Mike Coslo wrote in message ...
Idly musing, I thought of this a few moments ago. It isn't a CW testing
question, but is related by being a CW operating question.

With the likely demise of Morse code testing, is there any reason to
have contests give double the points for Morse code contacts?

Yep. In fact it should be triple for CW and double for data modes.

While of course all contest rules are inherently arbitrary, does it
make sense to have one mode of contact be "more equal" than others?

Sure - if that mode uses less spectrum space and is more efficient.

Put another way, if you think that CW contacts should be worth double
points, is it fair to have say, PSK31 contacts worth the same double
points such as in Field day? Our GOTA station racked up a fair number of
points operating PSK31, and it was certainly no more difficult than
operating Phone.

It's more than fair. If anything the slant is towards 'phone because
you can put almost anybody in front of the mike after a few minutes
instruction and they can make FD QSOs (particularly if there's a
'logger' sitting right there).

Working CW takes special skills, working PSK-31 takes more equipment
and some skill (not as much as CW, of course, but more than 'phone).
Both modes use much less spectrum space and are more efficient. So
their use should be encouraged on Field Day (which is about the only
large mixed-mode HF contest in existence).

I've seen a number of cases where a phone operator has worked hard and
logged a lot of QSO's, only to be beaten by a CW op with little more
than half that number.

Said CW op also worked hard, did he not? And is "hard work" the
criteria, or effectiveness? You can fit at least 10 CW or PSK QSOs in
the space of one SSB QSO. Shouldn't that sort of efficiency be
encouraged?

73 de Jim, N2EY