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Re: Topband: My take on ARRL 160

To: "'Topband'" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: My take on ARRL 160
From: "Michael G. Carper" <mike@wa9pie.net>
Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2011 10:58:03 -0500
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
On the point of being zero-beat with the station you're calling... you
almost need to run CW Skimmer for that here.  I called a station - exactly
zero beat... and a station just below me was answering back.

-----Original Message-----
From: topband-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of N1BUG
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 8:41 AM
To: Topband
Subject: Topband: My take on ARRL 160

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

_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

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