Topband: ARRL 160M Contest

[Ford Peterson]

I've had several responses to my WAS comment in the contest announcement
posting.  Several claim it to be "easy" to work a Worked All States.
Unfortunately, it is NOT easy  to do.  K5NA had a confirmed sweep of all 80
sections.  But there have been many an ARRL 160M where one state or another
was poorly represented.  I've done this for years and only worked 49 states
and 78 or 79 sections each and every year.  It ain't easy folks.  
 
Think about it.  In the past half dozen years or so (the only years for
which information is available), there have been poorly represented states.
WY, ND, AK, HI, and even NE from the state sections, and Yukon and NT from
the RAC sections come to mind.  If the state is not on the air, and you
claim to have worked that state, then you either worked a stray dog or cat,
a slim, or reported a busted Q that also happens to be a valid call but
'unique.'  I think you can even add SC and MS to that list of occassionally
"thin" states.  For whatever reason, one state or another proves to be a
bugger for the majority of participants.
 
Unfortunately, the log checking process does not delineate US/VE sections
from DX when reporting mults.  I've been pushing for that for years to no
avail.  So the process of getting it confirmed is done manually at HQ using
the short list of stations reporting 80 sections and look for busted mults.
That's why I can't go back beyond the past few years to prove this.  If you
did it back in 51 or 62 or 73 or 84 or 95, great!  I'm happy for you.  Make
yourself a plaque and hang it on your wall.  But if you want to be on that
short list of stations working a "sweep."  Then get on this weekend and
get-her-done!
 
Meanwhile, let's badger the Topband folks in ND, NE, WY, NT, AK, and
elsewhere to make sure they have their state well represented this weekend.

 
Have fun folks
 
73 and GL to all!
 
Ford-N0FP