ad: Schulman-1

When is a contest not a contest

Discussion in 'Contests, DXpeditions, QSO Parties, Special Events' started by DUPE-WS7X, Dec 22, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
ad: L-HROutlet
ad: l-rl
ad: abrind-2
ad: Left-2
ad: Left-3
ad: Radclub22-2
ad: L-MFJ
  1. DUPE-WS7X

    DUPE-WS7X QRZ Member QRZ Page

    I like to play in a few contest myself. But I also like the idea that there are a few places where contests are not okay like 17 and 12 meters. However, I hear a lot of W1AWs doing exactly what sounds like contesting on 17 meters. So I'm curious, is the centennial thing not a contest? Sure sounds like it to me. And does it belong on the WARC bands?

    Noel
    WS7X
     
  2. N8MSA

    N8MSA Ham Member QRZ Page

  3. WK9U

    WK9U Ham Member QRZ Page

    The ARRL website explained this long ago if you'd like to look for yourself. It's a pretty neat "event".
    Even if contesters may not get credit in certain contests for being in the warc bands, it's no different than someone calling cq and making quick exchanges on any bands.
    so you're saying there has to be only rag chewing on 12 and 17 just like "75" ?
     
  4. N2SR

    N2SR Ham Member QRZ Page

    Does it really matter? If you wanted a QSO with one of the W1AW/ stations, and the operator had a huge pileup, would you want to wait around for him to ragchew with every station?

    BTW, Field Day is not a contest either, it's an operating event. I've never had a ragchew QSO during Field Day, have you?
     
  5. KO6WB

    KO6WB Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Got a hold of one W1AW/* stations and actually carried on a fairly lengthy chat. Didn't seem to be the foaming at the mouth mentality found in most pile-ups.
    It was very relaxed and he didn't seem to be that concerned with the QSO count. There also weren't any folks stepping on top of each other to get those points.
    Just down the band was another W1AW/* station and it was like night and day. This one was strictly 59 thanks and on to the next one.
    As for being on 17 meters, there's not a lot of space there and given the number of W1AW/* stations working 17, there wasn't much room for anybody else.
    This is especially true when they are operating split and I have heard a few doing that.

    Have fun
    73
    Gary
     
  6. W7UUU

    W7UUU Director, QRZ Forums Lifetime Member 133 QRZ HQ Staff Life Member QRZ Page

    Oh my! What a truly refreshing and original topic to discuss :eek:

    Dave
    W7UUU
     
  7. N9DSJ

    N9DSJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    When is a contest not a contest? Easy; when it isn't a contest.
     
  8. K5GHS

    K5GHS Ham Member QRZ Page

    From what I understand they are issuing certificates based on point accrual, and there are 4 levels. I've qualified for the first level by crossing the 1000 point line this last weekend, which was my goal.

    They do have "rankings" on the website, which would be contest like-but I don't think they will be issuing certificates for "places" on that list. I believe that is just there for show.

    If they issue plaques for placing 1st, 2nd, etc...then its a contest.

    If they just issue certificates based on point level, then it isn't.

    I believe its the latter, honestly.
     
  9. WJ4U

    WJ4U Subscriber QRZ Page

    I agree. It's more akin to WAS or DXCC than say CQ WW.

    You know what? It's all good. And if it's not, I twist the dial.
     
  10. W7UUU

    W7UUU Director, QRZ Forums Lifetime Member 133 QRZ HQ Staff Life Member QRZ Page

    Spot on observation IMO Bill!

    Dave
    W7UUU
     
  11. KO6WB

    KO6WB Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Anytime you are competing against someone or something it's a contest. It's even more so if you obtain a reward for your actions.
    So, are those folks in a pile-up in competition? Yes.
    Does it have a reward? Yes again.
    Do you have to submit some type of proof? How about that, it's yes again.

    So, when is a contest not a contest?
    Apparently when the ARRL says it isn't. Field Day is a non-contest contest.

    Have fun
    73
    Gary
     
  12. K7JBQ

    K7JBQ Ham Member Volunteer Moderator QRZ Page

    They issue certificates for WAS, DXCC, etc. Are those "contests?"

    in other words, oh, please.

    73,
    Bill
     
  13. WK9U

    WK9U Ham Member QRZ Page

    For those against competing, contests, special events, field days, school club roundups, veteran "affairs", or other types, If there ever is an opportunity to make a contact with ANY licensed Op whether he/she be domestic or an "exotic" DX entity, be sure not to because you're competing and challenging your station's build, equipment, and ability to utilize all the studying that had gone into acquiring that amateur radio license to go against what you firmly stand for OR against. :)
    Wouldn't Just making a single QSO by definition, regardless of what information is exchanged make that individual a hypocrite?
    We as amateur radio operators often compete with propagation to carry on a QSO when rag chewing, being in a net, or roundtable. Don't we ?
    The word CONTEST can be turned around, flipped around, and defined in many ways . Our news media has been doing this for how long?
     
  14. AA9SD

    AA9SD Ham Member QRZ Page

    So when I work a DX entity and there is a pileup that is a contest?

    When I can get a DXCC award or plaque that is a contest?

    When I have to submit verified QSLs to obtain said award or plaque that is a contest?
     
  15. AK9R

    AK9R XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    The pileups for the W1AW/p stations and the Centennial stations who are worth lots of points have been really challenging for the folks on both ends of the contact. But, I see this as no different from the pileups we see when a rare DX station is on the air.

    To me, a contest is an activity where the participants challenge each other to accumulate the maximum number of points in a fairly short period of time. The final result of a contest is awards presented to the top finishers in various contest categories, i.e. the participants recognize those who excelled in meeting the challenge.

    The ARRL Centennial QSO Party is an on-the-air operating event designed to get people, well, on the air. It is a celebration of the ARRL's Centennial and it's a celebration of amateur radio. Yes, the ARRL has challenged the participants by saying that they are going to issue certificates to folks who have accumulated various levels of points at the end of the year. Does that make it a contest? Given that just about every human activity can be turned into a competitive event, you can make the argument that the Centennial QSO Party is a contest. On the other hand, if I decided that I wanted to see how many stations I could contact on 17m RTTY in an hour, does that make it a contest? No, but it's an activity where I am challenging myself to excel at a human activity.

    In my case, the Centennial QSO Party has challenged me to get on the air. What a concept...amateur radio operators actually getting on the air! It has challenged me to improve my antennas so that I can make contacts on more bands and make contacts with distant stations. It has challenged me to learn new modes, such as RTTY, PSK31, and even Hellschreiber, and use those modes to make contacts. It has challenged me to make contacts, such as Hawaii on 75m SSB, that I didn't think were possible with my modest station. It has challenged me to work W1AW/p stations in all 50 states, which, as of last night, I finally accomplished.

    So, given all these challenges, you can make the argument that the Centennial QSO Party is a contest. But, for no other reason than the organizers have said it's not a contest, it's not.

    As for those who are upset about contest-like activity on the WARC bands, I am going to arrogantly say "get over it". Rarely have there been any more than two W1AW/p states on the air in any given week. And those states are not on every band in every mode for 24/7. If each state was operating CW, RTTY, and SSB on the same band at the same time, also a rare occurrence, there would be six stations on the air. If you assume that a CW signal takes up 50 Hz of bandwidth, a RTTY signal takes 170 Hz of bandwidth, and an SSB signal takes 3 kHz of bandwidth, those six stations would be taking 6.44 kHz of the band. Multiply that by two if the stations are operating split to get approximately 12.88 kHz (maybe more if the CQing station has spread out the split). The 12 and 17m bands are 100 kHz wide, so I'm not sure I see the problem. The bandwidth taken by the W1AW/p stations is nowhere near the bandwidth that is taken by the hundreds of stations that are on the air during a real contest. BTW, the 30 meter Digital Group recently conducted a "non-contest on-the-air event" and, yes, there were "why are you running a contest on a WARC band" complaints.

    Here's another numbers game for you. There are roughly 700,000 licensed amateur radio operators in the U.S. Only about 170,000 of them are ARRL members. How much of this angst about the ARRL Centennial QSO Party is simply anti-ARRL sentiment rising to the surface? If so, relax. It'll all be over in a week.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

ad: k1jek