Personally, I don't really care what anyone else does !
I achieved DXCC on 160m many years ago . . . and stopped even counting new
countries once I had worked over 200. (it used to be really hard, as so few
Countries were licensed for Top Band, but these days almost everyone is)
I KNOW I worked those stations . . . but never bothered collecting QSL cards
or applying for some piece of paper to put on the wall. To me it's about the
SATISFACTION of having achieved something.
In fact - as I've stated before on here - I'm really not bothered about
working somebody in a rare country . . . it's working ANY distant station on
Top Band that gives me a buzz . . . and regardless of how many times I've
worked that station before.
The same goes for Contests . . . decades ago I used to actually enter Top
Band contests . . . but it really holds no interest for me having hundreds
of quite easy contacts hour after hour . . . I now just come on to try and
pick out the DX stations in-between all the strong Europeans (again, a
unique problem on 160m, as there is no Skip) - THAT to me is an achievement.
Again, I am not bothered about the people using their Computer to have
contacts . . . it would never interest me in a million years, as I feel
there is no operator or equipment skill involved, so zero satisfaction. But
hey, if it floats some people's boats, that's up to them.
The only thing that DOES bother me is when people stop coming on Human-based
modes on 160m because they think the only activity is on the Computer modes
!
If more people make an effort to come on the band (instead of complaining)
there WILL be more CW & SSB DX activity on Top Band !
Anyway . . . hope to work some of you in the Contest this weekend. (Had to
put my antenna back up yesterday, as it came down in the Gales we had over
here !)
73 Roger G3YRO
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