[NLRS] activity

Sat, 06 Dec 2003 22:46:01 -0600

Contesting is NOT activity, it is an excuse for poor operating practices.
People qrming qso's in progress etc. When vhf contesters go back to being
polite like they were  7 years ago I might come back, until then the radio
gets turned off. And the excuses like I couldn't hear you etc are lame, I
can hear stations 200+ miles away off the sides and back of the antennas.

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 4:09 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [NLRS] activity

In a message dated 12/6/2003 9:32:50 PM Greenwich Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:

<< the common comment I keep seeing is contest, contest, contest. 5 years
ago
 there were usually 2 to 3 qso's going on 2 meters on any given night, now I
 hear lots of dead air unless it is a contest weekend (then I turn the radio
 off or go cruise hf). >>

Mark -

I think there are a couple of things to look at:

1) You are looking for activity.  There is a lot of activity on during the
contests.  I know that a lot of people make sure they have their other
activities out of the way for the "big three" contests so they can
participate.  There
is guaranteed activity and you choose to shut off the radio.  Not sure why.
If you're looking for activity, the contests give more activity than any
other
time.

2) With the internet we have all sorts of propagation websites, reflectors.
It makes it so easy to sit back and look at the Hepburn charts, watch the
reflector and wait for the openings.  I think that keeps people from
calling.

3) We've seen a lot of expansion within the club on the higher bands.  Our
club has turned into a bit of a 10 GHz club.  I think the feeling is: "Why
call
on 2 meters since you've done it for years?  Try a new frontier with all the
new challenges?"

I must say that I have changed my operating habits over the years.  I
operated a lot on VHF and got a bit burned out.  I've done a lot of HF DXing
and
contesting over the past few years and really enjoy operating contests from
the DX
side.  I have a new QTH and plan to put up VHF/UHF beams with the HF beams.

I hope everyone knows that the bands are only as fun as we make them.
Remember when activity was low and we created the NLRS All-band Sprint to
drum up
some activity?  Maybe people need to create new operating events or another
local net, etc.  Activities and excitement breed activity and fun!

73  Rich N0HJZ
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