[CQ-Contest] Whats happening

[Dale L Martin]

My throw on it:

CQ stations:
- drop the K at the end of the CQ
- even drop the TEST from the end of the CQ...99.9% of the people on the air
on that mode at that time are in the contest!
- Reduce your T/R delay to the minimum to reduce hang time, but still within
your comfort level.

CQ Responder stations:
- Insert a half-space before your callsign in your settings.
- Don't be so quick on the RETURN, F1, etc.
- drop the DE == I think most all CQ'ers recognize a callsign being tossed
out as calling them.

I stand guilty of being too quick on the RETURN, F1, etc., during ARRL CW.
I found myself sending my call during TEST or during K, only to have to
pound ESC to kill it and restart it.
I know I missed out on a couple of 'quick' QSO's that way and had to wait
for the CQ'er to work someone else.

Also, CQ'ers, no matter how bad it's been for you when finishing a QSO,
always keep the TU very short and please, please, please, don't immediately
launch into a long CQ.  When I'm tuning around and hear a stateside station
sending his exchange (599 MI or something), I'm going to pause and listen to
see if the other station (1) sends his report--whereupon, I move on--or (2)
says TU and sets up for the next QSO.  If he says TU AND launches into a CQ,
that's additional wasted time for me--and for the CQ'er--he had a live one
waiting.

That must have happened to me a dozen or more times during the contest.  It
even got to the point where I blew them off and went looking elsewhere for a
Q.

I heard one station's CQ that I thought was pretty cool... I even tried it,
but being QRP, I couldn't get a solid feeling as to how effective it was:

He simply sent his call sign followed by test....e.g., kg5u kg5u test (2-3
second pause) kg5u kg5u test

That made more sense to me than CQ de kg5u kg5u test.

73,
dale, kg5u


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