Is it Worth Building a SMALL Contest/DX Station?

WG7X, well put, exactly my thoughts!

 

What if you’re having fun while Doing Ham Radio Wrong™️? Isn’t it the moral obligation of every stranger on the internet to inform you (or at least ridicule you)?

 

FWIW, when I click on the link I get a screen with ICQPodcast overlying a gold microphone and a cursor at the bottom that reveals it is 1 hour and 35 mins long. There are no "markers" or anything indicating what is at what point of the podcast. I don't know if my browser just shows things differently or what but there is no way I can do what you mention above. I've tried 3 different browsers with all the same result. I would have to scroll through and listen at various points and hope I hit it at just the right time. Again, at 1 hour and 35 mins, that just ain't gonna happen. So my question still stands and I think it was reasonable based on my experience with the podcast.

...............Bob

 

usually small refers to the investment. Some contest stations are close to or more than 7 figures.

 

So i have an icom 7300 and an alpha 86 . What Am I, a micro station? Your definition is ridiculous. A lot of hams get on with 100 watts and a wire. This is why contesting gets a bad rap. Because of the elitist attitudes. Most of us will never win anything. We get in the contest to have fun and hand out a few Q's You could at least say thanks to all of us "micro" stations who build your score

 

Naa .. without my cw keyer I would not have much fun .. Permission to add it to the set-up? Sir!

 

Yes, of course!

 

Nicely put Gary,
Accept what you have, where you are. The effort is proportionate to the return, very surprising most times.
My setup is residential these days, various dipole experiments, settled with what works best for where I am located.
Inverted V with apex @ 14m. (45 feet) 40m. above sea level. < http://zl2cq.weebly.com/ >
Auto CQ Tx is really good with these conditions - throat / voice-wise.
Modulated audio @ 90% max of ALC - EQ set at slightly "Hi" than chat mode.
To break into a popular station is very difficult with 100w.
Single Band can be very rewarding - "low power with strong audio" is the limiting factor, but it works.
Even my K3 / Ten-Tec 411 in a Hi Power Section single Band is pretty good fun - especially the Certificate surprise later.
Tip : pre HF SSB activity put something up on the Cluster, down here in the Pacific we get starved for contacts.
Its all out there but the Transceiver needs to be turned on ...............
73, enjoy
Paul ZL2CQ

 

That's a nice setup! I always look for ZL2 in a contest. Always a treat to get that multiplier. Thanks for handing out some DX multipliers!

 

My station is puny compared to most contest stations but I still have quite a few first place Nevada section ARRL and CQ awards I even have a Big Gun Contest station close to my qth the Comstock memorial station W7RN is less than 10 miles away. I can always count on them for my Nevada multiplier though
Hi Hi

 

I have the "contest" station I have. I have no desire or space to assemble or maintain a $25,000 station. I like my contest station...which is also my "everything else" station.

I sometimes wish it were more potent.

A small part of me wishes for a tower and beam, or five towers and stacked 6 over 6 over 6 monoband yagis on 20, or stacked 4 over 4 elements on 40 meters.

The larger part of me sees putting kids through college and mortgage payments.

I know I will never compete with the big guns, but on the rare occasion that I manage to, I am amazed and remember them well.

Breaking a pileup with 20 watts and a dipole is especially sweet. Skill and persistence (and a little luck) over brute force is especially memorable.

 

to me small is 100 watts & a wire.

 

Hi, i considered my station in Warsaw a small one (till mid 2016). The one i have now, in my suburban QTH is still small compared to top contesters. Is building a small contest station worth the effort? Check out some of my results on my qrz http://qrz.com/db/sq5ebm
Build it, run it, learn, expand. Have fun. At some point it all boils down to $$$ and your will.
73 de SQ5EBM / SN5V / SN25EBM
Maciej "Miles" Muszalski

 

Having fun may not require having the best station. To some, that may require a state of the art build out of your station. To others just turning in a record with some note worthy call, some exotic and others inspiring for one or another reason. Winning while indeed richly appreciated, does not have to loose the enjoyment of all those things which hams enjoy. I am not competitive, thats not so much fun. But exotic calls counted, that is enormously gratifying.