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Small Station Contesting

Jari Jokiniemi

OH3BU

Contest Club Finland

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Some Math

• Assuming 5000 CQWW participants

• There’s only one winner in SOABHP

• Supposing each winner wins only once

• One has some 50 active contesting years

• => Only 1% of winners in the game– Should you draw some conclusions?

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Big Fish In An Ocean

• Winning CQWW SOABHP

• OH2BH, OH2MM, OH7JT

• Some big fishes are in fact groups: OH2U

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Mid-Size Fish In An Ocean

• The wannabees• Not yet big but not any more small• Fighting hard to eat the other fishes• Being eaten by the big fish if too close• OH1WZ• OH6LI• And many, many others. Please, don’t be offended

if I did not mention you here.

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Small Fish In An Ocean

• The great masses

• Food for the big fish

• Probably having quite happy lives without much ups or downs. What can a small fish expect? A palace and seven maids or conquering the world or what?

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A Warning

• Don’t be fooled by the big fishes!• They want to eat you• They want you to play by their rules• So that they win• And you’re going to lose

• But they can’t live without the small fishes – who else would be at the other end of the pile up

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Your LimitationsOr Why You Won’t Be A Big Fish In An Ocean

• Money• Time• Family duties• Power• Pileup management skills• Physical endurance• Other hobbies• Etc.

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So What Are Your Conclusions?

• You still want be the best of them all?

• You give up?

• You just make the others happy?

• You break the rules?

• You invent your own contest?

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What About

Big Fish In A Small Pond• The topic of today• The SMALL STATION CONTESTING concept• Or how to survive when you don’t have three towers

and big linear amplifiers • Happiness without winning the CQWW SOABHP• Originally published in PileUP 4/2001• Subsequently published in CQ Contest• Now revealed to you by the Contest Club Finland• Successfully deployed by many unknown contesters

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Set Your Targets= Why Are You Doing This

• To get new DXCC entities / IOTA islands• To run pileups• To enjoy listening to the bands• To hone your skills• To escape the lonely nights• To belong to the great group of contesters• To win in your own way• To .... whatever• BE REALISTIC (=accept your limitations)

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Study Your CompetitionTo Find Opportunities

• You may be weak• But your competition may be even weaker• If you just find the right competition

– Area: World/Europe/Finland/Your neighborhood– Class: AB, SB, MM, Assisted, QRP

• Select a competition that you can win• Read the rules

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Find Your Own Pond(= Contest + Class)

• Antennas? => 10 m mono yagi => SOSB10• Activity? => TS40• Weak scores => Assisted• Propagation advantage => OH / SOSB20• Unpopular activity => SAC QRP• Something very different => RSGB21/28• Less congested mode => RTTY• DXCC score up => Assisted AB

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What To Expect In Your Pond

• Low Power, 60 is a good rate• QRP, 30 is a good rate• SAC QRP, you might win with only 100 Q• 20Assisted, 1000 Q OK• 40CWAssisted, Caribbean is your backyard• 40SSB / 3 el / kW, you’ll suffer• 160SSB / GP/ kW, you obviously like suffering• 160SSB / QRP, the ultimate in suffering• Study the results

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Create An Advantage

• 3 el vertical for 80• 2 x 4 o 4 o 4 for 20• WPX TS10, 6 el mono yagi + interlaced dipoles

for 15/20• WPX TS20, 6 el mono yagi + interlaced dipoles

for 10/15• WPX TS40, a dipole at 42 meters• Small scale pedition, IG9+GP80, PJ7+3el10• Guest operating

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Sample 1JARL web

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Sample 2Scandinavian Activity Contest 2001 SSB, SM3CER Contest Service

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Sample 3Scandinavian Activity Contest 2001 SSB, SM3CER Contest Service

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Sample 4JIDX 2003 CW

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Your Own GameCQWW OH Record data by CCF WEB

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The Surprise Attack

• Do what the others don’t do

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