Sharing thoughts on sharing at the G-QRP Convention

Recently I was asked to speak on Portable Operating at the annual G-QRP Convention at Rishworth, UK. While preparing I cast my mind back over 30+ years of portable operating with a view to trying to see if there were any common factors in my most memorable portable adventures. To my surprise, I found that there was indeed a common theme. This common factor that made the activities memorable was unrelated to the equipment, location, band conditions or even how many contacts I made. No, the common factor was something rather unexpected; sharing.

All the trips that stick in my mind were greatly enhanced because the activity was shared with someone else. Of course sharing with folks who are there is important but on some of these activations I was alone; the sharing was done over the air with QSO partners. 

Some examples:

• A family trip to the Norfolk Broads where the radio aspect of the trip was hugely enhanced by a sked with Stockport Radio Society at their club meeting
• A backpacking trip in a wilderness area where a daily contact with Einar SM5CBC while I was making breakfast, got each day off to a great start
• A hill walking trip where nightly skeds from my tent by Loch Dungeon, with Pat G3IOR really added something very special.
• Various SOTA activations in the early days of the scheme where the pool of chasers was very small and there was time to get to know them.

Sharing is something that is quite easy to incorporate into your activities. You are far more likely to get on the air if you know that someone is waiting to contact you and the satisfaction of contacting someone specific by prearrangement is immense. The prearrangement is critical as they already know where you are and what you are doing so the contact can be about something more meaningful. 

None of the contacts on my trips were very long, most were on CW. The thrill of hearing someone calling you is tangible - especially when you are a long way from home.

Sharing ought to be much easier these days. Internet groups or specialist systems such as SOTAWATCH can all help. Far better though is sharing with someone you already know. Getting the benefits of sharing requires a different mindset to many portable activities. Sharing has to be about quality, not quantity. It's about making more than a "599 TU" connection. 

Listening around the bands these days I hear many "contacts" but relatively few people making any sort of meaningful contact. Maybe it's time to slow down and communicate?