2003 ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW)
11/08/2003 |
WB8RFB
It was a bit rough going this year with the solar flare on Sunday, elusive sections that I never contacted, and some real CW speed demons with the "pedal to the metal", but fun nonetheless.
Is it my perception (or my advancing age and sore ears) that CW speeds are creeping up each year? With the advent of computerized logging and transmission, it seems that machines are doing more of the work.
I'm not against that as I use a computer to log and check for dupes too, but it won't be long before all we do is sit back and watch adaptive software do everything for us. That will be fun for some, but not for me. I'm not in SS to win as much as I am to try and improve my CW skills. But it's a nice contest that offers some sort of challenge for everyone.
Whether its to win outright, or just beat last year's score or to achieve a clean sweep, we all have our niche in SS. I'm still trying for a clean sweep but fell short by 5 or so sections this year. Just didn't hear them at all. 10 meters was dead, 15 produced just a few QSO's and 40/20/80 meters were the most productive for me in that order.
The most enjoyment I had was working the QRP stations as they sure tried hard to get all of the elements of a complete contact sent. I'm seriously contemplating trying that mode in future years to see what I can achieve.
SS CW draws a unique blend of operators and in our individual way, we all seem to be drawn back to it. Thanks to all who shared a contact with me. See you guys and gal's again next year! -- WB8RFB
Is it my perception (or my advancing age and sore ears) that CW speeds are creeping up each year? With the advent of computerized logging and transmission, it seems that machines are doing more of the work.
I'm not against that as I use a computer to log and check for dupes too, but it won't be long before all we do is sit back and watch adaptive software do everything for us. That will be fun for some, but not for me. I'm not in SS to win as much as I am to try and improve my CW skills. But it's a nice contest that offers some sort of challenge for everyone.
Whether its to win outright, or just beat last year's score or to achieve a clean sweep, we all have our niche in SS. I'm still trying for a clean sweep but fell short by 5 or so sections this year. Just didn't hear them at all. 10 meters was dead, 15 produced just a few QSO's and 40/20/80 meters were the most productive for me in that order.
The most enjoyment I had was working the QRP stations as they sure tried hard to get all of the elements of a complete contact sent. I'm seriously contemplating trying that mode in future years to see what I can achieve.
SS CW draws a unique blend of operators and in our individual way, we all seem to be drawn back to it. Thanks to all who shared a contact with me. See you guys and gal's again next year! -- WB8RFB
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