Assclownery on 10 meters

[Dr. Detroit]

Esteemed Islanders,

I love 10 meters, and I regard it as one of the great natural wonders of the universe. It's a DX paradise, the gates of which fully open only once every 10 or 11 years. So -- I don't understand the baffling behavior of the 10-10 crowd. When there's exotic DX pouring in every 5 KHz, what is the attraction of exchanging a serial number with Bubba 4 states away?

Imagine being in a remote forest preserve where a rare and beautiful bird species lands once every ten years. You're there as they descend. Would you fuck up the environment by assclowning with the guy next to you?

Now, I am not like a certain infamous ham on this island who openly expresses a visceral hatred of a whole category of his fellow amateurs (contesters). I am always polite to the 10-10 folks, and even feel guilty sometimes when I don't have a 10-10 number to offer them. And I will defend their right to use the band as they please. But I just don't get 10-10.

Do you?

[WX7P]

I concur, good Doctor.

I've never gotten the 10-10 club and the exchanging numbers thingy.

I don't know for sure, but I think the whole 10-10 concept was started to stimulate activity on the band. If that was the intent, it has worked.

[W3WN]

10-10 (or 10 Ten or 10 X or whatever) is another example of what was originally a good idea -- a means to promote activity on 10 meters -- that's gone off the rails.

Granted, not everyone is into working DX. But this obsession with a number...

I picked up a 10-10 number many, many moons ago. It seemed at first like a fun idea. I quickly learned that this obsession with numbers... well, it's not for me.

[NQ6U]

The 10-10ers don't bother me, other than the single episode where one of them QRMed me during a fairly long QSO I was having with a JA station. Once he got that station's number, though, he left us alone.

[WØTKX]

I just apologize that I don't have a 10-10 number, and when pressed to get one, I deflect the inquiries. This year, as 10 meters has been opening up a bit more, I find myself working AM way up on 29.05 or so. Like most, I find 10 to be a real hoot when it's open.

[N8YX]

You're close enough to Akron that you should make all attempts to avoid 28.337. That's our local zoo.

[N2CHX]

Two solar cycles ago, I remember driving down I-90 between Buffalo and Rochester in my Chevy Cavalier with its Holy Floorboards, talking to France on an HTX-100 with a mag-mount antenna. I think we talked for about 15 minutes or more. It was pretty cool. I think I've had one other DX contact in my lifetime and that was again, 10 meters to Brazil or something, around that same time.

[NY4Q]

I have a 10-10 number and helped form a local chapter for a friend of mine who is now a silent key. When he got sick we "gave" the chapter to another feller and I randomly help him with software issues that may arise.

I give out the numbers when asked, but I don't "chase" them. Matter of a fact, I'm rarely ever on 10m anymore.

There used to be a lot of locals on 10m, but they all quit or have gone SK.

[KB3LAZ]

There used to be a lot of locals on 10m, but they all quit or have gone SK.

Pretty much the same in my area. When I was still state side I did get on 10m every morning before work or class for about an hour. The older fellas would stay there for 3-5 hours (normally only in the fall and winter time). However, what started off as about a group of 25 locals (10 or so on at a time normally) withered to about 5 total. Mostly due to them becoming SK but a few moved to 2m ssb (where I still chatted with them now and again).

Sadly, it is not just 10 that the local activity has died down on but also 6m/2m/70cm but that seems to be an issue that is not unique to my region.

As for 10-10 numbers, I do not have one. Im not really into numbers, dx, paper, etc. However, I have no issue with those that are interested in such things.

[W3WN]

< snip >
There used to be a lot of locals on 10m, but they all quit or have gone SK.

I hear you. This area used to be a hotbed of 10 meter activity. Not today.

The current crop of Breezeshooters openly wonder why they still meet on 28.485 MHz SSB every Monday night. The few OF's and OT's who date back to 29.000 MHz AM are dropping like flies -- if they're not SK then they're off the air for the most part anyway.

I think W4NQA (ex KA3NQA) & I are are the last two Ghosts still alive. Used to be a small cadre of 10 M AM'ers who'd ragchew after midnight... join them for a half hour, and you became a Ghost. Herb WB3ERQ, if I'm recalling his call right, signed my certificate. I think just about all of them are now SK's.