[PaQSO] QRX the !@^%&! QTC's!

[Ron Notarius WN3VAW]

Once last time, with feeling:

The WAE style of QTC is unique to that contest because it (a) is difficult
to log and track, (b) slows down QSO rates tremendously, especially when
fills are needed, and (c) irritates people standing by to work stations.

Nor would I consider the WAE a "major" contest.  "Major" contests are the
two ARRL DX, CQ WW, & CQ WPX contests (counting each mode separately), the
ARRL 10 Meter, the ARRL & CQ 160 contests, and perhaps the IARU
Championship.  WAE is at best a "regional" contest.    This is not intented
as a slight against WAE, but in terms of contest length and the location(s)
of the vast majority of the competitors, it simply doesn't compare to the
BIG world wide contests -- but is on par with the Scandanavian Activity
(SAC), Field Days (and there are several around the world at different
times), Sweepstakes, the ARRL & CQ VHF contests, and the larger of the US
stateside QSO parties -- California, Florida, Texas, the Salmon Run, and
last but certainly not least, Pennsylvania.  Amongst many, many more
examples.

The issue of QTC is not where it originated or what contest it is used in.
It is an issue of how it would work.  Unless points where heavily weighted
in it's favor, the value of a sent or received QTC report is more than
offset by the time lost in sending/receiving/confirming it.  I say this not
in an abstract "I think that's what would happen" mode but from experience
as a frequent participant, over the years, in the WAE and having observed
what a major pain it is.  I believe K3YD and several of the others who are
not in favor of this proposed addition also speak from experience in this
contest and from other contests which use some sort of reporting scheme.

In short, experience tells me that QTC's are anything but fun and would be a
detraction and a deterrent.  They are not a worthy addition to our lovely
little contest.

How to combat the alleged Sunday doldrums?
(1)  Recruit more people to operate the contest.  If they say they only have
a few hours on a Sunday, all the better.
(2)  Consider arranging for more Rovers & Portables.  Operate in one county
on Saturday, another on Sunday.  Even consider having two ops in two
adjacent counties switch stations overnight.
(3)  Spend more time on the high bands looking for DX and Left Coast
multipliers.  The more of us that are looking, the more activity (in the
long term) we'll generate from those areas.
(4)  Belong to a club?  Help operate the club station on Sunday.  And don't
do it alone, get some new hams and potential new PaQP contesters involved.
(5)  Don't operate from out of state.  Sorry, but the fact is, you're going
to be able to work more stations when you're operating in state, since you
can work all of the OOS stations too.  Operating across the river in SNJ
means you eliminate 1/3 or more of your potential contacts.  This is not
meant to discourge OOS stations from participating, no sir!  Just
redcognizing the reality of the situation.

And those are just a few ideas.  Note that none of them involve the Nittany
ARC Board of Directors -- the de facto Pa QSO Party Committee -- or any
rules changes.  Fact is, if you want to make a major change to the contest
rules such as this, the NARC BOD has to approve it.  And you're going to
have to do a heck of a sales job on those folks in order to get that
approval, not waste energy convincing us here on the reflector.  Good luck
on that chore... you'll need it.

Some ideas are good.  Some aren't.  This one is not good for the Pa QSO
Party.

73, ron wn3vaw
"Be who you are, say what you think, people that matter don't care, and
people that care don't matter." -- Dr. Seuss


----- Original Message -----
From: <MORSENUT@aol.com>
To: <paqso@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2002 2:26 PM
Subject: [PaQSO] RESPONSE TO K3YD


Your basic premise, as I understand it, is that QTCs cannot be a fun way to
add something to the scoring formula because:

1:  They are not a common feauture of many contests

and:

2:   The major contest in which QTCs ARE featured is not popular with
American      Hams.

Neither says anything about QTCs in and of themselves.   The fact that they
are not a common feature of major contests is, at least in my view, a good
thing, i.e., they are a rather unique scoring mechanism, one that COULD add
something to a PAQP
Sunday that is rather lackluster.

I do not know for sure whether WAE is popular with American Hams or not..but
again this says nothing of QTCs.  Even if it were so, are you honestly of
the
opinion
that QTCs are not a viable PAQP scoring mechanism because they were not
thought up by American Hams?

Suffice it to say that WAE is a popular contest in many parts of the world.
Maybe our foreign Ham brethern have found a way to make contests a little
more fun.  Let's not discount it because it did not originate in Good Ole
PA!

My position is simply this:  QTCs on Sunday only, overall rules pertaining
thereto to
be decided by the Rule Committee.

Good Day!    73

Tim
N8LXR


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