Topband: Stew Perry

[David Raymond]

Best wishes and Holiday greetings Topbanders. . .

There will be many of us looking forward to operating the Stew Perry 
contest this weekend.  It's a great contest, unique in it's own way, and 
a lot of fun.  A few thoughts to share:

If you're running a 6L6 tied to the gutter (i.e., QRP) please know that 
I and others DO want to work you and get you in the log!  That may take 
some considerable patience on both our parts. Please, please don't be 
feel bad or be hesitant about sending your call multiple times.  Dumping 
your call once or twice at 30 wpm just doesn't cut it.  There are quite 
a few of us with multiple tools in the arsenal to receive your weak 
signal.  Going through variations of multiple receive antennas and 
multiple directions trying to pull you through takes some time.  If I 
have to resort to using the APF (with a few cycles, er Hz, bandwidth) 
that takes additional time and complicates things further.   If a QSO 
can't be made please try later. . . conditions change.  On a different 
matter, I'm sure it's frustrating to be a DX station relative to NA.  I 
and others DO want to work you and will do our best.  I try to stop, 
listen, and call specifically for DX on the hour and half hour.  After 
working a DX station I often find another is waiting next in line to 
call me so I'll listen for additional DX stations giving them priority 
for a  Q. . . NA can wait a bit.

This is a really enjoyable contest. . . let's get on and have fun in the 
Stew!         73. . . Dave, W0FLS  (in Iowa)