[CQ-Contest] Should contest ops QRS?

[K9MA]

It depends. Obviously, calling CQ at 45 wpm when the rate is very low 
late in a contest is counterproductive. Likewise, when you're hearing 
echos, they're probably hearing them on the other end, too.

73,
Scott K9MA


On 2/8/2026 8:54 AM, Mike Smith VE9AA wrote:
> This thread started (and morphed) on the Topband reflector but upon
> reflection(hi) it's really a topic much more suited for CQ-CONTEST.
> Since the OP didn't post here, I've wiped his call and edited out almost all
> of his comments, leaving only a brief statement and his question which seems
> to be a common complaint here and there on the internet after every major
> contest.  Certainly I've seen it numerous times in the 3830scores.com
> comments.
>
> The new subject line is my interpretation of his statement/question.
>
> My reply to him/all is below his question.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> VE9AA
> Mike - Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada
>
>
>
> <snipped the rest out> <wiped the OP's call>
> ...< the late Fred Laun, K3ZO (bless his departed soul), flatly refused to
> send any faster than about 24 - 26 WPM  and STILL usually managed to work
> more people over the entire period of a contest than most DXpeditions manage
> to work over the same time period on any band while sounding like a runaway
> woodchuck.
>
> So, to repeat my question: how the hell do you get these QRQ fellows
> to QRS??
> <snip>…”
>   - - -
>
> de VE9AA:
> GM Everyone,
>
> With respect. May Fred/K3ZO RIP.  I liked Fred a lot.
>
>   Nobody is winning major contests at 24-26wpm.  It's purely a contest math
> thing.  There's only so much time in a contest to work with and every second
> counts. You can get roughly twice as many characters sent at 50wpm than you
> could at 25wpm.
>
> (Of course sending at 100wpm would not work because nobody can copy that),
> but certainly most ops can copy their call at 30, 40 or even 50wpm.  If it's
> a known exchange (like CQ Zone #) then it's easy to make a QSO. (SS would
> likely not work running @ 50wpm for obvious reasons)
>
>   You don’t even need to take my word for it. Please don't.
>
> Go to the online scoreboard during or 3830scores.com very soon after any
> major contest(CQWW,ARRLDX,CW Sprint etc).  Go to the RBN.  Search any
> callsign in the top five. The speeds are all reported by the RBN.
> They’re ALL sending faster than 24-26wpm. It's just contest math. Nothing
> more. A few seem to want guys to send slower, but you can't fight the math.
> That's why SO2R is also popular. You can squeeze in more QSOs.
>
> If 33-36wpm CW bothers you, then you need to learn to listen faster.
>
> (BTW, I am not being belligerent; I put my money where my mouth is.) When I
> got back into contesting in 2010 after a hiatus, I was rock solid at only
> 26-27wpm but found in my years away speeds in general had gone up, so I put
> a mobile rig in my car (see qrz.com) and listened to 20M CW for an hour a
> day M-F for a year, then pushed and pushed and pushed myself with on-air
> practice (home+mobile) and Morserunner so  I can keep up with most (but not
> all) contest ops today. QRQ ops don't bother me like they seem to some
> folks.  It just drives me to practice more.
>
>   Asking QRQ contest ops (or DXpeditions) to slow down won't work.  You can't
> fight the math.  If they want to make more Q's, they need to send faster (or
> lose the contest or come home from that rare Island with xx thousands less
> Q's).
>
> GL in your endeavours !
>
> dit dit
>
> CU (all of a sudden!) in the next one.
>
> 73 de Mike VE9AA
>
>
> Mike - Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Scott  K9MA

k9ma at sdellington.us