[CQ-Contest] Secrets of Contesting, Chapter 14

[Lee Hiers]

On 30 Jan 2004 at 23:19, James Neiger wrote:

> What follows is what I believe to be as experienced from
> DX. If you can make the DX end happy, then you have a
> chance of increasing your score.  Isn't that what it
> should be all about?? 

Making the DX happy is the most important thing, for 
sure...

> 1.  Never ever rely on the packet spot as to WHAT the DX
> station call might be.  Make sure that YOU hear the call.
>  Whatever it takes.  This is absolutely fundamental to DX
> contesting. 

Makes sense.

> 2.MINIMIZE DUPES. Nothing's more of a waste of time.
> Figure it out, please............ 

Well, if a DX station doesn't ID enough, it's more of a 
waste of time for the caller to sit and wait for him to 
give his call only to find out you've already worked him on 
six bands.

> 3. Never, ever, call a station unless you know 100% his
> callsign.  Ever. (please see 1. and 2., above).  It's
> truly amazing to me HOW MANY call without a clue.  Is
> this sound operating?  I think not.  

Well, if I hear a prefix for a station that is a mult and 
miss the suffix due to QRM or whatever, I'm calling him, 
especially if he's somewhat rare.  Otherwise the number 
folks calling him may instantly reach packet pileup 
proportions and my little signal will be lost in the muck.

> Yes, the DX station has the ultimate responsibility to
> identify on a regular basis.  In that there are no
> defined standards, I can well appreciate that some
> 'ambiguities' might exist.  However, I believe that
> unless YOUR rate is 200+ per hour, it is your
> responsibility to harken to the DX station's operating
> procedure.  Please, if you don't like it, don't call. 
> Simple. 

I look it at more like this.  If the DX station has to 
regularly forego identifying in order to reach 200+ Qs per 
hour, he should not be surprised to find he has a lot of 
dupes calling.  Please, if you don't like to identify 
often, don't call CQ.  Simple.

> 4. Never, ever, come onto a DX station's frequency with
> a ?.  This will probably QRM a station trying to give his
> call or state/province.  It will only slow YOUR rate
> down.  Please let the DX station run the show.  As much
> as you might think that YOUR call is what the DX station
> is dying to hear, trust me, the succssful DX operator
> will let you know when he's ready for your magnificent
> skills......... 

I was about to refer to my paragraph above, until I 
remembered that making the DX happy was our ultimate goal.

> 5.  NEVER ask the QSL route.  

I would agree with this, as I'm a contester.  Of course if 
I was a DXer interested in collecting QSL cards, I might 
not agree.  But yes, it slows everyone down.

> 6.  NEVER, EVER, ask the DX station the WHEN of another band.  If you have
> any skills, then you should be able to (1) know the when, and (2) know the
> how.

One should.

> 7.  The successful W/VE operator most probably knows (1) the DX station's
> call, (2) his operating "style" (does he QRQ?, does he listen high or low (I
> believe that most of us listen high), (3) does he welcome tail-enders? (I
> think that most do NOT these days),

Yes.

> 8. Just because you're a multi-multi, never assume that Nos. 1-7 might not
> apply to you.  To the DX station, you're probably just another run-of-the
> mill loud station.  As they said in SPIDERMAN, "with extraordinay skills
> come extraordinary responsibilties......."

Seems that quote should work in both directions.


CU in the contest!

Lee

-- 
Lee Hiers, AA4GA
Cornelia, Georgia