[UK-CONTEST] Attitudes to SSB and CW

[Chris Swallow]

Hear hear,

CW is much easier than SSB in contests.

I do not think this is true form normal QSO's. I for one fall to pieces in a 
normal CW QSO but I beleive most people could soon get up to good speeds for 
the short bits of a contest QSO.


Chris G3VHB


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger Parsons" <ve3zi at yahoo.com>
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>; <zl1ct at gm7v.com>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2005 10:15 PM
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Attitudes to SSB and CW


> FWIW.
>
> I don't do SSB contests. I find them much too
> difficult - I just can't decipher the exchange if
> there is the slightest amount of QRM, which there
> always is. On the other hand I am full of admiration
> for those that can do them well.
>
> CW is just so much easier!
>
> I do groan when there is an SSB contest on 160m
> because it means that the band plan will be ignored
> and I cannot then use my favourite band for that
> weekend.
>
> 73 Roger
> VE3ZI/G3RBP
>
>
>
>
>> > From: "Chris Tran ZL1CT" <zl1ct at gm7v.com>
>> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Attitudes to SSB and CW
>> contesting
>> Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2005 10:55:13 +1300
>> To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
>>
>> Saturday 19th March 2005
>>
>> Hello all
>>
>> This is something that's been on my mind for quite a
>> few years, but I've
>> never seen it discussed on either the cq-contest
>> reflector or here on the
>> uk-contest reflector. Many subscribers to the
>> cq-contest reflector are prone
>> to immediately flaming any postings that don't suit
>> their (narrow)
>> point-of-view so I thought I would post this here
>> first and hopefully
>> stimulate some more thoughtful discussion. I'd like
>> to quote from a personal
>> e-mail discussion that I've been having with 2 other
>> UK contesters in the
>> past week or two - this is a lengthy quotation but
>> outlines the concerns
>> very well :-
>>
>> "I sometimes get the feeling that there is a rather
>> snobbish view taken of
>> SSB contests amongst some of the UK and WW
>> contesting fraternity, never mind
>> the view taken on contesting in general amongst some
>> other parts of the ham
>> world in general. The subtle and almost subliminal
>> denegration of SSB
>> contesting irritates me. I think this 'CW elitism'
>> may actually do harm to
>> contesting.
>>
>> Any young contester coming along these days is
>> likely (statistically
>> speaking) to find CW quite tough and CW contests in
>> particular. If the part
>> of contesting they can more easily get right
>> into...SSB...is somehow put
>> down by some elder statesmen, there is a danger the
>> newbies will not wish to
>> be seen/heard doing something which is 'inferior'
>> and just go off and
>> operate data modes and the internet.
>>
>> I fully appreciate that many do genuinely prefer CW,
>> and that is absolutely
>> their right to chose but with some, and I really
>> mean SOME and not all,
>> there is a feeling that SSB is not 'proper
>> contesting'. Perhaps I am
>> paranoid but how often have we seen comments like '
>> xxx SSB contest coming
>> up (groan)' or comments by those who feel obliged to
>> point out that while
>> they have or will take part in the SSB leg etc, they
>> much prefer CW, as if
>> they are embarrassed to admit that they took part in
>> an SSB contest. And the
>> worst ever was around last year's CQ WW events when
>> one well-known US
>> contester came out with the memorable sign-off to a
>> reflector
>> contribution...'we don't need no stinkin'
>> microphones' (think that was what
>> was said anyway) "
>>
>> I agree 100% with these sentiments - in my
>> experience of many SSB and CW
>> contests, successful SSB contesting is every bit as
>> demanding as successful
>> CW contesting. I also think that sign-offs like 'the
>> SSB contest was OK, but
>> the real contest is at the end of next month' do
>> more harm than good.
>>
>> 73
>> Chris
>> ZL1CT (GM3WOJ)
>
>
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