On Mon, Aug 23, 1999 at 11:46:51AM -0400, Kelly Taylor wrote:
> Grid squares, on the other hand, have no place in existing HF contests simply
> because distance between stations isn't the point. Accumulating multipliers
> based on the format of the contest (DXCC countries for ARRL DX, Zones and
> countries for WW, Prefixes for WPX, Calif. counties, Bermuda provinces,
> Japanese prefectures, etc.) IS the point, regardless of the distance between
> the two stations in each QSO.
The current DX exhange in the ARRL contest is Report Power, and yet working a
lot of high power stations, or a lot of low power stations, etc. is not the
point
of the contest, either. Whether a station sends me 005 or 1500, I still
get the same QSO points and multiplier.
Simply having grid squares be a part of the exchange would not necessarily
mean that the scoring would have to change at all. Just like scores are not
usually affected by received serial numbers, it could just be a part of
the exchange.
Collecting grid squares or fields on HF is not presently popular, I'll agree.
But who says that should remain so? What about all those casual ops who've
done Worked All Counties seven times already and are looking for a new
challenge? Maybe they'd find a major contest with grid squares in the exchange
an interesting new diversion.
> Moving to grid squares WOULD be a drastic change in the format and scoring of
> the contest.
It would be a change in the exchange of the contest, but it would NOT
necessarily
have to be a change in the scoring.
> A grid square contest would be a lot of fun, but it should be started as a
> new contest.
There are already numerous contests with grid squares in the exchange:
Stew Perry Topband, TOEC, WWL, every VHF contest in North America, etc...
--
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Kenneth E. Harker "Vox Clamantis in Deserto" kharker@cs.utexas.edu
University of Texas at Austin Amateur Radio Callsign: KM5FA
Department of the Computer Sciences President, UT Amateur Radio Club
Taylor Hall TAY 2.124 Maintainer of the Linux Laptop Home Page
Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/
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