[CQ-Contest] Contest Burnout

[Jim Brown]

On 12/2/2022 3:21 PM, w1rm at comcast.net wrote:
> So, I would appreciate some honest thoughts about how to combat contest
> burnout.

Pete,

I'm a year older, contesting since 1956 (although with MANY years time 
outs to have a life, run a biz, etc.), and I've long run into this 
issue, largely because my first serious station is is NorCal. I get my 
contesting satisfaction by challenging myself in various ways. One of 
those challenges has been working major contests QRP. One learns a LOT 
about being a better and smarter operator by working ARRL DX or CQWW or 
running 5W, especially the SSB weekends. I've done all of those at least 
once, CW more than once. I've worked ARRL 160 QRP maybe half a dozen times.

Trying a new contesting mode can be fun. I started working RTTY contests 
13-14 years ago.

One of the things you learn is how to make QSOs when you're weak! You 
also learn a lot about propagation -- when you're weak, you've got to 
hit all the peaks, and you've got to make the Qs when those you're 
competing with have poorer prop (example -- I've got to work EU when the 
east coast can't, or at least doesn't have a peak). You learn how to S&P 
more efficiently. Last weekend, running legal limit, I was able to hit 
rates >100/hour in assisted S&P passes to EU on 20M. I'd have been lucky 
to hit a rate of 20/hr Running from here. I must have my fun Running to 
AS and OC.

I never miss the CW versions of NA Sprint. I don't win them, but they 
are the greatest operating challenge, by far, and it takes both skill 
and a great station to win the jump balls. Our club enters teams for 
Sprints and NAQP, which increases the fun. I'm usually on the #2 team.

Some of the larger state and regional QSO parties offer the challenge of 
chasing mobiles and portable expeditions. NEQP, FLQP, TNQP, GAQP, 7QP, 
the WA Salmon Run, and CQP allow a fairly serious effort without having 
to live in the shack all weekend. W6GJB, N3ZZ, K6SRZ, and I still do 
county expeditions for CQP, and once COVID settles down enough, W6JTI, 
W6GJB, and I will resume lighting up multiple rare 7QP counties in 
"nowhere NV," hopefully recruiting a younger guy to help with the setup 
and tear-downs.

You can have a lot of fun running from a rare county in one of the 
larger parties, and even mobiling on CW with a second op doing the 
driving. 100W and antennas as simple as HamSticks for each band is 
enough on 40M and above if you're in a rare county. If you're a single 
op (no driver), find a spot to stop in each county and run until things 
slow down. We spend many hours of advance time scouting locations, first 
on Google Earth, then driving there with a radio to check for noise, 
issues that might prevent operation, other nearby sites that might work 
better.

Another challenge is working contests for which you don't have great 
prop. From the east coast, All Asia, Oceania, and JIDX fit that 
category. Or contests that reward you for working QRP and 100W stations, 
like the Stew Perry, where good ears can be as important as a big signal.

73, Jim K9YC