Steve
Am in total agreement on all of your points. My thrill is just making the
contact! DXCC is not interesting to me although I have 6Band DXCC with QSL
cards but never submitted. I am a life member of ARRL. Started managing my log
with LotW for those looking for my confirmation but not interested in the
country count. Happy to help those that are on the hunt.
My Motivation is playing the antenna game, eeking out the best signal I can,
given whatever restrictions I face. Testing of my antenna experiments is done
during the major contests although I spend a lot of non contest time evaluating
them and setting strategies based on results. This is when I look to the RBN
world or a good WebSDR to see how things are working along with all the
regulars guys!
Like you Steve, I enjoy making all contacts!
I CQ frequently (of course not to the level Jon, AA1K hits the band) only
because I feel I can now hear about 90% of the people that call. Years ago, was
too much of an alligator but now with a concentrated effort on the antenna
side, I feel like taking the plunge and call CQ. Still others can out hear me
(the true challenge of this band) or have a bigger signal but it’s all fun.
Like all of us, I wait for those fleeting moments when the band becomes
spectacular. Would be way more fun during contests, but it is, what it is!
Am blessed to now be retired and have a supportive XYL to pursue my lifelong
love.
See you all on the band!
Regards,
Mark, K1RX
> On Jan 7, 2020, at 11:49 AM, VE6WZ_Steve <ve6wz@shaw.ca> wrote:
>
> Speaking of multiple QSOs with the same stations on 160m….
> please do not hesitate to call me if you hear me on Topband no matter how
> many QSOs we have had! I am a 160m QSO collector. The more the better. I
> don't get bored working the same guys over-and-over-and-over on TB. Each
> opening is a new adventure for me. It ‘aint rocket science to know that if
> we wait to work only new stations on the band then things will get pretty
> slow!
>
> Everyone is motivated in different ways, and at different times for what
> excites them about Ham radio. For myself, the thrill of working DX on
> 160m….ANY DX, even multiple QSOs in the same season works for me. I am much
> less excited about doing that on 80m, or 40m, or the higher bands, but I know
> there are those that love to work DX on ANY band all the time, any time.
> The thrill for me started when I was 13 years old, under the covers in bed at
> night with a small transistor radio (1971) listening to distant AM broadcast
> stations with the sound of summer QRN.
> Because 160m is so un-predictable and usually completely dead and devoid of
> ANY signals (here in VE6 at least) it really is magical when the DX finally
> makes it to my ears. I mean sincerely magical, because I reflect back on
> listening to those AM signals on that transistor radio…the 160m band is just
> above the AM band. How cool is that! We are just Ham guys with backyard
> antennas!
>
> I understand completely those that find it boring working the same guys
> over-and-over, and how the chase for the next DXCC band counter is what
> really matters. For many years after I built my 80m Yagi I was somewhat
> “marooned" on 80m working as much DX as possible. I still love 80m, but the
> intrigue has faded and I don't find myself calling CQ there much anymore.
> Perhaps the same will happen on 160m, but because the trans-polar propagation
> from VE6 to EU (under the AU oval) can be absent for YEARS (!) on end, I
> expect that when the condition are good I will remain engaged. I must
> confess that working JA’s are not as exciting from here (perhaps like working
> EU from the EC?).
> The chase for the DXCC band totals is not my main motivator anymore as much
> as just hearing what DX might make it through each night or morning.
>
> To work a lot of DX on 160, you NEED to call CQ. If we all just listen,
> waiting for others to call, the only guys we will work are the few that are
> calling CQ (wow, crazy eh?). I understand that with poor RX and high local
> noise the alligator risk is high, but you never know. I have received a
> number of JA and EU QSLs indicating 100w TX and modest antenna setups.
>
> Lets keep the band alive. Get on the band, ionize the ionosphere and call CQ
> and see what happens.
>
> 73, de steve ve6wz
>
> So…here is the VE6WZ 2018-19 season “top repeat QSO list”
>
> From my log export for this winter season (4 months) beginning September till
> now, I have worked 422 unique EU callsigns. (1,228 total QSOs)
>
> Here is the top 25 list for Europe:
> (rank, call, number of QSOs)
>
> 1 SM5EDX 40
> 2 DF2PY 38
> 3 LA1MFA 38
> 4 SM4DHF 33
> 5 OM2XW 26
> 6 RA4LW 23
> 7 LY7M 23
> 8 ON7PQ 23
> 9 YL2SM 22
> 10 PA3FQA 21
> 11 RC3FL 19
> 12 G3PQA 16
> 13 G3XHZ 15
> 14 IK7JTF 15
> 15 F5IN 13
> 16 OH1XX 13
> 17 DL8LAS 13
> 18 G3OQT 12
> 19 F5NZ 11
> 20 G4UFK 11
> 21 GW3YDX 11
> 22 SM3EVR 11
> 23 G3XGC 10
> 24 SM6MCW 10
> 25 SM7BIC 10
>
> And here is the OC/AS list:
>
> 1 VK6LW 44
> 2 VK2WF 21
> 3 HL5IVL 20
> 4 VK3HJ 19
> 5 JA5BIN 11
> 6 VK3IO 9
> 7 3D2AG 7
> 8 DS2JJV 6
> 9 JA4CQS 5
> 10 JH2FXK 5
>
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