Topband: ARRL 160 contest

[Jim Bennett]

Herb & All -

I'm here on the West Coast and have the same "issues" with this contest as many other folks. I enter it not with ANY expectation of winning - well, OK, I'll bet big dollars that I'm going to have high score for Folsom, CA! But rather to try adding to my WAS totals for this band. I operated in the 2012 CW and Phone Sweepstakes in an attempt to get more 80 meter states. Hitting New England from California with <100 watts, CC&R / HOA crud, and a small city lot are a real challenge. In fact, I heard not one single VT or DE station on any of the 80-10 meter bands. Finding guys in those states on 160 is a big challenge for a peanut-whistle station!

As I said, I can't compete with the big guns back east, or on the west coast, but the "contest" does provide some opportunities for me…

Just my 2-1/2 cents worth!

73, Jim / W6JHB
Folsom, CA

On   Friday, Nov 30, 2012, at  Friday, 10:09 AM, Herb Schoenbohm wrote:

> Thanks for the comments Ron.  For some reason I just can't think of how in a 160 meter international contest that if you work KH6 you get no additional  multiplier for working Guam, Wake Island, Swains, American Samoa, Midway, Johnson, Kingman Reef, Kure Island!  These are all separate entities over at the so call ARRL DXCC Desk but apparently not at the "Contest Desk".
> 
> How does this make any sense?
> 
> As far as fun is concerned, I love to work DX on 160 as we all do......but staying up all night and working more mainland stations and getting more multipliers than any "DX" station for years during this contest, and then not even showing up in the listing, is not my idea of fun.  I know winning isn't everything but having at least a chance to compete is the only thing....if I can borrow from Vince Lomabardi's famous quote.  The band tonight will be full of a bee's nest of US stations calling CQ incessantly by machine and many without any regard to DX stations.  they will cover over 5T0SP, D3AA, 7P8D and others who at least on the "gentleman's band" deserve some better respect.
> 
> Those in charge at the ARRL need to start thinking about what is wrong rather than have the ivy covered arrogance  that "our tradition is never wrong."  Just allow the CAC to deal with a revision to more adequately accommodate the rest of the world, outside of this "East Coast always runs things at HQ" syndrome.
> 
> Again I will be happy to work anyone I can hear in this hornets nest but am really tempted to use my Eu and African Beverages to work DX.  I will however make a special effort for those on the West Coast especially working W7DRA with his 2 stage  6V6 5 watter...To me that would be the ultimate thrill to accomplish in the cacophony of incessant CQ by  many 100's that have only a TX antenna and could care less what is on the frequency DX or not.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
> 
> 
> 
> On 11/30/2012 11:36 AM, Ron Spencer wrote:
>> 
>> I don't understand why the ARRL refuses your request which seems quite reasonable to me. But I'd not let it ruin my fun!
>> 
>> Good luck and I'm sure I'll hear and work you!
>> 
>> 73
>> Ron
>> N4XD
> 
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