[UK-CONTEST] Guest Operating

[Roger G3SXW]

Well said, Chris. Head-to-head contesting taught me a lot. Many years ago G3TXF and I had similar set-ups, located close to each other. We analysed logs after each contest to see who had moved band and when, who had worked more JAs or more Ws than the other etc. When we were not doing a contest we would phone each other and set a mini-challenge: eg ARRL CW, Sunday, 16-17GMT. See who wins. We were 'fresh meat' on the band! These were the formative years. "Winning" was secondary. But what a lot of fun we had! It was this early contesting which provided the base for later DXpeditioning.
73 de Roger/G3SXW.



 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chris G3SJJ 
  Cc: uk-contest at contesting.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 10:59 AM
  Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Guest Operating


  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.
  >
  >
  >
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