ke9v.net

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Micro Burst Contesting

Posted: 11 May 2016 01:41 PM PDT
https://ke9v.net/2016/05/11/micro-burst-contesting/


Like a lot of hams, I enjoy radio contesting. But Im a little pistol, not a
big gun. Ill never be in the top ten of any major effort and that causes me
no consternation. Im a casual operator and use contests as opportunities to
make incremental improvements in my station and operating techniques.

But being a casual contest operator isnt the only reason for my typically
anemic scores.

I simply wont allocate unlimited time to these efforts. In a weekend long
event, I might spend two hours. In a one-day QSO party, I might only spend
thirty minutes.

Contest journals and blogs brim with hints and tips to enable radio
operators to increase their chair time. Given that our hobby is a sedentary
one by nature, coming up with new methods for spending more time firmly
planted in a chair seems more a recipe for a fat-ass and an early grave.

So I take contesting in smaller doses. It better fits my lifestyle and Ive
come to call this form of operation MICRO-BURST contesting. I happen to
think it could be the next NEW thing in the radiosport world.

Every one of us lament the lack of time to do things anymore, even though
we still have the same number of hours in a day that our ancestors had.
Face it, life is getting busier with each passing year and I dont know
anyone with enough spare time to play in radio contests full-time every
weekend except those long retired.

If you avoid contesting because you dont always have the time to put in a
decent effort, Id encourage you to give MICRO-BURST contesting a try. It
would be nice to see contest sponsors get on-board and offer categories
like top scores in the less than one-hour category or something similar.

That way, a fellow could approach a big contest weekend by carefully
planning what single hour (or other interval) he wants to jump into the
fray, and then jump out while theres still time to mow the lawn, take the
dog for a walk, and the XYL to dinner.

Trust me on this, when it comes to radio contesting, the future is all
about two-hour sprints.

No one has time for anything longer.