In a DX contest, there's not much point in calling CQ unless you are loud
enough to be noticed, both by the DX stations and by the CW skimmer
receivers that some stations run, which feed your frequency into the Reverse
Beacon Network.  When I started calling CQ on 15 or 20 with the beam on
Europe, I often had 2 or more stations calling me and had to sort out a
callsign from the confusion.  Obviously, frequencies would eventually run
dry and I would get no takers for a couple of minutes.  At those times I
usually thought it advisable to go back into search and pounce mode or
change bands.  

My experience is that if you are using wire antennas, you will have the most
competitive signal on the lower bands.  On bands like 15 and 10 meters, you
will have nulls and lobes in your pattern,with some of the lobes aiming your
signal to high angles that may not propagate.  Note that the DX stations
which are calling CQ are not only running powerful transmitters, but they
usually have good receiving antennas and can pick up and are looking for US
stations who may not be all that loud.  Obviously, on 10 and 15 meters, you
will be plenty loud in Central and South America.  But there are just not
enough stations to work inLatin America.

Some of the stations that are calling CQ are multi-multi operations; they
will have somebody on a band if there is any chance at all of working DX on
that band.  When I moved out here in the fall of 1975, I had the privilege
of operating from W4BVV.  The first weekend was the CQWW SSB contest, at the
15-meter position.  I made five or six hundred QSOs, but K3EST, operating
from W3AU across town, made well over 1,000 QSOs with comparable equipment
and a lot more experience.  So when the CW weekend came along, I was
assigned ten meters.  I was on the radio for most of 24 hours that weekend,
and made 20 or 30 QSOs.  Not much fun, but it was still a privilege to be
there.  Another op at W4BVV was also blind, John Wilson, K4NPV, who is now a
silent key.

I could talk a lot more about contests and propagation, but I don't want to
bore everybody or make people think that radio sport is only for big
stations.  Contests are one time when at least some of the DX is looking for
every US signal they can hear, and when some countries become active that
you don't normally work.
73,
Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Wheaton, Maryland
Home:  http://lras.home.sprynet.com
Work:  http://www.loc.gov/nls
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Tom Behler
> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 11:22 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 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