If maximum output power allowed was 150W, does it matter if someone with a K1
is using an amp to get from 5w to 150W or someone using an FT2000 is using an
amp to get from 100 to 150W? 150W is 150W. And it someone has an FT5000 and
turns it down to 150W, does that make it better than someone using an amp to
get up to 150W? Was there some unwritten rule that said if your FT1000 was a
200W rig you should ignore the 150W and turn it down actually to 100W? If so,
I missed the memo.
Its no longer 150W. But how someone gets there, is of no importance to the
rest of the participants.
Ed N1UR
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Coleman <aa4lr@arrl.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2021 9:49 AM
To: John Unger <w4au.john@gmail.com>
Cc: Edward Sawyer <EdwardS@advanced-conversion.com>; W4NZ Ted Bryant
<w4nz@comcast.net>; cq-contest@contesting.com; wc1m73@gmail.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Low Power Change to ARRL Contests
The NAQP rules were changed a couple of decades ago from 150 to 100w, when it
became apparent that a few participants were running an amplifier to make up
the last 50 watts.
> On Dec 24, 2021, at 4:05 PM, John Unger <w4au.john@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I seem to remember that not all that long ago, when LP was 150W, that
> the League made it illegal to use an amp in the LP contests to bring
> the output of a 100W rig up to 150W. But I can’t remember exactly when
> that ruling was made or how common the practice was, though…
>
> 73 - John, W4AU
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 24, 2021 at 09:59 Edward Sawyer
> <EdwardS@advanced-conversion.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I believe it was - back in the 60s and 70s - however it changed to
>> 150W output power sometime by 1980 or so and has been that ever
>> since, by my remembrance.
>>
>> Ed N1UR
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: W4NZ Ted Bryant <w4nz@comcast.net>
>> Sent: Friday, December 24, 2021 10:26 AM
>> To: wc1m73@gmail.com; Edward Sawyer
>> <EdwardS@advanced-conversion.com>;
>> cq-contest@contesting.com
>> Subject: RE: [CQ-Contest] Low Power Change to ARRL Contests
>>
>> Wasn't the original rule for 150w based at that time on INPUT power,
>> plate voltage X plate current? With final amp efficiencies then,
>> that equated to about 100w output, today's rule.
>>
>> 73 es MX,
>> Ted W4NZ
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces+w4nz=
>> comcast.net@contesting.com] On Behalf Of wc1m73@gmail.com
>> Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2021 1:20 PM
>> To: 'Edward Sawyer'; cq-contest@contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Low Power Change to ARRL Contests
>>
>> 100W vs 150W for Low Power has been under discussion at ARRL for a
>> long time. I agree that it affects comparisons with previous scores,
>> records, etc., but I don't have a lot of concern about that. It
>> doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense from a contesting
>> perspective to make an exception for FD, but ARRL says FD isn't a contest.
>>
>> I think the idea is that the vast majority of modern transceivers max
>> out at 100W (or a little less), and it requires a more expensive rig
>> or an amp to achieve 150W. That means you have to spend considerably
>> more money to be competitive in the Low Power category. Also, some
>> amps may not perform properly (cleanly?) at such a low gain level. I
>> guess there could be a concern that there would be too much
>> temptation to goose the power a little higher to complete a tough contact.
>> It seems like a sensible change to me.
>>
>> I'm thinking the exception for FD is to reduce the level of
>> frustration when operating with low wire antennas from less than
>> ideal locations, and ARRL wants FD to be a happy, non-competitive
>> event. That said, I doubt many low power teams operating on emergency
>> power use amps because they require more gas for the generators.
>>
>> As for messing up comparisons with previous scores and records,
>> that's always possible when rules are modified. But if that
>> consideration prevents modification of contest rules, then we can
>> never improve contests. Similar things happen with DXCC, Honor Roll,
>> #1 Honor Roll, etc. You can't compare apples to apples when the list
>> of official entities keeps changing, which it must. And can we really
>> compare Tom Brady with Joe Montana or Otto Graham?
>> The numbers say yes, but the rules and game were totally different in
>> their respective eras.
>>
>> I take contest records with a grain of salt. It's even hard to
>> compare one's own performance from year to year because conditions
>> and participation are never the same. Rough comparisons may be
>> helpful to see if your performance is improving, but a more useful
>> way to do that is to compare your rank with the same set of
>> competitors over a period of many years and multiple sunspot cycles
>> if possible. I have spreadsheets for CQ WW CW and CQ WPX CW going
>> back over 20 years that compare my score, rank, QSOs and mults on
>> each band, etc., with the winner of the contest. The spreadsheet also
>> records the antennas I used and solar/geomagnetic activity for the contest
>> weekend each year.
>>
>> 73, Dick WC1M
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Edward Sawyer <EdwardS@advanced-conversion.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2021 7:01 AM
>> To: cq-contest@contesting.com
>> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Low Power Change to ARRL Contests
>>
>> I saw today that this change was announced in the ARRL Contests
>> starting in Jan 1. The Low Power Category will be changed from 150W
>> output to 100W output. On a contest to contest basis, this has no
>> significant impact.
>> However, on previous scores it does. For any of you who have ever
>> seriously competed using Low Power, 50W matters on 80 and 160M,
>> especially on SSB contests.
>>
>> I found it surprising that an exception was made for Field Day????
>> Really???
>> Why Field Day? Isn't everyone using primarily mobile HF rigs for
>> Field Day anyway and none put out more than 100W? And since "its not a
>> contest" why
>> is making that exception so important. The never ending head scratching
>> over the ARRL and Field Day......
>>
>> This will make records harder to beat in this category going forward.
>>
>> Ed N1UR
>>
>>
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Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr@arrl.net
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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