I would recommend to all new contesters to do the same
sometime:
What great enlightenment.
During the contest I had finally figured out how and
realized that I wanted to spend some contest time
listening in on a few of the "Big Guns" during the
contest.
To see what it would sound like at my shack to me through
my speakers if I were on the way to a win.
As a result I searched for and found K1TTT, N1MM and a few
others (I remembered these because I use their programs
and their nodes), now I was able to actually hear them,
not just hear about them, read their logs or read reports
on them as I spent a lot of time doing last year. (Part of
my goal setting for my station.)
I listened to their "runs" as they worked station after
station and at times worked NO STATIONS but just called CQ
in order to work somebody.
Especially on 80 and 40 late at night.
My viewpoint up until night before last was that "If I had
a station setup like so and so does (tall antennas, amps,
ect) then I wouldn't have to sit here a CQ a lot, I would
just CQ once and the world would hear me and would be
coming back to me one after the other, after the other
until the contest was over and I would end up with a
winning score."
I found out that is NOT TRUE they CQ a lot also. The
difference is they continue to do so and do not become
discouraged and stop.
Although it took time out of my contesting, I traded that
time for what would otherwise have been break time for me
anyway. I am glad I did.
I must also say that best of all I noticed that they were
all courteous to *all* who made contacts with them and the
whole spirit about what they were doing was different from
most other contesters (including myself) and was
fantastic, it exuded of Ham Radio Operators at their best.
It was a pleasure to hear them and what's more just
listening to them has already affected my own operation in
a positive way and the spirit in which I will conduct
contests from now on as well.
I have also noticed in their "soap boxes" most of them
almost always thank all who have made contacts with them.
These are true winners in all respects.
No wonder they are "Big Guns".
73 fer nw,
Bob N5IET
10X# 37210, FP#-1141, SMIRK#-5177
http://www.n5iet.com/
Code may be taking a back seat for now,
but the pioneering spirit that put the code
there in the first place is out front of it all.
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