[Mldxcc] [NCCC] Fw: [WriteLog] Practice. and not only Dual-CQ--novice, S&P contesters can, too

Mon Aug 15 23:32:06 EDT 2016

Wayne has sort of got a firehose aimed at him with all the input from Beta
testers.  CSS just keeps improving each day.  Playing with it is interfering
with the rest of my life!

Yes, the pileup behavior is great.  Fall behind and you get buried.  Of
course, it depends on what S&P level you set but the1-9 range should cover
all skill levels.  The highest, level 9, is just insane.  Level 5, for me,
is insane part of the time, but I have a shot at keeping in control if I
really concentrate.  Usually, though, I'm running it with a glass of wine
nearby and I'm not yet sure whether that enhances or impedes my rate.

The 2-PC model works fine with CSS.  You just run CSS on each PC, so it is a
great way to learn, or hone, skill in this configuration, either CW or RTTY.
But, unfortunately, the Duel-CQ applet only works with the one-PC SO2R
configuration.  Although, in RTTY mode it is easier to manually keep the two
CQs going than on CW.  But, having the automatic Duel-CQ feature would still
free up brain cells for other stuff.  And, there's always other stuff.

Ed

  _____  

From: Tom Georgens [mailto:tomgeorgens15 at gmail.com] 
Sent: 15 August, 2016 19:44
To: 'Ed Muns'; 'Al Maenchen'
Cc: 'MLDXCC Lode'; 'NCCC Reflector'
Subject: RE: [NCCC] [Mldxcc] Fw: [WriteLog] Practice. and not only
Dual-CQ--novice, S&P contesters can, too

Ed -

The "One PC" issue is likely my fault.  I got him started on CW dual CQ and
my preference, as was his, was to do it with one keyboard.  I did not think
of the RTTY case.  

The simulator is becoming more addictive as the pileup behavior gets more
sophisticated.  He and I had a long discussion in the incoming caller rate
as a function of S&P setting.  Today's version, at least on CW, has a new
algorithm with more frequent callers, but less at a time.  Since the total
number of callers per hour is a constant, the faster you work stations, the
thinner the pileup.  As you slow down, the frequency gets worse.  This part
is very realistic.

My primary interest is dual CQ simulation and I am not as familiar with all
the other CSS features, but would be glad to answer any questions people
have.  I know the Dual CQ set up very well and can be helpful with that as
well

Really cool stuff here

73, Tom W2SC

From: NCCC [mailto:nccc-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ed Muns
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2016 4:29 PM
To: Al Maenchen <ad6e at arrl.net>
Cc: MLDXCC Lode <mldxcc at contesting.com>; NCCC Reflector
<nccc at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [NCCC] [Mldxcc] Fw: [WriteLog] Practice. and not only
Dual-CQ--novice, S&P contesters can, too

I have the opposite experience.  So many stations keep calling that I find
it difficult to get up and walk away.  K5ZD calls this the "potato chip
effect" ... can't stop having just one more.

This is, by far, my favorite contest simulator.  It provides S&P as well as
running.  It is the only simulator for RTTY.  It is not perfectly realistic,
but very much so in some important ways.  It gets better every day.  If you
want to improve your contesting skill, practice daily with CSS.

I currently run with the S&P parameter at 5.  Much above that on RTTY and
the decoders can't cope until someone calls far enough away from the pileup
center.  My best 10-minute rate on RTTY is 174/hr in SO1R.  About time I hit
peak rate, a station asks for a repeat or several stations send long calls
or exchanges ... just like a real contest.

My only complaint about CSS is that it is addictive.  My complaint about
Wayne's Duel-CQ module is that it only works with one PC.  I duel-CQ with a
PC on each radio.  Both apps are really slick, though.

73,

Ed W0YK

On Aug 15, 2016 12:38 PM, Alan Maenchen <ad6e at arrl.net> wrote:

I agree .. sort of.  

I tried out the Super Simulator a couple of days ago. So far I've managed to
get the thing to throw a couple of calls at me after sending a CQ on the F11
key. If I get the call right it goes well but the "other" caller doesn't
then call as he might in real life. In fact nothing happens until after
another CQ. Don't know what to do in order to get a pileup going. If I don't
get the call right the simulator just stops until I send another CQ. Not
exactly like real life.

Also This simulator includes CQing stations.  You can tune around and find
them using your real radio. Unfortunately, when I call them by sending my
call, they do exactly what would happen in real life. They don't answer and
just CQ in my face. Sometimes one of them will start CQing right near your
run frequency.  That's pretty realistic.

There are some not so obvious things to learn about this, but it has
promise. 

What it can't do is respond to my paddle if I send a question mark or a
partial call. Now that would be great!

73, Alan  AD6E

On Mon, Aug 15, 2016 at 8:04 AM, Steve Dyer via NCCC <nccc at contesting.com>
wrote:

I highly recommend the Contest Super Simulator for practicing SO2R. This is
a great tool Wayne is contributing to the community.

Our own W2SC was a key contributor.

Give it a try -- it's FREE!

73,

Steve

W1SRD

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Wayne, W5XD" <w5xd at writelog.com>
To: Writelog Forum <writelog at contesting.com> 
Sent: Monday, August 8, 2016 11:22 AM
Subject: [WriteLog] Practice. and not only Dual-CQ--novice, S&P contesters
can, too

The Dual-CQ capability has gotten some recent discussion on this
reflector. In the process of building that "really fast race car" to
quote N9RV in the May, 2016 NCJ, Tom, W2SC, and I collaborated to build
this simulator:

    http://writelog.com/downloads/contest-super-simulator

Here is the full quote:

> N9RV: "It sounds a lot like a really fast race car. You've got it
> build, and now you need to learn how to drive it."
>
To paraphrase Tom's answer: he practiced. A lot. Tom used a hardware
simulator to start out, but that effort--which succeeded, by the
way--led to the development of this software-only simulator to get the
cost down.

Try learning to use the Dual CQ SO2R thing during a contest weekend, and
the rest of us, to extend the metaphor, will see only a pillar of smoke
from a wiped-out race car.

The Contest Super Simulator (which I hereinafter may abbreviate "CSS")
covers from expertise level zero--complete beginner--all the way to
world class. Yours truly built in the novice capability because, well, I
can't test it any other way.

You can practice on one radio. You can turn the CW down as slow or as
fast as you want. The operators in the simulation will wait around quite
a long time for you to get your act together and try different things,
like adjust your f-key memories. And they won't make any postings on the
internet about whether you are a LID.

CSS is available for free to all contesters. It works with the free,
demo version of WriteLog 12. You don't have to buy my product. This
simulation tool is my donation to the contesting community. This is my
way to remove excuses. I want to see the level of expertise on the air
going up. Better operators make everything about ham radio better.

To summarize, the WriteLog team has recently made three different FREE
products available:
a) The demo version of WriteLog: http://writelog.com/demo
b) The practice simulator:
http://writelog.com/downloads/contest-super-simulator
c) The Dual-CQ run mode:
https://github.com/w5xd/WriteLogRunMode/blob/master/DownloadInstaller/WriteL
ogRunModeV.2.3.zip

We expect that those attracted by the price of the demo will discover
that to really get the best contest results every weekend, they'll
eventually break down and part with $30 US to get the unlimited WriteLog
version.

Wayne, W5XD
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