[Elecraft] Why contest rigs will be needed by all.

[Darwin, Keith]

A few posts here have recognized the general decline in activity over
the last decade or so.  My observations agree with those.  Sunspots or
not, there are less signals on the air.  Less signals, that is, until
you hit a contest weekend.

Maybe the two are related.  It takes 2 to tango.  You need other
stations to have fun with radio.  A reduction in signals leads to less
signals as folks find it not much fun to call CQ with no answer.  It may
be that people are so hot to contest because that is the only time other
people are on the air.

If that's true, then I suspect we'll see a continuation of the
situation.  Ham radio will shift to be mostly a contest / intermittent
event hobby and less of a day-to-day hobby.  Sort of like deer hunting
where the participants call themselves deer hunters but are only active
during a couple of weekends in November.

If THAT is true, then that means that a rig like the K3 (or K2) that
performs well in a crowded band will be more and more necessary since
the only time you'll be able to chat with anyone is during a busy
contest.

- Keith N1AS -
- K2 5411.ssb.100 -
- K3 Wave 3 -