Well I don't agree that there are no secrets left, I have one. Probably won't
help the top ten stations too much, but it could.
The year I used my "secret" strategy, no one else was doing the same thing, no
one. Yes no one. It would have been obvious to me if anyone else was.
The story
My first year in this house I operated a particular contest with only a 80/40
meter trap dipole at the top of my newly installed tower. It was up at 80 feet
or so. That year I had a “secret” strategy that I planned out over the several
weeks prior to the contest.
Now here in Western New York we don’t put up any top ten scores, my goals have
always been limited to 1) being first in the section and 2) trying to better my
previous best score.
Well you know, somehow, sometime that light bulb went off in my head, and I got
this great idea, planned it out, executed the plan and what-do-ya-know. I
finished first in WNY and also set a new section record in the process, all
with an 80/40 trap dipole at 80 feet.
No 20 meter antenna, no 15 meter antenna no 10 meter antenna. 80m and 40m
only. I didn't get a sweep but came close. I did load it on 20m I believe for
a few QSO's.
If my log was posted for all to see my strategy would have been revealed, and
that advantage would have been lost. The "secret" would not have been obvious
by looking at the log, but it was there to see. That is, if anyone even
bothered to look at my puny log from WNY. But the other guys in WNY might have.
So, for the past 12 years or so now my competition has been trying to break
that WNY section record to no avail. My competition has multiple towers,
stacked yagis, better radios than me, beverage antennas, more power, good op
too, etc…
So here is my TS930, SB220 and 80/40 trap dipole versus FT-1000’s, Alpha’s and
stacked yagis. And what ?? the trap dipole wins ! How did that happen? The
"secret" strategy that's how.
My secret ? Well if my log was published for all to see back then, I would not
have been happy about that, but I would have submitted the log anyway.
So I ask, why would a contest sponsor publish all of our logs anyway ? Trying
to get the "mob" to do their dirty work for them ? i.e. calling out the
cheaters ? Why not use that effort to get the results and awards out more
quickly ?
Why take the time to publish the logs? What is in it for the sponsor?
I haven't seen anyone answer that question, or I might have missed it.
My "secret" strategy ? Maybe I’ll put it in my will.
73 Scott W2LC
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