Hello Steve (CAC member, K4RF) and all:
I have always loved the ARRL SS even in the days when it was two
weekends and Phone and CW were run at the same time. I have entered CW
full time almost every year since 1955. Some Phone efforts have been
full time and some part time. I have been in the top 10 in the US on
both modes in the 1970s and on cw from W4AN the past two years. That
said, the Sunday part of the contest would be a lot more fun on cw if
there were more participation. I don't see the problem as much (hardly
at all) on SSB. There seems to be an almost never ending stream of SSB
casual operators out there who will call in SSB SS even with a
complicated exchange. There are a lot fewer casual cw ops who will go
to the trouble to figure out the exchange and make a few QSOs. It is
also harder on cw to explain the exchange to one who had not planned in
advance to participate.
I am afraid that the net result of the new rules could be a drop in
participation, particularly on SSB. The new category might appeal even
to me with the result that I would operate only 8 hours instead of 18 to
20 to 24 on SSB. The same could happen on CW, but I don't think it
would affect me, initially at least. If it kept so many guys off the
air on Saturday that Saturday cw SS was boring, I might reconsider and
do the "sprint" route the next year.
I think a better idea might be a real sprint category of 2 to 4 hours at
the end of the contest or maybe any 2 or 4 hours after 18Z on Sunday or
something like that. That would probably get on the air some people who
won't or can't make a whole weekend commitment without diminishing too
much the real contest enthusiasts. 2 or 4 hours wouldn't be enough for
me under ordinary circumstances, so I wouldn't diminish my contribution
to the contest by switching to that category, regardless of mode.
In any case, if any type of "Sprint" category is added, it should be on
an experimental basis for one or two years with a lot of publicity well
in advance and careful analysis of the results factoring in other things
such a conditions and with solicitation and analysis of participants'
comments and reasons for choosing or not choosing the sprint category.
73, John, K4BAI/8P9HT.
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