Another stupid contest clogging 20 meters!!! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / rf-microwave

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2023, 10:52:07 pm
content: 20 meters is so dead when there are no contests except for the digi stuff at 14.075 and such. Wow, any clod hopper with FT-8 can earn a W.A.S in two days and never even sit in the operator position!! Now, there is operator pride for you!!! When you get your award do you pat your computer on the head and say "Good boy"?? It seems pathetic to call C.Q. on 20 and not get an answer even though it is one of the best bands for world wide R.F. propagation!! Maybe the contests should be on any band EXCEPT 20 meters!!! That would make it a REAL contest to score big points!! For those of us who keep schedules with relatives / friends in foreign countries we sort of have a "Blow it out your ass" attitude toward 20 meter contesters. These are the last of 'CB types' with "My illegal amplifier is bigger than yours", or "I got my name in a magazine again". At least with a big directional rotatable beam I can kind of null out the 'points seekers' while keeping a scheduled QSO. Having as much power available as the "CQ Contest" nerds also helps when and only if needed. Cheers!!! "CQ 20 METERS, THIS IS NOT A CONTEST CONTACT"

author: gcrcien
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 19, 2023, 11:36:56 pm
content: Im working into getting my licence here in mexico, and a lot of old farts who have callsign mock the CB'ers for this exact behavior, which to be honest is really lame cause a lot of those old farts started in CB and regularly can be found out of HAM bands talking to the CB guys with ilegal amps.They never touch the dial other than when there's contests

author: vk4ffab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 02:04:50 am
content: Quote from: CaptDon on November 19, 2023, 10:52:07 pmIts funny hey. I sort of have the same feeling about rag chewers. For all the we are real radio from the rag chew community, most of what I hear on 20m rag chewing is like a dose of autism running rampant though a window licker factory. I honestly do not get what the appeal is. But as long as you are happy talking at people, that is all that matters, I wont tell you to do otherwise. But me, I am looking forward to the CQWW CW contest next weekend, operating 15m on an entirely home brew station. I know home brewing and CW takes much less skill than buying a blackbox to CB with on 20m, to tell someone about the antenna you bought, but I will have fun none the lessWho needs ohms law when we can learn comparative shopping methods on Ebay and Amazon like real hams.

author: p.larner
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 02:12:12 am
content: if i had my way all contests would be banned!,i get pi$$ed off hearing cq contest all over the bands like dogshit on a path!.

author: wn1fju
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 02:39:01 am
content: 30 meters? 17 meters? 12 meters? Not too many contests on those bands. And most of the "big" contests are either CW or SSB, not both. In other words, there are plenty of opportunities for hams who despise contests. There is enough HF spectrum for all hams to enjoy the hobby, regardless of particular interests, without name-calling.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 02:49:10 am
content: Quote from: CaptDon on November 19, 2023, 10:52:07 pmExactly why I never got seriously about ham radio. My father was huge fan of CB radio in the 1960s but I saw the same thing happen to it so I never got involved, since then I've seen the same mentality take over amateur radio too.

author: vk4ffab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 04:43:42 am
content: Quote from: p.larner on November 20, 2023, 02:12:12 amIts only a problem if you only have one mode and one band like a CB'r. I never heard any cq contest on the weekend because I was operating digital. This morning when looking around for something interesting on Phone there were a lot of yanks doing sweepstakes so I chose a band that gave me path into the EU and ignored them, then went and worked a few parks on CW.None of this is rocket surgery of course and other than a couple of contests a year I never have any problems finding space on phone to make a contact or do my own thing. The smaller contests are so easy to avoid they are irrelevant and that is before I use opposite modes to the contests and or warc bands.So, if contests are pissing you off, you really need to up your game and try harder. Lifes to short to whine its not all about me and my QR Pee Pee or being touched on the frequency by the naughty contesters.Quote from: Stray Electron on November 20, 2023, 02:49:10 amI think at times we see things we how we want to see them, rather than how they actually are. Personally I don't know why everyone gets so upset about this stuff, my experience on air is nothing like some of the end of the world scenarios people go on about. The people I talk with regularly are just normal people who speak like normal humans. Mostly I am working WWFF/Pota/SOTA stations etc as well as chasing DX, using all the main modes, Phone,CW and Digital and those people are just enjoying doing their thing to worry to much whats happening on the net or round table.I enjoy the hell out of ham radio and what others enjoy doing does not effect me one little bit. My philosophy is the NIKE slogan, Ham Radio: Just Do it. Its only the rag chewers who think their culture war should be televised. No one else actually cares what others are doing.

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 06:48:48 pm
content: Quote from: Stray Electron on November 20, 2023, 02:49:10 amas an observer or listener of both amateur and professional radio,did the CB radio thing back in the day. but car audio & girlfriends got the better of me.so never advanced into amateur radio with its rights rules regulations and responsibilities.hearing Asian broadcast stations creeping on to 40 meter band. I do wonder how long befor professional radio replaces amateur?the radio spectrum is now valuable real estate. money talks!I prefer the internet over obsolete modes of communication. this forum , case in point .

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 07:21:37 pm
content: Quote from: CaptDon on November 19, 2023, 10:52:07 pmSpoke like a true HAM, indeed.Dude, the large contests are published well in advance and repeat annually at +/- the same dates. If you have a scheduled QSO then why scheduling it during the time when there is one? What about using bands where there are no contests allowed or that are less used? If 20m is open then 17 or 30 might be too, for example.Nobody has a monopoly or reservation rights for a band or frequency.The first point of "The Amateur's Code" by W9EEA says, literally:"The Amateur is Gentlemanly . . . "https://epa-arrl.org/the-amateurs-code/That others don't abide by this code doesn't justify own such behavior.

author: bson
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 21, 2023, 01:09:08 am
content: What really fogs my monocle is the plebs grazing their horses on public land! Outrageous! It was never intended to be public for this purpose!

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2023, 01:43:18 am
content: Quote from: janoc on November 20, 2023, 07:21:37 pmIndeed! It's outrageous that a bunch of hams are doing something that CaptDon doesn't find interesting!Me, I don't much like contests either, so I don't participate in them. But more power to those who do.-Paul / WB6CXC

author: Professzore
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2023, 06:02:52 pm
content: Hi,20 m is generally my favorite band. Whenever I switch on, there are at least a couple of ongoing QSOs, in nearly all modes (SSB, CW, RTTY, digital). Of course, propagation may change over the day, but who cares... Ham radio is fun.If you feel alone, start calling CQ. As long as you're not calling from Russia, someone will come back within an acceptable time. Usually within a couple of minutes.So, honestly, I can't get your problem at all. From my viewpoint, you're going to act something likeDon Quixote de la Mancha... May work, but... The hard way.All the best and 73!

author: Hamelec
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 04:07:37 pm
content: ...and what the hell is all this doing here in an electronics forum?

author: boB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 04:13:27 pm
content: Maybe we should have a 20 meter EEVblog net once in a while ?boB

author: vk4ffab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 08:36:07 pm
content: Quote from: boB on November 22, 2023, 04:13:27 pmI dont know about a net, but, I am active enough most weeks that I could be found if anyone wanted to have a chat with the ultra non rare entity of AustraliaQuote from: Hamelec on November 22, 2023, 04:07:37 pmIts quite simple really, old people like to televise their culture wars on everything. We should be thankful that these drive by troll whine threads are rare here rather than the 5 a day you get in other ham based forums and social media. If there is one thing that you can count on from hams, is that they spend a lot of money on commercial gear to pretend to be the reincarnation of Marconi with the other autistic and social retards with nothing to add, who think talking at people is the pinnacle of human evolution.

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 09:56:14 pm
content: Hamelec, well it's here because this is the Microwave/Ham Radio forum. Yes, I also enjoy C.W. and am sad they dropped the testing requirement. Now rant over that a while. Having a code requirement doesn't keep dumb asses from operating on the bands but it helped and there is no danger in learning code as it can come in handy for non-radio use. Although my current on-air rig is a store bought Kenwood I bought it as a dead lightning struck unit and repaired it. Does that make me an 'appliance operator'. My amplifier is 100% home brew built during my career as a licensed broadcast engineer prior to the G.R.O.L. bullshit where the Firsts and the Seconds were issued the same license at renewal. At least my First converted to G.R.O.L. is grandfathered in for life (along with the endorsements). Not forcing my will on anyone. I share the bandspace and move away from QSO's already in progress as well as calling "Q.R.Z. is this frequency in use" prior to calling C.Q. as I may not be able to hear both ends of a QSO in progress. Well, contest away then and remember like in motorsports, you'll never outgun the cheaters. Yes, I frequented the C.B. ranks and used it extensively during the years I made a living being a professional steering wheel holder. Mentored several 'C.B. folks' and they got their licenses when you had to drive to Baltimore and test with Bette Taub!! Definately no 'give-aways' there!!!