[UK-CONTEST] RadCom letters

Sat Jul 23 01:43:47 PDT 2011

Perhaps it depends on why people get into amateur radio in the first place.
Some of us are naturally more competitive than others. Some of us are
competitive in other walks of life.

If people get an amateur licence so as to chat to friends and club members
about how their rhubarb is growing, or how the latest trip to hospital went,
then they will feel aggrieved that they can't easily find a slot to do so,
amongst contesters.

It's already been pointed out, rightly I'm sure, that contesting encourages
the "self-training" etc of the hobby. There's a likelihood therefore that
contesters have bigger or better equipment than rag-chewers. In addition
they are probably more experienced in making best use of that equipment,
using filters, dsp etc to best advantage. Meanwhile Joe Blogs with his
standard rice box and G5RV really does struggle.

As for the twit in Radcom who suggested that contests should not take place
on weekends - if he'd looked at the calendar it would be obvious that a
number of evenings are occupied by contests, and the UKAC on VHF and UHF are
very well supported.

Regards

John G4ZTR

-----Original Message-----
From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Tom GM4FDM
Sent: 23 July 2011 09:16
To: uk-contest at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] RadCom letters

I dont think the comments about the WARC bands are necessarily glib 
Jim.  It is a fact, that if anybody wants a QSO
ANY weekend then the WARC bands are always contest free.   17m can often 
be a better band for DX than 20m and 30m is a great band for DXing 
also.    Only on the CQWW weekends, might it be difficult to find a 
clear spot on the normal HF bands for a QSO.   During any of the other 
weekends including IOTA you can always find a clear spot somewhere on 
the bands for a QSO either on ssb or CW.   Its the I only transmit on 
14175  etc brigade that annoys me, it is permitted for them to move that 
big knob on their rig marked VFO and move to another frequency.   Some 
just choose not to, out of cussedness, followed by a letter to Rad Com, 
that they could not find a clear frequency.

Tom
GM4FDM

On 23/07/2011 08:52, Jim Kellaway wrote:
> Since there are so many complaints about contesting maybe we should get
our
> heads out of the sand. I am sure most of the anti brigade are not
completely
> against them. It just the number of contests that is the problem. Glib
> comments about WARC bands etc don't really cut the mustard.
>
> I wonder how many UK stations entered the various contests last weekend?
>
> 73 Jim G3RTE
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dave Lawley
> Sent: 23 July 2011 00:18
> To: UK Contest Reflector
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] RadCom letters
>
> I disagree Chris. The constant drip drip drip of anti-contest letters
> gives the impression to others that contests are bad. I think it *is*
> time for contesters to flood Radcom with reasoned arguments why contests
> are a good thing, and pointing out some of the flaws in the recent
letters.
>
> Then, if the Editor doesn't print them we will know she is biased.
>
> 73, Dave G4BUO
>
> Chris Tran GM3WOJ wrote:
>> Hello all
>>
>> These letters to RadCom from the anti-contest brigade are, in a word,
>> tedious. They demonstrate complete ignorance of what is involved in
> setting
>> up even a modest contest station. They also seem to lack any clarity as
to
>> what it is they are actually wanting - is it completely empty bands which
>> they can use at any time of their choosing ?
>>
>> The letter writers also are blind to the fact that contesting is the
>> ultimate 'self-training', stimulates a lot of band activity, makes rare
> DXCC
>> entities available and that many technological innovations are a result
of
>> contesting.
>>
>> Quoting from one of this month's letters "The WARC bands were almost dead
> as
>> far as I was concerned, CW wasn't so good either, so like Bill I just
>> switched off!" - hmmm, this doesn't make sense.
>>
>> Let's hope these letters fizzle out - as contesters it is tempting to
> reply
>> correcting their misconceptions, but I have a feeling we'll just add fuel
> to
>> the flames.
>>
>> 73
>> Chris
>> GM3WOJ
>>
>> * GM7V EU-010 in IOTA *
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> UK-Contest at contesting.com
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>>
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