Pete,
> No, I fundamentally quit because WPX is boring. I don't think it's
> anything more than an exercise in run technique. I still have a lot to
> learn in this departmnent, but after 16 hours, I really felt I'd learned
> enough for one outing.
How about giving yourself a handicap for the next WPX, just to make things
more interesting? I operate with a handicap in all contests (not
voluntarily, I don't have a choice at this QTH). I use a single, low, wire
antenna for all bands (an "invisible" 135' doublet up 30'). It's a whole
different ballgame, S&P is everything. If you try to run in such a
situation you will REALLY be bored because calling CQ with no one answering
gets old fast. Loud is, but I ain't.
As a kid I had a tower/tribander and these really are two different worlds.
I could run JA's at a high rate until the cows came home. Now I have to
plan in advance what times/bands might let me abandon the tuning knob for a
short while. There is about a 2-hour window at around 5 AM local time when
I can kinda run JAs on 40m. To give you an idea of what a "run" is in this
situation, my rate during that time was something pathetic like 35/hr!
Like I said, it is a whole different world. You don't need packet spots at
all because you are constantly tuning and you'll likely find the new ones
as fast as anyone (not that packet spots are needed for WPX).
Anyway, consider giving it a shot next year, just for fun. Go QRP or toss
up a piece of wire and just say no to stacked yagis!
> Sometimes a tower is just a tower
My kingdom for a tower... :-)
73,
Eric June, KU6J
Director of Know Code International
CodedOne@knowcode.org
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