[UK-CONTEST] Contest Activity

[Ray Hills]

Read with interest the discussions about the extent of and reasons for 
contest activity.  As (possibly) the most elderly participant in 80MCC 
(first licensed 1950) it was that  which regenerated my involvement in 
contests.  I can't remember the last time I previously took part in a 
contest in SO mode.  Probably at least 20 years ago.  As a member of DMUARS 
(three times winners - thought I would just drop that in !!) - 80MCC offered 
a way by which a geographically widespread club like ours could do something 
together.  And 144AC did the same for me, even getting me out as /P during 
the Summer in Cornwall.  Indeed until 80MCC I don't think the bandswitch had 
ever been turned to 80, having been a died-in-the-wool VHF/UHF man since the 
1960s.

One or two issues. Don't knock those old codgers like me who hit the F keys 
to send CW.  There comes a time when it is better than trembling fingers 
stumbling over a straight key!  I would not enter the 80MCC CW legs 
otherwise.  And no good looking at the G3 QSL lists for me - I haven't sent 
a card again for at least 20 years!  And you don't need a big antenna or an 
amp.  My 80MCC station in Cornwall has an antenna which is about a 
quarterwave long, end fed and bent round three sides of the garden and with 
an average height of 12ft a.g.l. and a granite earth. But I can still make 
around 50 Qs in each of the three modes.  That's what you will hear next 
Monday.

So for my pennyworth, the short evening events were what got me back into 
contesting, and indeed active in AR again, and I suspect that goes for quite 
a few others looking at the calls now regularly heard on 80MCC.  That 
formula works and needs to be developed.  But PLEASE can we avoid splitting 
the SSB event into two segments?  It may be OK for all the modern rigs with 
broadband s/s finals.  But I have to re-tune my old TS530 each time !! 
Surely for only 90 minutes and one evening a month the mainland EUs can let 
us "borrow" the full band?

End of soapbox.

Ray G3HRH.