Perry Challenge:

< http://jzap.com/k7rat/stew.rules.txt >

Here are the scoring rules:
	5. QSO Points: The number of QSO points for each contact depends on  
the distance between the two stations. This is 	computed by taking the  
distance between the centers of the two grid squares. Count a minimum  
of one point per QSO and 	an additional point for every 500 kilometers  
distance. For example, a QSO with a station 1750 kilometers away will 	 
count for 4 QSO points. No additional distance for long path is  
allowed. QSO Points are multiplied by 2X if you work a 	low power  
station and 4X for working a QRP station. This is done based upon  
received logs and is computed automatically 	during the log checking  
process.
Clearly this would need to be modified for VHF contests; among other  
things the grid square criteria is too coarse and the distance breaks  
for points are too long but the basic idea certainly has merit. One  
can look at the path loss vs distance tropo scatter plots to get some  
ideas of where to place the breaks.

The above scoring technique gives more points for working low power  
and QRP stations. Along with the additional points for distance, there  
is an incentive to work the weak ones. A similar multiplier could be  
given to working rovers.

While a GPS is certainly the best way to get a 6 digit grid square,  
one can also mark off topo maps or other high resolution maps with the  
6 digit grid square and figure out where you are manually. Others have  
suggested methods for scoring if one only knows the 4 digit grid square.

I think everyone at a fixed station can determine their 6 digit grid  
square. For rovers, it is a bit harder without a GPS, but still  
possible.

The ARRl has 3 QSO parties, or contests if you will, that are  
essentially identical. it would be nice if there were some variety.  
The VUCC has proposed alternates in the past, among them limiting the  
number of bands in the June contest. These proposals have never been  
too popular, but the 2008 June contest certainly shows why it should  
be done. With 6M open, few pay attention to the higher bands. Of  
course the 2007 June contest shows just the opposite. Six meters  
giveth and six meters taketh  away.

The September contest seems to be the ideal venue in which to try new  
scoring methods. Perhaps if we begin now, we can put together a  
proposal for such a contest that could be conducted in September of  
2009? Or perhaps we could exchange 6 digit grid squares in the  
September contest and submit the logs to an independent adjudicator  
for distance scoring? The ARRL robot will accept 6 digit grids, so  
exchanging more than is required is not a problem.

One could also have a contest based on "nonperformance" multipliers,  
or multipliers that are obtained less on skill and location, and more  
on serendipity. A VHF contest with multipliers based on prefixes as  
multipliers would be such a contest, although rovers would not play  
much of a role in such a contest.

Just some thoughts. It would be much more interesting if the 3 VHF/UHF  
contests were differentiated from each other in some way. I hope that  
the VUCC continues to pursue this option, despite the poor reception  
such efforts have received in the past. And whatever you do, don't  
forget us rovers! - Duffey

--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM