[CQ-Contest] fezzing the panadapter screen and the SDR generation

[kr2q at optimum.net]

Pretty interesting discussion, though (as expected) it has gone far a field from the original
topic of "combine all SOAB."

Being a QRPer, I have never run SO2R in a DX contest.  I don't get to run much (very rare for 
me), so carefully tuning two bands requires (?) 2x concentration and time as compared to tuning
one band....or at least it would seem that way when simply thinking about it.

But after reading BOH's comments, maybe I am more SDR than I think.  

I have a pair of K3s and I use the Elecraft P3 panadapator (on one radio).  Yes, the P3 shows
a "wider" signal (sort of "more BOLD") for stronger signals.  And I have more than one antenna.

So when I want to find mults that are in zones 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 from here in zone 5, I do
exactly what BOH described.  I have one ant to EUR and the other "south."  As I "tune" (which
means "look at") the band, I can instantly switch back and forth between antennas and SEE
which signals are probably SOUTH from me...and yes, those are the signals more likely to be a
SA mult.  When I SEE one, I jump to it, skipping over those that are clearly NOT from that
direction.

I then do not "waste" any time carefully tuning and listening to every single signal...just the 
"loud" ones.  It is very efficient.  And if I do that on a "dead/just opening/just closing" band,
say 10m, then it is incredibly more efficient for me.  I am not "wasting time" tuning across
dozens of KHz of "dead air."  VE1RGB taught me several years back when he got a prototype
P3.  At first, I felt like something dear to me was lost...how to "carefully" tune the band
with my ears.  But after not much time, I said, "Well, screw that...this is much better."
What is the difference between "tuning" with your ears versus "tuning" with your eyes?
One is very slow and the other one isn't!  Nobody is giving me the callsigns; I am still
doing "it all" by myself! I am just being much more efficient.

Further, I don't have that "hollow" feeling of tuning a "quiet" band, listening for stuff, and NOT
KNOWING if I just happened to tune past a good one when he happened to pause for a 
minute.  I just LOOK at the panadapter and if I see a signal "pop up" on the QRG that I just
"tuned" past, then I just tune "backwards" to that QRG and see who it is.

So if these techniques work for me, they probably will work for everybody, especially SO2R
guys ("my" entire style is effectively their 2nd radio style - at least some of the time).

It is also easy to "see" big pileups in an instant.  Typically, I'll go there, manually record
"who it is" on my bandmap, and then leave, knowing that I will check back later with hopes
that the pileup has lessened (remember, I'm QRP).

Yes, being able to tune across LOTS of QRG in "small" amounts of time is good.

de Doug KR2Q