100% agree Mike.
Have never looked up DXCC totals for others.
Contests were to see how many countries I could work.
Been active from my only QTH, a 1/4 acre city lot, for
30+ years solely to compete against myself. Obtained
#1 honor roll in 2015, but quickly realized that 160m
was the true challenge and got hooked. Put up my own
tower & later shunt fed with home made capacitor &
over 1,000' of radials. Have tested dozens of TX & RX
antennas with multiple pre amps & chokes, but have
run out of land & options, so now have focused on
weak signal modes like FT8 for that 10db advantage
and also for accessibility from dxpeditions on those
short rare openings to Nebraska.
I realize there are some areas of the world I will
never work on 160m from my small city lot, but I keep
pushing forward with all the current tools available.
Jeff
NE0DX
Michael Tope wrote:
People are driven by different things. For instance, I would be lying if I
claimed I wasn't competitively driven. And I can tell you that at points in my
life it has caused me to "lose perspective". Have I been overly enthusiastic
with the drive to my Alpha 91 amplifier on occasion? Yes. Have I driven like
an idiot in the wee hours of the morning in hope of getting to my station in
time to work a new one? Yes. For some folks, their narcissism seems to be so
bad that there are no lines they won't cross to be able to claim top-dog
status (e.g. Europeans using North American remotes to work new ones on 160,
claiming to be unassisted in contests while using DX cluster assistance, etc).
I think the best advice I've ever heard in this regard is to compete with
yourself instead of competing with others. For instance, I can almost
guarantee that I will never make top 10 in the CW Sprint contest. I can,
however, try to best my previous scores (and hopefully stave off cognitive
decline). Push yourself to be a better operator and/or station builder, use
the accomplishments of your betters to show you what is possible, take pride
in your accomplishments, enjoy the thrill of rare openings, and first and
foremost - have fun!
73, Mike W4EF...............
On 2/6/2024 5:39 AM, uy0zg via Topband wrote:
But in reality everything is much more complicated. We talked here in the
reflector and went our separate ways..
For example, someone on this list honestly earned 300 countries :
http://www.arrl.org/system/dxcc/view/DXCC-160M-20240206-USLetter.pdf
He's been working on this for decades. And suddenly some completely
unfamiliar and envious mug without RX antennas (and maybe without a station
at all) declares 320...
Calling it simply injustice is not enough...
309
UT5UGR
W3GH*
308
I4EWH
IV3PRK
K8GG
SM6CVX
W5IZ
307
DJ7MI
IK4MGP
K4SV
OH5VT
RZ3AM
UT3UA
VE3EJ
---
Nick, UY0ZG
http://www.topband.in.ua
Mike Smith VE9AA писал(а) 2024-02-06 14:51:
I knew it was all over many years ago when I worked a 20dB/9 Italian station
around Sunrise here in one 160m contest. (1pm in Italy)
I have never applied for DXCC. I know what I worked and keep track of it
here locally. I am the only person who really
cares what all the numbers are and since the ARRL DXCC program has (imo)
become so watered down in the last couple decades there is little reason to
ever apply.
Be happy with who you see in the mirror every morning and celebrate those
around you who are doing it the way that appeals to you. For those that
aren't.well, don't concern yourself with them. They don't diminish what
you've done.
73 Mike VE9AA
Mike - Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
|