I arrived at my remote site Thursday to prepare and rest for the 30 hour slug-
fest. By fate I could not operate Thursday night with such outstanding
conditions. Friday and Saturday offered the best conditions for any Low Band
contest I've ever been in over 40 years.
Wolfe, made some outstanding comments about densities and random noise of
highly populated areas. Throw in limited frequency allocations and heated
competition, man made noise levels increase and receivers begin to melt. It is
a fact of life.
I don't expect everyone to hear me on the first or second call. Old men and
treachery may sometimes beat youth and skill. Friday and Saturday about half
the DX stations responded to my call. I can deal with that number. No "QRZ"
response in 3-4 calls and I move on. If it's a good catch I'll save the
frequency in memory, jot a note and come back later.
As like EU everyone here tries to secure their spot inside the JA window. (15
kHz) After all it is a DX contest. There is a lot of pushing in pulling going
on for those previously determined "best frequencies". In 2008 I started
recording the station operation during the contest period for various reasons.
I have the 2009 CQ 160 "Good bad and Ugly" now sitting on my desk, all 30
hours worth. Isn't digital wonderful!
Is it my imagination or has the JA activity and enthusiasm significantly
dropped over the years for our better known contests? When living in JA
heaven "Washington state in the 70's and 80's it was not uncommon to work
upwards of a hundred different calls in a major event operating split. This
morning a long-time 160 JA7 Op called CQ 200 Hz above my frequency ignoring my
call. He generated a nice pileup and that was the end of my 100W reign on
1.824.1......
On the other hand I was still stunned by having two sunrise EU stations call
and work me while I was beaming to and working JA! Who says they don't have
ears!
It was an outstanding contest and results and records will be talked about for
years. It was truely a once in a life time event.
73
--
Bob Kile, W7RH
DM35OS
--------------
Linux is like living in a teepee. No Windows, No Gates,
Apache in charge.
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