On 7/21/97 8:26 AM, Jimmy R. Floyd at floydjr@interpath.com wrote:
>I agree with no time limits. I hate time off in a contest. Time off
>brings luck into the contest more. You could be lucky and take
>a time off that is bad or unlucky and take a time off that is good.
>I know you can study and understand propagation all you want
>but you still cannot predict when a band is going to open.
Even if you stay on 48 hours then, you might still be "unlucky" by
choosing the wrong bands, the wrong parts of the bands, etc.
Frankly, I'm appalled at the use of the term "luck" to describe something
that is clearly not a random event. Perhaps a neophyte might be lucky,
but an experienced contester has the skill to determine the best times to
take off.
>The worse contest with off times to me is the WPX. A 48 hour
>contest and you can only work 30 hours. You take almost an
>entire day off. A lot can happen in 18 hours.
WPX has been changed to allow 36 hours single op. This change was
austensibly to permit single op DXpeditions to have more operating time.
It is not universially viewed as a good thing, for reasons mentioned
before.
>I also do not
>understand the 2 hour off thing with NAQP. I promise you that
>the multi stations sure do not have a lot to work after 12 midnight.
>What does taking two hours off accomplish?
Not everyone takes the last two hours off, although some may have to.
Selecting time off requires strategic thinking. You have to do more than
just hit F1.
(You know, this time off / no time off argument is reminding me more and
more of the DH rule in Major League Baseball)
>BTW Wonder how many missed the 15 meter opening in NAQP
>at about 2300. Ron was S9 here and 8's were also. I guess most
>people were taking their two hours off.
I wouldn't count on it.
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr@radio.org
Quote: "Not in a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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