Hey Tim and all,
Mike VE9AA here.
There are no secrets. 100w contesting on SSB is tougher than CW but still
doable.
I usually run 100w and can run a good portion of the time, depending on band
condx. I was on the road y'day, so I don't know what the bands were like.
Contrary to what Charly tells you, for SSB contesting in the NAQP there is
no RBN (that's for CW only),
nor will getting spotted help you very much in this one as nobody is
supposed to be using the cluster**.
**(with the exception of the small percentage of M/2 groups, or guys
submitting a checklog or a smattering of casual ops who might have the
cluster on, but won't even submit a log)
For SSB you need G-O-O-D audio. I am not the only one who won't call a
station who sounds like cr@p. (not that you are - - just sayin)
The secret? There is no secret. Sound good and interested. You run a
706, but you didn't say what your antenna was.
If it's a dipole in the basement, ummm, yeah, you won't be able to run.
If it's 4pm local, don't choose 80m to try and run (hi!)
If it's 11pm local, don't choose 10m.(although there is always a small
chance of summer Es, so won't hurt to spin the VFO here once in a while)
Try to scan all the bands quickly and determine what band(s) the guys are
loudest on at that given moment. (you'll learn this from experience as times
goes on)
If conditions are bad (as they sometimes are) and everyone is S1 and you
have very minimal antennas, perhaps you won't be able to run, that's quite
true.
Check to see what the solar indices are before the contest. If the K=3/4/5,
set your sights lower as the high bands will be very muted.
If condx are in the tank,(or you have that basement dple) you are better off
S&P and calling the louder guys.
If there are folks on the bands that are 55-59+, you should try to find a
clear spot and CQ.
No Answers after a couple minutes? Move a couple kHz and try again. There
could be QRM in your target area that you cannot hear.
Call CQ more ! CQ-pause 3 seconds-CQ...don't have any way to pipe your hand
mics audio through a computer for an electronic CQ? No problems.
I won RAC(carf) Winter in 1991 using a hand mic and tape recorder with a
cassette tape loop...time to CQ, put mic near speaker, call a station or
respond, put mic next to your mouth.
That was paper logging too...I think I had 3 arms back then. Keep going !
It would be a lot easier nowadays to bodge something together.
Very very short crisp CQ's. Sound eager/happy, enunciate.don't slur your
words or whisper, don't use mic gain and compression both set to 10
..did I say short CQ's? Nobody wants to hear "CQ CQ CQ, CQ contest, this is
W8TAH, W8TAH, W8TAH, what say someone please, over over."
(not that you'd do that..I am just illustrating)
Better: "CQ CONTEST, Whiskey 8 Tango Alpha Hotel!"
or
"CQ Whiskey 8 Tango Alpha Hotel, Contest !"
(notice I did not use the word OVER in my 2 'good' examples).standard
phonetics only. Willy 8 Tecumseh avacodao harpsicord is not going to cut
it.
Short is key ! (I think it was K9YC gave you some good advice on tactics
yesterday.)
Hope you had fun. I am going to look right now for your 3830scores.com post
contest report What? You didn't submit one? Why not? You want a
recognizable callsign don't you?
If I hear Whiskey8Tango(static)Hotel, I might already know who it is, saving
us both 10-15 seconds. If I never work you or see 3830 reports, W8TAH is
not on my mental radar.
Active contesters keep a couple thousand of the more familiar calls locked
in the grey matter. Who needs SCP? (Super Check Partial)
No comments at all in your 3830 report? B-O-R-I-N-G !
Now all the secrets are revealed !
(hi)
dit dit
Mike VE9AA
Mike, Coreen & Corey
Keswick Ridge, NB
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