++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 14:09:29 -0600 From: Tom Hammond =?iso-8859-1?Q?N=D8SS?= Subject: [Elecraft] DO NOT READ if you don't like contests! Brian Jones (G0UKB) wrote:: >Just to say that solely due to John AA2BN in off-lne emails re >CQWW SSB and Tom's (N0SS) latest exhortations on the list here >- I hope to be 'taking part in' CQWW CW later this month - my first >ever CW contest and my first real foray into the world of CW >operating (apart from about half a dozen contacts over the last 8 >years) > >I figure there's got to be folks down as low as 20wpm and below >who will be sending reports often enough for me to get callsign and >zone if I listen long enough. Good for you, pal! (I can hear Lou, W7DZN, shuddering now ). Remember, the higher in the band you go, the better your chances of finding slower stations. So start at the top of the CW band and work your way DOWN until you get to the point that everyone is WAY above your head. Also remember that you're NEW to this, and it WILL be frustrating (guaranteed) at first. I was for me, and it's going to be for you (and others) as well... if severe frustration sets in, take a break... calm down, resolve to continue, and then... CONTINUE. You're doing this not only to improve your proficiency, but also for FUN... but the fun will come a bit later, once you relax and drop into your style of operating. You certainly don't have to put in a LOT of time, but try to work no less than 8-10 contacts at a 'sitting'... ALWAYS(!) get the other guy's complete exchange BEFORE you call/work him... he just may QSY immediately following your contact and you'll have no way to copy more of his info if you don't already have it ON PAPER. Unless you have a KILLER signal, don't bother calling CQ until the last 1/2 of the contest period, where everyone is looking for 'new blood' from 'casual' ops who just get on the air to "give out a few Q's". PRACTICE your S&P (Search 'n Pounce) technique!!! This is CRUCIAL for low-power/QRP stations... especially during the first part of the 'feeding frenzy'. I didn't do this until 38 YEARS after I began contesting and that's a shame. I 'came up' in contesting, doing 90% CQing and 'running them' with QRO and decent antennas. As a result I never learned good technique for S&P. This hobbled me at the start when I began QRP contesting, because (in most instances) the QRP station will make 75% or more of his Q's in S&P mode. In the CW SS I made 596 Q's, only 128 (215) of which were from CQing, and ALL of which were made in the final 10 hours of the contest. The EXCHANGE in this contest is SIGNAL REPORT and CW ZONE. You appear to be in ZONE 14. Sooo... listen for the other station to send "599 xx" or "5NN xx", where "xx" is HIS CQ zone number. In turn, you will send him an RST (usually defaulted to "599" or "5NN") plus "14". It is becoming more common for operators, in an effort to minimize ANY unnecessary effort, to use "cut numbers". Cut numbers are abbreviated forms of the number, expressed as LETTERS: 0 = T 1 = A 2 = U 9 = N Generally all the other numbers are send as numbers, but "5NN T4" means "599 04". The cut numbers for zero and 9 will be the most frequently used. However, in contests where the exchange is RST and POWER, you will often hear a station send "5NN ATT" for "599 100", or even "5NN TTT" or "5NN K" for "599 1000". >Must play with K2 CW memories to get nice cleanly spaced callsign and sig >report too. I probably need to find a couple of nice slow stations to >start to ensure I can understand contesting protocol. The protocol is pretty easy: Listen for a station calling CQ, or working another station. Make sure you are listening to the station who is OCCUPYING the frequency, rather than the transient op who works him and then moves on immediately! Once you have settled on the 'resident' of the freq., copy his exchange, which I'll guarantee will NOT change from contact to contact. When he finishes a CQ, dump your callsign in ONE time. And see if he responds to you. If he does, you're home free. If not, you try again. If he seems to be working station very rapidly, there's a good chance that he has a good opening into wherever it is he's working and your QRP signal may have a more difficult time of getting his attention since you'll be head-to-head with the BIG BOYZ! In this case, try to find someone calling CQ and NOT getting a reply every time. He's the guy who will be listening for the weaker stations! If the other station does respond to your call, he will (should) give your call and then his exchange, which you will (probably) have written down. If you copy the exchange the first time, you're in great shape. However, BEFORE you send him YOUR exchange, ALWAYS make sure that you get ALL of HIS exchange FIRST! Keep asking until you get it, even if he is forced to QRS!!! Once you have his exchange, send "TU", his call, and your exchange. Then stick around to confirm that he acknowledged receipt (usually, "QSL" or "TU" will be sent, but in some instances, he will just start CQing again). If he's missing anything, he'll ask for "NR", "ZONE", "AGN?", or merely "?". The first two are obvious, BOTH of the last two indicate a request for a complete repeat of both NR and ZONE. NEVER be embarrassed to send "PSE QRS" to anyone. The worse they can do is send "NO" and blow you off...it's THEIR LOSS, not yours! Most ops are bright enough to still remember their beginning days and will be courteous enough to QRS for you WITHOUT being asked. But it doesn't hurt to remind them, if necessary. Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask... if I know the answer it's your's if not, I'll not try to B.S. my way through an answer. 73 - Tom N0SS ++++++++++++++++++