[CQ-Contest] Station design and ergonomics

[Timothy Holmes]

Hi Folks:
Got to work the ARRL SSB DX INTERNATIONAL contest this weekend, and really
had a great time, made some amazing contacts on Saturday, (Tonga, Pitcairn,
Australia and New Zealand) and finished up with a score of about 32,000
points on 139 Qs.

While I was operating, I did notice some things that I have questions
about. Im currently operating on a desk that is 43 inches long, 23 inches
wide, and 26 inches high. I have an old office chair with an adjustable
height that I sit in. My computer monitor is elevated 9 ½ inches over the
desk top, putting it right at eye level. The problem is that I find myself
getting sore as I am contesting, and need to get up and move every so
often. I am curious to know how your stations are laid out and if there is
anything I can do to reduce fatigue and soreness as I contesting

likewise, I am also curious about how to avoid ear fatigue over the hours
of the contest – I try to keep my volume as low as possible, yet be able to
hear faint contacts, likewise, I use the phase reverse on my headphones
pretty often to change the sounds a bit and keep my hearing as sharp as
possible.

When it comes to preparing for the contest, what do you all do as far as
food, drink, sleep, supplements etc to give yourself stamina for the
contest and allow you to be able to functional the day after.

Lastly, I have found a 1.9 MHz SSB filter for my 706, I am wondering if
that will help in the crowded band conditions to cut down the noise and
allow me to narrow in on the signals that I am trying to hear.

Thanks in advance

TIM
W8TAH
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Tim Holmes - W8TAH
Sent from my LG Stylo