I like the Grid Square ideas that have been floated. The best, in my
opinion, is to include the grid square in all contest exchanges
(preferably the six character grid square -- four character grid squares
OK for competitive territory definition) since the current canned report
hardly qualifies as enough of an information exchange to be considered a
legitimate QSO (maybe contest QSOs without a significant information
exchange should be denied DXCC credit?).
Proposed refinement to "territory" definition:
> 1. Define "territory" to equal a grid square; e.g., FM19.
>
> 2. For evaluating the results of a qualifying contest, set a minimum
> number of dues-paying, ratings-pursuing, participants in order to
> get a good feel for ranking within the territory and category.
> Let's say this number is 10. And for an example, let's use the CQ
> WPX contest.
>
> 3. If 10 or more Participants submitted scores at your Category in your
> Grid Square, then the adminstrator has a adequate sample to rank the
> Participants and give the ones at the top their ranking-points towards
> moving up.
3a. Mark all Grid Squares "Competitive" that have 10 or more
participants. Complete this process for all Grid Squares.
>
> 4. If there are less than 10 Participants in a Category in the Grid
> Square, then the Administrator expands the territory, for purposes
> of evaluating these fewer-than-ten participants, to include a
> "ring" of surrounding grid squares (i.e., a block of 9 in total).
Exclude any squares already marked "Competitive" from the expanded
Super Square.
>
> Now count again. If more than 10 Participants in the Block, rank
> the Participants in the central square according to the overall
> scores in the Block.
Mark squares "Competitive" as in 3a, above.
>
> If less than 10 Participants still, then add another layer of grid
> squares surrounding the block( i.e., a block of 25) and try again.
After all blocks of 25 have been considered, attach all remaining
squares to the closest geographical "Competitive" unit. In case
there are multiple equidistant Competitive units, choose the unit
that has the fewest Participants.
John, W0RUE
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