You can tell it's not a major contest weekend.

[KJ3N]

I'm appalled at the lack of activity on 10m. 15m, 17m, and 20m seem to be light as well. If it wasn't for the RAC contest, the bands would be pretty dead.

So, who's near a radio today?

[N8YX]

So, who's near a radio today?

Me, albeit with a soldering iron. Currently modding a couple R7000s and an R71.

[KG4CGC]

Christmas Party at the tobacconist. Photographing.

[K7SGJ]

I've been calling a friend of mine on 10, and can't belive how dead it is. Other than a few cw stations. Oh yeah, and a shitload of beacons that never answer my call. Bastids

[WX7P]

I've been calling a friend of mine on 10, and can't belive how dead it is. Other than a few cw stations. Oh yeah, and a shitload of beacons that never answer my call. Bastids
:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

[KC9ECI]

Haven't turned a radio on in at least 48 hours. I get a little radio shy about this time of the year. With the CQ WW and ARRL SS and a couple more in the log now, it's time to take a break. I'll get more active as SKN approaches.

[W2NAP]

all i can do is rx......

doing my nightly listening to 3913

[N8YX]

all i can do is rx......

doing my nightly listening to 3913

3910.

Amusing who shows up there from time to time.

Also listening to a local net on 28337.

[NQ6U]

I'm appalled at the lack of activity on 10m. 15m, 17m, and 20m seem to be light as well. If it wasn't for the RAC contest, the bands would be pretty dead.

Yeah, which is why the guys who gripe about contests tick me off with their "they jam up the bands" BS. Contests are about the only time the bands really are used to full capacity.

[K7SGJ]

Yeah, which is why the guys who gripe about contests tick me off with their "they jam up the bands" BS. Contests are about the only time the bands really are used to full capacity.

And not even then, really. Even during contests, I can find lots of room to ragchew. It's always the same ones griping, too. Their banter is getting tiresome. Bastids

[WX7P]

Yeah, which is why the guys who gripe about contests tick me off with their "they jam up the bands" BS. Contests are about the only time the bands really are used to full capacity.

You betcha, Carlisimo.

Anyone with a brain can see through the contest bashing. If they were real hams, they'd listen to what the band sounds like during contest and recognize the bands may not be "dead" just because there's no one on.

I picked up on that early in my ham career, which is why I love contests.

[n2ize]

Contests don't interest me, but I don't hate them. If people enjoy contesting then so be it. I tend to think the people who piss and moan about contests the most are those who have probably met up with bad contest operators. Such as those who may simply key up and start calling "cq contest" over an existing QSO. Then they generalize that "all contesters" are bad operators. Also, some guys feel offended because their "regular frequency", the frequency where they meet, is filled with people calling "cq-contest". They feel as if their space had been violated by that evil contesters. Then they piss and moan,

My approach to contests,I don't participate because they don't generally interest me. If I turn on a radio and the bands seem filled with contesters I might try to find a quiet spot to operate if "my favorite frequency" is occupied. If there is no quiet spot to be found or to suit my style of operation I may simply turn off the radio and do something else. Or upgrade my licence so I can operate on a wider range of frequencies. The last thing I am going to do is piss and moan because, 1) I don;t own or have exclusive rights to any band or frequency, 2) Those who do enjoy contesting have just as much right to operate as those of us who prefer other types of operations, 3) Contests are not going away regardless of whether or not I enjoy them, 4) Pissing and moaning about contests makes as much sense as pissing and moaning about static crashes or bad band conditions...it accomplishes nothing, 5) There are other things that I can do besides radio.