There are three different topics "comingled in the barrl" as Mark Twain
would say...
1) SO2R vs SO1R - I did an analysis of SO2R versus SO1R for the CAC and
there was not nearly the same degree of separation between those scores as
there was between, say, HP and LP. It was clear that the second radio was
not enough of a differentiating factor to create a new category for it. No
reason not to note it in the results, but it hasn't evolved into a new
species yet.
2) New Blood - VE7FO is spot on. You have to grow 'em yourself, manually.
Since the entry license class is not HF-based, new hams are not exposed to
contesting in the course of their normal existence. We have to take
contesting to them - by speaking, teaching, and most of all, inviting.
Outreach, outreach, outreach.
3) Categories - this is really code for "recognition". Contest sponsors
simply do not have the resources to differentiate as finely as all the
definable sets of circumstances might warrant. If you want confirmation of
this, try working on the committee of a good-sized minor contest and then
imagine it scaled up by a factor of ten to one of the biggies. The solution
to providing recognition lies in the local or regional contest community.
First, the existing writeups focus almost exclusively on the top scorers -
they have to. Yet, in nearly every contest, one region or another will have
a geographical advantage and dominate the results, leaving others out in the
cold. What's needed is supporting analysis from every distinct region that
can focus on a relative peer group. Second, contesters need to calibrate
who they are competing with. You can't equalize scores - there are too many
subjective criteria. It would help if the contest (and other) clubs
encouraged and identified locally interesting methods and types of
competition appropriate to the region. Contests-within-a-contest, for
example, or sending out local certificates.
73, Ward N0AX
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