Amazing! Even after repeating my call sign 13 times and told my signal is very weak, I’m managing to punch a “5-9” signal into the lower mainland of Blutonia! Really, if there’s one aspect of the typical contest exchange that ought to be dropped, it’s the signal report. For once, I’d like to hear someone say: “You’re 4 by 3 with heavy QSB.” Then listen as the band falls silent waiting for the response! Okay, I’m just as guilty of doing it, but every once in a while I’ll give a true report and it messes ‘em up everytime! There must be some other piece of relevant information we could pass in the quick contest exchange other than “5-9”. Name?...nah, would need too much clarification. QTH?...most contests only care about what state/province or zone you’re in. Model of car you drive? What you had for breakfast? (Personally, I’d like to hear what the guys at the 9A1A contest club in Zagreb had on their plates this morning).In all, for the ARRL DX SSB contest that just wrapped, I worked 28 different countries (29 if you count Blutonia) and managed to snag a new one…which made the whole effort worthwhile. J7Y provided me with Dominica. I would gave assumed I’d worked that small island in the Caribbean at some point, but my Logger32 software tells me otherwise. Now, for serious contesters with Linears and Log Periodic Antennas and Speech Processors and Magnetically Charged RF Atmospheric Eradicators (okay, I made up the last one), working 28 countries is likely accomplished in their first hour of operating. I, on the other hand, spent a combined total of maybe 5 or 6 hours at various points over the weekend trying to wring 100 watts out of my rig and push it through the coax to my modest home-made windom, where the end result is likely something more like 75 watts. So I’m pretty happy. However, I don’t think I’ll need to clear a space on the wall for a certificate!
Putting my 3 ½ year old to bed tonight, his storytime book choice (honest)… Green Eggs and HAM. That’s my boy!
73, Greg
Great post. I was traveling, got home about 930 Sunday morning, went to second hour church, basically operated about 1.5 hours, worked 28 contacts, 21 DXCC entities, probably 10+ new countries (only on HF about a year now). Like you, low power, Kenwood TS-120 into a G5RV at 30 feet. Now if some of them will upload LOTW, I'll be thrilled. I just enjoy the bands being full of activity, not planning to win anything. I do submit a log, though.
ReplyDeleteTrent KG4ZDM, 5x9 in Tango November
Hey Trent,
ReplyDeleteThanks for being the first person to post a comment on this fledgling blog site!
I don't work a lot of contests, but when I do, I kind of assume the signal report is bogus... a tradition carried over from some long lost age.
ReplyDeletehowever, outside of contests, I give accurate signal reports, and it does tick some people off. If you're not 599 into my ground mounted vertical, that's not a bad thing - on your end or mine. I don't know why some people get annoyed.
I do a lot of digital work, and i tell people when they have a sucky wide signal too. If you're 400 Hz wide on PSK31, wouldn't you want to know that? I sure would. You should see people flip out when you give them a 571 signal report.
73 de VE3OIJ