"an old friend" wrote

maybe a contest where the points were on how long
you were able to hold a contact how much airtime
you were able to fill with a near stanger


Be interesting to see how you could set up the scoring matrix...... If it was
simply length of contact (not the amount of information exchanged) then the real
slow talkers/slow senders would win. A built in advantage for southerners!

Would you have an upper limit on a contact length, and would the scoring be
linear...... for example 1 point per each 30 seconds of each contact, or
hockey-stick scoring with 1 point for 30 seconds, 5 points for one minute, 100
points for five minutes, and a bazzilion points for an hour?

What would you use for multipliers?

The thought occurs that newcomers are often somewhat mic-shy --- would they be
drawn to this kind of activity?


73, de Hans, K0HB

KØHB wrote:
"an old friend" wrote


maybe a contest where the points were on how long
you were able to hold a contact how much airtime
you were able to fill with a near stanger



Be interesting to see how you could set up the scoring matrix...... If it was
simply length of contact (not the amount of information exchanged) then the real
slow talkers/slow senders would win. A built in advantage for southerners!

Would you have an upper limit on a contact length, and would the scoring be
linear...... for example 1 point per each 30 seconds of each contact, or
hockey-stick scoring with 1 point for 30 seconds, 5 points for one minute, 100
points for five minutes, and a bazzilion points for an hour?

What would you use for multipliers?

The thought occurs that newcomers are often somewhat mic-shy --- would they be
drawn to this kind of activity?


73, de Hans, K0HB




Hans
I suspect that many newcomers are intimidated by the action in contests
like SS. They know they have no realistic expectation of winning. The
efforts like participation pins may help a bit. Again looking at SS the
first hours are quite frantic and top contesters give the exchange very
fast. If a newcomer isn't quite sure what was said or what he must say
they are not likely to respond.
I have heard some operators patiently explain what the exchange is and
help a first timer. However this appears to be a relative rarity as it
slows down the rate.
How about an incentive for the big scorers to work the newcomers? More
points per QSO if the check is less than 5 years old? More points if the
serial number is also below a certain threshhold? If it makes the big
guns more likely to be helpful I thin it would encourage those that are
a bit timid to join in. Also, can the contest logs be used to get
credit toward ARRL awards like WAS the way it used to be for DXCC?
Given the cost of QSLs and the return rate, that could also be an
incentive for some newcomers.
BTW - How did you do?
73, John K4BNC

"John" wrote

How about an incentive for the big scorers to work the newcomers? More points
per QSO if the check is less than 5 years old?

I really LIKE that one! The contest sponsor would need to validate it however,
or operators would adopt an artificially low number just to generate a run.

More points if the serial number is also below a certain threshhold?

I'm not sure that one is workable ..... everyone starts out with serial #1,
and the object is to rapidly increment that number so this would be a
disincentive to do well, even to the newcomer (unless I don't understand what
you propose).

Also, can the contest logs be used to get credit toward ARRL awards
like WAS the way it used to be for DXCC? Given the cost of QSLs and the return
rate, that could also be an incentive for some newcomers.

In effect this is already in place. I uploaded my log to LoTW 10 minutes after
the close of SS PH and already had close to 50 QSL's waiting for me. Right
now LoTW supports just DXCC, but WAS and WAZ are next (soon) to be implemented.

BTW - How did you do?

Not as well as I'd hoped. 773/79 on CW and 1043/80 on Phone weekend.

Phone weekend was especially frustrating, because conditions seemed so good.
Don't know what I did wrong, but just couldn't ratchet it up to the right level.
First few hours were OK (not great) with rates in the 70's, but then struggled
with long bands until about midnight. Couple good hours on 40 after midnight,
but not enough stations left to recover from the slow evening hours. Had a
pretty good Sunday afternoon on 40 starting about 2000Z, but I think I was
paying too much attention to my "half radio" (Drake R4C) looking for missing
mults. Ended up about 400 Q's off my target.

May be time to look at a new radio. I know I'm missing a lot of weak stations
on my run freqs, especially on 40M/80M. The Icom 775 attenuator doesn't seem to
be any good on those bands, and consequently the front end folds up with a lot
of strong adjacent RF. When N0AT, KT0R, NN7L, K0AD (all within a couple miles)
stroke up on 80M you could power an amp by rectifying the RF off my antenna
field!

73, de Hans, K0HB

KØHB wrote:
"John" wrote


How about an incentive for the big scorers to work the newcomers? More points
per QSO if the check is less than 5 years old?


I really LIKE that one! The contest sponsor would need to validate it however,
or operators would adopt an artificially low number just to generate a run.


More points if the serial number is also below a certain threshhold?


I'm not sure that one is workable ..... everyone starts out with serial #1,
and the object is to rapidly increment that number so this would be a
disincentive to do well, even to the newcomer (unless I don't understand what
you propose).
Probably not clearly stated and hard to implement. I was thinking of
someone with a small number for the time since contest started. That
is, some way to encourage working those who might just be making
occasional contacts.



Also, can the contest logs be used to get credit toward ARRL awards
like WAS the way it used to be for DXCC? Given the cost of QSLs and the return
rate, that could also be an incentive for some newcomers.


In effect this is already in place. I uploaded my log to LoTW 10 minutes after
the close of SS PH and already had close to 50 QSL's waiting for me. Right
now LoTW supports just DXCC, but WAS and WAZ are next (soon) to be implemented.

LOTW goes part way but I think the old DXCC method was even simpler
although it took longer. Once the contest results were published you
could just claim credit for a station worked in the contest. However as
I recall the number you could claim per DXCC submission was limited
unlike LOTW. It sure helped me back in the days when I was chasing DXCC
QSLs.


BTW - How did you do?


Not as well as I'd hoped. 773/79 on CW and 1043/80 on Phone weekend.

Phone weekend was especially frustrating, because conditions seemed so good.
Don't know what I did wrong, but just couldn't ratchet it up to the right level.
First few hours were OK (not great) with rates in the 70's, but then struggled
with long bands until about midnight. Couple good hours on 40 after midnight,
but not enough stations left to recover from the slow evening hours. Had a
pretty good Sunday afternoon on 40 starting about 2000Z, but I think I was
paying too much attention to my "half radio" (Drake R4C) looking for missing
mults. Ended up about 400 Q's off my target.

May be time to look at a new radio. I know I'm missing a lot of weak stations
on my run freqs, especially on 40M/80M. The Icom 775 attenuator doesn't seem to
be any good on those bands, and consequently the front end folds up with a lot
of strong adjacent RF. When N0AT, KT0R, NN7L, K0AD (all within a couple miles)
stroke up on 80M you could power an amp by rectifying the RF off my antenna
field!

73, de Hans, K0HB


Still a good score. I had troubles with the 40M vertical on Saturday
night. SWR had gone up so high I couldn't use the amp. FIxed it next
morning. AS far as I can tell the guy mowing the nextdoor lawn must
have run into the posts holding up the coax and broke the ground
connection. Still managed to make some contacts with it.
Made my goal here of 80 in 80. Last one was VE2; that one always seems
to be the hard one here.
John

KØHB wrote:

(asking about ways to attract newcomers to contesting):

Well, Hans, I'm not a newcomer, and I don't qualify for QCAO either.
But
here are some ideas from what I remember as a newcomer:

1) More entry classes for the "little guy". This has already been done
on FD,
and to a limited extent in SS. The problem is that the new-to-contests
ham with
a midlevel 100 W transceiver, paper logs and G5RV is in the same
category as
the big gun with multiple big beams, an IC-7800 and every automated
doodad
conceivable.

2) Put the results back in QST - all the results. First time my call
was in QST was
for SS scores. Why shouldn't the newcomers get the same thrill? Website
is
*NOT* the same thing.

3) Perhaps the check could be changed from "year of birth" to "number
of times
you've operated this contest", with a bonus for new folks. Oldtimers
couldn't adopt a low number because it would be easily detected. This
also helps the folks who may have held a license for years but who are
new to certain aspects of amateur radio.

4) More contests (!) but also more variety. The QRP folks do this with
their sprints,
and there used to be 4 CD parties a year. For example:

- A "mini-SS" in late summer that lasts only 6-12 hours and you can
work the same station on different bands
- Low-power (150 w max) contests
- Contest exchanges that include something that changes with each QSO.
For example,
you might have a list of 10-12 items like op's birthday, name, grid
square (on HF!)rig/key/mike/antenna/exact power in use, zip code, old
callsign, etc. One item from the list would be exchanged with each QSO,
and the item would change after each QSO. When the list ran out you'd
start it again. For a real challenge, require a couple of items in each
exchange.
- Single-band and couple-of-band contests to concentrate the action.

73 de Jim, N2EY

"KØHB" wrote in message
nk.net...
///////FLUSHED///////


Hey Hans. How much is a Shot 'N Beer down at the
Legion Hall now? I hear the war stories spin faster and
better, after a few shot 'n beers.

KØHB wrote:
"an old friend" wrote

maybe a contest where the points were on how long
you were able to hold a contact how much airtime
you were able to fill with a near stanger


Be interesting to see how you could set up the scoring matrix...... If it was
simply length of contact (not the amount of information exchanged) then the real
slow talkers/slow senders would win. A built in advantage for southerners!

well itcould certainly promote slow code use

Would you have an upper limit on a contact length, and would the scoring be
linear...... for example 1 point per each 30 seconds of each contact, or
hockey-stick scoring with 1 point for 30 seconds, 5 points for one minute, 100
points for five minutes, and a bazzilion points for an hour?

very likely some upper length and likely in blockmaybe linear maybe not

part of the point is to avoid the Salm bang thank you maam feeling I
get at FD and the few other contests I have been in


What would you use for multipliers?

The thought occurs that newcomers are often somewhat mic-shy --- would they be
drawn to this kind of activity?

peronsonaly I am looking forward to being able to effectively bein
things likke a RTTY contest I have heard of or id love to see some
kind of SSTV contest althought the noise would likely drive everyone
else nuts but collecting for contest a number of SSTV images and maybe
some kind of multipliers like FD added to something for the igmage
quality perhaps



BTW congrats on sparking some On topic stuff here Hans well done

73, de Hans, K0HB

KB9RQZ wrote

peronsonaly I am looking forward to being able to
effectively bein things likke a RTTY contest I have
heard of

That contest is the first full weekend in January (if memory serves). It's one
of my favorites, but I need to find a better software package for it.

or id love to see some kind of SSTV contest althought
the noise would likely drive everyone else nuts but
collecting for contest a number of SSTV images and
maybe some kind of multipliers like FD added to
something for the igmage quality perhaps

SSTV doesn't have a large pool of users. I wonder if you could interest enough
of them to have a "critical mass" of participants. On the other hand, maybe
having a contest would interest others in the mode. I like your idea of using
"image quality" as a multiplier or "weighting factor" perhaps.

73, de Hans, K0HB

KØHB wrote:
KB9RQZ wrote

peronsonaly I am looking forward to being able to
effectively bein things likke a RTTY contest I have
heard of

That contest is the first full weekend in January (if memory serves). It's one
of my favorites, but I need to find a better software package for it.

well then i will likely miss it another year even if the R&O come out
quickly they likely will not effective that quickly

or id love to see some kind of SSTV contest althought
the noise would likely drive everyone else nuts but
collecting for contest a number of SSTV images and
maybe some kind of multipliers like FD added to
something for the igmage quality perhaps

SSTV doesn't have a large pool of users. I wonder if you could interest enough
of them to have a "critical mass" of participants. On the other hand, maybe
having a contest would interest others in the mode. I like your idea of using
"image quality" as a multiplier or "weighting factor" perhaps.

SSTV is one of my favorite modes and was my introduction to many of the
hams around here

when we were shoping I would fill my digial cam in the flied and send a
bunch of the pic back to a waiting set up in my hotel room,(to make
some room for more) did drive a couple of the local a bit nuts
listening to them as they monitored the repeater, but one of the
interfaced for it and lo another SSTV was made other installed mute
funtions to the stations (one interfed to a smal stereo with a remote
that inculded Mute functions he and I are geting along even if he
thinks me a bit strange

73, de Hans, K0HB

"KØHB" wrote in message
k.net...

SSTV doesn't have a large pool of users. I wonder if you could interest
enough of them to have a "critical mass" of participants. On the other
hand, maybe having a contest would interest others in the mode. I like
your idea of using "image quality" as a multiplier or "weighting factor"
perhaps.



Hey Hans I hear the Legion Hall is sponsoring a new drink for the
war story crowd. It is called the "critical mass" special?

Pepe Laurito
Mexican Taco Radio Club