Wow,
I subscribed to this group because I thought I could pick up a couple tips
and maybe join in on some discussions on techniques, station set-up, etc,
etc..
I knew there was a sort of "family" or "society" of real contesters, but,
wow. Seeing the recent banter, or, more communicatingly correct, blather,
really makes me glad I don't take it quite so seriously.
I pee and moan that my QTH is no higher than an ant hill, that I need a KW
at least to make even a dent at a decent Q rate, and just generally complain
that the rules are an advantage to everyone but me. At times I get sick and
tired of having to move all over the band because one or two avid contesters
in my area just go where they wish, jumping all over me with total disregard
while at the same time I move to opposite ends of the band in an attempt to
avoid QRM'ing them, something I'm sure I have never done to them. I flip
out when a local calls CQ CQ CONTEST at 144.210 just when someone from FN43
is calling CQ on 144.215, or was it FN23.....damn, he's gone now
@#$!##@$#............lets see what else, oh yea, they always do better than
me since they have an elevation advantage, or they op more bands, or they
have a better signal, or they are just plain better at contesting than me.
Then there are the club stations and the contest stations, heck, who has
that kinda money to blow and/or time to waste.
So since I'm sure that the rules are entirely the problem, maybe the best
way to change the rules is to have a rule for everyone who entered the
contest with scoring handicaps like golf, based not only on skill level (for
which you have to take a pre-contest exam every year), but also equipment
manufacturer (rig, amp, pre-amp, antenna, feedline.......yea, there not all
equal you know), station elevation (mine sucks at about 650" ASL), power,
distance of antenna from shack (yup, mine is pretty far at damn near 200'
and feedline loss is a factor), age (you know, the young ones just don't
have the experience), contesting years (this one levels the playing field
for the experienced ones), type of logging software (I had all kinds of
trouble with mine during the June contest, damn near put the blow torch to
it), bands (I only operate 2m VHF), mode (SSB only), dollars invested (not
poor but I got better things to do with my greenbacks), club affiliation
(I'm a loner, single op for me), time investment, and maybe station layout,
I'm sure someone has a better handle on ergonomics. Then again we shouldn't
forget the advantage many have by just using a computer, especially if its
linked to the radio (I have a TS-711A and it doesn't have the RS-232
interface.....it isn't fair that I have to type in the dam frequency every
time, the competition surely has the advantage here especially since I type
for crap). Oops, I forgot about the Rovers. Lets see for the rover
category we should consider equipment as well, make and model of car is
important.....and a new scoring category could be miles-per-gallon, not
distance worked, but pure MPG, the guy/gal who is driving a Navigator surely
has the un-fair advantage over a guy/gal driving a Yugo........heck it takes
more time to get to the next multiplier........yea, a time-to-multiplier
category. Navigator.....hmmm, yea its a taller car then the Yugo, that
means an elevation advantage as well...................Think of what could
be done with GPS..............
Yup, a committee is just what we need to revamp the rules. Once we get
these rule changes and scoring handicaps in place I'm sure that the
participation numbers will just go through the roof !!! I'm so pumped from
just thinking about this stuff that I'm going to get on 144.200 right now
and just call CQ CQ Contest.........damn.......someone else is calling
CQ........just a local new VHF'er N8 something, still running vertically
polarized............geez, can't someone answer him..........c'mon,
hurry-up..........okay, he's gone now.....CQ CQ CQ
Yea, its a good thing I don't take this contesting thing too seriously.
Brad - N8GLS
EN91HQ
2M VHF Contester, Single-Op, High Power (300w)
SInce 1985, first time placed in Jan VHF 2002, Ohio Section Leader
Screw the rules.......I had fun.......every year since 85 !!!
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