[SECC] Contest tips for small guns

[David L. Thompson]

I get several reflectors and it seems everyone is commenting or passing
contest tips.  If you can find your way to a big gun station such as NQ4I
there are really a different set of tips that apply, but if you operate a
small gun station listen up...

For the CQ WW or ARRL DX try to get as many hours on 10 meters and whatever
band is your best antenna.   Run hard on those two bands and when things
slow down cruise the other bands
picking up mults.  Don't under any circumstance get tied up for more than a
minute or two calling a station even if you need it for a new one or a band
country.  You might get that station later.
Use as many high tech items as possible  such as SO2R, keyboard/PC CW with
function keys,
DVK/PC on SSB, and try to have at least one additional band station set up
so time is not lost band switching.  Know propagation and use it.  I
remember Bob W4MCM/W4HR would expound on this every fall before the CQ WW.
Remember it takes more than a big signal to win.

Wear comfortable clothes, east as little as possible, drink fluids, stay
away from beer, don't smoke (if on SSB), and if you get very sleepy sleep
for an hour or so (set an alarm).  Operate as many hours as possible,
operate legally without splatter or clicks, and make sure the family (if
staying home) answer the phone.

Before the contest make sure all your antennas work, run through your
logging program to make sure you know everything ....this way you don't
learn during the contest.  Make sure you have at least two ways to save your
log too.  I use writelog and it saves the log to the hard drive every so
many QSOs but add to that saving it to a floppy or a zip drive.  Have a
second PC ready if possible.

The ARRL SS is an entirely different story altho many of the tips hold.
Unfortunately Georgia is not the best place for this contest.  To win you
must be able to run almost the entire contest and this means on one or two
bands.  I remember W6PQW (now W6BH) could sit on 10 for the entire contest.
K6EVR would sit on 21.3 or 28.610 for hours and an hour into the SS when I
was hitting 71 or 72 QSOs he was at 120 or 130 (somebody said he had a 2
meter list waiting for him at the start).   Being able to run means as
little movement of a beam as possible (if you have a beam).  That is why
Colorado or W6/W7 have always been a good place.  W5 has always been a good
place and if the state is rare that helps.  Getting to KP2 or KP4 is another
winning place.
However, trying to win your state or section should be your first goal.  If
your QSOs are not to expectations try to finish the clean sweep.  Don't stay
on a frequency for more than 10 minutes if you are not getting calls and
most important pick the best hours for your location.  The ARRL SS
is often won by hams with tri-banders at 50 feet and a modest station.

Good luck to all.

73 Dave K4JRB