john, this was great. thanks for taking the time to put it down and
send it out to us.
On Mon, 2004-11-01 at 16:12, John Laney wrote:
> For CW SS, the strategy is pretty easy. Get on at the first of the
> contest, CQ all the time, work everyone you can. Get some sleep when
> the rate drops in the middle of the night. Get back on about sun up.
> Do single op two radio if possible to maximize the QSO rate so that you
> can get some answers to CQs on one band and look for new stations on a
> new band.
>
> W4AN believed after the break during the night, you should take the
> remainder of your off-times in 30 minute segments throughout the day.
> He believed you should be on for the last hour or last half hour of the
> contest to catch those guys who only get on for that last run to the cut
> off time. I never never found many of them. The longer I am on at the
> end, the slower the rate gets. This is true even with SO2R--but the
> overall rate will be faster with SO2R.
>
> Naturally, you want to work all the multipliers you can, hopefully
> meaning all there are (80 now, I think). You can pick up the rarer
> mults by the second rig by tuning on those bands where the CQ rate isn't
> very good while you are CQing on a more productive band. When you are
> down to just a few or just one, get on the band with the best
> propagation to that area and point your antenna in that direction and be
> loud! Listen to others running on that band with your second VFO.
>
> The rate can fall so low that I will even S&P on the first rig. If
> there are no answers to CQs, then do S&P. Stay in the chair and on the
> air. Take breaks only for 30 minutes at a time so you don't lose other
> time off the air.
>
> From this area, 20 meters is the best band to start on unless there is
> genuine short skip on 10 or 15. If there is genuine short skip on the
> higher bands at any time, run on those bands until the rate drops.
> Don't forget to look back at 15 meters for a possible NE area opening
> about the time the band is getting weak to the west. Your second trx
> will enable you to monitor for such an opening. Rarely, this may happen
> on ten also, but on CW, there will likely be no one to work or only a
> few to work on 10 CW if we get a late short skip opening.
>
> If the rate isn't good on 20 or begins to drop, run on 40 and use the
> second rig to search on 20 and 80. Running on 80 is rarely productive
> from this area of the country, but it can be if 40 goes long early.
>
> Send as fast as the rate of answers allows. If you aren't getting many
> answers, slow down. Sometimes, it helps to speed up.
>
> Set up your program to send the minimum necessary. Don't send "CK"
> before the year. I don't send NR before number, but there is an
> argument that people don't get ready until they hear "NR" and not
> sending it results in requests for repeats. Send the other guy's call
> at the beginning of the exchange unless you are searching and pouncing
> and are very confident that you are the one being answered.
>
> Don't send the exchange until the other guy sends your call correctly in
> full. Just keep sending your call until he sends it right unless he is
> such a LID that he will never do it, so you must just go on.
>
> Don't send anything unnecessary. Don't send K or BK if just stopping
> will do just as well. Always run full QSK. That way, you will know if
> he starts to send while you are sending your call or the exchange and
> you can stop and see what is going on.
>
> Have fun! No point in doing this if it isn't fun. I don't mean quit if
> you aren't winning. I mean make it fun.
>
> Use for your run rig, the rig with the narrowest filters. Keep it open
> to 500 hz unless the QRM is rough, but a 250 hz filter will help a lot
> on 40 M at night and it may be needed at times on 20 M.
>
> If your speed isn't too good, operate higher in the bands. Even if you
> aren't confident about your speed or your signal, try some CQs. If
> everyone tunes around for new QSOs, there will be fewer QSOs made. If
> the bands are very crowded, go higher in the bands until you find a
> reasonably clear frequency. As your rate drops, work your way down the
> band.
>
> If you are in S&P and you find yourself being beat out by the same guys
> over and over, switch to the opposite CW sideband and go in the opposite
> direction on the band.
>
> If you hear somebody that you need doing S&P up a band (or down for that
> matter), go a little further in that same direction to a relatively
> clear spot and CQ at the other station's speed beaming in his direction.
>
> Listen to the bands for a few days before the contest and know what to
> expect. Make sure your contest software is up to date with all the
> latest multipliers and the lastest supercheck partial list including USA
> calls.
>
> Make an extra effort to work any friends that you hear including SECC
> members.
>
> I have never heard a SS QSO on 160 meters.
>
> That's about all that comes to mind. Keep at it for the full time, or
> for whatever period of time you can allow for contesting this weekend.
> If something goes wrong and you can fix it during an off period, do it.
> If not, have a fall back position. A transceiver backup, an amplifier
> backup, and backup antennas. Probably a backup computer and keyer would
> be helpful.
>
> I recommend using a keyer in addition to a logging program on a
> computer. When the other guy stops sending, don't let any time elapse.
> If you didn't get his call right into the computer, start sending with
> your paddle and use your other hand to get the computer caught up. If
> you wait, you will lose the rhythm and maybe the QSO. This is
> particularly true if you can't run break in. If neither of you has QSK,
> you will both transmit at the same time, particularly if there is a
> pause while you are trying to get the computer program set up to send.
>
> Need I say that you need to plan to spend extra time with the family
> before and after the contest so that they will not feel cheated by the
> time you spend in the contest? Try to have a clear understanding of
> what you expect during the contest with regard to telephone calls,
> doorbells, meals, and other interruptions. It is often helpful to have
> an extra RadioShack telephone interference filter and a high pass TVI
> filter on hand in case you get unexpected complaints during the contest.
>
> Do whatever is necessary to avoid dehydration during the contest. A
> small portable ice check with cold bottled water might be a good idea.
>
> I usually take my first half hour break at supper time and eat with the
> XYL. This is not the best idea for the highest score, as you really
> need to keep running until 2 or 3 AM with no breaks. But, it is a
> compromise that I have decided upon, not because the XYL insists on it,
> but because my conscience demands it. My XYL will not usually bring me
> anything to eat or drink during a contest (but my mother would!). Many
> XYLs probably will. It isn't too hard to eat during a CW contest, but
> the SO2R bit will suffer. I find it counterproductive to try to eat
> during a phone contest unless I am in S&P mode with a very good DVK.
>
> I also take a second break (often longer than a half hour) at Sunday
> lunch, when our grown children often come over. This is actually a
> pretty good time to take some more off time.
>
> With a tribander and wires and reasonably good conditions with
> reasonably short skip, 20 meters is the big band for CW SS from this
> area. With a good 40 meter beam, 40 meters might be the big band even
> from this far south.
>
> On CW, I have never been able to productively do CQ running on either 15
> or 10 meters in SS even the four year or so I did it from W4AN. I
> realize that K4EA and K4WI seem to disprove that theory on 15 meters,
> but you must have a really good signal on 15 meters to productively run
> there and I never have been able to, except when we get short skip. And
> even then, you run out of CW stations on 15 meters on CW a lot sooner
> than you would think.
>
> Most of what I have said is directed to those planning a full-time
> effort. But, I encourage everyone to be as QRV as possible with
> whatever rig and antennas you can put on the air. Even a few minutes
> over the weekend will help increase the club aggregate score and can be
> a lot of fun. If you can't be active early in the contest, you may find
> that you are as good as rare DX when you get on and CW later on.
>
> 73,
>
>
> John, K4BAI.
>
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