I recently found that my contesting experience helped me make and maintain
effective communications in a medical emergency while I was in Honduras. See
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/03/11/1/?nc=1
My brother went to my home station, which is set up as a contest station, so
he could use the facilities there to keep in contact as the bands became
marginal.
I'm not sure if KN4KL and K4VP are contesters but they both seemed to have the
discipline and self control that makes good contesters. I tried several times
to break into ragchew nets on 40 meters before I ran across them. They both
recognized my breakin as an emergency and responded appropriately.
In a lot of instances where it is necessary to maintain communications in less
than ideal conditions the facilities of contest stations and the skill of
experienced contest operators can be a telling factor.
One thing I wonder about, though. If this had occurred during a contest would
it have been possible to get the necessary traffic through the QRM? Would
people have given us a clear channel or called "CQ contest" on it?
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