[CQ-Contest] East coast vs. West coast

[David Jones]

>Dean,
>	I have to disagree with this. 
>Au contraire, here's how it really works:
>1) You're very young and you get a license. 

That would be me (I'm young but not really young).

>2) You are using inferior antennas and radios

That would again be me, with a low dipole and 100W

>3) This causes you to become proficient enough to dig out
>   the weak ones through lots of qrm. Your brain is trained
>   to be a VERY good filter. 

Still working on this point, but I've gotten a LOT better with all the 
contests I'm doing.  Nothing like finding out you're CQ'ing 200 Hz above 
or below a big 6-land station.

>4) Hopefully you are able to accumulate enough cash to 
>   purchase a good location, towers, antennas, and the 
>   necessary toys. (You've all heard the old expression,
>   "He who dies with the most toys WINS.")

I wish...I still have college to get through in a few years.  I may not 
get a 100' tower any time soon, but I'm looking at one of those roof-top 
towers that can handle a small tribander.  Being young still, and no one 
else in my family licensed, point 4 won't come for at least another 15 
years.

>
>	If you've been fortunate all 4 of the above apply.
>If not, 1, 2, and 3 will get you an invite to most multi-
>single's or multi-multi's or a guest operator gig. 

Point 1, 2 and 3 also give you a leg up for when point 4 comes.  I've 
got an invite to a multi-multi, the problem is finding a contest weekend 
to go down there and show my parents that contesters are good and normal 
people. (Okay, maybe I'm not.)  The big thing that inferior radios and 
antennas have taught me is perserverance.  I can't bust through a pileup 
for an 8Q7 (could barely hear them) but I can perservere and keep 
working new countries, multipliers, Q's, whatever.
Radio and contesting has taught me a lot, and even if I never get to 
having towers or a decent location, and if the JA ham population goes to 
0, I can still have fun and use the skills I've learned so far.

>	Bring on those pileup tapes! :-)

And bring on those computer pileup programs! :)

73

David Jones, KK7GW   
kk7gw at hotmail.com


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