[UK-CONTEST] Contest Calendar or Not

[Dave Sergeant]

Much of the discussion on this reflector is from the 'big boys' - 
perhaps I can add some from the 'little sprats'.

Having made the decision earlier this year to go QRP, there is no way 
I can compete with the leaders in many of the RSGB contests, but that 
doesn't mean I cannot have a go. It is for that reason that I in 
general have enjoyed participating in recent contests, and it does 
not really matter that I am not achieving a 100 QSOs per hour. That 
comment was made about the low power contest in July - yes, there was 
a lack of activity not helped by band conditions, but for me it was 
an excercise in putting up a portable station single handed, and in 
that respect alone it was a worthwhile excercise.

If we are to get new blood into the contest, short contests without 
the pressure of competition are to be encouraged. When I did the LF 
Cumulatives a few years ago I enjoyed them, and it gave a chance for 
the modest station to have a modicum of fun. The fact that I only 
worked some twenty stations per session did not really come into it. 
In April I entered the similar Yeovil Fun Run contest sponsored by G-
QRP, similar style and very leisurely, but fun and with a sense of 
comradeship. Although I support the introduction of the QRS contests 
and hopefully they will get newcomers to contesting, a contest 
limited to 12wpm is not for me! I tried in vain to get some of our 
club members who wanted to increase their cw speed interested in the 
last session but got no takers so maybe it is even missing its own 
goals.

I would also support bringing the Top Band contests forward by a 
couple of hours. It is a compromise between getting more 
participation from casual entrants and allowing the better equipped 
to work some dx, but I feel a contest which does not start until 9pm 
and then ends at 1am is rather late in the day. I believe in the old 
days it ran all night. This year was my first stab in the contest 
with QRP, and I soon realised that it was very hard going indeed. I 
lost interest after a couple of hours and was in no mood to stay to 
the end and sent in a check log for my paltry effort. The 
compensation was that the next weekend I worked 16 countries on top 
band in CQWW so all is not lost for QRP!

I welcome discussion on contests on this reflector, but am saddened 
that there seem to be personal clashes between some. Perhaps though 
as pointed out the HFCC can put some of the comments into action in 
next years calendar as does not have been the case this year.

73s Dave G3YMC


dsergeant at iee.org
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