The things you are proposing could easily be layered over an existing contest.
Have at it and let’s see how it works.
Randy K5ZD
> On Aug 13, 2025, at 3:20 AM, Mike Fatchett W0MU <w0mu@w0mu.com> wrote:
>
> Event...Like the 1st one to work W1AAA gets bonus points......The 1st to 50
> contacts gets..... the 1st to 50 mults..... bonus for low power. Just a
> few off the top of my head. Team play where the team that does X 1st or has
> the cleanest log gets more points. The options are endless.
>
> This will not be a game for the old guard or a contest for the old guard.
> People in general dislike change from the norm, old people are even worse.
> It will take a while and some probably will need to pass on before major
> changes will happen.
>
> W0MU
>
>> On 8/12/2025 3:11 PM, David Gilbert wrote:
>>
>> You totally miss the point. The internet would ONLY be used to provide a
>> graphical environment. Nothing more!
>>
>> The application would make use of that visual environment to open up other
>> possibilities for earning points other than simply making the contact. The
>> application would essentially just be a smarter logger.
>>
>> RADIO (TRANSMITTED AND RECEIVED RF WOULD STILL BE REQUIRED to actually make
>> whatever interaction the game demanding for earning the points. You'd still
>> need an antenna, a transceiver, you'd need to know how to operate them, and
>> you'd still need to understand propagation. The internet would not
>> supplant, diminish, or add to any of that.
>>
>> Why is all of that so difficult to understand??
>>
>> Right now you just stare at your logger on your computer screen, but instead
>> you could be looking at an actual visual representation of the other side of
>> the contact in either a simulated real or imaginary environment. And the
>> "game" could open up other ways of earning points depending upon the chosen
>> mechanics. Like I've said, I'm not sure what those mechanics might be at
>> this point but I'd bet other folks would have suggestions if they weren't
>> afraid of the stodgy blowback.
>>
>> Dave AB7E
>>
>>
>>> On 8/12/2025 6:34 AM, Zack Widup wrote:
>>> Well, then, we can no longer call it ham RADIO. Radio has a specific
>>> definition, which doesn't include the internet. I originally got interested
>>> in radio because it was magic to me. It still is after almost 60 years of
>>> having a ham license, and longer than that being interested in shortwave as
>>> an SWL. Internet is not magic to me at all.
>>>
>>> Maybe I'll just stick to the microwave/mm-wave bands, which is a vast
>>> unexplored territory for most hams.
>>>
>>> Zack W9SZ
>>>
>>> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail>
>>> Virus-free.http://www.avg.com/
>>> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail>
>>> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
>>>
>>>> On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 3:43 PM Barry W2UP <w2up.co@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> We don't need RF. Let's just contest online. Then we won't have horrible
>>>> band condx like we did (at least in the west) this past weekend in WAE.
>>>>
>>>> Barry W2UP (/0)
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 12:05 AM David Gilbert <ab7echo@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> A friend of mine (Bob, K7ZB) just sent me a link to a recent video
>>>>> interview of Tom, W2SC (aka 8P5A) done by W1DED. In addition to
>>>>> descriptions of his station and approach to contesting, Tom speculates
>>>>> on where ham radio and contesting in particular might go in the future.
>>>>> He pointed out that whatever happens will most likely be determined by a
>>>>> younger generation that isn't bound by what ham radio is to those of us
>>>>> who have been at it for a while.
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck-RMIyjSfI
>>>>>
>>>>> His view of the future is very interesting, and I agree that if ham
>>>>> radio survives to any significant extent it will have to change ... and
>>>>> it will likely be changed by a younger generation that comes up with a
>>>>> way to adapt ham radio to something that is more interesting to them.
>>>>>
>>>>> Personally, I've always thought that contesting should figure out how to
>>>>> become more like an online video game:
>>>>>
>>>>> 1. Integrated computer graphics that display participants on a playing
>>>>> field ... Earth or maybe even some simulated world. You could zoom in
>>>>> or zoom out, but the part of the world available to be seen on your
>>>>> screen could be determined by the real time propagation at that moment.
>>>>> To make a contact you'd have to zoom in far enough to see the station
>>>>> you're trying to contact, and the display would show their current
>>>>> frequency. Real time propagation could be derived from actual contacts
>>>>> being made if everyone's computer was connected to a common server ...
>>>>> just like is done with video games. And before anyone says that real
>>>>> time internet connectivity is an issue, keep in mind that it isn't at
>>>>> all problem for the demographic we'd be trying to reach.
>>>>>
>>>>> 2. Multiplayer .... where every participant shows up on the screen at
>>>>> their actual (or simulated) QTH.
>>>>>
>>>>> 3. ACTUAL COMPETITION! Instead of just trying to make the most
>>>>> contacts and finding out at the end how you did, make each contact some
>>>>> sort of competition that gets displayed on the screen ... and have some
>>>>> way of preventing others from making a contact. How that happens would
>>>>> depend upon the context of the particular game, just like there are
>>>>> different video games. But the idea would be to contest each contact in
>>>>> some manner that requires either an offensive action or a defensive one.
>>>>>
>>>>> 4. "Contacts" (whatever the game required for a point) would still
>>>>> purely come via RF ... station to station. The video display and
>>>>> central server would only provide the environment for making the
>>>>> contacts, albeit a hopefully more elaborate and richer environment than
>>>>> whatever we currently picture in our minds while making contacts now.
>>>>>
>>>>> Some people might say that this is actually no different than a video
>>>>> game and that video games have the advantage of a level playing field
>>>>> since most computers don't hinder your play. And that's precisely why I
>>>>> think a ham radio version might be more interesting. Propagation,
>>>>> antennas, choice of times and bands would all make the game more complex
>>>>> than the typical online video game. The play style would be enriched by
>>>>> the variables of ham radio and the technical side of the hobby would be
>>>>> retained.
>>>>>
>>>>> The biggest problem I see with something like this is getting the
>>>>> programming done. Successful video games can take years and lots of
>>>>> money to develop, although there are games like Valheim that didn't ...
>>>>> at least not by comparison. However, I strongly suspect that it won't
>>>>> be too long before AI could do something like this, or at least most of
>>>>> it. We wouldn't need the complexity of a top tier video game, and
>>>>> graphics engines are becoming increasingly accessible for simple
>>>>> environments. Station wise, I don't think it would be any different
>>>>> than it is now to use a logger for rig control and score tracking ...
>>>>> just different software.
>>>>>
>>>>> I realize that the actual game mechanics are missing here. That's
>>>>> because I'm not smart enough to come up with the specifics. But I am
>>>>> convinced that something like this could be done ... it's really just a
>>>>> simple visual interface with an RF connection for the points instead of
>>>>> data packets. The number of made contacts would be MUCH fewer than it
>>>>> is now for a typical contest, but each contact could potentially require
>>>>> more thought and focus. Think in terms of catching fish instead of
>>>>> hammering out CQ's.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thoughts?
>>>>>
>>>>> Dave
>>>>>
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>>>>>
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