Trimming part of the message so limit on length of body is not exceeded.
For multi-multi stations, records are being set, and I think a lot of them 
should have fallen last weekend.  When I was operating at W4BVV, W3FA and 
W3LPL in the late 70's, we struggled to get beyond 7 million points, or, I 
think, 4,000 QSOs.  Even if packet networks were shut down for today's 
contests, people could still use their own CW skimmers (in CW and RTTY 
contests) to find multipliers or new stations to work.
Even in those days, you could not use non-amateur-radio means to set up 
schedules or get people on the air, but people interpreted that rule to mean 
that it was OK to set up schedules as part of their contest QSOs.  Over the 
last 80 years of contesting, people have learned a lot about propagation, 
antennas and receivers, so we can take better advantage of mediocre 
conditions.  I agree that the sunspot cycle peaks around 1957-60, 1979-81, 
1989-91, and 1999-2001 had better conditions on 10 than this cycle.  But 
people have made up for some of this by improving their low-band 
capabilities.  And that is part of what contests accomplish.
Not everyone does the automation bit to the max, at least as single 
operators.  Fred, K3ZO, uses a computer for logging, but no spotting.  He 
has some super antennas, and was on for 38 hours this weekend.  His band 
breakdown was as follows:

Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   25    21
   80:  212    48
   40:  736    81
   20:  824    81
   15:  879    77
   10:  904    75
-------------------
Total: 3580   383  Total Score = 4,095,036

I can never hope to operate quite that much or have a station like his and 
still be in walking distance of a grocery store.  But contests are, to some 
extent, what you make of them, and can be a lot of fun, especially if you 
are interested in propagation and challenges hearing and being heard.
As for Mike, VO1AX, I think he is DX, but I have to check the rules.  In any 
case, he should be able to stir up some excitement by being a rare province. 
But even though there were plenty of Maryland stations on the air, there 
were enough people on that I had some nice pileups at times.  They would 
come in waves, indicating to me that some of the stations that called me did 
so in response to telnet or RBN spots.  Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   25    21
   80:  212    48
   40:  736    81
   20:  824    81
   15:  879    77
   10:  904    75
-------------------
Total: 3580   383  Total Score = 4,095,036

I can't hope to make that sort of score using a station on a 55 by 100-foot 
city lot a couple of blocks from a grocery store and a shopping mall.  I 
won't have the stamina to operate 38 hours, and will usually not skip church 
entirely.  Mike should have a good time, whether he is DX or a rare province 
(I have to consult the rules to be sure).  Managing pileups can be an 
interesting exercise, as I found out this weekend.  Pileups came in waves, 
which I think indicates that many people were finding me via telnet spots or 
the reverse beacon network.
I do contests like this because I enjoy them and have a reasonably good 
station.  I also contend that this is another hobby where we as blind hams 
can "compete on terms of equality" with sighted hams.  But we are all in ham 
radio for different reasons, and no part of the hobby should get all of the 
attention.
Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Kensington, MD
http://lras.home.sprynet.com
-----Original Message----- 
From: Phil Scovell
Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 12:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Contest Comments

I accidentally sent this to Mike instead of the whole list.

Mike,

I echo your comments about changes and things I don't like about =
contesting=20
that I personally believe are unfair.  For example, working Multi Multi =
or=20
even multi single station, one guy is sending automated CQ contest,=20
commanding a frequency due to his power level and monster antennas, =
while=20
another operator, on the same band, using a different antenna for that =
band,=20
is tuning between CQ TEST trans missions to conduct SAP, or Search And=20
Pounce contacts.  This means, obviously, two operators per band and two=20
antennas for the same band.  No, they aren't supposed to be transmitting =
at=20
the same time, and normally they can't due to their receiver =
overloading,=20
but it is still 2 operators operating two different parts of the same =
band=20
at the same time.  I also do not like the internet DX announcements on =
the=20
clusters telling everybody on the planet where the contact is located =
and on=20
what frequency.  The pile ups get ridiculously large in just moments of =
an=20
internet, or packet, announcement.  I've also heard a big signal =
commanding=20
a frequency tell a DX station to jump to another band and work their =
other=20
station on that second band for the points.  That one I thought was =
already=20
illegal and against contest rules but perhaps that has changed now.  =
I've=20
heard similar stations literally make schedules on other bands at exact=20
times, such as a 20 meter station scheduling for later on 80 and 160=20
frequencies.  I thought that was against the rules, too.  The current =
band=20
conditions still are not as good as they were in the late sixties and =
early=20
eighties, and to some degree, even the early nineties so even the big=20
stations still haven't broken old records of contest in the past but =
even=20
so, some things just don't add up to equality in contesting when =
everything,=20
including dupe sheets, were kept for contesting.  I loved using my =
computer=20
and CW software in contests but I never have once tried seriously =
competing.=20