At the weekend I noticed that the CQ WW WPX phone contest was on. I'm not a fan of phone contests - hollering your call into a mic over and over again is not my idea of fun - but I thought it might be interesting to see what I could hear or work on 10m when so many stations were on.
In the end I only made a handful of contacts. It was just too manic for my current state of mind. I couldn't remember the serial numbers I was given before typing them into the log, so I would have to wait for the station I worked to make another contact and see what the next serial number was. I much prefer CW contests using a code reader to print up the exchange so that I can just double-click the information to enter it error-free in the log.
I've just started my final cycle of chemotherapy and it has knocked me back a bit. So I think I'll stick to pastimes like WSPR and JT65 that have a more relaxed pace until I'm feeling better.
3 comments:
Hi Julian,
Consider yourself lucky to make any 10m contacts during the contest at all. Over here the 10m conditions were quite disappointing. It was the same thing during the ARRL contest earlier in the month. Nothing in comparison to last fall's CQWWDX contest. That was something else. The band was jam-packed with S9+ signals to well over 29MHz. Hopefully the band will come back.
AB2TC - Knut
Are code readers kosher for such contests? I thought part of the idea was to exercise particular radio skills. Guess it depends on who is sponsoring the contest.
Hi Julian,
I'm not big into contesting either, but I do find that it allows me to work DX stations more easily than trying to push through the ungentlemanly conduct that is often heard during a pileup.
73,
Ian - MM0IMC.
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