CQ-Contest
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [CQ-Contest] Serial # contests, speed?

To: Jim Stahl <jimk8mr@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Serial # contests, speed?
From: Dave Edmonds <dave@pkministrywebs.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2019 07:35:47 -0400
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Amen K8MR!!!!!

The comment about a sense of urgency is 100% DEAD ON! i never considered
this before, but Jim is right. It's also upbeat and energetic...Those are
always positive!

Please do not change your CW speed during your exchange!... If you do, I'll
probably ask for a repeat. When I hear a 599 or 5NN (or the first element
of the exchange) at 40 wpm, my brain is primed to copy the rest of the
exchange at 40 wpm. Please oh please keep it constant. There's nothing for
difficult than copying variable speed transmissions...Who started this
weird technique anyway?

Have you ever heard W1AW speed copy tests? They don't change the speed with
every other word. Perhaps they should create one and call it the contesters
variable speed copy test. When I took my 20 wpm test at the FCC offices in
Atlanta, New Orleans and Greenville hamfest in the lat 70's, they didn't
switch it up either.

Frankly, even SS is pretty easy at the 36-40 range.

This is a bit off the subject, but still relevant...Four more CW truths
that drive me to the 'funny farm'.

1. If you run in a contest, please don't set your CQ speed faster than you
can actually copy CW.

2. Don't use phonetics on CW. I asked someone for a repeat recently and
they spelled out the letter that I was mission... Holy moly... Just send
the letter a few times.

3. I'll add one more... I hear the good old "Please copy" on CW too. WHAT!

4. Please leave enough space between CQs for a guy with a 6-character
callsign to reply at a reasonable speed. This weekend, I had to reply at 44
wpm to fit my callsign in the GAP. I'm now calling this the 'CQ GAP'.

Playing a little Prince "Let's Go Crazy", "Tom Sawyer" by Rush or some fast
Phil Collins vinyl during your breaks will also help keep your speed up
when you return.

73s Dave WN4AFP

On Mon, Mar 11, 2019 at 11:41 PM K8MR via CQ-Contest <
cq-contest@contesting.com> wrote:

> I'm of a keep it at the same speed style - I don't think the 300
> milliseconds one saves by sending 5NN at warp speed compensates for the
> other guy's brain having to shift gears to copy what I'm sending.
> I judge just how fast I'm sending by the nature of the pileup (assuming I
> have one!). The bigger the pileup, the safer it is to go fast, as it is
> quite likely the guy you're working just listened to your previous QSO and
> knows how to increment a number.
>
> Maybe not so much in serial number contests, but in a no-brain exchange
> contest (i.e. CQWW) sending on the fast side puts a sense of urgency for
> the other guy to call you now.
>
> And as a contest wears on, yes, sending somewhat slower is a good
> strategy. And if for some reason (hopefully other than you got spotted with
> a busted call) you do get a small pileup, go ahead and bump up the speed a
> bit.
>
>
> 73  -  Jim  K8MR
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa@nbnet.nb.ca>
> To: cq-contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>
> Sent: Mon, Mar 11, 2019 9:58 pm
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Serial # contests, speed?
>
> For contests like RDX and WPX where the exchange is a serial #, do you:
>
>
>
> .      Go as fast as always. (34-36wpm) , risking your qso partner busting
> the #,but keeping rate high.
>
> .      Go a bit slower (30-32wpm), hoping the QRS improves the copy &
> reduces busted exchanges.
>
> .      Send everything just as fast as normal (whatever that speed is), but
> use brackets <<>> (a la N1MM) to slow down JUST the serial #
>
> .      Slow down only for obviously slow callers
>
> .      Something else?
>
>
>
> Inquiring minds.
>
>
>
> I don't want to skew the results, so I won't say (yet) what I do. (and who
> knows if what I do is even 'right')
>
>
>
> Mike VE9AA
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>


-- 
Dave Edmonds
PK Ministry Webs
864.288.6678
dave@pkministrywebs.com
www.pkministrywebs.com
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>