[UK-CONTEST] 50MHz 1st contest observations

[Peter Bowyer]

Alex

You've spotted the two-edged sword that is ON4KST, DX Cluster (etc).
They enable rapid dissemination of enhanced propagation opportunities,
but also eliminate the need to be next to a radio all the time. So all
the fill-in activity that used to go on, now doesn't.

This has been happening progressively over the past 10 or more years
as DX clusters and internet facilities have grown in capability and
reach.

Peter G4MJS

On 12 April 2010 10:06, Alex GM3ZBE <alex at gm3zbe.plus.com> wrote:
> Hi
> I've recently become a bit more interested in 6M again, I was one of the
> original 40 special licence holders and for many years almost
> exclusively on 50MHz.  So its interesting to see how things are now.
>
> I've noticed two things in the last two inter UK contests I've dabbled in.
>
> One - Is that, viewed from this end at any rate, a number of G stations
> seemed very deaf?  I'm running a Yaesu Quadra and am on an excellent vhf
> site, 200M asl with a clear shot over the sea to the south.  Yet
> stations which are genuinely reading S3 to S5 or more on my S meter
> simply do not hear me.  Despite repeated calls they continue to call CQ
> in my face!  Are they suffering from high noise level or running much
> higher power than me?  The only station who appeared to hear me at the
> same level as I heard them was G6YB/P.
>
> Two - Is that I get the impression there are many stations running poor
> antennas and/or low power,  I hear the stronger G stations working lots
> of other G's who are simply completely inaudible.  In the couple of
> hours I was on I only heard about 15 stations who were making it up to
> Scotland.  By the way I lived in various locations in England for 17
> years so I am well aware of what conditions are like at both ends of the
> UK on VHF!
>
> Compared to when I was last active on 50MHz, inter UK activity generally
> seems very low - I get the impression everybody is looking at the
> cluster and waiting for sporadic E or F2 Propagation or just listening
> all the time?  Its a bit like 10M, there is an almost HF like attitude
> to 6M now, unless there is spor E or F2 prop, nobody is interested?
>
> --
>
> Alex, GM3ZBE ~~~~ Kingdom of Fife ~~~ IO86lf ~~~
> Member of:
> De Montfort University ARS,
> Kingdom Amateur Radio Society (KARS)
> GMDX Group, CDXC, Aberdeen ARS
> Previous callsigns GM8BYG, G3ZBE
> Holder of GM4BRN club call.
>
> Remember..............It's only a hobby!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Peter Bowyer
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