[UK-CONTEST] CQ Calls on VHF

[Ken Eastty]

My Point was that you don't need a computer or even to have copied the 
whole call to get a clue which way to point the beam. On the odd 
occasion that I go out portable I've not taken a computer & have no way 
of looking back at previous QSO's even if a /P station is in the same 
location.

I was of course assuming that most amateurs (as opposed to the general 
population!)  know enough about the geography of the UK to know where 
counties or major towns & cities are, perhaps I'm mistaken?

Listening to the activity contest on 2m yesterday evening I didn't hear 
a single station giving a location & just one giving his locator when he 
called CQ.

The prize has to go to the station who was saying which way he was 
beaming but not where he was beaming from....

73...

Ken

G3LVP


> 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!
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:10:52 +0100
> From: Chris G3SJJ<g3sjj at btinternet.com>
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] 80m CC CW G3SJJ
> To: UK Contest Reflector<uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Message-ID:<4E123A6C.6070004 at btinternet.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> As the saying goes " You cannot be serious!!
>
> There I was all fired up, total concentration. 116 in the first 60 minutes, 29 in the next 17 minutes. It's looking good. After all these years I had
> now realised contesting wasn't about operating the radio, which I enjoy, or sending CW which I also enjoy. It was about the *keyboard." Get that bit
> right and you are away. Guess I learnt my trade in the paper log and pencil era of contesting 30-40 years ago when you had time to enjoy twiddling
> your knobs! This time I concentrated solely on the *keyboard* not looking at the radio, or the computer screen, except just to confirm I had typed in
> the correct stuff. I focussed solely on the 3 "Qwerty" rows plus the number row. I was using ESM so first finger of right hand only hitting Enter key,
> first finger of left hand entering callsign and serial. Perfection!
>
> Armageddon arrived exactly at 2117. Function keys just sent rubbish, including callsigns of QSOs made much earlier. Paddle CW went to 7 wpm and then
> stopped. I unplugged the mHam keyer, switched off and on the K3 and finally had to re-boot the computer which then kept telling me there was an error.
> Too flippin' true!!
>
> I was screaming "&%$R&(*$E%$?^&*&" or similar. Need to apologise to my neighbours!! Eventually made 2 more Qs. Ended on 147 which should easily have
> been 160.
>
> Luckily my garden is 150m long and I was able to calm myself down by a brisk march to the far end and back twice.
>
> OK, got rid of all that, so is the problem mHam / K1EL, or is it the Vespa computer. Should I change from Vespa to W7? Should I throw the whole lot
> and get a moped? Seriously, it seems to a buffer problem but is it in the computer or a function of K1EL?
>
> To top it all, we got an email to say our Hot Air Balloon ride scheduled for 0700 tmw had been cancelled. Creeps, I could have inflated the thing myself!!
>
> Chris G3SJJ
>
>
>
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> End of UK-Contest Digest, Vol 103, Issue 5
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>