Topband: qsling/contesting award collecting

[Mike & Coreen Smith]

re: 160m grievences,

Gentlemen,

It does not matter to which part of human kind we are referring ....there 
will always be those that cheat and those
that do it the hard (honest) way. (and folks that complain, HI)
 Are there atheletes that take steroids?
 Are there race car pit crews that try to circumvent rules and put oxidizing 
gel into the carbs after inspection?
 Are there people who cut in front of you at the line @ the grocery store? 
;-)
(ad naseum).

If I compared my station to the likes of VE1ZZ, VE1ZJ, VY2ZM (K1ZM) I would 
never enter a 160m contest.

Instead I prefer to revere those guys for the hard work they've done 
building their stations and skills and enjoy contesting @ my own pace.   I 
used to get "worked up" about it in the early to mid 90's when I contested 
real hard (and lost a lot), but I don't anymore.

If I know a certain station is running 5kW or 10kW in W1 land, it will never 
bother me that they beat me in a pileup or contest. Why should it?  I have 
much more respect for guys that do it the hard way. (1.5kW or whatever your 
license allows).

Some of you folks should visit VE1ZZ's place.  Now there's a guy who is (by 
my estimation) not rich, but he's rich in spirit and has scrounged, scrimped 
, saved and "jury rigged" and built a world class AMAZING antenna farm.  You 
won't see any $100,000.00 antennas and towers there, yet he's one of the 
first (or only) 160m (and HF) guy to make it into some rare DX's logbook. 
He's done it the hard way.  I doubt you'd ever hear Jack complain that a W7 
beat him out in a rare Asian DX pileup.  What's the point?

Enjoy 160m @ your own level/pace/station/QTH.  If you want to collect QSL 
cards, you must pay the piper.  If you want to  WIN the contest, you'll have 
to put up an enourmous amount of wire/aluminum, miles of ground wire etc. 
and run full legal limit and be the best you can be.  Location dictates some 
of what is possible.  Why complain?  You can't change geography !
I have yet to work a JA on 160m.....will I complain that Washington or 
Oregon is too close? HARDLY !?! HI HI

Respectfully & with a smidge of tongue in cheek <tic>,

Mike VE9AA dit dit

Mike, Coreen & Corey Smith
699 Rte 616 Keswick Ridge
NB
Canada
E6L 1T1
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tom Haavisto
  To: dt
  Cc: topband at contesting.com
  Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:00 AM
  Subject: Re: Topband: qsling


  Is LOTW a bit of a pain?  Sure.  The process could be easier, but it is 
what
  it is.  I find I also send a lot fewer QSL cards these days, as LOTW takes
  care of a lot of the QSLs I require.  I do QSL 100% to all received cards,
  as I assume (hope) do most folks.

  That said, as you pointed out, the system can be gamed by those determined
  to do so.  I am not sure why the W2 went through all the trouble to help 
the
  W6 friend work the rare DX.  He could have just turned down his power and
  worked him again with the W6 call.  Call up his friend, give him the
  details, and he is good to go.

  LOTW is not required to cheat - the same can be done with paper cards. 
Some
  folks have made a point of faking paper cards - LOTW takes care of that
  problem, and probably explains why they went to such effort to make it
  secure.

  Like I said - for those determined to cheat...

  However, that does not take away from MY personal satisfaction of chasing
  DX.  I know if I worked a guy or not, and am happy knowing that I worked 
him
  playing by the rules.

  Tom - VE3CX



  On Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 9:39 AM, dt <wd5r at hughes.net> wrote:

  > With all the talk about qsl'n ,
  > I am surprised someone has not revived the
  > question of why some of us are not enthusiastic
  > about LOTW.
  >
  > <snip>
  >
  > Oh, but one day, no access!
  > Permission expired!
  >
  > Once again jump through the hoops.
  > Eventually I received an updated license via
  > email. Somehow I was never able to get everything
  > in right order to overcome my expired
  > authorization to use LOTW.
  >
  > <snip>


  > One day I heard a big time W2 , on low end of 20m
  > phone band very excited, obviously working a rare dx.
  >
  > He invited the dx station to standby for a friend.
  > Shortly a REALLY big time w6 came on freq.
  >
  > The w2 started the routine, "Give him a call"
  > "over", "try again' , "over".'Give him a report",
  > "over" , "no, try again"
  >
  > That went on for several minutes.
  > The 'REALLY' big time w6 never heard the dx but
  > eventually the big time w2 "Good contact! " .
  >
  > <snip>

  As I see it, there is no justification for having
  > such a secure system for the LOTW game when it is
  > so easy for the system to be beat in other ways.
  > I'm betting I am not the only guy ticketed in
  > early 1950's that has found the reward not worth
  > the hassle in playing the LOTW game.
  >
  _______________________________________________
  160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M


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