I've decided to put my oar in the water regarding the comments on
ARRL 160. I didn't operate this year but it is my favorite 160
contest and the only one I would seriously enter.
Why? Because mostly it does end up being a domestic contest and I
have some chance of being competitive with my modest station and
limited real estate. There is no way on Earth I could ever be
competitive in the DX contests but I can in ARRL 160. I do
understand about it being unfair to the rest of the world and
especially U.S. territories. In addition I am increasingly of the
opinion having so many contests is unfair to a great many people. I
love a good contest, but I don't think we need one nearly every
weekend during the topband "season" in the northern hemisphere.
As for not being heard... here in the northeast, QRM is INCREDIBLE
in ARRL 160. It is a very popular contest and let's face it, there
just isn't enough useful spectrum. Even people who normally hear
very well may be challenged in this one.
We cannot pause for more than a couple seconds between CQs or some
big gun will try to take over our run frequency and refuse to move.
Callers need to be quick.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting on frequency.
Make sure you can zero beat and get EXACTLY on frequency of the
station you are calling. It is amazing to me how many people cannot
seem to do that. I always have callers 200 and even 300 Hz high and
low, and then they wonder why I don't hear them. I don't hear them
because 200 to 300 Hz away is someone else's run frequency and I am
forced to use a 200 Hz filter with very steep skirts. That is how
crowded the band is during this contest. It does no good for me to
tune for off frequency callers. A distant caller who is S5 but
insists on calling under another running station who is S9+20 or
more is not likely to be heard. At least not by me!
Those are my comments. I'll go back to being silent now.
73,
Paul N1BUG
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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