ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: VY2ZM
Operator(s): K1ZM
Station: VY2ZM
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: PEI
Operating Time (hrs): 45
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 257 67
80: 643 79
40: 1111 94
20: 1562 102
15: 165 65
10: 7 5
-------------------
Total: 3745 412 Total Score = 4,628,820
Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club
Comments:
First,congratulations to Kevin/N5DX and to Chris/KL9A for their standout
performances this past weekend. Kevin, like last year at N2QV, again showed
what he is capable of and Chris pretty much provided a clear example of a
"sea change" in Dx contesting as I view it. Please let me explain
that statement.
Some History....
Last April at the 40th anniversary celebration of YCCC, I gave a speech relating
some historical perspective of how contesting had changed over the past 50-60
years - which is roughly my "contest lifetime". The essence of my
talk was that contesting is never standing still - it is dynamic and constantly
evolving. Changes occur all the time in sponsor rules, technological advances,
our understanding of propagation and operating strategy - just to name a few.
I noted that today, if I were to think of three fairly RECENT events that had
changed the face of competition today - they might be the advent of internet
spotting, the RBN system and SO2R+.
I should have also mentioned the development of remote contesting and RHR's
contribution to make it happen!
I then took a few moments to comment on what contesting was like in 1959 when I
first started playing this game. Three things immediately came to mind:
a) Cycle 19(the greatest solar cycle of them all!) was in its decline and we
bemoaned the days when you could work KL7's every night on 6m AM while using a
GONSET GOONEYBOX running 5W and xtal control.
b) Contesting was transitioning from plate modulated AM to SSB - where as late
as 1963 the contest SS writeups said things like "The use of SSB is
definitely an asset - BUT the bulk of my contacts in the SS still come from AM
phone!"
c) There of course were no computers and all contesting logging was done with a
pen and paper - along with something that a few of us might actually remember
using.
I still have in my possession my ARRL Dx Test "QUOTA SHEETS" from 1963
- which served a dual purpose. We used them both as a DUPESHEET - and also as a
quota sheet record because, in those days, in the ARRL DX test - single ops
could only work 6 stations in a given country on each band.
Now ponder for just a moment what that was actually like during the ARRL Dx
contest:
First there was NO running like we do today as an operating strategy - because
once you worked your six G's on 20M, you were not allowed to work any more for
credit. My quota sheet I used for 80m indicated that I had filled my quota for
KP4 and for G - which meant that if another G or KP4 called me on 80CW, I had
three choices:
a) Ignore the G caller
b) Work the G station but NOT log the qso
c) Work the G caller - log the qso - but enter "0" points in the
margin as I could not get personal credit for making the qso. The total way we
operated at the time was so far removed from what we know today - well, it is
mind-boggling!
If you think this was BAD for an East Coast Contester, can you imagine what it
was like for a W6 on the west coast who was operating on 20m and 15m? After
those poor chaps worked their first 6 Ja's on 20 or 15, well, their contest was
largely over! They might as well have gone to watch football or go drink beer
with their buddies.
So, the primary point that I made at that YCCC meeting, is that contesting never
stands still - it is always evolving - and this weekend we all watched as Chris
and Kevin ably demonstrated how the Dx contest world has changed yet again.
It important that we pause to take note and pass along credit where it is richly
deserved....
Much of the credit surely belongs to Lee WW2DX and Ray W2RE for their
development of RHR. I happen to know they have both endured alot of
"grief" and "sour grapes" from many directions as they set
all of this in motion. Radical change usually is not accepted readily - and in
this case - surely it was not. In general Dx'ing, 160m and on 6m I could write
a book about all the negative comments I personally have seen thrown at them -
but we ought not to dwell on that.
As I see it, contesting from a remote site - is much the same way I started when
I was sort of a "hired-gun" at W1ZM for many years. Sure I built the
station with Gerry because I lived in an apartment with no station of my own -
and, therefore, travelling to Gales Ferry, CT provided me with an outlet to
improve my skills and learn how to operate from a really great station in its
heyday.
In today's world, both Chris and Kevin needed not to even travel to Eastport, Me
or to upstate NY to play this game. In many respects it was merely an
electronic extension of my "hired gun" days at W1ZM. At the end of
the day, it was their operating skills from clearly superior stations that set
them apart from the rest of us - and I for one have no real issues with
that....
I would also like to point out that Ray Higgins, W2RE played a major role in
building both N2QV (which once was an RHR site) and he also has now built (3)
superstations in "downeast Maine" - one of which is Eastport which is
the one that Chris used this weekend.
Kudos also need be mentioned to TARIQ, N2QV and to SCOTT WU2X for their ongoing
management and development of the N2QV superstation - both are great guys, and
remember, Scott designed all of the WRTC 2014 log antennas that were used in
Massachusetts a few years back.
So where is all of this going?
Hard to tell really - but, one thing is for sure... You can NEVER hold back
technological innovation in amateur radio and modern contesters will quickly
adapt and learn how to maximize its use to their advantage as soon as it is
introduced.
So, we witnessed a bit of the "changing of the guard" this weekend -
well done to Kevin, Chris, Lee, Ray, Tariq and Scott. Congratulations guys!!!
One more thing....I am off to Spratly in a matter of days....I wonder if I can
convince W2RE to develop an RHR site on LAYANG LAYANG - so I might be able to
stay at home here on PEI and not have to go there to put this rare one on
Topband! The mind wanders..
73 JEFF K1ZM/VY2ZM
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