[FQP]Two weekends next year?

[K1to at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/2/2004 12:29:54 PM Greenwich Standard Time, 
N3AWS at aol.com writes:


> Maybe the FQP has reached the level of participation that warrants a 
> separate 
> weekend for CW and SSB next year?
> 

The thought has crossed our minds!  The biggest dilemma that we face right 
now is that the mobiles tend to concentrate on CW and the SSB activity is 
diluted as a result.  Separating the weekends would potentially focus everyone on 
that single mode and allow way more sweeps to happen, particularly on SSB.

The question would be whether it should be a separate weekend altogether 
(which only the biggest of contests do nowadays) or whether a shorter operating 
period within the same weekend would suffice.  

Both George and Eric immediately rejected the notion based on the time 
commitment, assuming it would be 2 weekends @ 20 hours each.  But that's not the 
only "how" solution if there was sentiment that splitting SSB and CW was "what" 
we wanted.  

For the mobiles that do Mixed mode, I sense that passing (and being passed) 
between modes is part of the fun.  That would obviously go away.

Might be time for an FQP survey.  I'm really curious to quantify the 
particpants' thoughts on this topic, plus the mobile window, operating frequencies, 
awards structure (should we award T-shirts or bags of oranges?), etc.  If so, we 
need to do it soon, while the experience is still fresh in everyone's mind...

Thanks & 73, Dan, K1TO