I think Trey ought to go into the Newspaper business based on his
ability to pick Guest Editors (for NCJ). In spite of the disagreement,
there is certianly a lot of interest created by this one editorial.
As an additional comment ought to be made on submitting logs via computer
disk Althought I tend to agree with the issues raised by CT1BOH, WA6SDM,
and AA7FT, an interesting point is raised by K1AR in the latest issue of
CQ in that without a disk, the log must be keyed in by hand and - "This
potentially creates many more errors than ever would be in the original
log. Hopefully over time these fears will go away as an increasing
percentage of contesters turn to their 1.44 MB diskettes for scoring."
Perhaps John, K2MM, has the best idea of submitting logs strictly via
Internet if this is a potential concern. My problem is, of course, is
that I'm at the other end of the listings and have a marginal interest
in even sending in logs in the first place. If there is ever a rule that
computer disks are required, it ought to be based on the idea that one
was used to create the log in the first place by software that generates
an acceptable ASCII log file and that the file is bigger than some
minimal size. I'm afraid that my logs are so small that the log-checkers
would assume they trashed most of my file, so Internet would be my
choice if paper copies were prohibited in the future.
73, alan N2ALE/6
ames@force.decnet.lockheed.com
>From MSgt Bob Smith/SCSMH <smithb@GF-WAN.af.mil> Thu Jan 27 03:29:41 1994
From: MSgt Bob Smith/SCSMH <smithb@GF-WAN.af.mil> (MSgt Bob Smith/SCSMH)
Subject: State QSO Parties
Message-ID: <9401270329.AA14364@GF-WAN.af.mil>
I think that these micro contests do serve a need. I like to
stop by and at least give the participants another multiplier.
For some reason, folks like getting called by ND stations. Spent
Sunday getting chased around 15 by Europeans,. Bob up 3, ND please
call me down 5.
There was a ND party this year. Notice the past tense. I clobbered
last year, wanted to participate this year. The sponsors moved
the contest up an entire month and didn't tell anyone. I found out
by mistake after it was to late to plan my county running. (truck
is in the shop anyways, lubricating the engine with ethylene glycol,
wondered why it was overheating at -30 ;-{)
PDIAL requests were honored this evening. No local dial up access
here in ND for the general public. ;-{>
73 bob
>From H. Ward Silver" <hwardsil@seattleu.edu Thu Jan 27 04:10:26 1994
From: H. Ward Silver" <hwardsil@seattleu.edu (H. Ward Silver)
Subject: NH QSO Party
Message-ID: <Pine.3.07.9401262020.E12745-a100000@bach>
Au contraire! The Washington State Salmon Run and the California and
Texas QSO Parties are getting more popular every year. Not to say that it
was always so...the Salmon Run went through the doldrums recently. I look
forward to the Maine QSO Party, for example, to work on an 80m and 40m Q
for QRP 5BWAS (pure masochism). The state QSO parties can be whatever and
however big they want to be, or little. I do agree that the novelty
probably wears off pretty durn fast!
73, Ward N0AX
hwardsil@seattleu.edu
>From CT1BOH <0006309523@mcimail.com> Thu Jan 27 12:15:00 1994
From: CT1BOH <0006309523@mcimail.com> (CT1BOH)
Subject: WRITE-UPS
Message-ID: <35940127121553/0006309523PK3EM@mcimail.com>
Im coming back to this point because I think it is of the most relevance.
Interesting and intelligent write-ups will do more for contesting than you
can imagine.
let me just bring to you how I got involved in contesting.
In the mid 80 I was lucky enough to meet N6TJ in Lisboa on his way to
D44BC. This put me face to face with a big gun... Being in my teens this
was quite an exciting moment. I could talk, hear but most important of all
ask him questions...
I could see his logs.
I could see his break-downs.
I could listen to his tape-recording of real live contesting from the other
end.
I could discuss with him how and when to run or search and pounce.
I heard what he do for eating, for sleeping, etc.
I found how to take a station set around the world without paying overload.
I heard stories, anedoctes, sad and exhilarating moments.
...
I still remember going home imagining I was him.
This very brief encounter revealed me the magic of contesting.
Immediately I started dreaming.
I started reading everything I could find about contesting. Pile-up
managing ( I even got to the extreme of getting tapes of Don Miller
operating in the mid 60s when I was wearing diapers), sleep and food
depravation.
I asked for log to immortals like N6AA and OH2MM, and guess what,
they never refused. Only one op I asked refused to send along his log.
Interesting enough although a winner he's still trying to make a world
record in the CQ WW.
So what is the catch. As we cannot put everybody in touch with the big
guns we must put the big guns in touch with everybody.
How? Through the write-ups.
Lets compare their strategies, their better hours, their worse hours, theirs
times on and off, their antennas their motivation. Who's ahead in the first
12, 24, 36 and 48 hours.
Do you realise every big event promotes a press conference afterwards.
Lets do it also with the top contenders.
Lets create the desire of the readers to become top guns.
Be sure this will stimulate their thirst for quest, for conquer for victory.
Lets make virtual reality in the write-ups, instead of the boring, useless and
meaningless write-ups you are reading in today's magazines.
So don't create more divisions and boxes that will prompt the casual reader
to skip the contest pages.
Give them stories to start dreaming.
Jose Carlos Cardoso Nunes, CT1BOH
Internet: CT1BOH@MCIMAIL.COM
>From alan@dsd.es.com (Alan Brubaker) Thu Jan 27 14:36:06 1994
From: alan@dsd.es.com (Alan Brubaker) (Alan Brubaker)
Subject: NH QSO Party
Message-ID: <9401271436.AA16532@dsd.ES.COM>
I have participated in most of the state QSO parties to some degree or other
through the years. Sometimes my scores have been incredibly low, usually
because of lack of activity from the "target" area. It makes you wonder why
a group would sponsor a contest and then not promote it enough so that there
would be some activity. I have been very active in the California QSO parties
for many years - from "both ends". There is lots of competition in the CQP,
and you have to work hard to get in the top 5. The NCCC has a nice awards
program, including California wine - a nice incentive. The Washington State
Salmon Run is another contest where the reward can be some smoked salmon.
Sounds good to me.
I have been an advocate of combining some of the QSO parties which may not be
as popular into regional events. For example, the Connecticut, Vermont, and New
Hampshire QSO parties could be combined into a 1 land QSO party, or perhaps
they could be held as separate contests, but run concurrently on the same
weekend.
Usually, I do not get too serious about these things, the CQP being the
exception,
but when I have a minute or two during the weekend, I will sit down and work a
few
of the participants. Usually, the states are multipliers, and Utah is still
fairly
rare, so most of the people I do work appreciate getting another multiplier for
their scores.
One useful thing about some QSO parties is that the competition is usually on a
lower level, and a person with a modest station can actually win the contest.
They
can be a good way to "warm up" a bit before a major event, or get some reports
on
a new antenna system. Believe me, the guys and gals who are competing in these
events do appreciate all the QSOs that they get, especially after things have
slowed down.
Alan, K6XO
>From Rick, K7GM" <AONISWAN@ECUVM.CIS.ECU.EDU Thu Jan 27 14:56:32 1994
From: Rick, K7GM" <AONISWAN@ECUVM.CIS.ECU.EDU (Rick, K7GM)
Subject: Old JA QSO totals
Someone asked about JA totals/runs from past years to get some idea
of the magnitude of the JA QSO falloff in DX tests (and there has been
a falloff). I was very active in the late 70's in DX tests from adequate
to big stations and have some breakdowns which may be of interest.
I have three scores - a single op Phone, a single op CW, and a MM Phone,
all from 7-land.
1977 ARRL DX Phone - Single op - WA7WXY (Idaho) #4 in USA
This was back when the DX test was 2 weekends
Total Other
Band QSO EU JA Asia Af Afr Ocen SA NA
160 8 - - - - 2 - 6
80 88 5 33 2 4 12 8 24
40 321 15 255 3 7 14 7 20
20 707 298 296 20 6 30 17 40
15 1182 90 961 7 18 28 34 44
10 54 - - - - 4 33 17
----- --- ---- --- --- --- --- ---
2360 408 1545 32 35 90 99 151
High rates occured on 15 to JA. (Only full hours noted)
First Weekend 00Z 127 Second Weekend 00Z 115
23Z 112 23Z 106
00Z 111 00Z 128
Antennas were all at 50-55 feet. (4ele on 10 and 15, 5 ele on 20,
2 ele shorty on 40, dipole on 80). All on the side of a 6000 foot
mountain with clear shots to EU and JA and restricted shots elsewhere.
1978 CQ WW Phone - W7KW - multi-multi (I was 15 meter op) (Arizona)
Good score for out west (4.2M) but got whomped by east coast
Total Approx
Band QSOs JAs Best hours to JA (full hours only)
160 7 - Day 1 00Z 102
80 251 85 01Z 103
40 324 265 02Z 115
20 443 60 22Z 56
15 1247 940 (!) 23Z 54
10 675 375 Day 2 00Z 79
---- ---- 01Z 140 (Wow!)
2947 1725 02Z 122
Antennas were 6 ele on 10, 15, and 20; 4 ele on 40. All were at
between 150 and 180 feet (no stacks).
1978 CQ WW CW - W7KW (K7GM op) Single op #5 in US
This contest represented the last time any 6 or 7 or 0 (or I think non-TX 5)
placed in the top ten of a CW CQWW. K6NA was #7 in this contest.
Total Approx.
Band QSOs JAs Best Runs to JA (Full hours only)
160 7 - 40 M 08Z 69
80 105 70 10Z 111
40 433 400 11Z 85
20 517 260
15 395 285 20M Best was 81 to JA
10 146 85 15M Best was 91 to JA
---- ----
1603 1100
QSO total was highest of all single op entrants.
Antennas the same as above multi listing.
As you can see, the QSO totals out of JA were big in the late
70's. This continued into the very early 80's (I have no logs to show
for that time).
In 89/90 I put in a couple of semi-serious efforts from AZ on CW (one
ARRL and one CQWW) and found that my JA totals were very poor on all
bands.
The JAs have dropped off. The above numbers show what it was like
in the time of the endless JA pileup.
73, Rick, K7GM/4
|