[CQ-Contest] SS CW Secrets - Weekend Edition - #5

[Bob Wanderer]

Tree,

What secrets and suggestions can you provide for those whose
goal is solely a clean sweep, especially for those whose
stations don't even make it into the little pistol category?

73
Bob AA0CY
-----Original Message-----
From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Tree
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 12:42 PM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] SS CW Secrets - Weekend Edition - #5



This will be a short secret - since it is the weekend.

This has to do with how to find those rare mults (like VY1JA
or that VO1
station).  This typically isn't an issue if you are
"cheating" and using
packet.

Put your receiver in as wide of an IF bandwidth as you can.
Then, slowly
tune around listening for a pileup.

This is very effective on Sunday, when typically all you
hear on the band
is people calling endless CQs.  The pileup will stick out
and then you can
zero in on the needle in the haystack.

Look for those stations above, or below, the main activity.
Don't stop
tuning just because you stop hearing people calling CQ.  Due
to packet,
it is possible for a rare station to sustain high rates well
up the band.

The other quick topic to cover is knowing how your radio
works with CW
offsets.  If you are going to be calling stations off
frequency, you might
not be heard.  Even if you are, your signal might be getting
QRMed from
the stations "next door".  Furthurmore, it can create
confusion where
a different station things you are calling them, and they
put you in their
log.

Most of the modern radios are pretty good about matching up
their monitor
tone to the frequency that you should tune stations into in
order to work
them.  However, it is a really good idea to manually check
it and be super
confident.

If you have two radios setup, this is an easy process.  Tune
in any kind
of signal that you can use as a standard (loud station on
the band).  Set
the TX power of your transmit rig as low as possible.  Tune
in the same
station at the tone you think is zero beat.  Send a few dits
and see if
the tones match in the other receiver.  If not, then you
need to work on
either readjusting your offset, or the tone you are tuning
people into.

Once you have checked one radio, reverse the process and
check the other.

Some people find that setting their two radios up to
different frequencies
helps their brain sort out which radio is which when
listening in stereo.

Getting this right becomes even more important if you are
one of the
weaker signals on the band.

73 Tree N6TR
tree at kkn.net
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