[CQ-Contest] Working Split in Contests

[Keith Dutson]

 During a major contest, you will be wasting your time following this advice.  If you want to run, tune until you find the lowest S-meter reading, on average.  Throw out your CQ, and the majority of stations wanting to work you will be spot on to your transmit frequency.  If you are DX, expect to have constant contacts even on low power.  I recall a rate of 150 in the last hour of a recent CQ WPX SSB.  Between contacts, there was an average S10 reading.
73, Keith NM5G
    On Monday, November 15, 2021, 10:13:51 PM CST, Stan Zawrotny <k4sbz.stan at gmail.com> wrote:  
 
 Doug,

Notice that I didn't refer to the frequencies as channels. As I said, they
are not rules, either. This is just what I have observed as a retired
Management Consultant and former intelligence analyst trained and
experienced in noticing patterns both in data and in behavior.

And I am not a "newer operator." I was first licensed in 1958.

Contest ebulliently,
__________
Stan, K4SBZ





On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 4:11 PM Stan Zawrotny <k4sbz.stan at gmail.com> wrote:

> Doug,
>
> Although I agree that it is permissible to use fractional frequencies, if
> you will observe what is actually being done, not just by new ops but also
> by old-timers, is that most operators choose a SSB frequency ending in .00,
> .25, .50 or .75. Therefore, if you are doing S&P, you are *most likely*
> to be on frequency with the CQer if you set your dial to one of those
> settings. If the signal is not right, then tune off. But, *most likely*,
> you will end up .25 away.
>
> I have done a lot of S&P while I was a little pistol and it is rare to
> find someone not on a multiple of .25 with SSB. It's not a rule, but it is
> a fact.
>
> This is especially easy to observe if you use a large screen panadapter
> (such as Flex SSDR) where you can *see *where a signal is.
>
> So, when running, you may park wherever you wish, but when doing S&P, you
> will tune onto a calling station faster and more accurately if you use the
> .25 technique.
> __________
> Stan, K4SBZ
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 3:57 PM Doug Grant <dougk1dg at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> and here's another spin on the subject...
>>
>> A lot of newer operators seem to think that we are supposed to operate on
>> "channels" on SSB - another words, exact kHz frequencies like 14275.0, and
>> will only call on those frequencies, even if the actual frequency in use
>> by
>> the station they are calling is 14274.67.
>>
>> I am not making this up. I have seen posts in various places observing
>> that
>> someone heard a station on 14274.67 and thought it was wrong ("Shouldn;t
>> he
>> be on either 14274.0 or 14275.0?")
>>
>> As a result, these callers are off the CQer's frequency, necessitating the
>> use of RIT.
>>
>> Few if any of those guys are reading this email list, so please take the
>> opportunity whenever you are speaking about contesting to your local club,
>> Elmering on FD, or wherever, that it is OK to be on a fractional kHz
>> frequency!
>>
>> Somebody's gotta teach them!
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Doug K1DG
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
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