[PaQSO] QSO Improvement Ideas

[K3YD@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/07/2002 13:22:58 Eastern Standard Time, 
jss167@yahoo.com writes:  My thoughts follow.

<< 1.EXTENDED OPERATING TIMES PERMITTED >>One of the reasons I enjoy PAQP is 
the mandatory "Off-time" between 0500Z - 1300Z on Sunday.  I can play contest 
during the weekend and not show up at work Monday looking & feeling like a 
zombie.  If there were no "Off times" I wouldn't have the good  sense to stop 
operating and to sleep!  :)

<<2.MANDATORY STAYS FOR MOBILES/ROVERS.>> Haven't done either, but have 
worked many.  Seems to me that if an OP is doing well (making contacts) 
he/she will stay till the "well goes dry".  To force someone to sit in a 
county for several hours when he's screaming his lungs out and working nobody 
takes a lot of fun out of the whole mobile/rover thing and would probably 
discourage operation of that time in future years.

<<3.ELIMINATION OF THE SPECIAL EVENT STATION.>>  I've enjoyed chasing these.  
Each sponsoring group get to choose how to play it--to make the SES very 
available, or to make it very elusive.  It's my understanding that the SES 
cannot submit it's score as part of the club-aggregate score for it's club.  
The recent W3FRC  SES operation put lots of bonus points in lots of logs, all 
over the world, not just in Northampton county.  Also, the county does change 
each year as the sponsoring club changes.

<<4.A 2M FM ACTIVITY HOUR. >>  I like this idea--a lot!

<<5.ELIMINATION OF THE SERIAL NUMBER>> I've operated many times at multi-op 
stations and haven't found coordination of serial #'s to be a problem.  
Another good thing about the PAQP exchange is the idea of copying "REAL 
INFORMATION,"  a serial # and a location, not just the same information over 
and over.  So, it's good operator skill development--regardless of mode.

<<6.PLEASE SPIN THE KNOB.>> This is a strategy and skill issue.  I've 
muttered unkind things about some stations with strong signals from rare 
counties or sections who only "hunt and pounce" and never  call CQ.  But, 
it's part of "the Game."