[VHFcontesting] OMG - contest mode

[Kim]

Robie, Alex, and Marshall,

Yesterday showed the "pain" of the contest mode.

For those of you who did NOT have openings to Europe yesterday, please take note.

I was in EM84 when the European deluge happened on 6-meters yesterday morning.  The contest mode flew out the door.

MY OPINION:  if there are out-of-the-country openings, DROP contest mode.  And if you are not experiencing the opening, be kind to those of us who are.

We were bombarded by Europe, and there were stations (US based only) who insisted on contest mode.

In my seat as an operator, it was painful.  For all the good Joe Taylor has done, I did not want to see his face yesterday.

Finally, contest mode disappeared, and it did not show up until the last few hours of the contest.

For the 6m ops who did not want to contact me because of not using contest mode, I won't say more.  Be considerate.  When a station is working DX, think - help out - don't insist.

A friend of mine observing yesterday's openings:  it's more than the magic band.  It's the cruel band.

Calling CQ WW did not guarantee a contest mode contact.

Only solution I see is the software.

Yesterday was fun - but it was painful fun, until the contest mode went away.

73, Kim (WG8S) -- 6m operator at W4NH