[CQ-Contest] CQ-Contest Digest, Vol 164, Issue 34

[Pierre Fogal]

As a small station that occasionally does "okay", I would add that it is
often most effective to call CQ later in the contest.  Let them work all
the loud easy ones first and then ops will take more time to listen looking
for something they haven't worked.  The trick is to start before those
folks get bored and decide there is nothing left to work. Usually I find
that is not before the 16 hour mark of a 48 hour contest.  I've usually had
a fair return calling CQ on Sunday afternoons, for example.

And by small, I mean that I have a wire in the trees fed by 450 ohm ladder
line, tuned by a Palstar BT1500 balanced tuner and running 100 W out of a
TS-570.  Or at VY0ERC, an R5 vertical + 40M dipole fed by 100W out of a
TS-480. The wire at home is a W5GI "mystery" antenna.  Remember those? It
does okay 20m-80m, but I do struggle on 10m and 15m with it.

Pierre VE3KTB and sometimes VY0ERC

On Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 12:00 PM, <cq-contest-request at contesting.com> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Re: How to start a run (Timothy Holmes)
>    2. Re: How to start a run (Ward Silver)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:17:00 +0000
> From: Timothy Holmes <taholmes160 at gmail.com>
> To: k9yc at arrl.net, cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] How to start a run
> Message-ID:
>         <CAGdWYjLwSb0qOuVnzZfSX2yyfiNDrdcjKXWjtT3QGd1fq44e5g at mail.
> gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Hi Jim
>
> Im aware of what qrz is showing in re: my license.  Things are held up at
> the fcc and i have a letter in my files verifying that while things are
> resolved, I have authority and standing to operate
>
> Tim
> W8TAH
>
> On Mon, Aug 22, 2016, 9:05 AM Jim Brown <k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com>
> wrote:
>
> > On Sun,8/21/2016 4:05 PM, Jeff Clarke wrote:
> > > A 130 ft center fed zepp is a pretty good multi-band antenna if you are
> > limited on what you can put up
> >
> > Not if you have neighbors -- it's a sitting duck for RF noise because
> > there's no practical way to choke it. And, of course, with the pattern
> > issues you noted.
> >
> > qrz.com says Tim is near Cleveland. K1AR gets away with his version of
> > this because he's in New England -- it's like being born on third base
> > and thinking you got there by hitting a triple. :) And he's not all that
> > loud out here in NorCal.
> >
> > BTW -- qrz.com thinks that W8TAH expired in 2012.
> >
> > 73, Jim K9YC
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
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> >
> --
>
> Tim Holmes - W8TAH
> Sent from my LG Stylo
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:06:21 -0500
> From: Ward Silver <hwardsil at gmail.com>
> To: Reflector <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] How to start a run
> Message-ID: <0182ea86-c2c7-5e1e-21b4-9808f9ca303e at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> Another thing for the smaller station to consider is when it is
> practical to start a run.  You might not be loud enough, the band might
> not be open enough, there might be too much QRM, etc.  Start by doing
> some S&P up and down the band - if you are getting through on the first
> call when others are calling as well, that's a good indication you are
> loud enough to call CQ and get answers. (That last part - and get
> answers - is the important part. Anybody can call CQ.)  If your contacts
> need repeats to get through - best stay with S&P for a while.
>
> Take note of where in the band you're getting through.  Typically for
> smaller stations, you'll have a better signal-to-noise ratio high in the
> band.  If you can get through in kilowatt alley, go for it.  Otherwise,
> think about calling CQ where you can be heard. This is a good reason to
> learn propagation.  Set up VOACAP Online (http://www.voacap.com/) with
> your station's parameters and try a few typical setups for who you think
> you're going to be called by.  Figure out what time and direction will
> work best - then try them.
>
> And, as always, there is no reason not to simply try CQing when you find
> a hole.  If you catch a few contacts and then it dries up or a big
> station moves in - well, you have those contacts in your log, so move
> on.  I got used to that when operating QRP!
>
> 73, Ward N0AX
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
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> Subject: Digest Footer
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> ------------------------------
>
> End of CQ-Contest Digest, Vol 164, Issue 34
> *******************************************
>