Contesting Online Survey

Survey Question Recent Surveys

WAE and RDXC recently merged assisted and non-assisted single operator categories. Would you favour such a move for the CQWW contest?
2008-06-13

Many contest sponsors are considering how to handle CW skimmer. Do you think single-ops (not assisted) should be allowed to use programs like CW Skimmer, as long as everything is local to the station and no spotting nets are used?
2008-05-09

Do you think contest sponsors should do more to promote and encourage innovations (e.g. remotely operated stations, CW skimmer and other novel developments) in the art and practice of radio sport?
2008-05-08

During the 2008 CQ WPX SSB contest a number of stations were reported to have given exchanges with serial numbers but without signal reports. Do you think
2008-04-30

If there was one,would you participate in a 160m & 10m (Top and Bottom)Contest?
2008-02-29

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Would you be in favor of changing the NA Sprint Contest rules to eliminate the HP category leaving only LP (100 watts or less) and QRP?
Posted: Jun 21, 2008 (119 votes, 14 comments) by W0MU

Yes
No
Don't know
Don't care
(119 votes, 14 comments)

Survey Results

Yes 54% (64)

No 35% (42)

Don't know 3% (3)

Don't care 8% (10)

Survey Comments

Great Idea!!

That way - nobody will ever break my QSO record!!!!
Posted by n6tr on July 3, 2008

Not broken...

The Sprint isn't broken. There is no need to "fix" a problem that doesn't exist.
Posted by K9NW on July 2, 2008

Re: Simple Station

Posted by AB7E on June 28, 2008

> For many years I lived in a neighborhood
> that frowned upon large antennas,

'Large' is a subjective term. What's minimal in my eyes is an eyesore in my neighbors eyes.

> so I was stuck with ground plane verticals for the
> HF bands. Using an amplifier gave me the chance
> to have a decent signal anyway,

Great! Now, you're being heard better. However, ham radio is supposed to be 2-way radio. What did the 'amplefire' do for your receiving capability? The +8 dBd of a yagi/quad versus -?? dBd of a mediocre antenna is huge on receive as well. Then, there's the Front/Back and Front/Side ratio. Turn a yagi/quad 90° to an interfering signal and the offending signal disappears.

> and to have fun
> that I wouldn't otherwise have been able
> to do. And in spite of the politically
> correct folks who thoughtlessly preach that
> putting your money into an antenna always
> makes more sense than an amp, a used
> amplifier and an efficient vertical
> or dipole generates way more db/$ than does
> putting up a tower and yagi. Do the math
> sometime.

I did the math, so I did both... kilowatt AND a yagi. If more is better, too much is just right!

> There may be reasons why limiting the power
> level in a contest to 100 watts makes sense
> but none immediately come to mind for me,
> and doing so to "level the playing field" is
> just plain ignorant. If anything, it does
> just the opposite for the reasons I
> mentioned above.
>
> AB7E

How 'bout we change the rules to REQUIRE that everyone run a gallon? That way, the playing field will be level (and flat), and those in Alaska & Hawaii can be heard.

Bryan WA7PRC ;-)
Posted by WA7PRC on July 2, 2008

Power Level

Tried working Contests ie Field Day with 100 watts and You can and will be lost on the band for here in Hawaii. We never got more than 300 q's. I was at KH7B this year and went with the full legal limit and made 2000+ q's Plus it is a differnt class all together.
Posted by AH6RR on June 30, 2008

Simple Station

For many years I lived in a neighborhood that frowned upon large antennas, so I was stuck with ground plane verticals for the HF bands. Using an amplifier gave me the chance to have a decent signal anyway, and to have fun that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to do. And in spite of the politically correct folks who thoughtlessly preach that putting your money into an antenna always makes more sense than an amp, a used amplifier and an efficient vertical or dipole generates way more db/$ than does putting up a tower and yagi. Do the math sometime.

There may be reasons why limiting the power level in a contest to 100 watts makes sense but none immediately come to mind for me, and doing so to "level the playing field" is just plain ignorant. If anything, it does just the opposite for the reasons I mentioned above.

AB7E

Posted by AB7E on June 28, 2008

My 100 needs another 0

I agree with Frank, KL7FH;

"Limiting your power doesn't level the playing field. I agree with KU8E also...try 100W from Alaska sometime and see what happens".

I have a low profile HF station here in central Alaska and during this low period in the solar cycle, I need my AMP just to make it out of the state. If I had a 150 foot tower with stacks then it may be a different story. I'm an average ham surviving on a below average budget. Low or high power, I can never compete with stations up here like KL7RA, KL7DX, KL7FH, KL2R, and others and I know this. I think I do "okay" with what I have but I'm limited by my lack of contesting experience, equipment, and also location. I accept this and just enter the contests to have fun and hopefully work a few "new ones". You can limit everyone up here to 100 watts but I can guess who would still win and it would not be me!
Posted by KL8DX on June 27, 2008

A must

I specifically do not participate in Sprints
because there are HP stations on. As a
low power station I get squashed like a
bug. You cant run and you can't S&P. Sprints are no fun for low power stations. I can't imagine operating QRP.

I operate every other contest with Low Power
and I manage to survive.

Tim K6GEP

Posted by k6gep on June 27, 2008

Categories

The 100W stations are not competing with the HP stations. They are a different category. How does this level the playing field? It doesn't.
Posted by kl7fh on June 25, 2008

Power Level

Limiting your power doesn't level the playing field. I agree with KU8E also...try 100W from Alaska sometime and see what happens.
Posted by kl7fh on June 25, 2008

Power levels

I think the power levels being the same would be a big help. I like to work digi contests and when the power limit is 100 watts, I do better then when the power limit is full limit. Plus the signals are not as wide. More room to work.

n7uvh
Posted by n7uvh on June 24, 2008

OP or Station

That won't level the advantage of a good op going to a good station, the product of both operators, and entry as single-op. Hired gun single ops is what needs to be levelled, but too many have built their reputations on exactly that unfair advantage.
Posted by W5AO on June 23, 2008

Power Level

It seems to me there are four ingredients on the operator side (aside from propagation) that are operative in contests:

1) Antennas
2) Power
3) Rig capability
4) Operator skill

Given these ingredients, limiting power doesn't really change anything for the op running 16 stacked elements above 120' on 20m using a state of the art rig...and good for ops with great antennas!

Before the Euro became so strong, I worked many eastern Euro stations running 20 watts from a rig they built using a wire hung out the window. My hat is off to them.

With these things in mind, and from my observation, the chief ingredient is op skill, not the antenna, power or rig.

Now, if we could just get some good conditions!

Cheers, and 73s, W4OJC

Posted by W4OJC on June 22, 2008

Power Level

Limiting your power doesn't level the playing field. The antennas you use are using are the most important factor. Someone running a KW and a simple dipole or tri-bander would never compete with someone at a big contest station with a bunch of yagis. The same goes if they were both running 100 watts.

Check the results of every Sprint or NAQP and you will see 90% of the top ten are operating from big contest stations.

Posted by KU8E on June 22, 2008

All Contests

All contests should be limited to 100 watts output. This would level the playing field and make operating skill much more important.

W0EB
Posted by W0EB on June 22, 2008

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