[UK-CONTEST] Re Decline in VHF/UHF contest activity

[Paul_group]

Danny Higgins wrote:
> The main reasons I can see for entering contests are to have fun and 
> work DX.  Only a few stations have a realistic chance of winning, so why 
> don't the others just have fun,

I understand exactly what you are saying and those extra qso's would 
(are!) extremely welcome but there is one problem in that approach for me.

My best results (odd one or two very minor wins, maybe a few top ten 
placings in three decades) occur when I get lucky with tropo that gives 
me some long points/km, in those circumstances I *want* my entry listed, 
not as a check log.. hey the ego has landed :-) but I have to decide my 
category before the event, so if I think I might do well I cant use 
cluster or whatever the rules are.. fair enough but that means if 
nothing works out and its just a boring flat band.. then I listen to 
noise for hours on end.

We all know that for example on 70cm in a 1 day event, you only need 
maybe two or three 1200Km qso's to completely change the outcome of the 
contest, that lift might be there for five minutes. That lucky break 
happened to me last year when my home station was a simple 40W to a 
single yagi at 8m AGL - got me top ten placing in the open section!

That chance of doing well (for me) is one of the drivers to take part..

Anyway that's my last on the subject I think, apparently I'm a drowning 
man :-)))

-- 
73 de Paul GW8IZR IO73TI
http://www.gw8izr.com