[CQ-Contest] Stimulating Participation

[BDaniels01 at aol.com]

Hello All:

I've been following the discussion on the list regarding "Stimulating 
Participation" in contesting with some interest.

I'm one of those casual operators that many of the "Real" contesters seem to 
want to attract. My station is a single transmitter (about 100 watts out) to a 
ground mounted vertical. That's all I can manage to put on the air for now.

I love to get in there and see what I can do. Like many of you have already 
mentioned I have no real intention of turning in a log. I'm just trying to work 
a new one here and there.

My biggest turn-off to contesting hasn't been mentioned yet, so I thought I 
would say it and then take the flames.

There are so many Super stations on during the big contests that there is 
literally no room (band space) for the little guys.  What I hear from Southwest 
Michigan during any given big contest is the same "BIG" U.S. Stations running 
shoulder to shoulder about 2 khz apart from the bottom of the band to the top 
of the band for most of the contest (There are a few "BIG" DX Stations mixed in 
as well). There is no way a station as small as mine can establish a run 
freq. So of course I S/P. The "BIG" stations are usually worked in short order. 
After an extended period of listening to the same BIG stations calling CQ over 
and over and fighting with other BIG stations to maintain their run freq, I get 
bored and go find something else to do. I may come back from time to time to 
see if anyone new is calling CQ. Its only during the last hour or two of a 
contest that this Wall seems to break down and then I get my chance to work the 
DX.

Before I get flamed too bad, remember I don't claim to be a hardcore 
contester.  This just happens to be my reason for not really getting into it.

Bob K8KWT