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[CQ-Contest] High SSB QSO Rates

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Subject: [CQ-Contest] High SSB QSO Rates
From: Jeff Steinman <n5tj@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 19:49:03 -0600
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Good questions Bob. And agree with K5TR comments. People need to know how to 
run/adapt to their situation. Being able to run well/effectively at what would 
be described as more typical QSO rates is important. We're spending a lot of 
time discussing very high rates which are not the norm. Those 400+ hours? I 
count three in my lifetime. And all from the DX side.

In fact I would say that, depending on your category, these very high rates 
might be counterproductive to your final score. How's that?

CQWW SSB as a SOAB is a Marathon. You need to stay in the chair and be as fresh 
as possible. Rate is fun and it helps your score, sure... but it's total score 
that matters. Those 400+ hours are exhausting. As a SOAB my best hour might be 
around 350, more in the 325 and lower range. The 400 hours came during multi-op 
entries where I could take a break. 

I found a few short audio clips that George/K5TR was kind enough to host on his 
web page:  http://www.k5tr.net/audio/n5tj/
EA8BH SOAB 1999, 20M in the second hour, rate ~ 300
2004 VP2E M2 10M running EU on Sunday. Probably mid 200 rate. 
2004 VP2E M2 10M running USA for the first time on Saturday afternoon. Part of 
a 480 hour.

You should be able to hear the difference in speed/cadence/frequency of signing 
call between these different situations. Regardless I try to be efficient and 
"easy" to work. 
73
Jeff N5TJ

> Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 07:26:36 -0800
> From: geoiii@kkn.net
> To: W5OV@W5OV.COM
> CC: n5tj@hotmail.com; cq-contest@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] BOGUS QSO RATES!
> 
> On Wed, Nov 09, 2011 at 06:35:03AM -0600, Bob Naumann wrote:
> > 
> > As the method you apply here is one based on your greater than average skill
> > set and experience, what would you recommend for someone who is not blessed
> > with the same or just starting out?
> 
> I am not Jeff - but I will give some thoughts on this topic.
> 
> First I will say that much of what we have been talking about is not
> something that most folks "just starting out" would have to worry about
> since they will likely not be running in very high rate situations. 
> 
> This topic was started by AH8DX complaining about a list of hourly
> QSO rates that are above 300 contacts an hour.  
> 
> Most of these techniques are not much of an advantage at slower rates. 
> 
> > One of the advanced techniques that K5TR mentioned is the copying of several
> > callsigns (or partial calls) at one time from a pileup and working each of
> > them without signing or saying TU or QRZ.
> 
> That was not what I was talking about - but that does also happen - although
> usually not more than a callsign or two - I was talking about not saying 
> my callsign and just saying 'Thanks' as a way of saying I am ready for 
> the next caller.  One reason to do this - is some people will not call
> me if I just say a quick 'thanks' and this will have the effect of thinning
> the pileup a bit and allow me to up the rate a bit - having too many 
> people calling at once slows things down.
> 
> There are many many little things that you can do to up the rate a bit
> here and there - going really fast can be hard and there are a lot of little
> things that in total can change your 300 hour rate into a 360 hour rate
> or change your 300 hour into a 240 hour.  It is one of the things I 
> find fascinating.
> 
> > 
> > For those looking for ways to improve, would you recommend that they call
> > one CQ, get a pileup going and just say "Cue Are Zed" at the end of every
> > QSO, or would it be better for them (until they develop better skills) to
> > just say their callsign at the end of each QSO?
> 
> Yes, I would agree with that in general - but if they do want to get
> better - then I see no harm in talking about how you produce high
> rate.  And we are not talking about calling one CQ here and then running
> for minutes or hours on end without signing your callsign. 
> 
> > Better efficiency does not result merely from omitting your callsign.
> 
> Very true. 
> 
> And as stated above - for me at least - one of the reasons for not 
> signing my call every time has nothing to do with saving my time
> of saying 'thanks' vs 'k5tr' or 'hc8n' or whatever - I do it for 
> other reasons.
> 
> One suggestion I have for anyone wanting to look at this more is to 
> find recordings of high rate and listen to what the operator is 
> doing and not doing and see if you can figure out why he made the 
> choices he has made.
> 
> How often is he signing his callsign?
> 
> What causes him to not sign it?
> 
> Does he always use phonetics?
> 
> Does he sometimes listen longer than other times
> to the pileup calling?  Why?
> 
> There are many many choices that I make during a run in 
> an effort to put more contacts in the log.
> 
> 
> -- 
> George Fremin III - K5TR
> geoiii@kkn.net
> http://www.kkn.net/~k5tr
> 
> 
                                          
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