[CQ-Contest] CQ-Contest Digest, Vol 216, Issue 3

Wed Dec 2 15:47:29 EST 2020

Ron and all,

This is Ultra Positive to the superlative and beyond!

There is seldom an opportunity to collectively identify so many well
defined topics for improvement.

Keep on Contesting.
With this amount of energy, 2021 will be the best Contest year.

73,
Jukka OH6LI

ke 2. jouluk. 2020 klo 22.21 Ron Koenig (k4akkron at gmail.com) kirjoitti:

> Does anyone on this list have anything Positive to say ? So far this week
> we have ...
> Contests Suck
> Contesting from W6 Sucks
> Please Copy Sucks (And I'll delete the valid Q)
> Operators Suck
> Rules Suck
> Zero Beat Sucks..
> Etc. Etc. Etc.
>
> If contesting and contesters disgust you so badly, perhaps another hobby is
> in order ? Seriously, I watched endless complaints about the WPX rules
> changes and how they were going to ruin everything..  80% were from people
> that had not posted a score in WPX for at least several years.
>
> Let's try something like The high bands have been Great, participation is
> at all time highs etc etc.. It's really no wonder it's hard to get people
> interested in contesting with the endless complaints.
>
> Get over yourselves and do something positive for the sport.
>
> Ron, WV4P
>
> On Wed, Dec 2, 2020, 11:00 AM <cq-contest-request at contesting.com> wrote:
>
> > Send CQ-Contest mailing list submissions to
> >         cq-contest at contesting.com
> >
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> >         cq-contest-request at contesting.com
> >
> > You can reach the person managing the list at
> >         cq-contest-owner at contesting.com
> >
> > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> > than "Re: Contents of CQ-Contest digest..."
> >
> >
> > Today's Topics:
> >
> >    1. CQWW is a Great Contest -- NOT! (Jim Brown)
> >    2. Re: Zero Beat packet pileups-a solution ! QZB (Mike DeChristopher)
> >    3. Old version of TR4W (steve.root)
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2020 03:17:08 -0800
> > From: Jim Brown <k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com>
> > To: cq-contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> > Subject: [CQ-Contest] CQWW is a Great Contest -- NOT!
> > Message-ID:
> >         <1062cd2c-1ee1-bd83-604d-6445fa9331a1 at audiosystemsgroup.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
> >
> > I continue to be amazed (disgusted) by those who think this is a great
> > contest. It is simple-minded to the extreme -- for the vast majority of
> > the sations we work, our logging program fills in the exchange. The only
> > challenges are getting the call right and staying in sync with SO2R. And
> > thanks to archaic scoring rules (think the 1940s), if you're not close
> > to the Atlantic basin, you're not really in the contest. From W6, I use
> > DX contests like CQWW and ARRL DX only to see how well my antennas work.
> > This year, I spent 5 hours, mostly trying to work EU on 80 and 40.
> > Everything else was dullsville (how much fun is it working 500 JAs when
> > they provide one mult per band?).
> >
> > Indeed, CQWW's only virtue is that it is not US/NA centric, and the WPX
> > events are an order of magnitude better.
> >
> > 73, Jim K9YC
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 2
> > Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2020 09:17:06 -0500
> > From: Mike DeChristopher <mfdechristopher at gmail.com>
> > To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> > Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Zero Beat packet pileups-a solution ! QZB
> > Message-ID:
> >         <
> > CAGKtc35Q9hSWDN0JGO4i0m9N9f5f9bhksRWB2mcnNVcjV0PyYQ at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> >
> > Yes, this does seem to be getting worse. I agree that the RBN (and
> > automated spotting in general) is probably driving this behavior.
> > Clicky-clicky, worky-worky.
> >
> > Of course, almost every new rig having some variety of bandscope isn't
> > helping matters either; it is easy to imagine the urge to re-center on
> > the visible peak for an inexperienced op, even after N1MM+ "dithers"
> > the frequency.
> >
> > 73, Mike N1TA
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Dec 1, 2020 at 5:37 PM Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > A relatively new phenomenon has emerged more prevalently in contesting
> > on CW
> > > in the last few years.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I think in part to the RBN (which I am not knocking, as I benefit from
> it
> > > just like the rest of my CW brethren),.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Namely, small 'packet pileups' ALL ZERO beat on your running frequency.
> > > click click click.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > So, the N1MMLoggerPlus Dev team recognized this a couple years ago and
> > now
> > > has an option to randomly offset spots when "clicking on spots".
> Awesome.
> > > Smart guys, that crew. Not everyone who runs N1MM uses this feature
> > however.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I don't know if other loggers do this, but maybe or maybe in the
> future?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > For those that don't know to keep tweaking their XIT around or to
> > randomize
> > > spots in N1MMLoggerPlus
> > >
> > > I propose a new Q signal used only in contesting, namely "QZB" which
> can
> > > mean anything from, "please don't zero beat me like the other 10 guys
> > > calling" or "turn on your XIT please" or anything to that effect.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I know there are guys out there that can do 5000-10000 Q's per weekend
> > and
> > > not be bothered with a zero beat pileup, but for us mere mortals not
> in a
> > > rare location with the benefit of always having MANY callers, (some
> > louder,
> > > some keen to the ways of the XIT control) then we need another way to
> > > instruct the (smallish) pileup that it sounds like one tone.  I tried
> ?,
> > I
> > > tried AGN, I even tried "XIT" once.and lo and behold it actually
> > > worked---once.  Maybe I got lucky with a guy that just wandered by or
> > > someone who knew what it was.  I dunno.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I tried everything I could think of, and nothing really worked.  Always
> > the
> > > same solid tone.  More callers always solved the problem, but a VE9 is
> > not
> > > exactly rare in CQWW, thus the issue.  I am sure every CDN,  USA and a
> > lot
> > > of EU stations were in the same boat, save the Zone 2 lads..they're
> > pretty
> > > rare.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I was so relieved when a superstation called in, overpowering the
> > pileup, or
> > > others joined in and we'd get those folks that would know to call 40Hz
> > high
> > > (or low) and then I could work them and move on.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > So, QZB..remember it, use it..(free of charge of course).now we have to
> > > alert CQ, ARRL, WAE, RDX, NAQP to this new Q-code.  Who will get the
> word
> > > out?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > No, it's not April 1rst !
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > CU (all of a sudden) in the next one ;-D
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Mike VE9AA "5"...or "NB"
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Mike, Coreen & Corey
> > >
> > > Keswick Ridge, NB
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 3
> > Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2020 09:18:22 -0500 (EST)
> > From: "steve.root" <steve.root at culligan4water.com>
> > To: "cq-contest at contesting.com" <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> > Subject: [CQ-Contest] Old version of TR4W
> > Message-ID:
> >         <573112729.58376.1606918702554 at webmail.networksolutionsemail.com
> >
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
> >
> > Hello all,
> >
> > As retirement looms I find renewed interest in contesting.  But I've hit
> a
> > quandary.  For many years I used TR, and later on TR4W.  Here's the
> problem.
> > the radios are K3's, and they interface through a Microham MK2R+.  The
> > latest versions of TR4W (4.94.1) don't reliably see the frequencies of
> the
> > radios.  It "blinks" on and off.  That sets off other problems and is a
> > show stopper.  I have an old version of TR4W (4.24.8) that sees both
> radio
> > perfectly....but doesn't see the LPT port so I can't switch rigs of
> > headphone back and forth for SO2R.  I know this isn't the best place to
> ask
> > this question but the support page for TR4W seems to have disappeared.
> >
> > I realize this is a long shot, but some anyone have a copy of the TR4W
> > install that falls somewhere in between 4.24.8 and 4.94.1 ?  Maybe I
> could
> > find a happy medium?
> >
> > Thanks guys and see you all on 10 meters in a couple weeks.
> >
> > 73 Steve K0SR
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Subject: Digest Footer
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > End of CQ-Contest Digest, Vol 216, Issue 3
> > ******************************************
> >
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