[CQ-Contest] Station design and ergonomics

[Trent Sampson]

Hi Tim 

So many answers that will suit your questions - you have started on an interesting journey and it never ends.

TEMPERATURE in the shack is important - my ideal is around 20C or 70F - hotter and you get drowsy, colder and you get uncomfortable

My shack desks at home and at our contest station are large L office desks - heaps of room the L is 1800X1800mm or roughly 6 foot about 3 foot wide

The ICOM 706 will always be hard work in a contest - if the budget can stretch to even an older contest grade rig ex FT1000 series or any like rig the difference is amazing.
TS850 870 Ten Tec Omni (insert Icom models here)

I prefer the Heil Proset Plus - But I also use an Heil elite swapping them during a test - Pressure on different parts of the head - there are many different headsets because there are many different heads - go with what suits you.

Have fun - you will learn lots

Regards


Trent Sampson
VK4TS 
Po Box 275 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 
Mobile 0408497550









-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Timothy Holmes
Sent: Tuesday, 7 March 2017 11:32 PM
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
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest