[CQ-Contest] 2005 IARU observations from IK2DZN - LOW POWER

Mon Jul 11 20:10:26 EDT 2005

Hi Buck,

The contest you mention with the QSY rule are most versions of Sprint, be it
the NA Sprint or the ad hoc variety that now seems very popular on
Thursdays.

It's a GREAT rule -- FOR CONTESTERS.

It makes for a very intense contesting experience, and is a lot of fun for
those so inclined. I'm whacked after it's over, even though I'm still not
very good at sprints.

It is not, however, a rule that works well to attract casual operators, who
have no idea how it works and aren't inclined to look up the rules to find
out. Indeed, it would be a deterrent in many of the popular contests, which
depend on casual hams deciding to "give it a go" for a few hours to get
rates up. In DX contests, the casual guys use them to pad their DXCC totals.
They don't give a rat's ptooey about rules. And don't need to. They want to
find DX, work the pileup till they break it and then find another DX.

The reason it works well in sprints is that these don't attract many, if
any, casual hams. The calls you'll work in sprints are largely very
well-known calls who really get their rocks off doing this kind of contest.
Or are newbie contesters trying to get their S&P skills up. Bully for them
(and me).

I think Sprints are the most exciting idea to come along in contesting in
quite some time. I also think it's an idea that would go over like a lead
balloon in those contests requiring casual hams.

73, kelly
ve4xt

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buck - N4PGW" <n4pgw-list2 at towncorp.net>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 3:53 PM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] 2005 IARU observations from IK2DZN - LOW POWER

> I got lucky.  One of the HQ stations disappeared while trying to get my
call
> information.  I took advantage of the situation and called QRZ on the
> frequency to pick up contacts.  It was the best run I had.  Another
station
> asked if the frequency was in use, he was S-9 but didn't seem to hear me
> answer unless he just did it on purpose to steal the spot.  He wasn't an H
Q,
> but I was out of business and had already contacted his station earlier.
>
> I would love to have had a spot for my station to call CQ from.
>
> I saw one contest that requires stations to give up a frequency every time
> they make a contact after a CQ.  IARU and other contests would make for a
> better balance if they had this same requirement.  Just for a note, I
> noticed that the first stations to start calling CQ contest did so a full
> minute before the contest started.  They were there on the same frequency
> until the last minute.  I guess the time could have been off, after all
WWV
> isn't always accepted as being the standard.
>
> Regardless, I loved the contest.  I worked it with a  dipole in which one
> end fell and the other is wrapped up in the tree branches, and ran only
100
> watts.  Next year, I hope to have a better antenna system.
>
> 73 until the next contest...
> N4PGW
> Buck
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:cq-contest-
> > bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of IK2DZN - Claudio Astorri
> > Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 10:45 AM
> > To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> > Subject: [CQ-Contest] 2005 IARU observations from IK2DZN - LOW POWER
> >
> > Dear Contesters,
> >
> >
> > the excellent propagation forecasts prior to the HF Championship didn't
> > obviously take the E-sporadic issue into account.
> >
> >
> > During 2004 IARU I could work more than 300 Europeans on 10 meters and
> > more
> > than 200 Europeans on 15 meters. So half of my 2004 QSOs were E-sporadic
> > aided.
> >
> > LOW POWER contesters take great advantage by these openings, don't they?
> >
> > During 2005 IARU conditions on 10 meters allowed me to work just 20
> > stations
> > and openings on 15 meters allowed me to work 130 stations, whose
locations
> > have nothing to do with E-sporadic.
> >
> > What a difference from last year's conditions...
> >
> >
> > Considering the closed E-sporadic situation I am so glad I managed to
have
> > just a 10% loss from last year's score; this took me a full 24 hour
> > effort.
> >
> > It also depended on my upgraded 20, 40 and 80 meter antenna system.
> >
> > I can't imagine next year; it will probably be the toughest one for LOW
> > POWER guys like myself.
> >
> >
> > ---
> >
> >
> > I fully agree with those claiming HQ stations do absorb lot of spectrum.
> >
> > In many Countries in Europe we have just 60 gross (not net...) KHz as
SSB
> > spectrum on 40 meters (7040-7100 KHz).
> >
> > There were times this weekend when just 1 or 2 HIGH POWER non-HQ
stations
> > could find spectrum in between the HQ's.
> >
> >
> > ---
> >
> >
> > One final question: do 160 meters make sense in this contest?
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
> >
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Claudio Astorri, IK2DZN
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
> >
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>
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>
>

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