[CQ-Contest] Why I like contesting more and DXing less

[Stephen Bloom]

Every DXer may not be a contester, but every contester is a DXer :)  Other than the dxpeditions that have leader boards (those SOBs just *know* that putting any kind of "competition" out there for us is crack for the contester), I rarely chase DX, and my DXCC total is whatever happens to be confirmed on LOTW, and I'm somewhere in the 230ish range.  I'll bet just about everyone on this list could say the same or better!

73
Steve KL7SB


-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Mike Ritz
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2016 7:15 AM
To: Contest List <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Why I like contesting more and DXing less

It's simple economics to me. Why should I spend months or years to gather up countries for Honor Roll, when I can operate a contest and get multiple band DXCC and usually snag several ATNOs in a single weekend? That gives me much more time for other hobbies, and is much more efficient use of my time! 

(and why my HF station is dormant except major contest weekends....) 

73; 
Mike 
W7VO 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Mike Smith VE9AA" <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca> 
To: cq-contest at contesting.com 
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2016 1:45:40 PM 
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Why I like contesting more and DXing less 

The last few weeks I have discovered more and more why I like Contesting more and DXing less. (you'd think I would've realized this years ago; maybe I am just a slow learner)...the reasons below are honestly not written in a sarcastic tone, though some of them look like they were. I give you my word I believe these are SOME reasons why I truly like contesting so much. (I still like the odd casual QSO and so nothing below applies to that) 



⦁ I don't have to sit on a frequency and work split and call for 5 minutes (or 5 hours!) to work a single station 



⦁ I don't have someone else (or a group of someone elses) telling me "UP"..."LID"..."EU" …(or like happened the other day and totally blew my mind 'VE9AA QRS QRS AA QRS" (I still can't get over that one...needless to say, I did not, and was still able to work the DX just fine thank you very much) (this was sent to me more than a dozen times on 80m CW and I don't know if the QRMer was just pi$$ed off he couldn't make the rare DX - Q or what, but I was instantly targeted. Funny. Most callers were sending 24-28wpm, the DX was maybe sending 29-30wpm and I was sending at my usual blazing speed of 32-33wpm. I tend to understand most things that happen on the air, but this one still has me scratching my head, quite honestly.) 



⦁ Carriers, farts and burps are rare in contests (unless you're on 80m phone above 3800kHz maybe) 



⦁ I have defined periods of the start and finish of my fun, so I don't need to watch the packetcluster (or tune my radio) to know when or if my fun will begin.(or end) 



⦁ I am nearly always greeted with computer sent CW or very good fists , many strong signals and pretty good SSB (*some exceptions to the SSB rule) 



⦁ Whether I am weak (or loud) there is nearly always someone to work on a certain band and they usually want to work me too regardless of signal strength 



⦁ Lastly (for the moment).... 



⦁ Most of the other people in this conetst "fun" are like minded individuals in that they want to make a clean efficient contact. (I get that all folks contest for different reasons) 



⦁ OK, I have more, but I'd like you fellas to add some too. 



dit dit 



Mike VE9AA 



Mike, Coreen & Corey 

Keswick Ridge, NB 



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