[CQ-Contest] Pessimism

[Robert Chudek - K0RC]

David,

Kelly is right on with his observations. And I will add this... When I look 
at my contesting logs during the peak years I discover when a DX contest 
starts at 0000z, the first hour or so will be filled with JA's and other 
Asian stations worked on 10 meters. From MN (and areas north) it's a race to 
work as many as possible before it's time to move to 15m and start the 
process all over. And these Asian signals are not S-1 or S-0, they are S-9 
and above many times.

Not only do sun spots change propagation characteristics, they influence 
contest strategy. At a sunspot max, if you used today's strategy (starting 
out on 20m most likely), you would be throwing away many multipliers from 10 
and 15 meters. You might recognize "there is a problem" because there would 
be fewer stations on 20m at the start too. And of course if you were running 
in assisted class, your spotting window would quickly reveal where all the 
action is.

You've got a lot of fun to look forward to!

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sandy Taylor" <ve4xt at mts.net>
To: "'David Levine'" <david at levinecentral.com>; <CQ-Contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 7:33 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Pessimism


> Hi David,
>
> It is a common mistake of new operators to assume that the conditions they
> experience are shared by everyone else.
>
> In K2-land, you are blessed with conditions that aren't as drastically
> affected by the lack of sunspots the same way anyone in the Black Hole is.
>
> During times of sunspot doldrums, all we can do is listen to your half of
> QSOs as you run Europe on 40 or 20 or JAs on 15, and don't even mention 
> 10m.
>
> When sunspots peak, as they did just before I was licensed in 1982, we can
> run DX quite well but still nowhere near as well as K2s or K1s can.
>
> When I was in Jamaica in November, I was blown away by how much we heard 
> and
> could work that you would not have been able to.
>
> So, no, sunspots are not an excuse for anything. They're real and their
> absence is keenly felt in many areas of the world.
>
> 73,Kelly
> Ve4xt
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of David Levine
> Sent: April-09-09 7:01 AM
> To: CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Pessimism
>
> I don't know what these sunspots are you guys keep talking about. ;-) I've
> been licensed since the summer of 2007 and on HF since the summer of 2008.
> In less then 1 year of being on HF, I've logged over 6500 contacts with 
> 100w
> max and a G5RV wire antenna.
>
> Maybe sunspots are an excuse for those that want to have something to 
> blame?
>
> 73,
> K2DSL - David
>
> On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 1:17 AM, <somata90924 at mypacks.net> wrote:
>
>> agree, so why not just enjoy what we have, so we have not good sunspots,
> so
>> what ,,have fun!
>>
>> zf2ah
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> >From: LY8O <ly8o at ot.lt>
>> >Sent: Apr 3, 2009 4:29 AM
>> >To: CQ-Contest at contesting.com
>> >Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Pessimism
>> >
>> >Could be, could be...
>> >But after WPX SSB I am still impressed - my personal best score ever.
>> Don't sit with depression - just try to inprove your equipment and
> operating
>> possibilities. And depression will go away... As in every hobby if you 
>> are
>> doing something at all.
>> >I don't see any reason to be depressed because of the lack of sunspots,
>> sorry.
>> >
>> >73, Remi LY8O
>> >
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >
>> >>Subject: [CQ-Contest] Pessimism
>> >>
>> >>Check out this week's survery question on the ARRL Website...
>> www.arrl.org.
>> >>
>> >>It looks like a lot of people are seriously depressed about the lack of
>> >>sunspots!
>> >>
>> >>73 Steve K0SR
>>
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