CQ-WW-DX-CW 1996 experience
N3ADL at aol.com
N3ADL at aol.com
Wed Dec 4 18:18:30 EST 1996
In a message dated 96-12-04 12:14:15 EST, Istvan.Bogyo at mdc.hu (Bogyo Istvan)
writes:
<< have been ruined by the herds of
Europeans who seemed to forget to use their receivers, and have been
calling and calling and calling. This "calling contest" was something
that I was not prepared for! HS0AC for example, could not make a single
contact in 6 minutes, because every time he called someone, like DL7??
DL7?? agn agn BK, at least two hundred stations felt like having a
callsign similar to DL7??. Even if he got a full call, like UX0UN UX0UN
59926 59926 BK, the same herd called him for minutes.
>>
Yeah...its really amazing that for all the boorish behavior the rate meter is
ticking faster than ever. This IS a problem that probably will not go away
until hell freezes over and its not confined to top band! It seems like the
eastern european block and Italy has suddenly discovered DXing is FUN...and
we all know that contesting is nothing more than DXing as fast and as loud as
you can. Sorta reminds me of the guy with the new D-104 asking his buddy how
much more S meter reflection is caused by his cranking up the audio pot.
{$->
The facts are:
1) Full calls make it into the log faster AND easier!
2) If the DX operator asks for X-RAY ZULU and you are anything else..... SHUT
UP!
(this goes for any combination of letters or numbers)
3) LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN
4) if in doubt............refer to rule #2 and #3 above in inverse order....
Now if we can just get that posted in 15 languages around the globe we'll
have something! Most of the OPs who do the Caribbean have been tempted to run
split (or at least thought of it) because the pile ups are so unruly that it
actually slows the rate down.
Now that might be a question for the assembled masses...How whizzed would
you be if a P4 or V2 ran split in CQ or ARRL.? .... Nothing in the rules that
I can see to prevent it...it is just frowned upon by the Big Gun community
stateside. It is, perhaps, the only answer to the unruly pileups. My feeling
is that they keep calling because they do not hear me respond in the din of
the pileup. I fight the urge to pronounce them all stupid and deaf while
trying to pull XU out of the white noise and 130 stations are dropping their
call in every 2.213 seconds. Then there is the guy who is 40 over asking
about the QSL route until you stop the run and give it...even though you just
gave it 7 times in the last hour....and it is printed in virtually every
amateur publication on the planet.
All that being said....I'm going out now to sacrifice 3 virgins ( I THINK I
can find 3) to the contest gods to thank them for the chance to work the
unruly pileups..... and to ask for patience and the strength to endure the
learning curve of the newbies with the new lollipop without blowing a
gasket. No offense meant to anyone in particular...just blowing off steam and
keeping busy while enduring nicotine withdrawal.
Season's Greeting's to all!
Congrats to the CQ winners!
GO FRC ! de Doug N3ADL
V26B will be QRV for ARRL Phone!
>From george at epix.net (George C. Cook) Thu Dec 5 01:09:27 1996
From: george at epix.net (George C. Cook) (George C. Cook)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 20:09:27 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Answers and clarifications
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19961207201225.2b9f36d6 at epix.net>
I never expected the avilanch of mail that I got on my earlier post
regarding the WX3MAS
special event station. This will be my ONLY additional post to the
reflector in an effort to
make clear some points.
1 "What has this to do with contesting": We have discussed here many times
where are new contestors going to
come from. And I think that the local ham radio club running special event
stations, field day and perhaps a state QSO
party is hands down the favorite answer to this. Durring field day we had a
heck of a time finding good CW ops. And my
understanding is that durring the PA QSO party very little CW was run from
W3OK which is the clubs regular call, when they
were the bonus mult station. This is only my opinion since I am going on
second hand info. I was busy introducing new
contesters here (some of which where No Code Techs) durring that test. (By
the way AA3JU won it's division)
I hereby issue this as the contesting angle. You all contesters hand us 75
cw contacts in total and I and KB2PLW will
donate a CW rig to this club. Everyone who participates will recieve a
certificate showing that they made contact with WX3MAS
if they follow the QSLing requirements in QST, CQ etc. If you need help I
will be happy to furnish it to you. AND here is the big
bone for my friends over seas and on the coast. The station who is furthest
from Nazreth PA and makes contact with our puny
little home made CW station will recieve a swell trophy which I will
personally pay for! OK NOW IT IS A CONTEST!
2 The ARRL does not have anything directly to do with this and I am sure
that they don't know a thing about it.
However this is an ARRL special service club and is also very influential in
the local descision making process.
When they want to put there "opinion" about who should get elected for
director or LEO or other issues it is this
voice that the local amateur community hears loud and clear.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND HATE MAIL TO THE ARRL!!! Besides Kay Craggie is a nice
person and I really like her a lot
and she is on our side no doubt!
3 I am not entirely sure who made this decision the club president likely as
not was not the sole culprit. In fact he may not have
had a lot to say about it at all. He is a decent fellow don't get me wrong.
But what I can tell you is that the decision was never
discussed by the general membership. In any event he did not speak on
behalf of the ARRL and in fact it was the chairman
of the event station that made the announcment who by the way holds an
extra. It was the same man who bowed to let us
have a "seperate CW opperation" durring my watch.
Thank you all so much for your attention. We the contest fraternity may
bicker from time to time but when it all boils down
to the syrup that matters you all are awefully decent guys and I personally
count myself darn lucky to be among you.
The only other message I will make to this reflector on this matter will be
a short reminder on Friday the 13th.
Luck, Joy and Wealth on your homes
George
*********************************************
*George Cook.....AA3JU.....AKA "The Ratman" *
*george at epix.net.....AA3JU@W3PYF *
*http://www.epix.net/~george *
* *
*Proudly Frankford Radio Club......... *
*.......Proficiency Through Competiton. *
*"Not just words but a way of life" *
*********************************************
>From jreid at aloha.net (Jim Reid) Thu Dec 5 01:27:42 1996
From: jreid at aloha.net (Jim Reid) (Jim Reid)
Date: Wed, 04 Dec 1996 15:27:42 -1000
Subject: Computer/Rig: On/Off Daily?
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19961205012742.006668b0 at aloha.net>
Of you who contest/dx using computers with their rig operation,
do you turn the computer on/off each day; the rig each day,
or leave them running all the time (monitor powered down
at night, or perhaps it goes into a sleep mode?)
I've been told computer warranties are for the time period of
a year or whatever, whether the machine is on or off cycled
or on forever. About a year ago this topic was discussed, and
many felt the computer should be left on ALL the time for
component long life. Power consumption is relatively low
as long as the monitor is down. But I continued to cycle
mine each evening to off.
Old days, DX'ers never turned the rig off, but that was a
temperature/frequency drift issue. Wonder about my "new"
1000D with the temperature oven about the crystal: should
the D be left ON all the time?
I have had to replace the hard drive in two computers during
the machine's first 11 to 24 months out of the box. Not related
to drive bearings, but too many disk errors; defrag would not
even run without running scan disk, and then that would not
run. Gateway replaced one still within the warranty, the other
I had to pay for, as it was just out of warranty! These
computers were turned off late each day, and back on the
following AM, 7 days a week; probably should be just
left running.
Any thoughts, comments?
73, Jim, KH7M
>From n2jt at pop.fast.net (Jack Trampler) Thu Dec 5 01:45:27 1996
From: n2jt at pop.fast.net (Jack Trampler) (Jack Trampler)
Date: Wed, 04 Dec 1996 20:45:27 -0500
Subject: WX3MAS CW or Lack of It
Message-ID: <32A62937.5526 at pop.fast.net>
George,
Time to start impeachment proceedings against your president. Remember,
he is an elected official, not a dictator (or did the club vote on
this?). I guess this is why I never received a packet response to my
request for some CW operation when the announcement first came over the
cluster.
Sounds like a case of one who sees what someone has, wants what that
someone has, doesn't realize that that someone had to work for what he
has, doesn't want to work for what that someone has so he can have what
that someone has - AND IF HE CAN'T GET IT, NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE IT!!!
I think all kids under the age of 3 think this way.
--
73, Jack - N2JT (ex-KB2NY)
packet: N2JT at W3BI.#EPA.PA.USA.NA e-mail: n2jt at fast.net
>From kt4ld at juno.com (ANDREW H LEWIS) Thu Dec 5 02:11:01 1996
From: kt4ld at juno.com (ANDREW H LEWIS) (ANDREW H LEWIS)
Date: Wed, 04 Dec 1996 21:11:01 EST
Subject: 10 Meter Contest Free Zone
References: <m0vVPUN-000f4IC at mgate.arrl.org> <32A60368.245 at carib-link.net>
Message-ID: <19961204.221357.8279.3.KT4LD at juno.com>
I also have a problem with this rule. Is it illegal for me to call CQ LU
(novices) on 28.350 because it is often hard for them to hold a
frequency. But as long as we just call CQ LU novices would that be
illegal? If it is they should maybe think about decreasing the number of
KHZ for the CFZ down to maybe 25? I doubt seriously, with the way band
conditions are, that there would be many non contesters on this band that
we could even hear. Sorry for the BW!
73
K4HQ
*********************************************************************************************
Andrew Lewis 16 YEARS OLD EXTRA CLASS
Formerly: KE4LJM, KE4LJM/NA 067, KT4LD
PAST OPERATIONS: ZF2/KT4LD, ZF8ZP, ZF2ZX, 6Y5NR, 6Y5/KT4LD, XE/KT4LD,
XE9LD
QSL Manager for: TF/WF0E, HS0E, HZ1ZM, TF2YE
*********************************************************************************************
>From k5na at bga.com (Richard L. King) Thu Dec 5 02:22:36 1996
From: k5na at bga.com (Richard L. King) (Richard L. King)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 20:22:36 -0600
Subject: Real Multi-single
Message-ID: <199612050222.UAA13448 at zoom.bga.com>
>AA4NC writes:
>If any rules are changed, I'd like to see M/S as is now practiced in CQWW
>made into limited M/M or M/2.
I disagree. The different contests have diversity and that is what makes
them interesting. I would like to leave the concepts alone. The CQ M/S is
more like a multi-one-and-a-half and unless the CQ Contest Committee does
something about the multiplier station calling CQ; then it may as well be a M/2.
>There is no CQ M/S category IMHO.
I agree with this statement and the category is needed. I am sure that a
TRUE CQWW multi-single category would increase participation by amateurs
with only one radio and one antenna system. These 'little-pistol' multiops
could be a breeding ground for future CQWW participation.
73, Richard
K5NA at BGA.COM
http://www.realtime.net/~k5na
>From kg5u at hal-pc.org (Dale Martin) Thu Dec 5 02:30:54 1996
From: kg5u at hal-pc.org (Dale Martin) (Dale Martin)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 20:30:54 -0600
Subject: Internet Sprint
Message-ID: <01BBE222.0EC6DDE0 at pm3-138.hal-pc.org>
On Wednesday, December 04, 1996 17:34 PM, Dale =
Martin[SMTP:kg5u at HAL-PC.ORG] wrote:
>Neat-o!!
>
>Attention all Seattle hams: I am looking for a station to operate =
Saturday evening, December 21 from 0000-0200Z in the Internet Sprint! =20
>
Er..... Let's make that 0200-0400Z (I hate when that happens! AND I =
apologize for the bandwidth)
>I will be arriving at SeaTac at 2045Z, Saturday, December 21, for a =
week's stay (I'll be bouncing between Burien and Bellevue). I am sure =
they won't miss me for a couple of hours Saturday night! After all, I =
was up there for a visit only three years ago!=20
>
>I'm housebroken, I don't smoke, spit, or chew, and I don't eat cereal =
out of the box while I operate. I even know two cowboy poems and can =
juggle (but not at the same time......yet).
>
>So, if your station will be idle AND unrepresented in the Internet =
Sprint, I would be happy and honored to put it to use.=20
>
>I'll even use your callsign! I promise not to offend too many of the =
operators in the contest.=20
>
>73,
>
>Dale Martin, KG5U
>kg5u at hal-pc.org
>http://www.hal-pc.org/~kg5u
>
>----------
>From: Larry Tyree[SMTP:tree at lady.axian.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 1996 4:18 AM
>To: 3830 at akorn.net; cq-contest at tgv.com
>Subject: Internet Sprint
>
> 12th INTERNET CW SPRINT CONTEST
>
>Contest period: 02:00:00Z to 04:00:00Z on Sunday December 22nd UTC. =
This
> is Saturday evening in the USA.
>
>Bands: 40 and 80 meters only (this is a real radio contest, no =
internet).
> Suggested frequencies are 7030-7050 and 3530-3550.=20
>
>Max power output: 150 watts at transmitter output connector.
>
><snip>
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