If you are introducing potential contesters to contesting via Field Day, I think it is much better to get them running stations, vs. using spotting - they will be much better off getting comfortable
To some extent, you are right - if the goal is to just increase the number of contesters, then recruiting video gamers by making radio contesting look like video gaming is probably a better way to go
A couple of points, some already pointed out: 1. When you call CQ, other Class D stations don't know you are class D until after they call you. 2. A lot of folks sending class D just heard the activi
As a Field Day enthusiast who has always gone peanut whistle remote in Class A or Class B, I really don't have any problem with Class D stations calling CQ. There is never a problem finding a run fre
As one of those little gun stations, WAE is always fun because it is usually pretty easy to find a run frequency. As far as the long wait if you lose out on S&P, if you are a little gun you are used
Over the weekend I read the ARRL DX SSB results article by Ward Silver N0AX in September QST. Really nice to see the additional analysis vs. just a text narrative repeating the top ten tables. A lot
I'm sure many others applauded Steve's post to bring an end to the Nth reappearance of the "Do I really have to send the last two digits of my first year llicensed as the Check in the SS exchange?"
I think for the first time ever I worked one of my favorite CW calls on phone. I was running on 40 or 80 and K1ESE called in and I got to reply "Kay One Dit DitDitDit Dit, number..." A close second w
I added this topic to the Contesting Aargh! FAQ at http://wiki.contesting.com/index.php/Arrgh_FAQ _______________________________________________ CQ-Contest mailing list CQ-Contest@contesting.com htt
I realized one reason why I really enjoy the Stew Perry TBDC 160 contest and the VHF test is that the exchange is Grid Square. No useless RST, no autofill unless you use history files and a challengi
If the goal is to increase participation in ARRL DX, why doesn't the ARRL first try going back to printing the calls and scores of every entrant in QST? CQ Magazine does that for CQ WW and WPX (for a
George posted a link to his 1993 post on an excellent proposal for both equalizing contest scores and simplifying score reporting in one swell foop. A bit later that year, I made a TFIC (tongue firml
If Windows 7 is in the mix, you want to avoid USB-serial adapters with the Prolific chipset and get one with the FTDI chipset and drivers. Two that I've gotten to work with Windows 7, N1MM and everyt
The links to existing information on contest operating ethics pointed out by N2IC and K3LR and several other writeups and additional links can be found in the Contesting Wiki at http://wiki.contestin
Pete - first, thanks to you and all the others that do all the heavy lifting that got RBN up and running and keep it going. This year I went assisted in both CQ WW CW and ARRL SS CW and had a blast u
SO2R has probably had the biggest impact on overall run rates, but packet/RBN has had a huge impact on S&P rates - and also impacted the old decision of when to leave a run frequency for single radio
Personally, I just leap out of the chair whenever I work a new multiplier, do a little dance for a double mult or VE8 in US Sweepstakes. I am saving time with the XYL, dog and/or lawn for the next su
I guess it has been about 10 years since QST made the decision to remove full contest score listings from QST - and I still miss them. CQ magazine still does so and I greatly enjoy looking through th
Not even close: (1) pull down the window shades or you might see sky writing; (2) line the shack walls with egg cartons or you might hear radio news upstairs about solar flares which would provide in
I bet the CQ contests do *not* see a decrease in submitted logs, but if the ARRL shortened the time similarly I bet the ARRL *would* see a decrease. My reasonining is that CW prints the call and scor