[CQ-Contest] Limited Antenna Height Category

[Russell Hill]

Hi Paul-- it sounds as though you are in the San Antonio Area-- my home is in the Hill Country.  Maybe we will meet, after I develop some mobility following major knee surgery last week.

I know what you are saying, and I agree that those who chose to live in a deed or covenant restricted neighborhood have chosen for themselves.  That is one of the reasons I have set up a location near Kerrville where I am not restricted.

That said, I am pushing to encourage other contesters with similar setups to yours to feel they have a chance at some recognition, in order to get them to develop the skills and station organization to be active players.  I keep hearing about the average age of contesters, and indeed all hams, getting higher and higher.  That is simply a trend which cannot continue.  (I myself am 63.)  I am simply recognizing it is harder and harder to find a decent house in a decent neighborhood without draconian restrictions, which make a tower and beams increasingly available to a smaller and smaller slice of the contesting community.  If we are unable to change the demographics of the contesters, then sometime in the next 20 years I expect contesting will dry up.

I am planning to play in the 10M test in 2 weeks with a single radio and a dipole at 10 feet, the only antenna I can have where I am doing recuperation in Houston.  I will have fun if there is any propagation, but I am grateful that after my recovery I will be able to go to a better antenna equipped station.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply.

Rusty
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: PaulKB8N at aol.com 
  To: rdetweil at hotmail.com ; rustyhill at earthlink.net ; cq-contest at contesting.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 1:47 PM
  Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Limited Antenna Height Category


  Rusty,

  We all choose our lot in life.  I chose a covenant restricted neighborhood because we were offered a house here at a much reduced price because the contractor so thoroughly screwed up our first house, which we were building in an unrestricted neighborhood.

  I don't want to drag politics into this, but there is sometimes a mindset that everything must be somehow equalized in order to make everyone feel good about themselves.  I believe that there is very little equality in anything, but therein lies the opportunity for skill, determination and innovation. 

  I am operating a two radio setup in my restricted neighborhood with wires at 30' height and so thin that most neighbors don't even know they're there, but I consider my station to be extremely competitive in the low power category.  To say I'm operating from a hole is really true, my neighborhood is called Deer Hollow!  Nonetheless, I've tweaked everything for maximum efficiency, and it is one rockin' little station.  I've built enough agility into my station that I've called and worked a lot of new mults before the other guy has his beam turned on him.

  I don't need or want to be compared with someone simply because of a similar physical infrastruicture.  I've chosen my battleground and my weapons, its up to me take on the Goliaths and sometimes win.  Even when I lose, I have more satisfaction in knowing I fought the good fight than any box score could give me.  In the mean time, I will sharpen my weapons and eagerly await the next battle.

  Paul, K5AF

  Paul Schaffenberger
  210-493-6265
  210-213-5914(M)