[CQ-Contest] A Decent Rate?

[PY2NY, Vitor]

I am 44, not exactly good ears, and 
totally comfortable doing 40 wpm, 
nothing more...

Vitor PY2NY (@PS2T ARRL CW)



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen & Marilyn Haines" <steveandmarilynhaines at gmail.com>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 8:16 PM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] A Decent Rate?


> The ARRL DXCW contest was my best contest effort so far. After casually 
> contesting since 2007 with only a search-and-pounce style, I finally 
> worked up enough nerve to call CQ. The pileup surprised and buried me -- 
> I may have been the only ZP in the test. That happens if no one comes 
> down to run Tom's station, ZP0R.
> 
> Here's my question: Given my conditions, what would be a competent QSO 
> rate during a run? I averaged between 1.5 to 2 QSOs per minute, with a 
> few minutes reaching 3. I know I frustrated a lot of of the guys at this 
> pace, but I never felt like I had control of the pile.
> 
> I'm 63, with 50 years as a casual CW operator comfortable at 25-30 wpm. 
> My rig is a Yaesu FT-757GXii with a factory 600 hz narrow filter. The 
> antenna is a ground plane 10 feet from a two-story house, with wire 
> elements for 15 and 20 taped to a fiberglass fishing pole. It's got 3 
> radials on 20 and 1 on 15. My signal is always weak; 100 watts to a wire 
> is what I've always had. When I operate split I can usually set up a 
> rhythm, but in the test with a simplex frequency I couldn't be heard in 
> the racket of nearly continuous callers.
> 
> So what would be a reasonable personal goal under these conditions? From 
> you experienced guys, what QSO rate would  a competent (not world-class) 
> operator achieve?
> 
> Steve, ZP9EH/W9CPI
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