Contesting On Ham Radio

I just can't go along with the idea of having referees.  Referees make tough calls and somtimes debatable calls.

To solve that problem we will need the instant replay.

"Upon further review, that QSO is disallowed!"

Rats, I appeal to Caeser!

 

I thought the old rules...stated that on 10m... the Novice part of the band... the TOP 10 kcs and the BOTTOM 10kcs were non-contesting. (28.300 - 310 and 28.490 - 499)  yet I hear CQ CQ CQ contest on 495.

I love to contest but I adhire to the next ham that needs a freq..but on contesting I stay away from top 10 and bottom kcs.

I thought all bands... in each class of band.. Novice GEneral, advanced (no longer been absorbed into extra I heard)  and extra the Top and Bottom 10 Kcs of each band edge were non contesting.

If Im wrong let me know.

Thanks... and remember,,, have FUN on ham radio., I try.

I do enjoy contesting since it allows me to see where the CW and SSB is Dxing to. Good time to demonstrate amatuer radio to prospective new amatuers.
73 to EVERYONE in Hamradio

Mark WL7LZ
I run QRP mobile.....QSL below. I love it!!
FT-100D and Diamond HV7A  
0.5w - 4.0w PEP QRP  
SSB and CW
x.25 ISS PMS 145.800
My Photo QSL Card I send when mobile.
Look for me on 28.385 M-T-W-T 190MT

 

I am a contester, DXer and rag chewer. While some of the ideas have merit, we all need to be CONSIDERATE of others. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Maritime Net on 14.300 MHz being conducted at their regular time, even during the contest.
However, I also heard harmful interference, arguing on the air, and people either overdriving their amplifiers, or just using 'dirty' amps.
I like the contests, because as a DXer, some stations only come on the air for the contests. During the IARU contest, I finally heard a JA station, and worked two of them, with 100 watts from the East Coast of the USA. If not for the contest, they may not have been on the air.
One additional problem that I have found are people working SPLIT, but due to the pileup, don't announce the split frequency for 5-10 minutes.
But I have also called a rag-chewer , so that I could work him. He rudely informed me that he was not part of the contest. When I explained that I needed his state for my WAS, and that I had some additional information on his topic of discussion, did he 'warm up' to me.(We did have a good 3 minute ragchew.)
As stated before, let us all be considerate, and things would get better. Contesters, rag chewers, and DXers ALL have bad apples in their midsts, but 99% of the operators that I have talked to have been good people.
(NOTE>>>I have worked 147 countries this year with 100 watts or less on an all-band dipole with a tuner, so power is not everything, and we can all co-exist together.<<<)

 

HEY WE ALREADY HAVE CONTESTB BANDS !!!!!!!!!!

WARC = World Amateur Radio Contest bands....right.

 

I also work during the week and generally only operate on the weekend. I like nothing more than waking up before the rest of the gang rolls out to get some operating time in. It's very frustrating during this time to hear a CQ contest being called because I know that the weekend is pretty well shot as far as operating goes.

73's
Chuck

 

I've been absolutely facinated by the responses I've read in this thread.

It would appear that someone has a complaint about every facit of this diverse hobby.  The CW is too haaaard to learn, but don't use it on contest because I might want to be on the radio ten minutes this month..... contesters are too rude and they dominate the generally empty bands with their:  "59-03's".  

I infrequently go up into the SSB portion of the bands, and I always marvel as I listen to the "audiophiles" who need that $2000 audio amplifier, $1,000 equalizer, and the $800 studio microphone so they can put out their 8kHz wide signals that sound like they're talking through a sewer pipe.

I don't complain when some idiot decides it's on my freq that he/she has to try out his/her RTTY  program or tune endlessly, but I do complain when the usually absent op's turn on their rig to discover what we all knew for a year in advance, a contest.

If ever there was an operator that I would want on the air when the inevitable catastrophic event occurs in my neighborhood, it's a contest op who keeps moving the traffic, handling the multiple calls, and sorts through the pile to get the little guy with something important to report.  It's about training.  Contesting is conditioning to handle high volumes of traffic under the most austere conditions.  How some of these wonderful DX operators can hear my 100 watts into an R-7 through a pile-up of kilowatts amazes me, but they almost always do.  It's the minimum I can do to contribute to their point totals when they're at home, using their home calls, and chasing the pile just like me.  Their gift of that exotic destination to my QSL pile rightfully has earned the few points that I can give them in return.

The importance of discussing your knee surgery for the 250th time, or telling stories about aunt Helen's old cat for hours pales behind the excitement of working a wonderful operator from a distant corner of the world who's my equal for just a moment.   Get over it, whiners, and accept that contesting is an integral part of the amateur community. It didn't just start. It's always been here, and by the grace of God, it will ALWAYS BE HERE.

Frank/N7UO

 

OK Guys

Quit ya Complaining'
Let's get on with our lives.
The contesters are here and just like a bad penny the ain't gonna go away.
Just outgun 'em on the contest weekends and let them deal with our qrm for awhile.

 

Instead of whining about the contesters, why we all take it as an opportunity to try some of the other facets of ham radio that we never use because of the giant ruts we are all in ?? For instance, if the contest is on SSB where you ALWAYS operate, jump out of your rut, plug in your key and go try the CW bands. If you are always on CW (and God Bless you if you are, cuz there aren't all that many of us left) go get your microphone out of storage and try some SSB. There are actually some nice people on SSB. If that all fails, there are several digital modes are are also very enjoyable. Try some FM on 10 meters. I bet a lot of you have bandswitches and mode switches on your rigs that you rarely if ever use. My point is this: Just because someone is on your favorite frequency, band, mode etc, don/t whine about it, go try some of the other delightful places to play in our world of Ham Radio. You might just find something "new" that you enjoy !

 

Know what you mean! I started out with a TS-520 and didn't have the warc bands (12,17,30). Every weekend I wanted to get on I had to face a contest. I now love to contest and when I want to rag chew on the weekend I go to 17 meters. There seems to be little activity on 12 and 17 and the dx is great! Hang in there! 73
Mike AB0TX

 

I would suggest that contest be held in the CW portion of the band. After all, the intent of the contact is to trade limited information such as RST, QTH and maybe a name and then on to the next contact so why in the world would a contester want to disrupt and jam groups talking to one another in order to swap such a small amount of information anyway. On CW, the DX stations are easier to hear in poor conditions, both band and Man made noise. Many stations can occupy a small amount of band space, and more contacts can be made in shorter amounts of time. There are  many other benefits of using CW for contest…..
You would not suppose it is because most contesters today do not know code? Nah can't be.

Has to be a result of just plain old rude operating procedure on the behalf of some.

Support Know code…

73 - KI6UP

 

Well, I personally think that there is good points on both sides but you tend to miss the whole point. The point in contesting is to see in case of emergancies if you can get out, specially during field day. For all the HF-er's out there should appreciate the contesters because had it not been for them the airwaves would slowly be taken away for lack of use. Look what happened to the 11m when the lack of usage, we even lost other bands or portions of. If you have any comments to address me personally visit my new page and forum N3QPC's Amatuer Page

 

First and foremost,
Contests are on every weekend, and some thru the week!!!!
Whoever found a calendar with only 21 contests isn't looking very hard.
I'm also a contester, when I can be.
As someone earlier said, the sponsors tried contest bandplans back in the 90s and it didn't work, well guess what?
They need to quit sponsoring them!!!

However, I love to contest. They build ur operating skills some. Sure do.

On the other hand, I've heard rag chewers "steal" the freq from a contester plenty of times with max power and mic gain and all the good stuff.
If u turn the radio on and the freq is in use, then keep moving, it's as simple as that.
Wait, maybe some of u didn't take a test to get licensed.
Or, maybe the "that don't apply to me, I'm special" rule fits the bill.
Blahblahblahblah and on and on.

 

I live near Caribbean sea. As a matter of fact, my family and I enjoy several wonderful sandy beaches almost every Sunday. During Easter (as well as during major holidays) they all are really crowded and it is impossible to find a tiny space for us. Do I have the right of asking a free segment of  those beaches? I didn’t know that, but now I’m going to write a letter to the sponsors of all those holidays.
73

 

I don't think setting aside a non-contest section in each band will work. After all, ragchewers and net people are territorial about "their" frequency, not the band. I have learned from experience to not only ask if the frequency is in use at least three times but also to ask "Is anyone going to say the frequency is in use if I start calling CQ contest." You would be amazed how many times I have been told the frequency is in use ONLY when I started calling CQ contest. I have also been told the frequency was in use when in fact there was a net due to start in 15-30 minutes. I'm not sure there is a simple solution to the problem. It is a matter of rudeness and ignoring the rules on both sides. Not only do I encounter ragchewers who have "homesteaded" a frequency but I often encounter fellow contesters who start calling CQ without checking for a clear frequency and fail to identify after each QSO as well. I tend to agree with W4DAN. Give us our 10-12 weekend a year and you can ragchew and hold nets ad infinitum the rest of the time. I am sure, though, that contesters would not mind being asked to move in a civil manner. The last contest I was in, I wound up about 2 Khz above a 75 meter ragchewing frequency through no fault of my own. I asked several times if the frequency was in use and heard nothing, so I started to call CQ. After a few calls, I found myself being cursed like a dog by someone who had come up from the frequency. All he had to do was ask me to move. I am trying to teach my 7 year old granddaughter about ham radio so she can get her license. I am just thankful that she wasn't in the shack when I was called everything in the book by this guy. In short, cooler heads should prevail on both sides.

 

I say live and let live. I usually avoid them, but if they're being ignored where's the harm in talking?