If you are going to operate a DX contest running 100 watts, you best be 
having big antennas up super high if you desire to be competitive.  The 
louder signal you have in such competition, the better.  When I lived in 
western Colorado, I had just wire inverted vees at 30 and 40 feet for 80 and 
40.  I had clear ground, mostly down hill, in every direction for 20 miles. 
I had a ground mounted multiple band vertical and the wire antennas.  During 
off contest times, I could work anything I could hear and to the west, 
southwest, and northwest, signals were always strong.  During the contest, 
all bets were off.  Running 650 to 700 watts in one contest, I worked just 
40 meters and made 160 contacts over the weekend.  When I was running 1 KW 
here in Denver, with a 2 element 40 meter beam at 70 feet, I worked 403 
contacts in the first 24 hours just on 40 meters alone.  I ran a couple of 
good European runs with them calling me and I worked over 200 Japanese doing 
runs after midnight till 9 in the morning.  Running 100 watts, I could not 
have done any of that.  Wait till 10 meters opens wide because then you can 
run piles of Europeans most of the day, even with a wire antenna up 30 feet. 
Louder, bigger, and higher is the name of the game in DX contesting.

Phil.
K0NX





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 9:21 AM
Subject: Some thoughts on the ARRL International DX CW Contest


> Hi, all.
>
> I suspect I spent approximately 9 hours of operating time this week-end,
> playing in the ARRL International DX CW contest, and my results were
> somewhat disappointing.
>
> I have some thoughts on the contest, and would like the reactions of 
> others
> as well.
>
> To give you background, I decided to stick to 100 watts, since it was a CW
> contest.  I used my Alpha Delta DXCC antenna, and operated on 10, 15, 20,
> and 40 meters.
>
> Band conditions weren't the greatest, in my opinion, but I have seen 
> worse.
>
> Here's where my disappointment comes in:
>
> I did mainly S and P work, which is where I got most of my contacts.
> However, I did spend some time sending out CQ's on the various bands, with
> only a handful of contacts.
>
> To me, the contest seemed like more of a situation where big gun DX 
> stations
> were competing with one another to get the highest score, with very few DX
> stations actually roaming out there trying to give contacts to folks like 
> us
> from the states.  It also seemed like there were not terrific numbers  of 
> US
> stations calling CQ.
>
> I guess the whole contest environment seemed a bit strange to me.
>
> Then again, I'm the first to admit that I'm a relative newby to 
> contesting,
> and therefore, have very much to learn.
>
> Anyway, I'd be interested in the thoughts and experiences of others who
> might have played in the contest this week-end, or in previous years.
>
> 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>