So who else is lookig forward to the ARRL 10 meter contest this year?

[W4HIJ]

I am, big time.  Quite a few years ago, it was my first ever contest.  To this day I'm not a serious contest guy, I play around in quite a few but something about the 10 meter contest has always been special to me. Maybe it's that I actually won first place in the Georgia section one year!  I was under "multi operator" because the rules then specified I had to if I was using spotting assistance. I worked the contest just doing search and pounce and not really trying hard and dutifully sent in my log. Imagine my surprise when a contest award showed up in the mail sometime later! I joked with my XYL that I must have been the only guy in Georgia who worked the contest and bothered to submit a log! HI HI... I really do believe that might be true!
Anyway, something has always seem to come up the past few years, either I'm between rigs or something else takes up my time that weekend but I've already served notice to the XYL and family that this year that weekend is reserved! As good as 10 has been lately in the CQ and SS I can't wait!
73,
Michael, W4HIJ

[W9KDX]

I don't enter the contests but I answer and it is a great way for me to get comfortable on the air and to find out jus how far I can reach.  This weekend's ARRL contest got me 15 new states and the world wide contest a while ago helped me reach countries I thought were out of range as well as a few very remote islands.

I am crossing my fingers hoping that 10 doesn't close down like it has been a few times the last 2 weeks.  This last weekend everything was 20 meters.

 

[W4HIJ]

I don't enter the contests but I answer and it is a great way for me to get comfortable on the air and to find out jus how far I can reach.  This weekend's ARRL contest got me 15 new states and the world wide contest a while ago helped me reach countries I thought were out of range as well as a few very remote islands.

I am crossing my fingers hoping that 10 doesn't close down like it has been a few times the last 2 weeks.  This last weekend everything was 20 meters.

 

If keeping a log and submitting it is considered "entering" a contest then yes, I enter them. But, I'm no hardcore contest guy, I do it strictly for fun and to work on my WAS and DXCC awards. Sounds like you and I are similar. I may have a bit more experience is all. You should consider keeping a log of your contest contacts and submitting it. You don't have to be trying to win anything or be really serious about it. I only made 21 contacts in the Sweepstakes before I decided it wasn't really my cup of tea but I still plan on submitting my log. 10 meters was somewhat open when I was operating.
 BTW, my win  in the Georgia section years ago was definitely a fluke, I looked it up and there was only one other guy in my section who submitted a log in my entry category and power class that year. I beat him by about 300 points and neither one of us even cracked 1000!!!  Still got that thing framed on my wall though! LOL!!!
73,
Michael, W4HIJ

[KE4YOG]

I will be here and there this weekend. If I can go deer hunting I will not be on much otherwise I may be around more to give others a contact. Might submit my log. I like contest to give me a chance to get better. Also that is the way I worked Australia the first time. About as far from me as I can get.

[K3TN]

I enjoy contesting, and when 10m is open the 10m contest is loads of fun. The past few years it has been more like a VHF contest, but this year it should be a blast. During the CQ WW SSB contest, 10m had DX from 28.300 to 29.000, at times coming from 360 degrees.

I'm also looking forward to some short skip or backscatter to fill in my last 7 states for LotW WAS on 10m!

John K3TN

[K4FX]

Man oh man, am I ever looking forward to it. It is a blast even when the conditions are bad, but with the improved band conditions, we will be in for some good times.

I have to say this contest is in the top 2 or 3 for me. I love RTTY contesting, that is what got me into contesting to start with. but there is something very special about the ARRL 10m......

I will be looking for you all there!!

73

Bill K4FX

[WW3QB]

I have to say this contest is in the top 2 or 3 for me. I love RTTY contesting, that is what got me into contesting to start with. but there is something very special about the ARRL 10m......

There is a new 10m RTTY contesting on Dec. 4.    http://www.rttycontesting.com/the10meterrttycontest/rules.html

[AH6RR]

I have to say this contest is in the top 2 or 3 for me. I love RTTY contesting, that is what got me into contesting to start with. but there is something very special about the ARRL 10m......

There is a new 10m RTTY contesting on Dec. 4.    http://www.rttycontesting.com/the10meterrttycontest/rules.html

Thanks for the tip on the 10M RTTY contest and as for the ARRL 10M contest will see you there.
AH6RR

[AE5X]

I am, big time.  

I am too, medium time ;-)

Conditions ought to make it more fun than running barefoot through an acre of titties. I started construction this evening on a 2 element quad for 10m just for the contest.

John AE5X
http://www.ae5x.com/blog

[KG4NEL]

Should be on for most of it. Hoping to fill as many slots for the 5BWAS as I can, maybe even finish DXCC if the right entities are on.

[W4HIJ]

I had a brain freeze on Thanksgiving day and switched my homebrew 50 watt solid state amp between bands while transmitting on JT-65-HF. Took out a couple of SMD caps which caused power output to be down on all bands but I got it fixed. Contest would have been OK with the 5 watts from my Flex 1500 and I will try to make some QRP contacts but it's still nice the have the amp for a little extra punch.  Of course for some of the ops out there, 50 watts IS QRP!
73,
Michael, W4HIJ

[KD6KWZ]

But, I'm no hardcore contest guy, I do it strictly for fun and to work on my WAS and DXCC awards.

Me too, I don't think can keep up with some people in the Contest, but it does help with eventual DXCC.

[N3QE]

But, I'm no hardcore contest guy, I do it strictly for fun and to work on my WAS and DXCC awards.

That describes 95%+ of the folks in any contest.

If it wasn't for the folks in it for fun, the folks in it purely to win wouldn't have many QSO's at all :-)

Tim.

[W4HIJ]

I've been doing them for fun for awhile now and I'm always search and pounce. I have yet to sit on a frequency and call CQ and run through a bunch of ops calling me. I don't know if I'd ever get the hang of that.  Even with computer logging, I don't know if I can type calls in that fast! Guys would grow impatient waiting on my book keeping! My main reason for participation in contest is that it helps me chase awards. Not a big time paper chaser either but the contest are where I seem to get the most confirmations, especially when it comes to LOTW which is my preferred method of confirmation.
Michael, W4HIJ

[N3QE]

I've been doing them for fun for awhile now and I'm always search and pounce. I have yet to sit on a frequency and call CQ and run through a bunch of ops calling me. I don't know if I'd ever get the hang of that.

Oh, you definitely can but you're right it's a slightly different skillset than just pure S&P. Try the NAQCC sprint for practice, then the NAQP's, then the ARRL sweepstakes and other domestic contests. Usually there will be zero or one guys responding to your CQ, but occasionally you'll get 2 or 3 or 4 and have to sort through them and you will build up some skill getting the one you want to send his call in the clear.

Tim.