Topband: The East Coast Advantage

[Niko Cimbur]

K6XT Wrote: 

> They were in 
> separate contests that just happened to occur at the same
> time.

This is the way I look at it.  I can't remember who mentioned at the Visalia convention that we in W6 should have our own Contest within the 160m contests with awards available.  I am all for that, and would certainly contribute to the Award pool.  

It is just a different world out here in W6.  Many times when I returned to W6 from S5 I found the bands which were full of activity in Europe completely dead here for days and days.

I haven't participated much in the ARRL 160 in the last few years, but the way I am looking at it when I do, is basically beating my own score.  
I would like to try to improve the W6 top score some day, but I have ways to go.  The next step would be the ARRL SW Division score, but for a station with the back to the water competing with someone in Arizona it would be a bit of a stretch.  The Records posted recently on this list give us a pretty good idea on where we sit.

We certainly have it much better than VK2CCC, http://www.arrl.org/contests/results/2008/160m.pdf or VK3EGN in the CQ160 test, but they had the drive to be there.

73,  Niko - AC6DD