>....to make sure that the guys that
>win can really copy an exchange....believe me, those guys that win can
>and will copy any exchange that is thought up.
That's a good point alrighty. What was that thread just passed about the
"honorable" stature that ragchewing seems to enjoy? I guess the proposed
changes in length and "difficulty" of contest exchanges is our attempt to
say, "If you can't beat 'em join 'em." It seems the attempt is now to
prove that the contester is actually copying something and his computer
isn't doing ALL the work. Well why not have a half hour ragchew with
name/age/occupation/wx/ex-wife's weight/tax bracket/qth where you were when
you heard the news that John Lennon died/ and other meaningful data? If
you can keep the rate up to '2' you'll be in the top ten. I could be
wrong, but I believe that most "serious" contesters contest to satisfy a
physiological addiction to RATE. Sure it's a lot of fun to catch the short
openings and learn more in the school of propagation, but RATE is why most
hardcores operate from that little island out there somewhere. And in ARRL
DX that's why a lot of us stay at home types operate.
So unless ragchewing really IS what it's all about, let's shorten the
exchanges not lengthen them. The callsign really is all that matters as
far as I'm concerned. The 5NN and power,etc. is just thrown in there to
give the mind a moment of rest. It's not a signal report, it's a micro-nap
for a weak mind such as mine.
73 from the Trottman Compound,
Matt--K7BG
P.S. CU on SKN or in the novice bands for a good ragchew sometime.
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