Contests this weekend

[M0MJH]

Now, before anyone accuses me of complaining about contests, I will say that I like a contest as much as anyone else. However, I do think 11 contests in 1 weekend is a bit much, don't you? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

The New England QSO Party
ARI International DX Contest
NCCC Sprint CW Ladder
MARAC County Hunter CW Contest
10-10 International Spring CW Contest
7th Call Area QSO Party
US IPARC Annual CW Contest
Portuguese Navy Day Contest
Indiana QSO Party
US IPARC Annual SSB Contest
ARS Spartan CW Sprint

[n0ov]

Yes -- your 100% on target

[NA4BH]

I need to correct you. You left off the most important contest of all. Non-contesters finding a clear frequency (good luck in the contest)........ # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif # #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[NN3W]

The NS Sprint ladder lasts all of a whopping 30 minutes.

10-10 is on 10 meters. #Do you think that will affect the vast majority of hams?

MARAC County Hunter CW Contest, US IPARC Annual CW Contest, Portuguese Navy Day Contest, US IPARC Annual SSB Contest, ARS Spartan CW Sprint - never heard of them and I doubt that they're going to generate any real activity.

Only the NEQP and the 7QP will generate any substantive activity, and QSO parties like those tend to gravitate around 14.050 on 20 meter CW and 14.200 on 20 meter SSB.

This is NOT a big weekend.

--edited to add that the IPARC contests last a whopping 6 hours each and focus on a single frequency, while the Spartan contests take up 2 hours - on a Friday or a Monday.

[ab9lz]

Quote[/b] (NA4BH @ May 04 2007,08:17)]I need to correct you. You left off the most important contest of all. Non-contesters finding a clear frequency (good luck in the contest)........ # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif # #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
This is great news for 30m DX. see y'all out on the ether this weekend.

ur 5nn baby! tu dit dit...

73 m/4

[KB1KIX]

Heck... see ya'll during the New England QSO Party!!!

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

I'll be operating from Middlesex for those interested......

Jonathan

[K8YZK]

Why not have all the contest on one weekend, SS,Field Day(not a offical contest),Sprints etc. That way the bands will be useable for everyone else on all the other weekends.

[WA3KYY]

I doubt anyone will be incovenienced in the least by these low key, short duration contests. 20M will more likely be unusable due to the huge spread out piles trying to work BS7H. On CW the pile runs from 14.025 - 14.080 when they are on. On SSB from .200 - .260 and even higher. Compared to those lid-fests the contests will be a welcome respite.

[NN3W]

Quote[/b] (K8YZK @ May 04 2007,08:43)]Why not have all the contest on one weekend, SS,Field Day(not a offical contest),Sprints etc. That way the bands will be useable for everyone else on all the other weekends.
The bands are usable during contest weekends.

If a contest is taking up all of 20 SSB, its virtually guaranteed that nobody is on 20 CW. Same with 17 CW and SSB!

[KD6NIG]

Sounds to me like people need more than one hobby.

If the bands are all plugged, perhaps the power switch and doing something else is a stretch?

I guess to some people its life and the rest is just details http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[n0ov]

yep. Good day to cut grass http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[w3dub]

The ONLY contests i've heard so far that have taken the entire band was the CQ WPX SSB. That's once a year. If there are others, I'd like to know them.

I pretty much see this as just a reason to bitch and moan. Gotta love this hobby. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[w8znx]

oh bunk

as stated by NN3W es WA3KYY
this is not a big contest weekend

doubt that any rag chew ops
will be inconvenced

ten ten cw contest
yea
like anybody is going to be put out
by a ten meter cw test

come back with a posting
about contest over kill

on some other weekend
say
ARRL SS, DX, field day
or
CQ WW DX, WPX
ect

then you may have a more
receptive audience

me
i don't much care for contests
but they only realy tie up the bands
a few weekends a year

if its a big cw test i run fone
if its a big fone test i run cw

there are only 2 or 3 weekends
a year when
i can't find a clear freq
to have a fone or cw rag chew

if its all tied up
do something else
i can live without
beeing on the air
every blinking weekend

have friends that are contest ops
they often
ONLY
get on during contests

you may not like contests
but for a large group of hams
its their main intrest in amateur radio

mac

[KB3LIX]

Trying to work 11 contests would be a bit of a challenge, so I'm going to focus on the more popular ones this weekend.

7th area QSO Party from 1300 Sat until Indiana QSO starts at 1600. Work some Indiana stations until New England cranks up at 2000 Saturday. Then work NE QP.
Alternate 7th area, Indiana & NEQP until the respective quitting times, then spend a leisurly Sunday working the second day of NE QP.

Sounds like a good way to spend a weekend.

I have to get some points using PSK-31 in the NE QP.
Good practice for Field Day, just 7 weeks away.

[KN7T]

I'll be doing a full CW effort for the 7QP from Snohomish County, WA. CU in the 'test...

[n5tjd]

Quote[/b] (K8YZK @ May 04 2007,08:43)]Why not have all the contest on one weekend, SS,Field Day(not a offical contest),Sprints etc. That way the bands will be useable for everyone else on all the other weekends.
Hate to say it OM, but it isn't like any normal weekend is awash with stations on the air just ragchewing. The bands can be a little boring. Contests liven it up gives us something to do other than talk to the same people everyday about the same thing.

Don't get me wrong, major contests can make a peaceful band a mad house full of lids, but those are only a few weekends out of the year. Besides there are other bands to work during contests. 17m is almost always open somewhere during the day, and you will find it more of a gentleman's band...where DX can be TU UR 59 QRZ? But is more likely to be an actual QSO. Also you can work digital or CW during a phone contest or brush off the microphone if there is a CW contest. The point is and has been made many times in many places on this board, there are so many modes and bands to choose from that the only way you can be inconvenienced is if you want to be.

That said, lets have fun. There is plenty of room for everyone you just have to know where to fit in.

[KB1KIX]

Quote[/b] (n5tjd @ May 04 2007,16:18)]the only way you can be inconvenienced is if you want to be.
Well said!

Jonathan

[KC9GUZ]

Quote[/b] (KB3JGU @ May 04 2007,09:51)]The ONLY contests i've heard so far that have taken the entire band was the CQ WPX SSB. That's once a year. If there are others, I'd like to know them.

I pretty much see this as just a reason to bitch and moan. Gotta love this hobby. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Someone complaining about something? Isnt that what most hams do? Complain?

[k4kyv]

You're 5-9. That's five-nine. Fifty-nine. Now, what is your QTH again? PSE repeat your QTH. Also, please give your callsign phonetically one more time.

[cu2jt]

Quote[/b] (NN3W @ May 04 2007,09:24)]If a contest is taking up all of 20 SSB, its virtually guaranteed that nobody is on 20 CW. Same with 17 CW and SSB!
In major SSB contests no part of 40M is available for CW.

[K8MHZ]

Quote[/b] (cu2jt @ May 04 2007,21:29)]Quote[/b] (NN3W @ May 04 2007,09:24)]If a contest is taking up all of 20 SSB, its virtually guaranteed that nobody is on 20 CW. #Same with 17 CW and SSB!
In major SSB contests no part of 40M is available for CW.
You need a worse antenna.

[N5PVL]

I don't participate in contests myself, but I think it is a fine amateur radio activity.

[ky5u]

Quote[/b] (N5PVL @ May 06 2007,12:38)]I don't participate in contests myself, but I think it is a fine amateur radio activity.
I agree. At some point we'll have them every weekend. That is not good.

[cu2jt]

Quote[/b] (AG4YO @ May 06 2007,14:48)]Quote[/b] (N5PVL @ May 06 2007,12:38)]I don't participate in contests myself, but I think it is a fine amateur radio activity.
I agree. At some point we'll have them every weekend. That is not good.
Right now I am in the New England QSO Party - love it !
90 minutes left and I am at 113 contacts and 50 counties.

[K9STH]

It has been my experience that during a major SSB DX contest that the lower 25 KHz of 40 meters is generally vacant where phone operation is concerned. Occasionally a station will be operating in that portion but nothing like the 7025 KHz to 7100 KHz range.

Of course in the United States and posessions 7000 KHz to 7025 KHz is restricted to those holding Amateur Extra Class licenses.

Now where JT is located (Azores) he is able to copy a lot more European and African stations that I can hear in the Dallas, Texas, area. Therefore, there definitely could be stations operating using SSB in the entire 100 KHz of the band that is available to many parts of the world.

Glen, K9STH

[M1FDZ]

Contests are a great way of getting new countries and testing, A) the effectiveness of your radio, B) your antennas, C) the band conditions in that time of year / day/ month, D) your patience, CU in the contest!!! 5&9 say again? 73 Max http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KI4ODO]

After working a few contest stations on saturday, I slid down to 40m, found a clear freq, and called "CQ 40m for ragchew". Had some great qso's like that. One guy asked, "are you contesting"? I said nope, just ragchewing, he said "finally" LOL. I had fun doing both, but I was able to find areas to do both work contesters, and to just sit and ragchew for a while. Great weekend for Ham Radio. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif