[CQ-Contest] SS from KP4 (or WP3)

[RICHARD BOYD]

First, WA3FET told me that this popular annual subject had come up again and he and I agreed it was best if we stayed out of it.  He did note to me that most of the comments were supportive of me/us, after K5NZ's original kickoff message.  Let me say on my/our behalf, it's nice to have friends and we do appreciate your support!  hihi.  And, I must say, I'm impressed with the discussion and repartee and you guys are doing just fine without me weighing in.  Some of you have made some very good and interesting philosophical points, and I do think it comes down to the "philosophical," to wit, "Why do we do this?" or "What does he do that?" or "Why do any of us get any enjoyment out of these strange competitions within an unusual `hobby' (if you will)?"

When WA3FET and I first started down this road, I cautioned him that we could expect criticism from some for "winning" (if you want to call it that -- see?  I can see both sides -- it's a philosophical concept anyway) even once or twice, let alone multi-years, and people wanting to belittle the "accomplishment" (if it is one).  I guess it was after that first year I wrote a couple "articles," for myself, to put my own thoughts in order, if for no one else, and they're in my laptop that I use for logging, and I re-read them before and/or after SS this year, just to remind myself of some things.  I have mentioned them over the years to the NCJ editor (can't remember which one for sure), etc. and there's been interest in seeing them, at least, and possibly printing them.  I still don't know if it's the wisest thing for me or not, to have them published, but I keep weighing the possibilities.  But, one has to do with the "meaning," if any, of winning SS from Puerto Rico, or for that matter from anywhere.  The other has to do with "Why do we do this?"  (at all).  

I won't reiterate those here right now, but in the spirit of trying to stay out of the mud on this discussion and not get too deeply entangled in it, I will just make a glancing comment on the subject.  The point I try to make over and over in what I wrote back in '98 is something I have heard attorneys say, "It means what it means."  Lawyers use this sort of "saying" to apply to "evidence."  In this instance we're talking about what meaning, if any, winning SS from KP4 or somewhere else has or doesn't have.  It's meaningless to one person and meaningful to someone else.  Then you can get deeply into how much it means or doesn't mean, and why.  That's all personal perspective and interpretation of it.  "Even" winning SS from VY1/VE8 would likely be very meaningful to at least the operator who did it and would be noted widely amongst contesters.  But, there are other people to whom it would be meaningless.

At this point I'm beginning to beat a dead horse on that, so I'll stop on that tack.

A couple other comments:  This year we did have a couple hotshot ops go to the Caribbean to go against "me-n-WP3R" -- KH6ND from Hawaii, at WP2Z and KW8N operating at KP2A.  I'm not too unhappy with how that has worked out (and it's still unofficial).  This was SS phone.

And, K0RF, though multiop, actually had a higher score than me in SS CW.  I was only a handful of QSOs ahead and they had a sweep and I didn't.  I think few of us would deny that there are a few critical factors in SS success (we could debate the order):  Station (antennas more than anything else), geographical location/QTH (implying by this that you want to be in a good location, e.g. KP2/KP4 or Gulf Coast, but also want good local topography -- a hilltop is better than a canyon), and operator.  By "operator" I mean raw operating ability but also experience.  Clearly, W0UA at K0RF, is a very fast and superb operator, and from what I understand the QTH is outstanding.  I have little doubt the antenna farm and inside station are topnotch and tweaked for SS success.  And, the midsection of the country (as well as the Gulf Coast) are an excellent distance from the high-population East Coast, and good to the West Coast too.  All the "continental" U.S. stations generally have an advantage over farther-away stations on the low bands.  Operating from Maryland, K0RF is one of the noteworthy perennial stations with blockbuster signals.

I have little doubt that if K0RF could beat WP3R, others can too.  Do it just like he did and there you are.  Likewise with K1TO in SS CW in '98.  As some have said, he proved that Florida can win just like the rest of the Gulf Coast, Southwest, and west.  And it does vary to some extent from year to year, which area has the best shot into the high population areas.  I remember the year N5RZ, WTX, had 10M openings that NTX and STX didn't.  K6LL told me he thinks Arizona has the best geographical advantage.  N2IC said this year he thinks NM may be the best SS QTH.  Texas, in general, has long been the "place to be" in SS, for the geographical advantage of being "far enough" (for skip into the high pop. areas on high bands) but "close enough" (for a commanding signal on the low bands), the best of all worlds and the ability to adapt to any propagation "situations" on a given weekend.  N6TR, operating at W5WMU, has shown Louisiana, also Gulf Coast, has geographical advantages similar to Texas.  When you string the Florida-Louisiana-Texas, etc. results together you can see there's a Gulf Coast band that is favorable.  For whatever reason, and some of the West Coaster should comment on this specific, for some reason in SS phone the West Coast comes into its own more.  But, Texas seems to get an advantage on both weekends.

On the antenna aspect, there are some stations, typically in the preferable geographic area, that build up their station to maximize their domestic (Sweepstakes) contest advantages.  This year we heard some mention their new "secret weapon" or improvements this year really worked and they have one or two things up their sleeve for next year too.  Clearly "tweakage" to maximize their advantages.  We're talking multiple stacks at the right (relatively low) heights to put a maximum signal into the east coast, north, and west coast all at the same time, all phased together just right.  And, for the record -- someone mentioned stacks or multiple stacks -- at WP3R we have a single antenna for each band.  Also, we have set aside automatic switching, etc. in favor of greater reliability, etc.

While I may be more familiar than most with the "advantages" I/we have from WP3 (AKA KP4), I am also most familiar with the disadvantages.  When KH7X (AKA KH6ND) was 190 QSOs ahead Saturday night in SS CW, even though I had been running good rates, I speculated it was because KH6 gets many hours more daylight and propagation on 10/15 and even 20.  WP3 is in the Atlantic time zone, same as VO1/VO2 I guess -- VE1 also? -- and the sun goes down during the first hour of SS -- 10 and 15M propagation doesn't stay much longer once the sun goes down, though UA0, JA and VK call me!  At that point I know I need to change bands!

As others have noted in their score report comments, 10, 15 and 20 didn't last long in SS phone this time.  With 20 dying for me, I took my first 30-minute off time just 5 hours into the contest, to think things over.  I had to adjust to the situation.  Going to 40 and 80 is generally a brighter prospect from somewhere else than it is in WP3.  Well, it all worked out in the end.

So, we all put different things into our effort and get different things out of it.  We weigh our geographic location and then plan and implement our antennas accordingly.  Every station is different, every geographic location and QTH is different, every operator is different, the propagation changes from one year to another -- a complex mix of factors.  Each of it gets whatever we get out of it and "it means what it means."

If you've enjoyed reading this, I appreciate it.  I have a smile on my face, and that's important, at least to me.

73 - Rich, KE3Q