Reading the mail......
Personally, CQWW and ARRL DX at 48 hours maximum single-operator time in the
chair limit are the last remaining acid-tests of DX contest operating skill
and stamina that we have today.
I always aim for a full 48 hours (if needed) but USUALLY take 2-3 hours off
for a bit of rest if the conditions and rates I am having allow it. Most of
the top-10 ops usually wind up with between 42-46 hours in the chair - and
some (under a solar maxima) still go the full 48 even today.
Operating is FUN and going the distance makes it like a marathon race.
Those who can put it all together for the full contest period are the ones
that
will get rewarded in the end - and I hope things remain this way going forward.
We have plenty of contests with shorter Single-Op maximum time limits - WAE
and WPX come to mind. CQ160M is another that limits single-ops to less than
the full contest period.
ARRL and CQWW are the 'grand-daddy's" of them all and the original formula
still works.
Every now and then when I am feeling my age (61) - I'll do a single band so
as to get some real rest - but I still enjoy an all-out 48 hour operating
marathon just to see if I can still hang with the younger crowd.
I think N6TJ is nearing 70 now and ZD8Z can still hack 40+ hours in the
chair if I recall his recent efforts.
CONTESTING IS - it's fun and a challenge to go the limit or at least to try
to in order to make a top score.
FWIW
73 JEFF
_K1ZM@aol.com_ (mailto:K1ZM@aol.com)
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