On Tue, Jan 21, 2003 at 07:52:54PM -0500, TOMK5RC@aol.com wrote:
> I was wondering if there is strong sentiment for adding one more tally box to
> contest results "Single Op at Home Station?"
This is just as silly an idea now as it was when it was
talked about in the pages of the NCJ in the 70's and 80's.
> Rationale: Speaking for my station, everything is ready when the guest op
> arrives. They have no interruptions, no distractions. Any equipment problems
> are fixed by me. We provide food at the appropriate times. They can focus
> only on the operating and then leave.
I have been a regular "guest op" at two diffrent stations over the last
20 years. First at N5AU and later at W5KFT - in both cases these stations
required me to travel more than an hour to get to (4 hours for AU) and then
I had to do alot of setup to make it work. It was very far from
turn key operating.
>
> Granted, many guest ops help with antenna work and the like. Some bring their
> own food and drink and their own equipment.
Yep.
> The issue is that when I operate at home, I still have the distractions
> attendant with home and business. I fix the equipment problems. I tend to
> family emergencies and business calls that can't wait. I deal with
> unannounced visitors and serve myself meals.
I now have my own station. I find it MUCH easier to operate from home
than it ever was to do a guest op.
- The station is all setup. I am around it daily to make adjustments
and make sure it is in top working order.
- I get to use it daily so I am getting to know the station better than
I have known any other station I have used.
- I dont have to travel to fix stuff that is broken.
- I dont have to travel an hour or more (one way) to do a contest.
It has been my experiance that operating from home is much easier
and better than having all of the other overhead I had as a
guest op.
> Guest ops also tend to choose very well equipped stations with many antennas
> and superior geography (duh!) that they did not fund out of the family
> budget. Again, this is not sour grapes, it is just reality. In looking at
> recent scores in close contests like SS and NAQP, it does make a difference
> whether you are a guest or a resident. I don't want to change anything, just
> compare apples to apples, as an aside to the regular top ten box.
I have a pretty good station with pretty good geography.
It also happens to be my home station.
And if past results are any indication I would be at the top
of this proposed catagory often but I still think it is a silly
way to divide up contest entants.
--
George Fremin III - K5TR
geoiii@kkn.net
http://www.kkn.net/~k5tr
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