Why Contest??
What else is there??
Back in 1956 or so, while becoming interested in DXing, I
stumbled into a DX contest on 40M. There was lots of DX,
and the folks seemed to be having a wonderful time. I have
been a true addict ever since. It starts by hooking you in
to working new countries, then you start measuring what you
can do with what you have against other guys who do what they
can with what they have, and then your soul is lost to it!
I discovered that contesters are really dif
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Why Contest??
What else is there??
Back in 1956 or so, while becoming interested in DXing, I
stumbled into a DX contest on 40M. There was lots of DX,
and the folks seemed to be having a wonderful time. I have
been a true addict ever since. It starts by hooking you in
to working new countries, then you start measuring what you
can do with what you have against other guys who do what they
can with what they have, and then your soul is lost to it!
I discovered that contesters are really different! They strive
to do the best they can with whatever they have. There are those who
say that they want to develop friendships via ham radio and you cannot
do that by exchanging reports, but friendships developed among
contesters have more depth and understanding of common interests
than any that come from random QSOing and general ham activities.
There is no other activity in ham radio which fosters international
friendship as a byproduct than contesting. This is not the reason
that we do contests, but it is a pretty good side effect. You meet
even a casual contester from anyplace in the world, and you immediately
have an understanding regardless of politics or particulars.
I do it because it is more fun than nearly anything else. There is
nothing like working through the morning openings on 20M having all
the DX calling in as the grey line marches along, building up your
multiplier total from almost every direction. I love 20M! I live
for it! This is almost a religious experience. (You do need a good
antenna to get in to this!)
I agree with KM3T that multi op is the best experience one can have.
I have been lucky enough to win the CQWW a couple of times (many years
ago!) because I was in a good place during a good time and I was young
enough to be able to stay the course and go to work the morning after.
This was a great experience, but doesn't equal the emotional highs of
the multi-multi efforts which I was involved with later. There is
nothing to compare with being in a competitive multi-multi, whether
you win or lose (its always better if you win!). Once at K2GL, when
20 was dead in the middle of the night, I leaned over to K3EST who
was cranking away on 40M in the adjacent position, and asked him
"Bob, do you ever get tired of doing this?". He said, "This is
a mystic experience, you do it whenever you can!". Nuff sed.
Why contest?? If you are lucky enough to know about it, you cant not!!!
73 de Gene N2AA
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