I notice this one has come up in RTTY.
The SSB test used to also be 30 hours out of 48. This was changed after much
lobbying by those who go to "other places to win from." It was turned into
36. I assume as a compromise because those who operate from propogationally
advantaged locations wanted 48 but others were equally keen to keep the 30.
In RTTY we can still see someone winning from their home location. However,
propogation favors those who travel to a location which is close to the
equator and equidistant from two of the three major ham population centres
of Europe, USA and Japan. Thus the majority of top twenty scores in the
major SSB and CW contests meet the criteria of being just in South America,
just in Africa, just in Asia, or just in Oceania. Try HC8, EA8, KH6 etc..
Don't misunderstand, I have a lot of respect for these people that stretch
their arms carrying Alpha 87's onto airplanes as hand luggage! Furthermore
in contests needing lots of countries they help the rest of us with
multipliers.
I do think that we need variety in contests and having to take time out is a
strategic decision. Get it wrong and you will dramatically affect your
score. Of course some prefer not to have this extra challenge and just run
til they drop!
The shorter period also allows those like VK/ZL, and the many others who
are propogationally challenged, who do not generally get 48 hours of
propogation to anywhere, a chance to remain competitive.
The strategy is especially appropriate for the WPX type of contest. Prefixes
generally come, these days, from just running stations. The leading stations
will rarely do much search and pounce. Then only on the second radio. This
makes it into just a run fest with little or no challenge other than speed.
The time off makes for some intellectual involvement in the contesting
process!
The CQWW type tests with zones and countries do still mean that most of us
must do a minimum of S&P. Hence we must continually make choices of what
band to run, what band to search, when to run and in what direction, what
direction to search etc. Apart from those sitting on the very best island
locations, there is a need to do more than hit the CQ key!
You will know that RTTY contesting has reached the big time when Don AA5AU
has to go to PJ8 or EA8 to stay in the top twentyl!!
73
Martin VK5GN
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