[CQ-Contest] Contest Decisions

[KE5CTY Bob]

Yes this helps Bill:

This is fantastic and I have printed it out to keep close
to the station :0)

73 fer nw,
Bob
KE5CTY (old calls WB5ZQU - WY5L)
10X# 37210, FP#-1141, SMIRK#-5177
http://www.qsl.net/ke5cty/
Code may be taking a back seat for now,
but the pioneering spirit that put the code
there in the first place is out front of it all.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Coleman [mailto:aa4lr at arrl.net] 
> Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 9:00 PM
> To: KE5CTY Bob
> Cc: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Contest Decisions
> 
> 
> 
> On Aug 20, 2005, at 2:39 AM, KE5CTY Bob wrote:
> 
> > can I hear what you more
> > experienced operators feel are the *really* important
decisions and 
> > what criteria you use to make your judgment calls on
them?
> 
> Well, I don't know if I count as one of the experienced,
but "more"  
> is relative....
> 
> Anyway, I've learned several important lessons from much
more  
> experienced contesters that revolve around judgement.
> 
>  From K5ZD, I learned that you really have to listen to
the 
> band. Not  
> just if there are stations, but which stations are you
hearing? From  
> what part of the world / country? Who is answering CQs
from your  
> area? What do they sound like? Do they sound strong,
weak, watery,  
> lots of QSB, etc. From these small cues, you can often
tell what  
> propagation is doing.
> 
> Randy also suggested that when you are S & Ping, if you
pass a  
> reasonably clear frequency, try calling a few CQs. If
you get  
> answers, then keep running. If not, then you can resume
S & P.
> 
> One thing I'm still working on is deciding exactly when
to stop  
> calling CQ and start S & Ping. Clearly you do it when
the rate drops  
> -- but what rate is low enough? That I haven't figured
out yet.
> 
>  From W4AN, I learned many lessons. Bill always said not
to worry  
> about your score in the past hour of the contest -
instead focus on  
> what you can do *this* hour to improve your score. Don't
give up.
> 
> Bill always felt that time in "the chair" was crucial to
developing  
> contest skills. Want to learn how to do SO2R? Then spend
every day  
> making contacts with one radio while listening on the
other. 
> Enter as  
> many contests as you can, even if it is only for an
hour.
> 
> Bill also taught me that there's a lot more skill to
contesting than  
> is readily apparent. Guys on this list may grouse about
multiple  
> kilobuck rigs, stacks of monobanders, remote bases and
what not --  
> but all the equipment in the world does you no good if
you 
> don't know  
> how to use it. Challenge yourself to maximize your score
with the  
> equipment you do have. Trade up antennas and equipment
as you can  
> afford it - but don't obsess over it.
> 
> K3ZO taught me the secret to finding a clear frequency
isn't 
> how many  
> times you send QRL? or ask "Is this frequency in use?"
-- it's how  
> much you listen to the frequency. Fred also demonstrated
that the  
> frequency you've been using for a while, even in a
crowded band, may  
> not be sacrosanct. It may be just as easy to find a new
frequency  
> than slug it out where you are. Let your rate meter help
you judge.
> 
> Does this help? Or were there other topics you had in
mind?
> 
> 
> Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
> Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
>              -- Wilbur Wright, 1901
>