Hi Charlie,
I second you on all of that, except that Indochina is written in one word (just
like Thai-Land or Indo-Nesia) and does not exist anymore in geography. If we
talk about the Indochinese peninsula, it includes Thailand, Myanmar,
continental part of Malaysia and Singapore too.
"Closed contests" like the ARRL DX are boring, the worst being the REF
"Championnat de France HF" where the point system does not give any incitation
to foreign stations, but well like his name tell its the "French championship".
However, with me running 100W to simple antennas the other SSB contests are
hard too, and being closer to the magnetic equator my propagation is even more
volatile.
I soon realize that working EU stations was hard because of the high background
noise there. On a normal day S7 signals are ok but on a contest day signals are
below the QRM. I then setup a fixed 2 element Moxon beam to Europe expecting
better results to little avail on SSB.
The problem is that I am on the back of the antennas of most stations. NA
stations want to work SA or EU, EU want to work NA or SA, but having low HAM
populations in South-East Asia no contester beams to us.
The only contest I try to have a serious participation is the All Asian DX
because I know several neighboring stations will make the effort so I want to
give them point. Having a 1h or 48h participation will be the same for me,
mostly winning the contest for my country in the Low Power category.
However, one could think this contest could result in high points working
strings of JAs for me but no. JA to XV only count for 1 point so most JAs turn
their antennas to NA seeking for 3 points QSO. This is multiplied by 3 for 160m
and 2 for 80m and 10m, but the ratio is the same.
CW tends to level ground a little bit because better S/N ratio helps me with my
100W and the ability to call slightly up above the frequency give me a chance
to be heard if the other op is good. However, I don't consider myself to be
skilled enough CW operator to do well in a "serial number copy" contest.
Contests with "fixed" exchanges (age, power, province...) maybe ok though since
I can listen many time to what the other station is sending.
As a conclusion, I just want to say I am ok with that. XV is good for "running
a pile-up", average for "DX quest" and not a good location for contesting.
If one day a lot of western retirees settle in VN (like they do today in HS)
with big money to build big stations, perhaps it will less fun for "running
pile-ups" so the ratio may change and I could find the whole game boring...
73,
Yan.
---
Yannick DEVOS - XV4Y
http://xv4y.radioclub.asia/
http://varc.radioclub.asia/
> You think the ARRL DX contests are boring... then do not operate them from
> HS because the typical openings to NA are a little over an hour at local
> sunrise and local sunset. You may see that is about 5-6 hrs of contest
> operating total, Day One. Add to that the fact that all bands are jammed,
> mostly with signals I can not hear even at the peak of the openings; I can
> not get a run going because I am very likely to be on top of a NA station
> that I can not hear but who will block my signal entry to NA.
>
> It takes both a big signal and antennas pointed my way to even hear NA, so
> I work the 8 or ten stations on 20 that I can hear; the 5 or 6 on 15; and
> squeeze out the fun of, at least, being heard those times, usually with
> comments on my good sig strength; NA ops say they are surprised to hear HS
> so loud. Then, with 15 to 20 QSOs in the log, I have checked often and see
> 10 is dead and 40 will not be ok for another 2 to 3 hours into the night.
> I worked 40 out when it opened with about 25 NA. I have been at the radio
> 7-8 hours for about 50 contacts, filling out buro cards in between tuning,
> and swinging my ants in the vain hope of long path.
>
> Second day is worse because dups are more frequent than new ones.
>
> Now extrapolate my experience to surrounding areas that can include VU, 9N,
> A5, Bangladesh, all of Indo-China, and some degree 9M and Phillipines and
> maybe even Singapore, as well as southern China. You have to talk to the
> VKs ZLs about their situation, but I think it is not much better. Then you
> may see what boring really is and why even during openings, few DX from
> this area are on at all.
>
> I am not complaining, really I am not, because I know what is coming and
> just plan my daytimes to do other things, but I miss the action of a
> contest where everyone works everyone. I have 5 el monobanders on these
> bands and a 2el full size 40 quad and top of the line radios, so dont tell
> me I am not trying hard.
>
> These are just the facts: ARRL is an American club and its contests are
> mostly for Americans-- makes sense to serve members. I used to love them
> as K4VUD.
>
> Sign me as waiting for March 30.... 73,
> --
> Charly, HS0ZCW
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