[UK-CONTEST] CQ Calls - a plea

[Ken Eastty]

If I hear' Devon', 'Kent' or 'Yorkshire' I know without using the PC or 
looking at a map which way to point the beam, perhaps I spent too much 
time in my youth working 'counties' on Top Band.

It's much easier for example to catch 'Devon' than trying to make out 
the last two letters of a locator. When it comes to beam headings 
anything less than the last two letters of a locator isn't worth having 
however there's no reason not to include the locator when the pace slows 
down (but does it ever get going on VHF these days?)

I miss the days when the actual location was required as part of the 
exchange, that could be a real challenge with some groups being really 
inventive with their location  (15km W of Scares - Where the .... that?)
AND we had to plot the distances on a map to calculate the score (radial 
rings made this a bit easier).

Perhaps it's time to bring back radial rings especially for 6m, we don't 
score HF contests on distance so why do it for 6m?

73...

Ken

G3LVP (25km NE of Awre!)
> I have to say, I'd prefer the locator, minos does a great job of telling me the beam heading if I enter the loctor.
> 73 de M0XDF
>
>
> On 4 Jul 2011, at 22:35, Ken Eastty wrote:
>
>> Too late for VHF FD but it would really help on VHF&  UHF if when
>> stations call CQ they would include their approximate location (not
>> locator).
>> I frequently find that I hear a station right down in the noise who may
>> not hear my reply because he's in a null
>> of the beam. If I knew where the station was I could make sure that I'm
>> beaming in the right direction otherwise
>> I have to try to find the best beam heading which with the typical speed
>> of most rotators can take up to 45 seconds
>> if for instance I'm beaming NW&  the station that I'm trying to work is
>> on a NE heading (my rotator has its stop at North). Alternatively I turn
>> the beam through 360 deg only to find that it was in the right direction
>> in the first place!
>
>