[CQ-Contest] NCJ Article RE: Sweepstakes Change Suggestions

[w2lc at twcny.rr.com]

>From WNY you cannot work much of anything within 500 miles on 20, 15 or 10 unless there is sporadic E. In other words on 20m I cannot work W1, W2, W3, northern W4, W8 and most of W9.  That is a lot of stations I miss out on when on 20m.  I have to work those stations on 40m early and 80m during the night. And without sunspots even 80m goes long and I can't work close in there either.

I believe I still have the WNY SS Phone record.  That year I had just put up my tower and the only antenna I had was an 80/40 meter trap dipole up at 80 feet.  Nothing else.  So I geared my strategy around what I had and operated mostly 40m with a lot of 80m.  I loaded the antenna on 20m in an attempt to get some mults. I missed a few. But 1563 QSO's later I set a section record.  That is what SS is all about, find a strategy that works for your location and station and antennas, and you can still do well.  Maybe not top 10 but at least in your section.  Top ten low power is still doable in the northeast

With a once per band SS contest, forget that, strategy is out the window and big antennas rule.

Sure Sunday gets pretty slow.  That is partly due to working stations faster early in the contest (like we are all doing) and running out of stations to work later on. Part of SS is gutting it out on Sunday.  Not unlike ARRL 160m where the first night is good and the second night is a test of sticking it out to the end.

Perhaps the biggest factor is we are all getting older and don't have the patience for slow rates or long periods of time in the chair.  I myself have moved on to other things.  And I used to operate phone SS every year.  I keep telling myself I'm going to contest again, and maybe I will, but it is no longer #1 on my list of things to do.

And whomever mentioned "promote the contest" is right.  I suppose we all know when the contests are but why is there so little contest promotion? At most you see a blurb on the web site a few days before the contest. Used to be that clubs promoted the club competition and got club members active and there was some excitement generated. Myself, I don't really see much of that anymore. Of course I am in an area that is void of any contest clubs.

73 Scott W2LC