[CQ-Contest] Quick Poll of US/VE Stations

[Jim George]

The Central Texas DX and Contest Club (CTDXCC) will organize several important
elements for the upcoming Summerfest in Austin in August,  including two 
panel discussions,
one for DXing and the other for Contesting.

The panels each will include three CTDXCC members with extensive experience 
in the two
subjects. Since this is a Texas/US based audience, the summary will 
prioitize North-American
responses. To assist us with the current thinking and questions in the 
Contest community
(and most contesters are DXers to some extent as well), it would be very 
helpful to get your
feedback on the following issues/etc.

Please send me an email (off the reflector) and comment on these questions,
it would help me form a "baseline" of interest and opinion.

1. Do you have remote operation capability today? Plan to have it in the
next year?

2. Do you use LOTW?

3. Do you send money for DX-pedition cards or use LOTW only?

4. Do you use RBN and/or spots to DX and to operate contests? If so, do you
use any technique to avoid being "zero beat" with all the others using this
spot?

5. Do you do contesting with "single op, one radio," or "single op, two or
more radios?" Do you do multiple contesting with others at a "multi-op"
station?

6. Do you do much Low Power or QRP operating? Contesting? If so, what
additional skills do you use?

7. Have you ever gone on a DX-pedition for either a contest or for DXCC
operation?  Summarize briefly your experience and your personal budget
(approximately) for the effort(s).

8. What skills did you find most important on the DX operation(s) in #7?

9. What techniques to you find the most valuable to break significant pileups?

10. Have you ever operated at a multi-operator contest station? Describe
your experience in 25 words or less. Was it fun? Would you do it again?
What could the station owner do to make your experience more enjoyable?

11. Any other comments you wish to make.

Again, the attempt here is to collect what might be called the "baseline"
opinions for these.

Thanks in advance. Please email me directly to <n3bb at mindspring.com>

Jim N3BB