[CQ-Contest] Operating Methods or Equipment?

[Eric Hilding]

Bill, K4XS responded to Bob, KE5CTY's question with some sage advice:

 > If you want to be more completive with a modest station and lesser 
experience
 > try the domestic contests...NAP, Sprint, SS.  These contests depend less on
 > superior station and more on ability.

Great advice from Bill, as well as the various suggestions from Ward/N0AX & 
Mal/W7MAL.  Also see #4 below :-)

I'll add:

1. If you don't already belong to a local (or Regional area) "Contest 
Club", join one...today, 'cuz you can learn a LOT.  I can't begin to 
describe what a great bunch of helpful guys we have in the NCCC (as I'm 
sure can be found in the FRC, PVRC, etc.).

2. Is there perhaps some type of area "Club Station" (College, etc.) with 
better antennas you could also operate from?  One reason I sometimes go 
down to N6IJ near Monterey is because of my pee-poor location and antenna 
limitations.  Yet, the latter is still a place to practice, practice, 
practice and work toward future improvements and QSY to a better QTH...or a 
"Remote" setup :-)

3. Perhaps a big premature, but SO2R *can* add to one's score. I'm a real 
SO2R n00b, but you can also learn a lot about confident, slick, "smooth" 
contest operating by watching Ken, N6RO in-action via the .mpg file 
at:  http://www.k6vva.com/nccc/so2rclinicv1/ .

4. As Ken himself will say, "Practice, Practice, Practice"...one reason he 
shows up for our weekly NCCC NS "Practice" Session mini-contests on 
Thursday Nights (Rules at:  http://www.nccc.cc/pdf/ns_rules.pdf ).  It's a 
100w power level, BTW.  Yes, those with big antennas can get higher scores, 
because in addition to *ability*, "size does matter"...especially if a 
contest with DX participation like the IARU, CQWW, ARRL DX, etc. contests.

5. If you don't already subscribe, start reading the NCJ (National Contest 
Journal) articles.  (See: http://www.ncjweb.com/ ).

Hope this helps.  We are all here to learn from each other, even though we 
are also competitors on the big contest stage!

73...

Rick, K6VVA