ARRL DX

[W3WN]

Place your bets, place your bets!

When will the whining about ARRL DX CW (this weekend) start... on other forums

When will the whining about ARRL DX SSB (2 weekends later) start... on other forums

You need to pick the date, time (within an hour, UTC clock of course); the forum chosen for whining (moves by mods not withstanding); and the over/under on post count. Oh, and as a bonus, when does the Frozen One and/or the Chosen One chime in? To say nothing of He Who Makes Silly Videos, our favorite maritime reptile, and the rest of the usual suspects?

Place your bets, place your bets!

[KJ3N]

There will be no whining over the CW contest. Only SSB contests cause Butt Hurt.

[ad4mg]

There will be no whining over the CW contest. Only SSB contests cause Butt Hurt.

RTTY contests seem to hold power over many as well... ;)

[KJ3N]

RTTY contests seem to hold power over many as well... ;)

Having played in the RTTY last weekend, I find it hard to believe a good bit of that whining. :roll:

On 10, 15, and 20 I heard no RTTY signals below .079. If I were to guess, it might have been 40m (there's a surprise... NOT) and 80m that probably got someone all cry-baby. Still, I heard no RTTY below 7.035 and 3.550. I'd guess the QRP and PSK people on those 2 bands were pretty Butt Hurt.

".... you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself."

[WN9HJW]

That is just so insensitive to all those hams out there who can't do WARC bands and their VFOs are rusted in place and have such incredibly busy lives that next weekend was the ONLY weekend all year that they had time to operate.

[W3WN]

There will be no whining over the CW contest. Only SSB contests cause Butt Hurt.Au contraire.

There WILL be whining.

There SHOULDN'T be. But there WILL be.

Let's see..

I predict there will be at least 3 threads about digital signals being over run by CW, how dare those inconsiderate CW contesters operate in the exclusive digital bands which are theirs by divine right, or something.

There will be at least 2 threads complaining about those inconsiderate CW contesters who are wiping out the W1AW/6 and W1AW/9 stations, never mind that those ops may themselves be making a few Q's.

There will be at least 1 thread insisting that there are CW contesters on at least one of the WARC bands. Because why else would you hear a lot of CW on those bands, right?

50/50 that there will be at least 1 thread complaining about W1AW bulletins & code practice either being wiped out, or not being present at all.

Have I missed anything? (I'm sure I have)

Now, come the phone weekend, in 2 weeks, we'll read all those, and more, about how the Gout, Hemorrhoid & Lumbago Net was wiped out by the inconsiderate... and so forth, but those whines are usually (but not always) limited to the Phone weekends only.

[n0iu]

I predict there will be at least 3 threads about digital signals being over run by CW, how dare those inconsiderate CW contesters operate in the exclusive digital bands which are theirs by divine right, or something.

I predict that these 3 threads will be from JT65 users.

[NQ6U]

I predict that these 3 threads will be from JT65 users.

And it will take them a couple of hours to post them.

[n0iu]

Here, I fixed it for you!


And it will ONLY take them a couple of hours to post them.

And heaven forbid, do NOT tell a JT65'er to check the contest schedule or this is the response you will get:


As such, yes I should be able to operate when *I* want to, not at the whim of a contest schedule. What if the only time I have to operate happens to be on that day/weekend?

We want to operate when we want to operate, you cannot tell someone when and when they cannot operate or call them "greedy" in all fairness and expect someone to pre-check for any sort of band activity be it contests, nets etc.

(Callsign removed to protect the stupid!)

[KJ3N]

(Callsign removed to protect the stupid!)

I'm always in favor of exposing Teh Stoopid whenever possible.

[W3WN]

(Callsign removed to protect the stupid!)If said induhvidual doesn't like being quoted... and he really said that... tough.

[n0iu]

I'm always in favor of exposing Teh Stoopid whenever possible.

What the hell...


As such, yes I should be able to operate when *I* want to, not at the whim of a contest schedule. What if the only time I have to operate happens to be on that day/weekend?

We want to operate when we want to operate, you cannot tell someone when and when they cannot operate or call them "greedy" in all fairness and expect someone to pre-check for any sort of band activity be it contests, nets etc.


The whole thread is here: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?419944-Common-Sence-Operating-In-Digital-Modes-Gone. That quote just a snip from his post which is #14.

The this thread was spawned by KJ6RKZ as a spin-off from this thread: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?418882-RTTY-Roundup-this-Weekend-QRV. KJ6RKZ chimes in at post #22 in which he said:


OK here is my gripe... I have nothing against contesting except when it comes to the RTTY Operators they don't have any respect to Operators in other Modes, case in point I was trying to work JT65 on 21.076 this afternoon but was unable to do anything due to inconsiderate RTTY Ops Not caring about the fellow operators they were interfering with. Despite my best to inform them they were interfering and ask nicely to QSY, most just kept right on working on top of myself and many other operators trying to work each other. What happened to following Band Plans and observing where other Modes operate?
I guess The Code of Conduct gets tossed to the wayside with RTTY Operators during event weekends being as they just start sending anywhere on the band that they want not caring for there fellow operators using a small part of a band.

To which I responded:


Not this load of crap again! Jeez! I do not condone rude behavior by contest operators and I am not saying that what they did was right, but....

Let's start out with the RTTY contest calendar for this year (according to WA7BNM's Contest Calendar) :
1) RTTY Roundup January 4-5
2) BARTG RTTY Contest January 25-26
3) Mexico RTTY International RTTY Contest February 1-2
4) CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest February 8-9
5) North America QSO Party RTTY February 22-23
6) BARTG HF RTTY Contest March 15-17
7) SP SX RTTY Contest April 26-27
8 ) Volta WW RTTY Contest May 10-11
9) DL DX RTTY Contest July 5-6
10) DMC RTTY Contest July 19-20
11) North America QSO Party RTTY July 19-201
12) SARTG WW RTTY Contest August 16-17
13) SCC RTTY Championship August 30-31
14) CQ Worldwide DX RTTY Contest September 27-28
15) Makrothen RTTY Contest October 11-12
16) WAE DX RTTY Contest November 8-9

There are also 2 Sprints, one on March 9 and one on October 12, but they are only 4 hours long so I am not counting them in the total.

So now let's do the math. There are 52 weekends in the year. There are 16 RTTY contests during the year. That leaves 36 weekends when there are no RTTY contests at all. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. Zilch.

And let's look at it another way. There is a RTTY contest on a little over 30% of the available weekends in the year which means that there are just under 70% of the available weekends when there are no RTTY contests.

The bottom line is that there isn't enough bandwidth for everyone to get on the air at the same time. We have to share. Sharing usually means that I get half of something and you get the other half. But as you can see, you get nearly 70% of the available weekends to pursue your interests and RTTY contesters only get about 30% to pursue their interests. You get the lion's share of the weekends and yet this still isn't enough for you! You don't get every weekend to pursue your interests. You have to share. Sometimes you have to do something else besides make JT65 contacts.

If you want to get mad at someone, it shouldn't be the RTTY contesters. You should be mad at the person who told you that you would be able to get on the air and make JT65 contacts on any band any time you wanted. THEY LIED TO YOU!!!

Do yourself, and us, a favor. Make a note of those weekends when there is a RTTY contest and do something else. Use another mode or use another band or just shut the radio off entirely. Contesters have just as much right to the bands as you! We don't want to hear you whine about how your rights are being trampled on 15 more times this year!

Of course he still maintains that he is "sharing" the bands even though he expects to be able to get on JT65 any time he wants and expects everyone else to work around him!

[K7SGJ]

It sure seems that the favorite contests for many hams, has become pissing contests. I can not believe, that with the number of active hams, and the amount of spectrum availabe, that this kind of BS continues. Some of these spoiled little momma-baby-sucka-tits need to get a life.

It's not like we all have to exist on 23 channels.

[KJ3N]

When will the whining about ARRL DX CW (this weekend) start... on other forums

Still waiting for the first bitchfest. So far, I haven't seen it.

[W3WN]

It sure seems that the favorite contests for many hams, has become pissing contests. I can not believe, that with the number of active hams, and the amount of spectrum availabe, that this kind of BS continues. Some of these spoiled little momma-baby-sucka-tits need to get a life.

It's not like we all have to exist on 23 channels.Sometimes I wonder if some of these induhviduals remember that.

I also wonder how many of these whiners actually do get on the air, despite what they're posting.

[NQ6U]

Still waiting for the first bitchfest. So far, I haven't seen it.

Contests are da ebil. Contesters are pigs.

Happy now?

[W3WN]

Contests are da ebil. Contesters are pigs.

Happy now?Thanks. We needed that.

But the expecting kvetching was... well, not on this site.

[KJ3N]

Thanks. We needed that.

But the expecting kvetching was... well, not on this site.

So where was it? I didn't notice anything on QRDead.

[W3WN]

So where was it? I didn't notice anything on QRDead.http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?425166-ARRL-DX-CW

K8JD gets the first, and so far only, official kvetch, at Post # 7

I should have expected that. After all, this was the putz who told me that I had no business working a K3Y special event station, as this was for SKCC members only.

[KJ3N]

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?425166-ARRL-DX-CW

K8JD gets the first, and so far only, official kvetch, at Post # 7

I should have expected that. After all, this was the putz who told me that I had no business working a K3Y special event station, as this was for SKCC members only.

A single post by a putz? Hardly a pimple on a flea.

Wait until the SSB contest. Then you'll see some real whining.

[W3WN]

A single post by a putz? Hardly a pimple on a flea.

Wait until the SSB contest. Then you'll see some real whining.I know. But, technically, the putz does qualify -- just -- as the official first kvetch.

The only other thing I've seen that came close was this thread: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?425163-ARRL-Intl-DX-CW-power-level-reports

However, I don't classify the original request as "whining", just a question from someone unfamiliar with cut numbers who wasn't positive that "NN" meant "99" -- and why.

[KJ3N]

Sorry, but if that's the best you've got for "kvetching" about a CW contest, I'm not even remotely impressed. Doesn't qualify, in my book.

Classic meltdowns such as these...

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?222983-Another-Contest-Weekend-Another-Weekend-Trashed

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?180426-CQ-Contesters-and-there-Malisicious-interference

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?242616-Contesting-on-14-230MHz-SSTV

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?226601-Contest-Haters-Arise!!!

... happen nearly each and every weekend there's an SSB contest.

Meltdowns over CW contests are few and far between. Here's one of the few: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?250286-WORLD-WIDE-CONTEST-CHAOS

For every single kvetch about a CW contest, I'll bet I can find 10-15 about SSB contests.

[K7SGJ]

Sorry, but if that's the best you've got for "kvetching" about a CW contest, I'm not even remotely impressed. Doesn't qualify, in my book.

Classic meltdowns such as these...

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?222983-Another-Contest-Weekend-Another-Weekend-Trashed

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?180426-CQ-Contesters-and-there-Malisicious-interference

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?242616-Contesting-on-14-230MHz-SSTV

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?226601-Contest-Haters-Arise!!!

... happen nearly each and every weekend there's an SSB contest.

Meltdowns over CW contests are few and far between. Here's one of the few: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?250286-WORLD-WIDE-CONTEST-CHAOS

For every single kvetch about a CW contest, I'll bet I can find 10-15 about SSB contests.

Those were some classic bitchfests. I always thought these people should be awarded a "special" frequency (just one) to use during contests.

[NQ6U]

I always thought these people should be awarded a "special" frequency (just one) to use during contests.

I'd recommend 27.085 MHz.

[W3WN]

Sorry, but if that's the best you've got for "kvetching" about a CW contest, I'm not even remotely impressed. Doesn't qualify, in my book.

Classic meltdowns such as these...

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?222983-Another-Contest-Weekend-Another-Weekend-Trashed

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?180426-CQ-Contesters-and-there-Malisicious-interference

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?242616-Contesting-on-14-230MHz-SSTV

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?226601-Contest-Haters-Arise!!!

... happen nearly each and every weekend there's an SSB contest.

Meltdowns over CW contests are few and far between. Here's one of the few: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?250286-WORLD-WIDE-CONTEST-CHAOS

For every single kvetch about a CW contest, I'll bet I can find 10-15 about SSB contests.You're confusing "quality" with "quantity"

No argument that there have been some classic melt-downs over the various SSB contests, and by comparison, barely a soon-to-be-airbrushed-out minor pimple on a nude model's buttock for CW.

But... that's why I said that this "barely" qualifies. That said, we'll see what (if anything) the usual suspects chime in about.

And even so... you gotta admit, it's sad, but hilarious, that EVERY SINGLE YEAR, the same people running the same nets and ragchew roundatabless (etc) make the same complaints on the same contest weekends.

[ rhetorical questions ]
How can they NOT know that three weekends a year (1st March, Last March, Last October) there is a major, worldwide DX contest on SSB? Plus two big domestic contests (Field Day... yes, I know it's not officially a contest, just an operating event... and Sweepstakes) and a 24 hour blip in a mid July weekend for IARU
How can they NOT know that hams who have no idea their little group or service net exists will use "their" frequency when they don't hear anything on it?
How can they NOT know that by now, they can AND SHOULD make contingency plans to QSY to a less crowded band?
[ / rhetorical questions ]

No need to answer. The obvious answers have all been beaten to death like the horse they rode in on.

[K7SGJ]

I'd recommend 27.085 MHz.

Uh uh, that's MY frequency.