[CQ-Contest] ...is it really worth it?

[Jim White, K4OJ]

Packet usage in the WPX, that is...

While it was a very small m-s effort (20 hrs) in the CW WPX contest a 
few weeks ago I just could not see firing up the spot sucker computer...

Other than seeing spots of DX on the lower bands (where the points are) 
as a North American US entrant it just doesn't seem to be worth the 
distraction when a mult can be a WB1 or it could be a PJ2...and the 
chance of a WB1 calling in response to a loud CQ is high... of course I 
did not borrow a spark plug call for the contest, either.

Then again I am an of the old school (WWOC # 2) and I tune the radio as 
opposed to waiting for a pop up to tell me to work something... if I was 
doing both I guess I would be better off - it just does not seem that 
for this contest it is nearly as important to hunt multipliers.

I do enjoy this contest as a North American as it is a work everyone 
contest and the potential for a new mult is to some extent extremely 
dependant on how your station performs domestically which I have worked 
on for SS and NAQP, NAS, etc...

Perhaps someone has done an analysis of mults vs QSOs of the Top Ten in 
this contest and could chime in with their findings... it always amazes 
me when some of the multipliers calling in get a flag late in the 
contest - things like WB2 can all of the sudden be "important"

Like any contest the secret to being a winner is a full understanding of 
what it takes to win - and for a NA entrant that includes working those 
WB1's and WB2's!

Then again I could be having a senior moment and this could have been 
all over the reflector and this OM has had an attack of multhunters 
disease...

73,

Jim, K4OJ