I'm a heretic! I participated in a contest.

[RichardSinFWTX]

Amen!

[Archangel320420]

WOW. This thread has got legs all of sudden. I say why not have a QRP CW rig, a hand held VHF UHF transceiver, a mobile HF rig, A QRO HF rig all modes at the house, a gasoline/propane/kerosene/diesel/coal/water fall powered generator, a battery system, solar power charging, wind power, firearms and training, food, water, BOB, gardens, livestock, cooking equipment, alternative heat for home other than electric, children's games stored away to keep them entertained, and mega amounts of time to organize all the neighbors and your friends into a mutual protection society. We can have it all. We can have it all if God grants us the wisdom and money $$$'s to do it!  Right? :)  Lets face it. This Prepping business is hard work. At least this group is thinking of such things before something happens.

As for contesters. I do not wish them any harm. They only have the weekends not like this retired goof who can get on the air anytime I want to. So I say the contesters can have the weekends. Live and let live  :)

[gil]

My point is that while many on this site enjoy the CW QRP approach, that doesn't render everything else useless.

why not have a QRP CW rig, a hand held VHF UHF transceiver, a mobile HF rig, A QRO HF rig all modes at the house, a gasoline/propane/kerosene/diesel/coal/water fall powered generator, a battery system, solar power charging, wind power

Oh certainly. I never meant instead of anything else. I have three VHF/UHF Hts, a pair of FRS handhelds, two CBs, and an HF SSB transceiver on top of my CW QRP rigs. Nothing QRO, but I know I'll get through.

The contest experiment is very interesting, and I wonder if a lot of contesters do not turn their radio on outside of contests, or if they listen but do not reply to calls that sound like they might be inviting rag-chewing.. Naybe a lot of them only want the 59973 type of contacts.. I get those sometimes, use me and throw me out like an old sock  :'(

Gil.

[RichardSinFWTX]

Nice visual!!   ;)