[VHFcontesting] Getting noticed on VHF: one strategy

[Ev Tupis (W2EV)]

Complete this phrase from a commercial:
Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a _____ _____ _____.

Great memory.  It hasn't aired in over 20 years, but you remember it as if it
were yesterday.  Why?  Repetition.  Every time you turned on the TV, there it
was.

Were you ever fortunate enough to work __(fill-in callsign of a popular ham
radio station)_ during _(fill in your favorite contest)___?  You didn't have
much problem digging their call out of the noise because you were well familiar
with them.

Repitition can do a lot to boost one's score in VHF contests, too.  It's why big
operations use (voice and cw) keyers and keep them cycling for most of the
contest.  After a few years, operators come to expect them to be there and
search them out.

There is a strategy that can work for the smaller operator, too.  All it
requires is to keep your station active during "off operation hours" as a "light
in the darkness" that others can use to chart band openings (and other things). 
After only a short period of time, you'll become well known in the VHF+
community and when it comes time to flex some contest muscles (even small
ones)...your call will be easily recognized by others -- making the logging of
your callsign more accurate and probably saught after.

Become a PropNET participant.  It's sort of SETI at home for the amateur radio
operator.  Setup your station to TX every once in a while on a coordinated
frequency so that others can benefit from it.  Do this whenever your station is
not in normal operation (take it off-line to use it traditionally...just
remember to return to PropNET when you're done for the night).

You've seen BEACONet/PropNET stations "spotted" on the message boards already
(even more advertising!).  Check out the spot here: http://dxworld.com/ddx.html.

Why not be the person that others spot?  It may just help you in the future as
people come to know your callsign more readily.

Ev, W2EV
http://www.BEACONet.org for more
information on setting up for PropNET operation