[CQ-Contest] GET SCORES or GET SERIOUS

[John Brosnahan -- W0UN]

At 07:47 23-01-08, steve.root at culligan4water.com wrote:
>If you get some sleep you aren't "serious" ? Please.... Why
>wouldn't I get some sleep so I'm in better shape when the sun comes up?
>73 SR

Steve--

Couldn't agree more.  I have a good friend who came in a close 2nd place
in an ARRL DX phone test from the DX side and he feels strongly that he
would have WON had he only slept some early Sunday morning.

But he made the strategic decision to operate straight through the contest.
Early Sunday morning (post midnight in the US) was very slow and by
late Sunday afternoon he was too punch drunk to efficiently handle the
Sunday afternoon pileups of casual operators.

Of course he was more tired going into the contest, having traveled to the
DX location and put together the station just before the test, whereas an
operator at a home station has the advantage of having plenty of time to
get the station ready and not having to do the airline travel.

It is all part of the strategy and every situation is different.  And you can
win or lose based on your strategic decisions.  A little sleep MAY be
the right answer!

73  John  W0UN