----- Original Message ----
From: Jim Forsyth <mail@jimforsyth.com>
When I operate in a category other than rover I get smoked by the guys back
east. It will always be that way because of their higher population density
and superior propagation. Why should I be in the same category as them?
Why should a five band station be in the same category as a six band
station?
Why should a 150 watt station be in the same category as a 180 watt station?
Why should a hill top station be in the same category as a valley station?
Why should a station that operates for 20 hours be in the same category as a
station that operates 12 hours?
Why should a station with big antennas be in the same category as a station
with small antennas?
Such questions are endless. Anybody can come up with reasons why they should
not be in the same category as somebody else. Should everybody have their
own category?
----------------------------
In answer to that last question (and addressing each of the ones before), "yes"
and "no". :) Contest sponsors may wish to create categories that point to
their goal in sponsoring an event. I don't fault them for doing so as it is
THIER event, after all.
However, they should realize that "one size doesn't fit all" " and there is a
lot of "jamming square peg's through round holes" by participants attempting to
submit within such a structure.
When reporting a log, it should include information on each of the operating
parameters that you note (ERP, Operating Time, Operator Count, Grid-4, etc.)
and have those parameters reported in the results, allowing others to
meaningfully compare their performance against others with similar
circumstances. If one is actually competing...THAT is the competition, after
all.
In such a world, it is quite possible to clearly perceive more meaningful
results at individual levels. With regard to the ARRL contests in specific,
doing so would probably be a fair trade-off for no longer publishing the
results in QST.
Ev, W2EV
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