Topband: Stew Beef

[Larry Burke]

> WHO is there in March and June to be interfered with?

 

I don't see DX activity tapering off in March. Heard, Cocos (Keeling), Juan de Nova and Iran show up on my calendar as potentials for March 2016. I worked my first 160m Vietnam in March 2014. That same month Z81Z was worked. In March 2015 I worked E30FB on Topband. My log shows it's a good month for LP to places like DU and 9M2. I see 3C0 and 9M0L worked in March 2012.... the list goes on. It's actually a pretty good month for DXing here. One of the best months in some respects.

 

Larry K5RK

 

From: guyk2av at gmail.com [mailto:guyk2av at gmail.com] On Behalf Of Guy Olinger K2AV
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2016 7:34 PM
To: Michael St. Angelo
Cc: Joe Wilkowski; Larry Burke; TopBand List
Subject: Topband: Stew Beef

 

On Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 1:54 PM, Michael St. Angelo <mstangelo at comcast.net <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mstangelo at comcast.net');> > wrote:

 

The Stew Perry contest is one of the better ones but I agree with Larry and
Joe.  Contests  tend to take over the band and interferes with other form of
operation such as DX'ing, QRP and probably Digital operators.


Does sound concerned, nice, fair, decent, honorable, etc. But...

 

We already have the winter Stew and a warm-up Stew. Have had winter Stew for a long, long time. Those are there and established. Of the two, the winter Stew is the one that is clearly in the hopefully quiet DX season. If your main purpose in the contest is to pick a date to get out of other people's way, discontinue the winter Stew. That will get most out of other people's way. Huh? Oh yeah, that really sounds weird.  :>)

 

So we would be complaining about the two Stews in March and June? WHO is there in March and June to be interfered with? In the northern hemisphere the Summer Stew by itself probably accounts for more CW activity in one night than for any other reason for all June, July and August nights combined. 

 

There ARE openings during the summer months, but almost NOBODY is listening in the Northern Hemisphere. The only other competition is the few minutes of 160 at the end of the quickie mid-week CW contests as they all dash to 160 at the very end for a few more Q's and mults. They'll be happy to get five six seven Q's in four five six states in three minutes, and poof, they're gone. Are you really sure you heard them? Better freeze the P3 screen for proof. Otherwise you might be hallucinating. Was that a light-switch band opening? 

 

In March some stations are rolling up the radials for the planting season, some already did in February. What will we be interfering with in late March? In this era QRN and tornados barely end by January, and start anew in February, so those of delicate ears that cannot stand to hear anything except sweet DX will have departed for quieter bands.

 

IF the four seasons approach to Stew Perry runs for a while, AND the non-winter scores actually count in a year's end annual summary score, we will see folks in the non-winter runs for something other than practice or run-up to the perceived real Stew Perry in December. Maybe DXing to down under will increase if more of us actually show up on 160 in the months of long southern nights. 

 

As to the timing, IMHO we should keep to the seasonal Solstices and Equinoxes. Easy way to remember four Stews.

 

73, and a great new year to all

 

Guy K2AV



-- 
Sent via Gmail Mobile on my iPhone