[VHFcontesting] K7RAT Two Meter Spring Sprint

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Wed, Apr 05, 2006 at 04:29:02PM -0700, Radiosporting Fan wrote:
> --- Tree <tree at kkn.net> wrote:
> > Think we should use the NCJ sprint QSY rule to help
> > spread things out.
> 
> > Would elminate one or two big guns having to hog the
> > calling frequency all evening to get the best score.
> 
> On the other hand, the best operators in your region
> probably already realize that the big guns are sitting
> on 144.200 and are already tuning +/- 30 kHz, looking
> for the little pistols.
> 
> Unfortunately, those little pistols have apparently
> not figured out that it is easier to make contacts by
> calling CQ (even at QRP power levels) at -15 kHz than
> it is listening to the big guns hogging the calling
> frequency and complining that they are.

This is unfortunately incorrect.  

I have operated a lot of contests from a four-band station
with individual monoband yagis at ~90' and brick amplifiers
or better located in the center of a relatively good sized
city in Texas.  Several years ago, as an experiment, I 
operated an entire September contest never once calling CQ 
on 144.200.  I answered people calling CQ there, but all of 
my CQing I did on 144.205, 144.210, etc...  I operated the 
contest full time and only took a few hours off in the middle 
of the night.  The result?  I could count the number of 
stations that answered my off-144.200 CQs on one hand.  
My score compared to previous years dropped 70%.  It was 
abysmal.

I know not all parts of the country are alike, but in Texas,
if you're not on the calling frequency, you're losing the
contest.

> I run a stack of halos and 200 watts.  I've often
> wondered why my CQ's go unanswered for 20 minutes,
> only to eventually hear a BigGun's signal begin to
> build as they turn their antennas my way.  I'm a big
> boy, and this is a competition.  I can't take them
> on...so I move.  Within moments, I have answers again.
> 
> It's all part of becoming a better operator (that is,
> until my 2m KW is built...and I add another 8
> halos...THEN I'll take 'em on. <grin>).
> 
> Ev, W2EV
> 
> 
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-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/