[VHFcontesting] K7RAT Two Meter Spring Sprint - And a reason why to not crowd 144.200

[Duane - N9DG]

I did a detailed analysis a few years ago for my log in the
January 2004 ARRL contest. My conclusions: It is it is a
counter productive strategy to just cling to the calling
frequencies. Even if you are a big gun. For that contest a
full 50% of my my Q's and new (or only time worked)
multipliers were made on frequencies that were more than 10
kHz away from 144.200. I haven't looked at other contests
since but suspect that they are generally similar.

I live in a relatively rural area with pretty solid reach
into metro areas like Chicago, Milwaukee, Mineapolis. Many a
time I'd hear people on or near the calling frequencies from
those areas who cannot hear me because of their local QRM on
144.2. The net result is we both lost the Q, and also there's
a good chance that they missed a new multiplier as well. The
bottom line is that it does pay to be constantly looking +/-
50 kHz or more from 144.2

See my Jan 04 analysis here:
http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/VHFcontesting/2004-04/msg00022.html

Duane
N9DG

--- frank bechdoldt <k3uhf at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Most everyone is on the calling frequency here because of
> the sparse
> population. People often times shut up when they hear a
> distant qso having
> problems working.  I guess it is just the nature of the
> beast in less dense
> areas and the qrm is part of the contest. A good beam helps
> the qrm.  On
> the other hand I am sure I missed contacts roving because
> of congestion of
> the calling freq but on the third hand I also get piled up
> when someone
> notices tier "qrm" working me out in the middle of nowhere
> and aims out
> there too.
> 
> 
> 
> frank bechdoldt



__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com