Gary, while I am primarily a contester, I have been surprised by the amount of EU DX I can work on some non-contest nights. I agree with you; I have to say my best nights on 160M are in fact non-contest nights.
Often my new 160M DXCC's have been coming not from contest nights themselves, but from pericontest activity especially in the week before CQWW. Last week on a weeknight, I noted at the end of the 0300Z CWT that 160M seemed to be pretty decent to Europe. I called CQ on 160M that night, and proceeded to work 50 different European stations in the next 3+ hours. Most of those stations, I had never worked on 160M before. That's was surprising to me as mostly-a-contester, because even on a good contest weekend over two nights I might work 50 EU stations. I was amazed not only at the good conditions, but that there were 50 European guys up in the middle of their night! There were only a couple other NA stations who CQ'ed in those 3 hours. There were several other NA stations responding to EU CQ's in those hours. I think fundamentally... we need to get on 160M and CQ more outside of contests!!! In a different thread, folks talk about wanting E-mails when 160M conditions are good. For me, a very valuable tool is to turn on the radio, call CQ, and look at my reverse beacon reports in EU. Tim N3QE On Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 4:40 PM, Gary Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > For me, unless I use the amp, I get more DX on quiet nights than > during a contest on 160. The more powerful stations always trump me > when it comes to DX but while I'd rather make the contest DX Q, it's > part of the game I chose to play, I could turn on the amp and I know > if I hear them, I can work them. > > With that said, I get far more enjoyment out of working so many > people on 160 during a contest than I do prowling the band, looking > for a weak signal from a DXCC entity I haven't worked before. > > And thinking about it while I type this, I don't believe I have > worked a DXCC ATNO or even a needed 160M ATNO during a contest in the > last 5-6 years now. To that end, I'm usually listening to 160 most > every night and I haven't worked a non-DXPedetion new one on 160 in > maybe, the last 3 years. > > In summation; I agree with Tree's assessment. To me, for the very few > nights per year with a contest on and considering the tremendous > activity they generate; the rest of the year is not impacted by them > and the amount of operators found on 160 on any given non-contest > night, is minuscule in comparison. > > I don't see Contesting interfering with my contacts in the least, it > only increases my log numbers... :D > > 73 & HNY, > > Gary > KA1J > > > > Nothing beats a bit of context and perspective!!!! > > > > Plus, I love the increased DX activity a contest brings. > > > > Bob AA6VB > > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
