[UK-CONTEST] CQ Calls - a plea

[Gavin Stirling GM0WDD]

Spelling as well?! ;-)

Sent from my iPhone

On 11 Jul 2011, at 23:45, GORDON BROWN <gordonbrowns at virginmedia.com> wrote:

> Ken,
>      They stopped teaching UK geogeaphy at school many years ago!
> Gordon.
> 
> 
> 
> On 11 July 2011 21:14, Ken Eastty <ken.g3lvp at btinternet.com> wrote:
> 
>> Darrell,
>> 
>> The point that I'm  trying to make is that very few people calling CQ in
>> V/UHF contests or at other times
>> give their location in any way. I suggested that a simple geographical
>> location is more useful
>> than transmitting a four letter/two figure reference.  The whole of the
>> locator
>> needs to be copied for the information to be really useful. However it
>> seems that
>> I made the mistake of assuming that most people would know where UK
>> counties & major cities are.
>> 
>> Working a DX station is easier, we know roughly which way to point the beam
>> towards France Germany etc. but another G station might be in the same
>> square but 100kM away and can be difficult to copy if both stations are
>> in the
>> null of the others beams (especially on 70cm).
>> 
>> Including the name of the county or nearest major city (not small town
>> or village)
>> in the CQ call makes getting the beam on approximately the correct
>> heading quick & easy
>> (assuming basic knowledge of UK geography but see above!)
>> With the slow pace of V/UHF contests including the general location AND
>> Locator
>> shouldn't be a problem certainly better than CQ CQ CQ cq cq.....QSB into
>> the noise.
>> 
>> In case anyone still hasn't got the point I can find beam heading given
>> a locator
>> but generally that means keying it into the PC or referring to a map.
>> 
>> 73...
>> 
>> Ken
>> 
>> G3LVP
>> 
>> 
>> On 10/07/2011 16:59, Darrell G0HVQ wrote:
>>> But surely that's the beauty of squares...you don't need to *know*
>>> anything, yiu can work it out from the info given e.g. if you're in
>>> IO82 and you hear somone calling from IO85 or IO86, you know to beam
>>> north; likewise if they're in IO80, you beam south (the last bit of
>>> the locator isn't going to make that much difference unless you have a
>>> very big, sharp beam).
>>> 
>>> How many cities, towns and villages in the UK? I wouldn't have a clue
>>> where 99% of them are.
>>> 
>>> 73
>>> Darrell
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Eastty"
>>> <ken.g3lvp at btinternet.com>
>>> To: "Ray James" <gm4cxm at yahoo.co.uk>
>>> Cc: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
>>> Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 5:01 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] CQ Calls - a plea
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Thanks Ray,
>>>> 
>>>> Even after all this time (how long?) I can find Scares on the map but
>>>> have no idea what the locator might be for the Mull of Kintyre.
>>>> 
>>>> As for remembering  the locator/beam heading of every one you work on
>>>> V/UHF as someone suggested
>>>> sounds like something that only a candidate for Master Mind might do!
>>>> 
>>>> 73...
>>>> 
>>>> Ken
>>>> 
>>>> G3LVP
>>>> 
>>>> On 10/07/2011 09:49, Ray James wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> --- On Tue, 5/7/11, Ken Eastty<ken.g3lvp at btinternet.com>  wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> 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?)
>>>>> 
>>>>> A look at the VHF Contesting page at www.qsl.net/gm4cxm may give you
>>>>> a clue Ken.
>>>>> Chris will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong but I believe we were
>>>>> asked to change that particular one!
>>>>> 
>>>>> 73 Ray GM4CXM
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> UK-Contest at contesting.com
>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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