[CQ-Contest] WAE QTC tactics

[Ed Sawyer]

The strategy on the DX side of WAE is very different than the EU side.  From
our

end, there are a couple of hundred stations looking for QTCs but there are
as many

more just giving us Qs that have no interest in QTCs.  When the rate is full
of those 

folks, the last thing you want to do is stop the process and give out QTCs.
None

of us will have trouble getting rid of the QTCs but we won't get those
casuals back if

they go to the next guy and skip us.  So I routinely said no to QTC requests
when 

I could hear some depth of a few callers, even though I had QTCs to give.  I
also 

said no if the copy of the exchange was needing a repeat or the signal level
was

low with QSB.  I made the mistake on one and it took 5 mins to get through.
Typical

was 2 mins and 2 1/2 was not uncommon.

 

I think that the depth of casual EU is very thin in this contest vs WPX, CQ
WW, and even

ARRL DX.  Especially outside of Germany.

 

Fun contest and interesting.  It would be a slow grind on Sunday without the
QTCs for sure.

 

Ed   N1UR