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Re: [CQ-Contest] Distance-Based Scoring

To: Ward Silver <hwardsil@gmail.com>, cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Distance-Based Scoring
From: Gerry Treas K8GT <k8gt@mi.rr.com>
Reply-to: k8gt@arrl.net
Date: Tue, 26 May 2015 20:45:35 -0400
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Thanks Ward for your calmly reasoned explanation that you also sent to the reflector some time ago..

What was it, about 2 years ago when this same discussion was raging? Seems that no one was listening then and are not remembering all that 2 years later.

I understand why some are hoping for a better way to "level the playing field", but we contesters know about propagation, both regular average differences and the shorter term variations. There are different types of propagation from locations at higher latitiudes than those from lower latitudes to a location the same distance away. Distance scoring doesn't help there.

I wish that there was a way, but there isn't a simple one.

Your suggestions are one way to approach the problem.

73, Gerry, K8GT



On 26-May-15 13:56, Ward Silver wrote:
In any contest on bands for which there is a skip zone, distance-based scoring will not work. Imagine how hard it is to work a station on 10 meters 200 miles away by backscatter compared to, say, 2500 miles away by F2 skip. Distance-based scoring works on 160 and 80, sometimes it would work on 40, mostly it won't work on 20-10 or 6 meters. It might be worthwhile on 2 meters and higher-frequency bands.

Nor is there a handicapping system that equalizes the vagaries of propagation between wildly different locations that is not in itself wildly complicated. Believe me, I've tried over the years to imagine a system that would actually work. They would have to be redesigned every single year and then be adjusted based on propagation during the actual contest. Perhaps there's a doctoral thesis or two in there but not a contest scoring system.

My opinion is that regional-based reporting and operator comparison works a lot better and is actually close to comparing apples to apples. The WRTC qualification systems move in that general direction although for really big regions (Africa, Oceania, etc) there isn't enough granularity to achieve the desired purpose. Think about a sort of RRTC - Regional Radiosport Team Championships.

If we put the amount of energy spent chasing impossible weighting and scoring systems into recognizing the really great efforts and accomplishments among regional peers, it would benefit everyone. Sponsor a regional plaque or a regional competition or contribute a regional writeup to the sponsors or create a regional rating system - all quite doable, costs little, promotes the contest, recognizes good efforts - what's not to like? Of course, that would require *us* to do something instead of the sponsors :-)

73, Ward N0AX
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