Hi Trey -
Trey Garlough wrote:
> Reading Crovelli's excellent note explaining how it's not as expensive
> as one might think reminds me that fixating on the financial aspects
> of the hobby, as in the message that started this thread, is silly.
> No one takes up ham radio as a hobby because it's a good investment.
> If I wanted a hobby that was going to make me rich, I would collect
> rare coins, or baseball cards, or start a chain letter on email.
I doubt if anyone anticipated getting rich in ham radio.....but
the
thread has developed into a most INTERESTING line.....several have told
us their current or past setups....where's yours?
As a first time effort at contests and a low scorer too boot
here's my
modest contest setup. Icom 706 @ 100 watts into an MFJ 949E tuner
feeding a Carolina Windom 160 wire antenna between two trees no higher
than 25 feet....next year it'll be different though and thanks to all
--
-73-
Jerry KB9NMU
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/KB9NMU
"No Code - No HF....Know Code KNOW HF!"
>From syam@Glue.umd.edu (De Syam) Tue Dec 3 18:43:59 1996
From: syam@Glue.umd.edu (De Syam) (De Syam)
Subject: 10 Meter Novice "Contest Free" Zone
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.961203133445.9791F-100000@z.glue.umd.edu>
With the advent of the 10 meter contest in a couple of weeks I foresee an
interesting conflict on the horizon.
Argentina has just noted that it has allowed its Novices to use
28300-28350 primarily so they can participate in international contests.
Meanwhile, ARRL has declared a contest-free zone from 28300-28350 for its
10 meter contest and ARRL DX Contest so that US Novices will have
somewhere they can operate using HF phone without contest QRM.
I spoke with LU2AH (lu2ah@evnet.satlink.net) who is the Vice-President of
IARU Region 2 and also the head of IARU Region 2's HF Committee which is
supposed to coordinate any HF measures on the part of IARU Region 2
Member Societies, the ARRL being one. He had not heard about the contest
free zone, added that he was the one who went to Argentine authorities to
get the extra space for LU Novices on 10 meters, and was definitely upset
that ARRL had made the decision without coordinating with the Region 2 HF
Committee Chairman. K1KI and others: Where does this leave us for the
contest in two weeks?
Very 73,
Fred Laun, K3ZO
>From WYLIE@colloquium.co.uk (Tom Wylie) Tue Dec 3 18:50:07 1996
From: WYLIE@colloquium.co.uk (Tom Wylie) (Tom Wylie)
Subject: Contesting and the Internet
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19961203194307.2597a0bc@ms.colloquium.co.uk>
Well, I got a few interesting replies. However, a lot of them completely
missed my point and concentrated on my thoughts that cash is more important
than skill. I do not seek to question skill levels as I already said that
skill levels have been honed by technology and even now at the bottom of the
sun spot cycle records are being broken.
The main thrust of my message was to seek views on permitting
interconnections between rigs and the internet and all that entails. Some
of the replies confirmed my point that you can only win from certain parts
of the world - the carribean or north/west africa. Now I dont expect ever
to do well from Scotland and past results will confirm that. I have been
5th in the world SSB ARRL SOSB 20 and 11th in the world 1995 SOSB 20, and
that gives me personal satisfaction from north of 56 degrees north. 56
degrees north - hey thats south alaska or half way up hudson's bay.
I agree that skill is important, but skill cannot win alone. You do need a
station and the bigger the better. Rigs and amps are not cheap neither are
towers, antennas and real estate. Well they may be cheaper in the USA but
not in other parts of the World - I can live with that.
My point is that be cultivating a friend in a part of the world where YOU
CAN win the Contest, by using the Internet, you DONT EVEN HAVE TO BE THERE -
and that surely is wrong. You dont even need your own rig just a PC.
Ham radio contesting is in danger of being swamped by its own technology -
and I for one would like to see the interconnection between rigs AND the
internet banned.
That is nothing to do with skill........
I must look out my asbestos suit. Most of the replies have been from "the
big guys"
how about the views from the minnows - like me
Regards to all - whatever your opinion
73 de Tom - GM4FDM
>From G.Force@flashnet.it (Giorgio Fanelli) Tue Dec 3 19:31:29 1996
From: G.Force@flashnet.it (Giorgio Fanelli) (Giorgio Fanelli)
Subject: Contesting and the Internet
Message-ID: <199612031931.UAA08200@star.flashnet.it>
At 23.49 02/12/96 GMT, Tom Wylie GM4FDM wrote:
>However, WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE? Contesting has now become a contest
>not of skill in operating, but a contest as to who can pour the greatest
>amount of money into a station. Who has the greatest amount of bucks can
>win! Skill comes a long way second. Gee, if you cannot operate from your
>own backyard, just go down to the Carribean... It is a well known fact that
>there are only about half a dozen locations in the World where you can win
CQWW?
>Your views please gentlemen!
without any dubius few year ago the operator skill was more important with
tecnical item in the contest operation but I simply think who contest is
like sport activity and any sport have strictly rules. Simly limiting use of
internet resouce solve this problem. Internet instead maybe "game into
game", for example the most accurate operator by submit log 15 minutes past
contest ending resenved for who have one internet E-MAIL access maybe one
other incentive for rise again contesting skill. If any operator make CW
contest with electronic keyer why one other don't be use internet for
sending log (or for one other legal use)?
Any desagree?
'73 es GL for contesting from George I0YQV.
>From K9PG@sbbs.net (K9PG) Tue Dec 3 19:49:30 1996
From: K9PG@sbbs.net (K9PG) (K9PG)
Subject: 10 Meter Novice "Contest Free" Zone
Message-ID: <0000A6B9.3115@sbbs.net>
I think the contest free zone is a joke! I don't know anything about
the rules as far as this goes... are contest QSOs made in the
forbidden zone not supposed to count towards the final score.... are
people penalized for making Qs in that area, do we get OOs, or is it a
gentleman's agreement like the DX windows on the low bands?
There are plenty of contest free zones.... they are called the WARC
bands! If you are a novice and can't operate on the WARC bands, then
that is a great reason for you to upgrade to a class of license that
gives you the privilage of operating there!
And there are only 4 or 5 weekends a year that this really comes into
play.
Here's a thought... If we have contest free zones, then why can't we
have " Contest Only " zones during a few selected contest
weekends? I say we should start with allocating 3850 to 3900 as a
"Contest Only Zone - No Pig Farmers Allowed Zone"
starting with the NAQP SSB contest in Jan!
Yeah right... like that will ever happen!
Contest free zones are not a good idea and should be eliminated.
Paul K9PG ex WX9E
K9PG@sbbs.net
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: 10 Meter Novice "Contest Free" Zone
Author: syam@Glue.umd.edu (De Syam) at Internet
With the advent of the 10 meter contest in a couple of weeks I foresee an
interesting conflict on the horizon.
Argentina has just noted that it has allowed its Novices to use
28300-28350 primarily so they can participate in international contests.
Meanwhile, ARRL has declared a contest-free zone from 28300-28350 for its
10 meter contest and ARRL DX Contest so that US Novices will have
somewhere they can operate using HF phone without contest QRM.
I spoke with LU2AH (lu2ah@evnet.satlink.net) who is the Vice-President of
IARU Region 2 and also the head of IARU Region 2's HF Committee which is
supposed to coordinate any HF measures on the part of IARU Region 2
Member Societies, the ARRL being one. He had not heard about the contest
free zone, added that he was the one who went to Argentine authorities to
get the extra space for LU Novices on 10 meters, and was definitely upset
that ARRL had made the decision without coordinating with the Region 2 HF
Committee Chairman. K1KI and others: Where does this leave us for the
contest in two weeks?
Very 73,
Fred Laun, K3ZO
>From pbarkey@wp.bsu.edu (Patrick Barkey) Tue Dec 3 16:43:24 1996
From: pbarkey@wp.bsu.edu (Patrick Barkey) (Patrick Barkey)
Subject: No Skill Required. -Reply
Message-ID: <s2a4132f.046@wp.bsu.edu>
Tony,
I agree with your equation for winning, but I believe you left off one
important factor:
WINNING = SKILL + STATION + NEW ENGLAND QTH
With some exceptions, admittedly.
-- Pat
N9RV (ex WA8YVR)
>From ON7SS@dma.be (Marc Domen) Tue Dec 3 19:56:07 1996
From: ON7SS@dma.be (Marc Domen) (Marc Domen)
Subject: State QSO partys
Message-ID: <199612031956.UAA15514@www.dma.be>
Hi all,
I am looking for all the dates and rules from all Stateside QSO partys.
Could anyone be so kind to forward any information to me how to get them.
Be assured that dates will be published in our national magazine. It might
atract some countyhunters frm here.
73's es tnx in advance for any help I receive
Marc, ON7SS
*********************************************
* Amateur Radio Station ON7SS *
* Marc Domen UBA HF Contest Manager *
* Ferdinand Coosemansstraat 32 *
* B - 2600 Berchem (Antwerpen) BELGIUM *
* Tel: 03-218.52.60 *
* Packet Home BBS ON7SS @ON1ANR.#AN.BEL.EU *
* Email ON7SS@dma.be *
*********************************************
>From 71111.260@CompuServe.COM (Hans Brakob) Tue Dec 3 20:20:23 1996
From: 71111.260@CompuServe.COM (Hans Brakob) (Hans Brakob)
Subject: MY WEALTHY CONTESING PALS
Message-ID: <961203202022_71111.260_EHM58-1@CompuServe.COM>
Two weeks ago in SS Phone I set out to get a higher score
than N0AT who lives about 3 miles from me. Both Ron and I
are "single-tower, city-lot" contesters with "pretty good"
equipment, but not world class stations or antennas.
At the end of the weekend the score stood:
K0HB = 212,316
N0AT = 213,096
Shucks, whupped again by 5 QSO's!
"And now", as P.H. is wont to say, "for the rest of the
story".......
I ran a KW all weekend, and Ron ran 100W all weekend.
Not only did he beat me by a factor of 1.00367 (1366/1361),
he did it with 1/10th the power.
Based on this (and a lot of previous lessons!) I'd say Ron
has about 10.003dB more skill than I do, and I don't think he
purchased those 10.003dB on his Visa card.
73, de Hans, K0HB
---
The KG6AQI Revelation:
If you put tomfoolery into a computer, nothing comes out
but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a
very expensive machine, is somehow enobled, and no one dares
to criticize it.
---
>From jefft@atlanta.com (Jeff Tucker) Tue Dec 3 15:16:00 1996
From: jefft@atlanta.com (Jeff Tucker) (Jeff Tucker)
Subject: Pig farmers are OK!
Message-ID: <199612032022.PAA19819@postal.atlanta.net>
Trust me, I'm not "politically correct." I call things the way they are.
But, maybe it's because I was raised in IL and once rode my bicycle
across IA that makes me wonder, "when did being a 'pig farmer'
become synonymous with the slime on 75?"
Seriously guys, it seems silly, but this term is now used by almost
everyone to describe the guys on 75m. Actually, I'll bet that most
modern pork producers are far more sophisticated than the biggest
of our contest stations. Satellite dishes for weather and commodities
data. Genetic manipulation. Computer controlled feeding. Drugs
and vaccines to rival what you give your kids.
Call them what they are. Lids, jerks, grouchy old men who need to
get a life. Just don't malign the American pork producer (a.k.a.
pig farmer.)
Thanks for reading.
73,
Jeff N9HZQ
Pork, the other white meat!
(This message was NOT brought to you by the IL Pork Producers
Association.) Hey, did I miss the U of I football game they sponsor
each year? If not, how about a free ticket?
--
Jeff Tucker, N9HZQ
Williams Consulting, Inc.
jefft@atlanta.com
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