Contest

[Radio Tech]

Today I tried to make a few contacts on AO-51. Did not happen.
I do not have problems with contesters. I participate when I can. Mostly just to give someone a grid square. Replied to quite a few 6 meter contesters today.

Now, what ever happened to hams being polite? Ao-51 sounded like channel 19 during the top of the sunspot cycle years ago. Seems one station on both morning and evening passes was taking control of the bird. And others calling while the guy is trying to get the grid square. Contest or not, that is VERY disrespectfull. We normally have 12 to 17 minutes to make a contact, then let someone else have it. Not hog the bird on every pass. I have trees to the south of me. So I do not get a chance to call untill about 45 degrees. So that is even less time for me.

Arrrr
I will shut up now.

 

[ButtFuzz]

I understand your frustration.

Contesters are, I suppose, a special breed. Much like a dirt junkie trying to make that score, NOTHING stands in their way.

 

[Radio Tech]

LOL
Thats right. Anyway, over it now. Have not had much time to get on the air lately. Finally did this week end. And there is a contest lol. I am no longer set up to run contest. Do not have any amps or antennas up for VHF. Been trying to get everthing off the tower to move it to another location. But it is so hot. So only HF and sats workable here.

6 meters was not too bad though.

 

[WX2MIG]

Radio Tech.....

I very much dislike radio contests, I believe it brings the ignorance out of ham's who for the most part are decent operators any other time they are on the air.
I have personally been told to.... "get off 10 meters, this is a contest not a rag chew session".....

I have witnessed on many contest weekends, operators maliciously interfering with long standing public service nets because they thought they should have priority over that particular net.....

I particularly dislike those ham operators who only turn on their HF radios for contests, these are the most ignorant of them all. This was originally a gentleman's hobby, as with anything in life you will always get a few bad apples, but the whole aspect of a contest tends to revel the selfishness, arrogance, and ignorance of many.....

Anti-contest opinions can be safely expressed here at WWRF, but do yourself a favor and keep them to yourself on the QRZ forums, you will get the same level of ignorance from all the contest jockeys over there....as in being called a whiner, and a net whacker who thinks he owns 14.300 Mhz......

Typical contester attitude....fuck everybody else, get out of my way and let me make a million 2 second contacts so I can get my name in QST magazine....

 

[Radio Tech]

I heard that!
I really do not have a problem with contest. Just the contestants’ LOL

As far as the gentlemen’s agreement, guess it does not apply to contest.
Very sad.
And to do that on a single frequency satellite? It is unheard of and shows very poor operating practices.

QRZ?
Don’t post there anymore.
There is a few good folks there. But the irony of others pushed me away.

 

[Moleculo]

Man, I thought that it was "every man for himself" on A0-51. Every time I've been on it over the last two weeks it's been like channel 19. I guess I figured that was normal for satellite contacts and just jumped in with both feet...LOL

 

[Radio Tech]

Man, I thought that it was "every man for himself" on A0-51. Every time I've been on it over the last two weeks it's been like channel 19.

Really it used to not be like that. Before you throw your call and grid out and maybe 10 other folks would. Why work a state or grid you already have. Of coarse someone would double. It happens on repeaters all the time. Honest mistake. Then some one call and exchange. Goes through a list like.

I guess I figured that was normal for satellite contacts and just jumped in with both feet...LOL

Dont worry you are doing ok. Something you just got into and that is the way it is now. Not your fault. Again, wait till you get on ssb and try it manually Tuning the antennas every few moments. Adjust for doppler shift. Tune the antenna, adjust for doppler, and so on. Man it is fun...



On another note not directed to anyone here.
But for folks to blatantly key over someone talking is just rude. That will not work on the ssb birds. With the transponders the more power on uplink the more strain on the bird. Take AO-7 for instant. They ask not to use CW on it. It is running off nothing but solar. CW signals drain the bird more that voice.
And it has nothing to do with the dumbing down or the lack of the code test before anyone jumps in and says that. That I know.

It those darn contesters! LOL And ye that has the most power gets the most contacts.