Topband: CQ WW CW and ARRL contest report

[Tom Rauch]

> VK3IO said:
> >The ARRL weekend was good (but not great), no noise and
many signals heard
> >from NA at good signal levels, up to strenght 9, but no
one could here me,
> >so no contacts made.
>
> I had a very similar experience to Ron, VK3IO, here in the
ARRL.  Called
> many but only worked W8JI.  Typically, JA7NI and I called
a VE2 (I was
> hoping maybe he was in Zone 2!) for about 15 minutes but
no luck for either
> of us.

There are a few unusual things everyone has to keep in mind:

1.) During a popular contest people in the USA are stacked
every 500 Hz. That means no one will hear you unless you are
nearly zero beat.

2.) Noise floor is higher due to the accumulation of strong
transmitters.

3.) If you listen longer than 5-10 seconds without
transmitting, someone will come on your frequency and start
calling CQ. Then they often won't move, despite the fact you
were already there, unless you push them off. That means
there is almost no time to tune around and change antennas
or listen to a weak signal unless you want to waste time in
a pushing match.

73 Tom