[UK-CONTEST] [3830] ARRLDX CW G6PZ(GI0RTN) SOAB HP

[Peter Day]

On 21/02/2011 23:18, Gordon Brown wrote:
> Why on earth does any private individual operating from a suburban location
> enter contests and compete against SO entries from commercially supported club
> stations?


Gordon...

I do it as a "little gun" for the same reason I used to run road races
(10K and half marathons) against the elite runners who could finish a 
10km race in 27 minutes against my 37 ! Sometimes I might get a placing 
in the top 10 of my age group (veterans !!!) but more often than not I 
just got the finisher's medal and/or T shirt. Finishing in the top third 
of some 20-25 thousand runners in the Great North Run was also a buzz. 
It was the taking part and perhaps achieving a PB that matters of course.

These days I apply the same attitude to HF contests. My station is very 
modest by most standards .... 400 Watts to a wall mounted A3S at just 30 
feet for 10,15 and 20m and a 100ft centre fed inverted V doublet at 28ft 
apex for the other bands. Nevertheless I've managed to get reasonable 
scores in BERU and several of the Eu contests such as King of Spain 
(leading G last year!!) and the VK-ZL-Oceania Contest (leading G on SSB 
and/or CW in recent years). Obviously there's not the competition in 
these contests that you get in CQWW or ARRL DX so it's nice to get a 
certificate to make one's efforts. Even the big contests have sections 
for the lesser mortals such as myself:-)

To get more satisfaction I also work with our club station G2AS/P in VHF 
and SSB Field Days and we usually finish close to the top, certainly in 
SSB FD and on one or two bands in VHF NFD.

Like yourself Gordon, I get a lot of satisfaction doing what I do 
without throwing loadsamoney at this hobby of ours.

That said, I'm going to b***dy well try to win the BERU Junior Rosebowl 
this year :-) !!

BTW ... don't get me going on about "club" stations (especially vis a 
vis the RSGB 80m Club Contests !!!


73

Peter G3PHO

(Soon to be VP2V/G3PHO in BERU 2011)



> I do it because I have made my station as efficient and effective as I can and
> every QSO is hard fought for and gives me great satisfaction.
>
> Why does he do it?  Just so he can squash people like me and boast about it
> afterwards.