Good evening from the #hamr shackadelic alternative location with Acer Iconia Tab in hand after reading the May 2013 edition of CQ Magazine. Inside the pages of this issue you can read the wrap up CQ WW DX CW article written by Randy Thompson, K5ZD. Also, on page 84, George Tranos, N2GA in his contesting column titled, "Topical (Controversial?) Contesting Issues", sub-heading, Contest Club Boundaries; speaks to the current club boundary definition.
This specific topic is near and dear as one who resides between two major metropolitan population centers.
I'm located on the central coast of California that is 300 plus miles south of San Francisco and about 200 miles north of Los Angeles. Recently, as club competition goes, it is extremely important that point contributors fall within the defined fencing that is 171 miles of said club area. We have two major contest clubs in California both well respected as world class.
However, according to the rules, the central coast falls into the zone between the north and the south as understood on page eighty five in N2GA's column.
Is this and does this make sense? I believe this rule served our niche quite well for several decades. Will it continue serving our contest community in the future as population and demographics shift?
It does not make sense to me that a million point effort or a top twenty finish or better goes without benefiting a club's aggregate score. However, according to the current rule, there is no benefit other than personal. Likewise, I'm penalized and a club is penalized, because the geographic rule applies to all major events. What is the point beyond personal?
Likewise, the numbers are few on the central coast of California, perhaps and understandably so, why change the status quo? However, affiliation is important to me, and most likely many of you because world class clubs are fundamental to the success of RadioSport.
It is time to address the fence in RadioSport and seek an equitable solution that speaks to the future of contesting in addition shifting demographics and population. Perhaps, as suggested in N2GA's column, thinking about grid squares is a good beginning.
Contest on.