[CQ-Contest] Unsportsmanlike?

[Kelly Taylor]

Hi Ford,

I hope you pass these and other's comments on to your friend.

It is indeed regrettable that this experience occured. If someone did tell
him to "go awy" that person deserves a huge raspberry for behaviour not only
unbecoming a contester but also unbecoming any member of the human race.

That said, there's never just one side to any situation. It deserves mention
that contesting is unlike any other facet of ham radio. It is to the casual
operator what The Masters is to a Sunday duffer. The people who play
contests do so to win. It's not your average Sunday afternoon gab fest.

That's not to excuse the rude, callous behaviour identified but it does
exhort the newbie to be sensitive to the realities at play. If an op is
running stations at 100/hr, he is going to pick out calls at 35 wpm faster
than calls at 10 wpm, so a newbie could be left waiting for the pileup to
calm down. This weekend, I had completed my report to one station before
another, slower op, had finished sending his call. I wasn't deliberately
snubbing the QRS op, it just happened that way.

Now, when we do work someone who requests a QRS we should, and I think in
large measure do. There are exceptions to every rule, a bad apple in every
bushel, etc. Be that as it may, I don't QRS unless asked or if I'm answering
a QRS CQ. Invariably, I'll answer a 15 wpm call at 28 and encounter no
resistance. So it's a bit of a gamble on my part that I won't have to send
it again, but 9 out of 10 it pays off. It at least pays off enough to make
up for the odd QSO where I do have to send again. It's also a gamble that
the person will tell me if he missed something, but I think that's a fairly
safe bet.

To Ford's friend: Please don't base your opinion on contesting on this
weekend alone. I do think the suggestions that perhaps you were in over your
head are fair. Work on your code speed (SuperMorse is a great CW trainer,
you can find downloads on the Web). Listen to other contests, even phone
contests, to get a feel for how contest QSOs operate. They are different.
Practise in smaller contests, like state QSO parties. Practise code by
operating casually. This will help develop not only speed but also the
biological QRM filter that is so vital to operating in today's bands.
Realize that QRM happens. We all deal with it and nobody is targetting you
with QRM. Try to align yourself with multiops who can Elmer you personally
during slower times.

It takes time, but it IS worth it. Unfortunately, playing SS as your first
contest is a bit like putting on roller skates for the first time and
expecting to keep up with the Roller Derby crowd. SS is a juggernaut that
moves at breakneck speed.

73, kelly
ve4xt




----- Original Message -----
From: "Ford Peterson" <ford at cmgate.com>
To: "Contest reflector" <CQ-Contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 10:23 AM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Unsportsmanlike?


> I've been working with a local fella on getting into "contesting."
> Everybody needs an elmer, so it seems.  After much encouragement and
proding
> on my part, he gave it a go on CW during SS.  Below you will find his
> comments.  I've scrubbed his name to eliminate any embarassment.
Comments?
>
> Ford-N0FP
> ford at cmgate.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> > Well, that was fun. I tried tonight to make a few cw QSO's, just to get
my
> > feet wet. Most of the stations were going way to fast for me. I did
> finally
> > find a couple that, after listening for a while, I was able to get their
> > call sign down. So, after they finished their CQ, I sent my call. I
> couldn't
> > get them to slow down enough to copy the other stuff, my repeated QRS's
> were
> > ignored. I finally quit when one guy slowed down enough to send "go
awy".
> > Great group of hams out there. I hope others had better luck. Anyway, I
> > stuck my key back in the box.
> >
> > See ya,
>
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