Message-ID: <001301c0e44e$0d5f3820$5f41073e@dave>
From: "Dave Sergeant" <dsergeant@btinternet.com>
To: "rsgb_lf_group" <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
References: <3B0BB5D0.31147.4572B0@localhost>
Subject: LF: Re: Beacons, contests?
Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 13:21:57 +0100
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>From Dave G3YMC

Just a few more comments!

Although activity is low during the day there is rather more than you imagine.  I
monitor the band every day all day, and there are a number of stations - G8RW, G6RO,
G3OLB, G6NB, G8IK and others - who are frequently active and in QSO.  When I have
time between my repairs I am sometimes on as well.  However there is nothing like the
amount of activity there was a year ago, when G3KEV, G3GRO, G3KAU etc were very
active - and G3AQC!  At this location there is often more activity in the day than
during the so called active times of Saturday and Sunday am.  What I do miss is
activity in the early mornings - 0600-0700 - which is a time I can normally be on.

I have a normal (Yaesu) 350Hz CW filter, typical of what a keen hf cw operator would
have.  Not having the steeper slopes of the latest rigs I find it sometimes hard to
find a clear spot in busy times (when they do occur that is!), and being one of the
weaker signals find calling CQ at those times rather pointless - I have to content
myself in working the big stations.  Particularly in the winter months when CFH is
booming in on 137 and there is slow cw beaconing just below 136 there is not much
band left!

The amateur who has a quick listen on a bit of string and a deaf receiver will indeed
hear a few stations, but if we are to develop their interest we need to whet their
appetites.  Slow cw beacons and Wolf mean nothing to them, they need to hear normal
cw, and realise that these stations are working stuff they cannot hear to get them to
delve deeper.  Activity periods certainly will do that, but I cannot see a 599001
style contest will work in our narrow band.  Perhaps we ought to try it to prove me
wrong!!

73s Dave G3YMC
dsergeant@btinternet.com
dsergeant@iee.org
http://www.dsergeant.btinternet.co.uk