[CQ-Contest] CQ pattern in contest - what's your vote?

[Dale L Martin]

>
>as for CQing, if you have to throw one or more switches or use a foot
>switch you want to minimize the number of CQ times to save your 
>strength,

I don't know what logging software you use, but TRLog has ALT-Q/ALT-C 
to setup and restart automatic CQ'ing, leaving hands and feet free to 
do other things.

>so anything to stretch out a CQ is beneficial
>
The danger is making the CQ too long.  I move pretty quickly S&P'ing 
my way through a band.  If I run across an interminably long CQ (I 
heard at least three this past weekend), I move on...  I figure if the 
guy is going to waste his time with longer than necessary CQ/callsign 
strings, he's going to waste my time with unnecessary repeats of his 
exchange.  He can find me later when he's given up CQ'ing and goes 
S&P'ing.

>CQ TEST DE W7DRA W7DRA TEST
>everything there, the De, the two times of the call, all say "W7DRA 
>TEST"
>
So, why not say 'w7dra test' ? 

I ran across a number of dx stations doing pretty much that: callsign 
twice followed by test.  I knew immediately what I had to do -- either 
move on because he was a dupe or call him. 

I don't have a clue as to what a good on-/off-time ratio might be.  I 
figure 50/50 is good--listen as long as it takes to transmit the cq on 
the other radio like I do dueling CQ's (radio 1 cq's, then radio 2 
cq's, etc.), I keep it short as in callsign twice & test.  The off 
time is short enough that most S&P'ers will hopefully either catch the 
end of my CQ or the beginning of the next before they've tuned me out 
of their passband.  

I hope..... 


73,
dale, kg5u