[CQ-Contest] That pre-contest Feeling !!

[Pete Smith]

At 10:38 AM 12/7/00 -0000, Hammond, Rob (EU-Pencoed) wrote:
>
>I'm going through what I can only describe as that pre-contest feeling !!!
>
>...
>What's yours & how do you calm down enough to get some sleep the night
>before ?

I try to find constructive things that I can do, other than fidgeting.
Like running propagation predictions, working up sheets of reminders to
myself vs time ("European sunrise -- you should be on 80" or "LP to South
Asia now"), etc.  It's really tough when the station is all ready because
then all you can do is fidget.  My wife hates the day before a contest for
that reason.

>Also I wonder how many people go on early & chat on there CQ frequency &
>then as the clock strikes go for it VS how many just switch on at the time &
>go... 

I've done it both ways but usually don't find it useful to be on more than
about 15 minutes ahead of time.  Of course, for a 0000Z start time, the
psychological situation in europe is very different from here!


73, Pete N4ZR

Contesting is ... Extreme Radio

The World Contest Station Database 
is back up and running at
http://www.qsl.net/n4zr 



--
CQ-Contest on WWW:        http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests:  cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com