View Full Version : This weekends Contest
What a bunch of dolts. The bands are trashed once again with the continuous robotic CQ Contest crap. What a waste of time and for what?
There oughta be a law.
K2WH
Sorry you feel that way.
I'm not much into SSB contests, but live for CW ones. You may have other hobbies that some may consider to be for "dolts." Maybe even a waste of time.
As the old saying goes, there is something in amateur radio for everyone.
Tom kcŘw
KC9ECI
10-30-2005, 01:21 AM
Is there something wrong with 12, 17, 30, and 60 meters?
KA4DPO
10-30-2005, 01:48 AM
It doesn't do much good to get riled over contests. When that fever comes over them the contesters will QRM their own mother to get some points.
Seriously, it's only for a couple of days don't let it upset you. You might even want to try it yourself. Here are some helpful tips for first time contesters.
Find a frequency and start tuning up, use an amp if you have one, and longer tuneups are always best.
Send a lengthy CQ Contest for the first minute or two to warm up the frequency and "Let them know you're there".
If someone comes back and says the frequency is in use, don't argue with them. Ignore them, pretend you can't copy them and continue yelling CQ contest.
If you do make a contact tell them to repeat their info five or six times by saying, again, again, got some QSBaker, again, again, you get the drift. Those pesky non contest QSOs will get the message that your not leaving.
Remember, posession is nine tenths of the law and during a contest you have a god given right to every KHZ on the band.
Now doesn't that sound like fun?
VE7NOT
10-30-2005, 01:50 AM
Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Oct. 29 2005,18:48)]It doesn't do much good to get riled over contests. When that fever comes over them the contesters will QRM their own mother to get some points.
Seriously, it's only for a couple of days don't let it upset you. You might even want to try it yourself. Here are some helpful tips for first time contesters.
Find a frequency and start tuning up, use an amp if you have one, and longer tuneups are always best.
Send a lengthy CQ Contest for the first minute or two to warm up the frequency and "Let them know you're there".
If someone comes back and says the frequency is in use, don't argue with them. Ignore them, pretend you can't copy them and continue yelling CQ contest.
If you do make a contact tell them to repeat their info five or six times by saying, again, again, got some QSBaker, again, again, you get the drift. Those pesky non contest QSOs will get the message that your not leaving.
Remember, posession is nine tenths of the law and during a contest you have a god given right to every KHZ on the band.
Now doesn't that sound like fun?
sounds like qrm from a ..-. --- --- .-..
KA4DPO
10-30-2005, 02:08 AM
Quote[/b] (VE7NOT @ Oct. 29 2005,18:50)]Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Oct. 29 2005,18:48)]It doesn't do much good to get riled over contests. #When that fever comes over them the contesters will QRM their own mother to get some points.
Seriously, it's only for a couple of days don't let it upset you. #You might even want to try it yourself. #Here are some helpful tips for first time contesters.
Find a frequency and start tuning up, use an amp if you have one, and longer tuneups are always best.
Send a lengthy CQ Contest for the first minute or two to warm up the frequency and "Let them know you're there".
If someone comes back and says the frequency is in use, don't argue with them. #Ignore them, pretend you can't copy them and continue yelling CQ contest. #
If you do make a contact tell them to repeat their info five or six times by saying, again, again, got some QSBaker, again, again, you get the drift. #Those pesky non contest QSOs will get the message that your not leaving. #
Remember, posession is nine tenths of the law and during a contest you have a god given right to every KHZ on the band.
Now doesn't that sound like fun?
sounds like qrm from a ..-. #--- --- .-..
Nope, just advice for a .-.. .. -.. .-.-.- -.-?
kc0vrs
10-30-2005, 02:18 AM
it is a dumb contest, although I am happy to report that I have worked 4 new countries on 10m SSB today.
wa4brl
10-30-2005, 03:06 AM
UWS: #THAT's the spirit! #If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. #It may not be the non-contester's favorite time on the air, but you can work all 50 states and a bundle of countries in no time during a good contest weekend. #Jump right into the fray!
kc0vrs
10-30-2005, 04:25 AM
yep! I am not there for points, only there to raise my DXCC and WAS numbers. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
K0RGR
10-30-2005, 05:35 AM
Great weekend to see if the old rig is still capable of talking to Upper Volta or whatever. I worked a new one on 15 this morning. Every time I do that with my current antenna collection, I am pleased. Dreaming of the future contest station gives me reason to live, and fills the XYL with fear and trepidation.
w8cbc
10-30-2005, 06:52 AM
I'll admit I tuned around 10 metres today to see if I could maybe make my first 10-metre contact (I have all the other HF bands covered now). Heard nuthin'. Oh well.
I DID hear someone calling CQ Contest - and getting replies - on 17 metres. Ummm.
k4kyv
10-30-2005, 07:02 AM
Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Oct. 29 2005,18:48)]If you do make a contact tell them to repeat their info five or six times by saying, again, again, got some QSBaker, again, again, you get the drift.
But don't forget you still have to give them a 5-9 signal report.
w8cbc
10-30-2005, 07:06 AM
...along with some other two-digit number you've made up on the spot. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
KC9ECI
10-30-2005, 08:39 AM
Bill--
15 was just rocking yesterday!
BSR-
10 wasnt great, but late in the afternoon it popped open and I was able to snag 9 contacts in 7 countries and 5 zones. Not terrible, but not good. I worked W0AIH, but they're just over the hill from me by 40 miles or so. I't 0838z (2:38 local) and AIH is running them non stop on 20M and I can't even hear them...must be nice to have some serious antennae!
It would have been nice if the contesters had avoided 14.325 and the Hurricane Watch Net. Hurricane Beta might not be impacting the US, but that doesn't mean the HWN wasn't passing traffic to/from Nicaragua and Honduras.
Monitoring 14.325 here last night in South Florida (not far from the NHC, who was monitoring as well), I heard the net constantly swamped by contest QRM immediately adjacent on both sides.
KC9ECI
10-30-2005, 02:17 PM
Someone was posting info to avoid the HWN on the DX cluster on a fairly regular schedule. I wouldn't mind seeing the contest organizers 'create' a small buffer zone around known frequencies like that.
kf6rdn
10-30-2005, 03:06 PM
There's some dudes ragchewing on 40, 7.223 right now. I can't join them, but they're entertaining me with their talk of milking cows while I'm getting ready for my VB game. (haven;t heard their calls yet, wonder if kc0w is there. heh)
Listening right now.........MOO!!!
Tom kcŘw
Quote[/b] (ab2m @ Oct. 30 2005,07:10)]It would have been nice if the contesters had avoided 14.325 and the Hurricane Watch Net. Hurricane Beta might not be impacting the US, but that doesn't mean the HWN wasn't passing traffic to/from Nicaragua and Honduras.
Monitoring 14.325 here last night in South Florida (not far from the NHC, who was monitoring as well), I heard the net constantly swamped by contest QRM immediately adjacent on both sides.
As I have said before, lets add no code Generals by the hundred thousand, and adopt one of the stupid bandwidth bandplans so digital stations can QRM the voice bands too! Yep, that'll fix it all. We're all gentlemen, right?
w8cbc
10-30-2005, 08:20 PM
We could all go back to using AM. That'll annoy the PACTOR ops enough that they may give up and go back to DSL...
Speaking of AM. I cranked up the Apache and, later the Collins (had been using the ICOM for rx early) and have been hanging out at 7290 most of the day. Answered a few CQs. Made a few contacts. It's so nice to get the old girl on air. Write 780V and .20A instead of 13.4V and 14.0A in their respective columns of the log. And so on.
KC9ECI
10-30-2005, 08:29 PM
Quote[/b] (kd8bsr @ Oct. 30 2005,15:20)]Speaking of AM. #I cranked up the Apache and, later the Collins (had been using the ICOM for rx early) and have been hanging out at 7290 most of the day.
Should have said so, I'd have taken a break from contesting and tried this Kenwood out on AM for a while.
Ah yes, AM. I remember when SSB was a nuisance mode put forth by a few operators who failed to see the benefit of having rich full “broadcast” quality audio. Now we all sound like Donald Duck and are proud of our signal quality. The transition for ham radio from Am to SSB was a rocky one with bad operators on both side of the fence. Lets hope this time change will be more amiable. AOR has a nice box that hooks up to your transceivers mike and speaker connections. It converts standard mike audio to digital for transmission and takes the other persons received digital signal from your speaker and converts it back to standard audio so that you can understand it. The other functions in your transceiver remain the same. I saw a demo at the ARRL Southwest Convention recently and it looks interesting, of course one major issue is standardization of the digital format among the manufacturers. ICOM has a different digital mode which is not compatible with AOR.
I have worked a few new countries from the car this weekend towards my Mobil DXCC, that is DX Car Cruising.
73,
Terry, K7FE
kc0vrs
10-30-2005, 10:04 PM
i am happy http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif #I have added 3 more countries to my DXCC list http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
KC9ECI
10-30-2005, 10:08 PM
I've added about 44 of them to 15M.
kc0vrs
10-30-2005, 10:29 PM
well i only have voice priviledges on 10m. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif
KC9ECI
10-30-2005, 10:43 PM
9 Countries on 10M. 10M hasn't been all that good this weekend. Better get that General test out of the way pretty quick, the November SS phone contest is coming up soon!
Quote[/b] (KC9ECI @ Oct. 29 2005,21:21)]Is there something wrong with 12, 17, 30, and 60 meters?
According to his own bio on QRZ, he's got radios that do those bands, so I can only assume he just likes to whine & complain. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Like a lot of hams on here do.
Quote[/b] ] This weekends Contest, Bands are Totally Useless
I love DX contests. DXCC in a weekend is more than "do-able". Couldn't participate in the CQWW SSB this weekend. Whittled the "Honey Do" list down to size so Sweeps weekends are free.
KC9ECI
10-31-2005, 12:21 AM
The wife isn't pleased, but I've already 'reserved' the Sweepstakes weekends.
w8cbc
10-31-2005, 12:44 AM
ECI - there's almost always AM activity at 7290 give or take 5. I think I'll be doing more of that and forget 3870-3885 altogether. 100 watts into the zigzag here just can't compete on 80 metre AM.
Now, to get off my duff and build that T/R sequencer. I'm tired of fixing burnt preselector coils in the R392. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
K3STX
10-31-2005, 02:10 AM
I actually love contests, but can not, for the life of me, understand how people get any pleasure out of SSB contests. I made a grand total of THREE QSOs, and the last two were made this morning so the first guy wouldn't get dinged for a Unique Call.
What cacophony. But the really good news is that there is now less than one week for one of the BEST contests of the year (next to the NAQP). http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
paul
KA4DPO
10-31-2005, 02:19 AM
Quote[/b] (kd8bsr @ Oct. 30 2005,17:44)]ECI - there's almost always AM activity at 7290 give or take 5. #I think I'll be doing more of that and forget 3870-3885 altogether. #100 watts into the zigzag here just can't compete on 80 metre AM.
Now, to get off my duff and build that T/R sequencer. #I'm tired of fixing burnt preselector coils in the R392. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
I used to work Ashtabula Bill on 7.290 fairly often. I heard him on SSB the other day so I know he's still around.
I'll have to dust off the Ranger one of these days and see whats up on 40 AM.
Also, there's an AM window at 14.276 I think. Never hear any AM stations on 20 at all, seems a shame since it could be fun.
KC9ECI
10-31-2005, 02:42 AM
I heard an AM station on 20M once and posted it to the DX cluster and promptly got chastised because it wasn't DX.
w8cbc
10-31-2005, 03:53 AM
I think I heard Bill on 14286 while I was up north. I definitely caught the "Ashtabula, Ohio".
Now that I've dropped my general noise level some three S units, I'll definitely do more AM and CW.
The Apache will get lots of play this winter.
Quote[/b] (n3jja @ Oct. 30 2005,16:37)]Quote[/b] (KC9ECI @ Oct. 29 2005,21:21)]Is there something wrong with 12, 17, 30, and 60 meters?
According to his own bio on QRZ, he's got radios that do those bands, so I can only assume he just likes to whine & complain. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Like a lot of hams on here do.
Little Mary Sunshine!
WA2ZDY
10-31-2005, 11:02 PM
Quote[/b] (KC0UWS @ Oct. 30 2005,18:29)]well i only have voice priviledges on 10m. :(
Butyou have CW privileges on 15 - 21.1 - 21.2.
ab8ma
10-31-2005, 11:25 PM
I am extremely pleased with this weekend's contest. I worked hard.
Made 3 contacts.
2 of them were "New Ones".
Had to work almost all Sunday afternoon for one of them. 5Z4.
Dansing in the halls.