[CQ-Contest] Would You Still Contest?

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

I'd still contest, but just not as much.  A few hours here and there  
during the weekend to observe the fun and pass out some contacts to those guys  
able to copy a puny weak signal.
 
The same principle has applied to SSB DX contests during the recent sunspot 
 minimum, for even better equipped stations like mine (KW and tribander 
from the  near midwest).  Only so many people can squeeze into 200 KHz on 20 
meters,  and those people are either better equipped and/or dumber than me.
 
73  -  Jim  K8MR
 
 
 
In a message dated 11/8/2010 7:00:45 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
al_lorona at agilent.com writes:

Another  marvelous SS CW has come and the usual post-contest flurry of 
messages has  begun, so here's my (completely serious) contribution:

If for whatever  reasons the only station you had available to you was a 
QRP transceiver and a  low dipole, would you still operate in the SS?

I imagine-- but could be  way off-- that once one has the taste of victory 
in one's mouth from a  superstation with all of the accoutrements, that 
falling back to a spartan  little pistol operation with llittle hope of doing 
any damage is probably too  little to capture one's interest.

In other words, you'd sit out the SS  rather than subject yourself to the 
challenge of Q power and cloud  warmer.

Or maybe not? Is the thrill of the competition alone enough for  the big 
guns, or does there have to be some chance of doing substantial damage  with a 
large signal?

If your answer is, "No, thanks," what does that  say about the 
antenna-limited hams who, year after year, either voluntarily or  by necessity enter in 
the Q category?


Al  W6LX