Hi
When I was analysing this year’s results I was struck by the UK positions in the Team contest. There were 10 teams , 2 from Australia, 4 from Canada and 4 from the UK. The UK teams were placed 7,8,9 and 10. But when I summed up the scores of the top 5 UK single op entrants I realised that if that group had been a team then that UK team would have been placed 3rd, a very respectable position indeed. Only Australia 1 and Canada 1 would have done better. Looking at the entrants in detail it seemed that as well some of the UK’s top operators had unfortunately chosen to operate HQ stations rather than compete as single op entrants.
I would like to suggest therefore that for 2022 we encourage our 2021 leading single op entrants to form a UK ‘top ops’ team. Other leading single op entrants could be added to make up the number to 5 if necessary. This selection on performance approach is the way the VKs do it and they feel it has improved their contest operating.
No change in the rules is needed. All entrants will be encouraged to form and compete in teams as normal.
This proposal is an attempt to have at least one very strong UK team entry so we can see what our very best operators can do. Each year going forward a ‘UK top ops’ team will be drawn from the leading UK single operator entrants of the previous year.
73 Bob G3PJT
I think its a bit more complicated than that Bob. Some people were operating only 12 hours and others 24hours. Also the scores of those operating UK HQ stations in2021 don’t necessarily reflect how they would have done as non-HQ stations. I don’t have the answers Bob just raising a few pertinent issues on how you select a more competitive UK team plus I have no axe to grind as I fall well outside the selection stat boundaries anyway
73 Ray G3XLG
Point taken, Ray . But thinking about the various sections etc. all we need is for this proposal is that the entrants who have the skills to make the biggest scores are competing in a top team. How they cumulate the big score is up to them.
As to making the team ourselves, well you and me both!
73 and thanks
Bob
Bob, Interesting observations. I perceive that the Australian and Canadian teams seem to be much more of a national effort, with some degree of selection defining who is in which team, whilst the UK teams appear to be loosely connected groups of close friends.
Many well equipped stations were part of the UK HQ station effort, and the larger number of UK HQ stations was very welcome in 2021, but as we go forwards, I do wonder whether the choice of operators for “HQ” stations should also be given a reboot, to give some different operators the chance to operate the limited number of HQ callsigns ?
Maybe restricting the chance of being an HQ station to say once every three years, would help stir things up and migrate some of the better operators into UK teams.
Bob G4DBW
Yes I agree Bob. In a minute I will publish my view on HQ stations. Much along the lines of your thoughts.
73 and thanks
Bob G3PJT
Hi Bob,
Why don’t you do as is done in AFS where irrespective of how many entrants there are. The Top adjudicated scores are put into team A or 1 and so on. In this way you do not need to worry about who is in what team etc. 73 Clive GM3POI
Bob
A suggestion as you have done the analysis why not invite those top UK non-team players to join a team for next years BERU. You then mange the team’s entry.
Many contesters are what I call gladiators in that they win or die on their own and that is how they like it. The gladiators do not naturally think of joining a team even if it requires nothing of them other than agreeing to do so.
73 David G3YYD
Obviously the contest is changing and the hot news is that there is talk of abolishing the British Empire. I welcomed the extra HQ stations this year but as a “little pistol” the main problem was lack of stations to work. Dare I say “rather boring” – but with some really great moments.
A comment (without evidence) is that we seem to be losing the simple UK stations I used to love working from Uganda – the “dipole in the attic” brigade. Also there seems a reluctance to stay up late (also understandable).
Overall I would say that a challenge for UK stations is finding enough to do especially if you don’t have a beam.
73 Nick G3RWF
Hello Bob,
I found some of the recent posts regarding the Commonwealth Contest very interesting. Generally they seem to reflect the views of people that do well in the contest so I want to add my perspective as someone with a modest station operating from a location that is often challenging with regards to propagation.
I don’t participate with any thoughts that I will do well compared to many stations, but rather to see if I can improve my own operating and have pleasure in providing contacts for others. I like this contest because the participants are usually friendly and courteous. Also I like to think that the Commonwealth is an institution that does some good in the world – that regardless of its roots in colonialism and other criticisms, it unites many countries in common goals for betterment. To me, the Commonwealth Contest somehow is an embodiment of some of the Commonwealth’s good attributes.
In the past I objected to the remote operation of the VY1AAA station (which was located just a few kilometres north of me) by an Amateur operating from the southern United States. This station provided points to many stations, but surely we should be trying to encourage operation within different Commonwealth callsign areas, not from without.
I see some concern about the number of RAC stations operating in this year’s contest. I operated as VY1RAC. Since (except for one contact with my friend VY1BG) I was the only Yukon Amateur operating in the contest, being an HQ station hardly makes much difference! My thought was that it was important to try to represent the Radio Amateurs of Canada in each province and territory, if possible. I should note too, that it is very different operating from the northwest part of Canada compared to eastern or central Canada.
It is nice to see the really good scores that many stations achieve in this contest. In this latest one, as in many of the previous ones, I could hear stations located further south making one contact after another and yet not even hear most of these stations, instead, struggling to make just a few contacts per hour.
To summarize, I don’t care how the contest is scored or how many HQ stations or teams participate or if there are advantages to particular locations or station equipment. What I think is important is the the contest provide enjoyment for the participants and promote goodwill amongst them.
73,
Allen Wootton, VY1KX
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