I like the idea, but I have some reservations. A short contest means we have
to concentrate on maximizing our rates, while a longer one requires that we
also dig out all those weak multipliers, etc. While it may not be as exciting
as running at 120/hr, I would miss having a chance to seach and pounce. I get
a big thrill out of snagging some weak rare multiplier that no one else has
noticed yet. Even with a modest station here in the black hole (WI), when
conditions were very good during the past couple years, I've felt I really
didn't get time to do as much of that as I would have liked, because I could
maintain a much higher rate calling CQ. Under the best of conditions, in
a DX contest one can't expect to average more than about 60/hr in S&P mode,
yet running at that rate is pretty boring. (You spend 3/4 of your time
listening to your CQ machine.)
The other thing a short contest might do, especially near the sunspot maximum,
is cut down on low band activity. Who is going to spend any time on 80,
when they can keep a good run going all night on 20? (Except the
multi-multi's,
but they account for only a handful of our contacts.) This would be more
of a problem in CQ, of course.
So, much as I dislike the sleep-deprivation aspect of a 48 hour contest, I
would vote not to shorten them. Limiting single-ops to 36 hours or so
of operating time would be fine with me, though.
73,
Scott K9MA
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