[CQ-Contest] Station design and ergonomics

Tue Mar 7 13:34:45 EST 2017

Tim,
The key is setting up a station that's ergonomically well designed and get a chair that's comfortable to sit in. This is the best $235 you will EVER spend on contesting: http://www.officechairsforless.com/Office-Star-Multi-Function-Task-Chair.html. I have bought two of these in the last 15 years and couldn't be happier--or more comfortable--when contesting. You want your monitors right at eye level or maybe very, very slightly below; keyboard and mouse at arm level.

As for headphones and ear fatigue, that's a huge field with many answers. Get the best headphones you can afford. Forget HEIL, look at the Arlan radiosport headset. Pricey but I'll never, ever switch to anything else. This is the gold standard. If you're mostly a CW operator, look for a refurbished set of BOSE QC-15s. No mic for SSB but awesome performance on CW. Active noise reduction is a magical thing. Also set your filtering as wide as you dare, and also use the IF SHIFT function in your radio to make the audio a little more pleasant. It's a tradeoff, of course, and you'll find after a few contests you'll find something that works best for you. That 1.9 filter would be WAY to narrow for me. Even my 2.1 is rarely set that low. The high-pitched tinny sound below 2.1 is uncomfortable to listen to over the long term. Also consider something a bit better than the 706. It's many things, but a contest radio it is most definitely *not*. Filtering close-in strong signals is not something it's particularly good at.

And speaking of ear fatigue, don't be shy about riding your RF Gain! You don't need it whacked out full all the time, especially when you're working the powerhouses out of Europe. I find myself padding down 10 or 15dB and reducing the RF Gain, especially on 40m SSB (ugh).

Human factors. If you can live without it, stay off caffeine for a week before the contest, start off normally but then use coffee or colas for that kick in the butt when you start nodding. It will help a lot in terms of stamina. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do love my Coke Zero! Sleep is a huge factor too. If you can, stay home the day before, sleep in, do very, very little of anything, then take a 1-2 hour nap ending roughly 90 minutes before the start. So here on the US east coast, I'll set my station up 100% ready, lie down around 3:30, probably be asleep by 3:45 or 4pm, up at 5:45-6pm and I'll have an hour to grab a bite, use the loo, change into my official FRC shirt (I don't dare operate without it!) and then be ready for a 7pm start. Add an hour for DST. I don't use supplements. 

Unless you're seriously running constant pileups, try to give yourself a break every couple of hours. Stand up, hit the head, walk around the house, etc. If the weather is nice outside, go for a short stroll or sit on the deck. In my case, when the weather is nice, I'll have a short 20 minute to half-hour cigar in the mid-afternoon when activity is extremely low. Really clears my mind to just sit out there and listen to nature before going back into the fray.

---------------------------------------------
GO FRC!
Peter, W2IRT

www.facebook.com/W2IRT

-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Timothy Holmes
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 8:32 AM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Station design and ergonomics

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
-- 

Tim Holmes - W8TAH
Sent from my LG Stylo
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