Phil:
Looking forward to that for sure!
Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 3:35 PM
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on the ARRL International DX CW Contest
> Tom,
>
> Nothing wrong with that score and 100 watts with a wire antenna and the
> bands aren't even at full peak yet. As I said, wait till 10 meters is
> rolling wide open. You'll be able to run Europeans and Japanese running
> that same station you have and likely will rip off 400 to 600 contacts on
> 10
> meters alone. 10 was good this weekend but still lots of fast fading in
> and
> out, QSB, but much better than the CQ Worldwide CW DX contact so we are
> getting there. Unless the sun goes into a nova before this cycle is over,
> there are some fantastic 10 meter days coming soon.
>
> Phil.
> K0NX
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 1:01 PM
> Subject: Re: Some thoughts on the ARRL International DX CW Contest
>
>
>> Yup, Phil, I'm sure you're right.
>>
>> For now, I'm limited to wire antennas, so will just have to live within
>> those constraints, I guess.
>>
>> Anyway, I did make 143 contacts, so will look to see if I've worked any
>> new
>> countries over the next few days here.
>>
>> 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 2:36 PM
>> Subject: Re: Some thoughts on the ARRL International DX CW Contest
>>
>>
>>> 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
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
|