I think this is a marvelous thing, Glen!
It is a very unique opportunity for both visual and photo to join in a common goal/task/challenge.
Obviously photo and visual have their own skill sets, but what unites both here is just how blooming difficult it is to pick out the Encke visually & photo.
Thank you also that my thread inspired you to create this challenge for this year. Both threads are different - mine is a starting point from which to be able to gauge the quality of your scopes, and even photo gear and processing techniques in light of understanding what "resolution" means & how if differs from what we can see which is finer. And gives a more intimate understanding of Saturn's ring system. It's a more how-to and why.
This thread challenge is for those who are happy to publish their results and experiences.
As Glen mentioned, it is important to know what the Encke Division is, and not to confuse it with the much larger Cassini Division. Again, here's a link to my thread that will explain what the Encke Division is and why it is such a difficult target:
A planetary gauge to test out your scope with - Saturn's Encke Division
I look forward to seeing people's results and experiences, and offering my own
Alex.