[CQ-Contest] Unsportsmanlike?

[Gary Ferdinand W2CS]

I think Jim might have a good point here.

My son's first SS was right after he was a newly annointed General class op.
His code speed was solid at 10, good enough at 13, and 15 was ok.  We did an
multiop on SS.  He listened to me doing the first several hours and then
took a turn.

What I had him do was park on a CQer's frequency and copy the exchange. I
didn't care how long he took.  He also had to copy the last QSO's number and
write it down, too, before he called the guy.  This was when we still used
keyers/paddles, so he then had to call the guy at whatever sending speed he
could muster. That started out around 18, I'd say.  Remember, his code speed
was a shaky 15 at the time.  But all he had to copy was enough of what was
being sent to know when it was his turn to send and also when/whether a fill
was needed.

By the time SS was over, his code speed on receive was at least 25 and
probably 30.  Sending was in the same ball park.  On most Qs he no longer
had to wait several iterations to get the exchange, either.  The last few
hours he even had some runs going. It did take him a while to grab the
courage for that first CQ SS!

The point of this narrative is that motivation, expectations, and coaching
from a mentor are all crucial to success.  He thought he couldn't keep up;
so I gave him a way he could make Qs without the pressure (pre-copying).
This was exquisite code practice, but I didn't "sell" it that way.  His
expectations, once he heard me operate, were appropriately low, so that was
never an issue.  As for motivation...Have you ever issued a challenge to a
13 year old boy? !!

And you know, I didn't even have to "throw away" that SS from award
possibilities.  We ended up taking the Division!  And he did a fair amount
of operating.

I believe it is entirely possible for someone with 15wpm talent to succeed
in coming close to doubling code speed in a single contest.  But, it
requires a mentor to help out, IMHO, and it requires motivation on the part
of the newbie.  I have often found that motivation and the mentor's approach
are closely related.

I am a bit skeptical regarding someone with only a "familiarity with the
code"  (aka 5WPM) to succeed as my son did starting at 13.  Though with
computers to do the sending, it might work to some extent. In that case I'd
use the same approach, but pick a smaller contest, as others have suggested.

Maybe if many of us went multi-op with newbies we would find more Qs to work
the next year.

73,

Gary W2CS
Apex, NC





> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-admin at contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-admin at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Jim Forsyth
> Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 12:05 AM
> To: Contest reflector
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Unsportsmanlike?
>
>
> I don't believe the subject is "guys that are good to 15-20WPM". A guy at
> that speed would be able to get on and make contacts and would likely
> improve rapidly. I have to think the guy that this thread is
> about is not up
> to that level.
>
> Jim, AF6O
>
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>