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Author Topic: Contest popularity list  (Read 5352 times)

VP9HW

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Contest popularity list
« on: April 11, 2016, 05:39:39 AM »

Hi,
1.Has anyone produced a list of contests in order of popularity? Some contests create a virtual pileup all over, while some contests generate barely any interest at all.

2. Does logging software allow for more than one contest to be handled?

73 de Steve VE!NSS
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N3QE

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RE: Contest popularity list
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2016, 05:58:59 AM »

1.Has anyone produced a list of contests in order of popularity? Some contests create a virtual pileup all over, while some contests generate barely any interest at all.

Most contest organizers publish statistics showing number of logs submitted.

CQ WW would be at the top of the list: http://www.cqww.com/stats.htm

Of course, other contests are "popular" but a little more geographically or time targeted. One of my favorite contests of all for example is the OK/OM CW contest. State QSO parties are all over the place in terms of popularity/depth/breadth.

There's a certain "critical mass" of activity it takes, for a contest to be self-sustaining and interesting. If rates get too low folks find other things to do on nice weekends :-). By having shorter hours for the more geographically directed contests, along with suggested bandplans of concentrated activity, a contest organizer can avoid "spreading the activity too thin".

Quote
2. Does logging software allow for more than one contest to be handled?

With N1MM and N1MM+ it's pretty painless to switch between two simultaneous contests on the fly. On weekends with multiple simultaneous contests/events the CQ or other hints will tell you which contest(s) each CQ'er is interested in. Then switching the contest is easy with N1MM or N1MM+, you just go to "file" and pick out the contest.

Some multi-contest weekends, the organizers have structured the exchange and log format such that multiple QSO parties can interoperate with each other all in the same log and you don't have to switch between logs. Examples are the weekend in May when there's simultaneous Delaware, 7th call area, Indiana, and Northeast QSO parties.
« Last Edit: April 11, 2016, 06:02:20 AM by N3QE »
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ON5MF

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RE: Contest popularity list
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2016, 11:43:51 AM »

should not be too hard to figure out I guess.

Just look at the number of QSOs of the winner of last year.
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N2SR

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RE: Contest popularity list
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2016, 03:09:20 AM »

should not be too hard to figure out I guess.

Just look at the number of QSOs of the winner of last year.

I (and probably everyone else) got their UBN report from last years CQWW CW contest.  I don't have the specifics, but in the beginning of the report, there are statistics from the entire contest.   IIRC, over 7,000 logs were received, and over 5 million QSOs were made.   

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VP9HW

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RE: Contest popularity list
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2016, 12:31:17 PM »

Many thanks for all the input. Winning stats should do the job.
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K4SBZ

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RE: Contest popularity list
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2016, 08:34:08 AM »

I often have several copies of the N3FJP state QSO party logs running at the same time when there are multiple QSPs on a weekend and multiple N1MM files that I switch to. I even switch between an FTdx5000 and a TS-590SG for SSB and digital modes. I might work 4-5 contests concurrently in different modes. Obviously, I am not trying for first place in any of them, but if I have a chance to have a good score in one, I will drop the others.
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Stan, K4SBZ
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ZL3IO

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RE: Contest popularity list
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2016, 05:00:03 PM »

Question one is hard to answer. Absolute participants vs. regional/local participation can be very different. In general I think it is safe to say the CQ WWDX & CQ WPX contests are the most popular ones internationally. Can be seen by participant numbers. From a participant perspective this can be very different. Contesters are often DXer as well. So you have to be in the CQ WWDX as the offering of (semi-)rare DX on many bands is good. As little pistol station from Washington DC the ARRL Intl DX is surely much more fun. Now you are a sought after multiplier and not one of 2000 other W's.
If I look at ZL participants some of the local contests (kind of QSO party) have a by multiples higher participant number than ZL's taking part in the CQ contests. How do you judge?

Question two: Every good contest software allows you to run multiple different contest sessions in parallel.

73 Holger
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