[UK-CONTEST] Guest Operating

[Chris G3SJJ]

I fully agree with you Ian. We make our own sub-sections, and then maybe eventually go for a place in a specific category. I have done this several 
times over the years I have been contesting.

Many years ago when I realised I enjoyed the RSGB 160m Contests all I wanted to do was to improve on a previous score, then I found I could get close 
to the top 10 so I aimed for that. Having got into that my aim was top 5, then top 3 and eventually got my name on the Trophy. All of the early years 
though were away from home as in those days I didn't have enough land for a 160m dipole. (Now I haven't got the height to be competitive though I 
could made a temporay mast.)

Another instance is several years ago when Ian G4IIY (The Young Whippersnapper) and I (The Old F**t) went head to head in CQWW CW. We were in the 
Single Operator All Band section but were only interested in our comparative scores. We emailed each other every 6 hours with current totals. I think 
The YW won but the final Qs and Ms total were similar.

73 Chris G3SJJ


On 23/02/2011 09:51, Ian White GM3SEK wrote:
> Chris Rolinson G7DDN wrote:
> The main point I was/am trying to make is that Gordon's point could be
> addressed more positively by the introduction in many contests of more
> appropriate sections.
>
> I'm not sure that would address the point, because there can never be
> enough sections to satisfy everybody.
>
> It would also be missing a far more important point that has already
> been made several times: for most of us, the *real* contest takes place
> within the "sub-sections" or challenges that we make up for ourselves.
>
> What we actually seem to be talking about here is the difference between
> personal satisfaction and public recognition. Contesting can give back a
> huge amount of personal satisfaction from "doing well" - however you
> personally choose to define that, and that's what the vast majority do.
>
> At the most basic level, all contesters gain great satisfaction from
> beating our own previous scores. There will never be any certificate for
> that... but that isn't the point.
>
> A different example: when operating SO40M, I know that my 4-square
> cannot beat a big, high 40m yagi, so I'm not disappointed when those
> stations come ahead of me. Instead, I set myself the personal challenge
> to be "best of the rest". On RTTY I can sometimes manage to achieve
> that, with a very respectable World ranking ahead of several yagi
> stations. That gives me great satisfaction and spurs me on to do it
> again; but this is my own little challenge, personal to myself. I don't
> expect a separate section with a certificate.
>
> By the way, if a 40m 4-square seems too rarefied an example, consider
> this: the reason for building a 4sq was because I was already beating
> 4sq stations with a simple GP, so to avoid stagnating it was time to
> raise the bar and try harder.
>
> It's all about the attitude that you - personally - decide to take.
>
>
>