[CQ-Contest] Stimulating Participation

[Jim Smith]

Hi Bob,

You're right, SSB contesting is tough with a modest station, and 
therefore not that much fun.  One can have a lot more success with CW.  
You can get quite a few CW stations in the bandwidth occupied by an SSB 
station.  I usually don't have any trouble finding a run frequency and 
keeping it in CW with my 100-150W and a 37 yr old tri-bander.  
Admittedly, I don't have the same number of close-by super stations that 
you do.

CW also simply gets through better, giving you more range.  The simple 
equation is that CW provides more fun for folks like you and me.

I see RTTY as a middle ground between the two.  Easier to do if you 
don't know CW.

73 and I hope you find a way to join in the fun.

de Jim Smith   VE7FO

BDaniels01 at aol.com wrote:

>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 
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>