[SECC] SS Strategies?

[Daniel Jeswald]

Good advice....I took this advice couple of years ago...did real well.

Dan/W4NTI


> [Original Message]
> From: John Laney <k4bai at worldnet.att.net>
> To: secc <secc at contesting.com>
> Date: 11/1/04 3:17:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [SECC] SS Strategies?
>
> For CW SS, the strategy is pretty easy.  Get on at the first of the 
> contest, CQ all the time, work everyone you can.  Get some sleep when 
> the rate drops in the middle of the night.  Get back on about sun up. 
> Do single op two radio if possible to maximize the QSO rate so that you 
> can get some answers to CQs on one band and look for new stations on a 
> new band.
>
> W4AN believed after the break during the night, you should take the 
> remainder of your off-times in 30 minute segments throughout the day. 
> He believed you should be on for the last hour or last half hour of the 
> contest to catch those guys who only get on for that last run to the cut 
> off time.  I never never found many of them.  The longer I am on at the 
> end, the slower the rate gets.  This is true even with SO2R--but the 
> overall rate will be faster with SO2R.
>
> Naturally, you want to work all the multipliers you can, hopefully 
> meaning all there are (80 now, I think).  You can pick up the rarer 
> mults by the second rig by tuning on those bands where the CQ rate isn't 
> very good while you are CQing on a more productive band.  When you are 
> down to just a few or just one, get on the band with the best 
> propagation to that area and point your antenna in that direction and be 
> loud!  Listen to others running on that band with your second VFO.
>
> The rate can fall so low that I will even S&P on the first rig.  If 
> there are no answers to CQs, then do S&P.  Stay in the chair and on the 
> air.  Take breaks only for 30 minutes at a time so you don't lose other 
> time off the air.
>
>  From this area, 20 meters is the best band to start on unless there is 
> genuine short skip on 10 or 15.  If there is genuine short skip on the 
> higher bands at any time, run on those bands until the rate drops. 
> Don't forget to look back at 15 meters for a possible NE area opening 
> about the time the band is getting weak to the west.   Your second trx 
> will enable you to monitor for such an opening.  Rarely, this may happen 
> on ten also, but on CW, there will likely be no one to work or only a 
> few to work on 10 CW if we get a late short skip opening.
>
> If the rate isn't good on 20 or begins to drop, run on 40 and use the 
> second rig to search on 20 and 80.  Running on 80 is rarely productive 
> from this area of the country, but it can be if 40 goes long early.
>
> Send as fast as the rate of answers allows.  If you aren't getting many 
> answers, slow down.  Sometimes, it helps to speed up.
>
> Set up your program to send the minimum necessary.  Don't send "CK" 
> before the year.  I don't send NR before number, but there is an 
> argument that people don't get ready until they hear "NR" and not 
> sending it results in requests for repeats.  Send the other guy's call 
> at the beginning of the exchange unless you are searching and pouncing 
> and are very confident that you are the one being answered.
>
> Don't send the exchange until the other guy sends your call correctly in 
> full.  Just keep sending your call until he sends it right unless he is 
> such a LID that he will never do it, so you must just go on.
>
> Don't send anything unnecessary.  Don't send K or BK if just stopping 
> will do just as well.  Always run full QSK.  That way, you will know if 
> he starts to send while you are sending your call or the exchange and 
> you can stop and see what is going on.
>
> Have fun!  No point in doing this if it isn't fun.  I don't mean quit if 
> you aren't winning.  I mean make it fun.
>
> Use for your run rig, the rig with the narrowest filters.  Keep it open 
> to 500 hz unless the QRM is rough, but a 250 hz filter will help a lot 
> on 40 M at night and it may be needed at times on 20 M.
>
> If your speed isn't too good, operate higher in the bands.  Even if you 
> aren't confident about your speed or your signal, try some CQs.  If 
> everyone tunes around for new QSOs, there will be fewer QSOs made.  If 
> the bands are very crowded, go higher in the bands until you find a 
> reasonably clear frequency.  As your rate drops, work your way down the 
> band.
>
> If you are in S&P and you find yourself being beat out by the same guys 
> over and over, switch to the opposite CW sideband and go in the opposite 
> direction on the band.
>
> If you hear somebody that you need doing S&P up a band (or down for that 
> matter), go a little further in that same direction to a relatively 
> clear spot and CQ at the other station's speed beaming in his direction.
>
> Listen to the bands for a few days before the contest and know what to 
> expect.  Make sure your contest software is up to date with all the 
> latest multipliers and the lastest supercheck partial list including USA 
> calls.
>
> Make an extra effort to work any friends that you hear including SECC 
> members.
>
> I have never heard a SS QSO on 160 meters.
>
> That's about all that comes to mind.  Keep at it for the full time, or 
> for whatever period of time you can allow for contesting this weekend. 
> If something goes wrong and you can fix it during an off period, do it. 
>   If not, have a fall back position.  A transceiver backup, an amplifier 
> backup, and backup antennas.  Probably a backup computer and keyer would 
> be helpful.
>
> I recommend using a keyer in addition to a logging program on a 
> computer.  When the other guy stops sending, don't let any time elapse. 
>   If you didn't get his call right into the computer, start sending with 
> your paddle and use your other hand to get the computer caught up.  If 
> you wait, you will lose the rhythm and maybe the QSO.  This is 
> particularly true if you can't run break in.  If neither of you has QSK, 
> you will both transmit at the same time, particularly if there is a 
> pause while you are trying to get the computer program set up to send.
>
> Need I say that you need to plan to spend extra time with the family 
> before and after the contest so that they will not feel cheated by the 
> time you spend in the contest?  Try to have a clear understanding of 
> what you expect during the contest with regard to telephone calls, 
> doorbells, meals, and other interruptions.  It is often helpful to have 
> an extra RadioShack telephone interference filter and a high pass TVI 
> filter on hand in case you get unexpected complaints during the contest.
>
> Do whatever is necessary to avoid dehydration during the contest.  A 
> small portable ice check with cold bottled water might be a good idea.
>
> I usually take my first half hour break at supper time and eat with the 
> XYL.  This is not the best idea for the highest score, as you really 
> need to keep running until 2 or 3 AM with no breaks.  But, it is a 
> compromise that I have decided upon, not because the XYL insists on it, 
> but because my conscience demands it.  My XYL will not usually bring me 
> anything to eat or drink during a contest (but my mother would!).  Many 
> XYLs probably will.  It isn't too hard to eat during a CW contest, but 
> the SO2R bit will suffer.  I find it counterproductive to try to eat 
> during a phone contest unless I am in S&P mode with a very good DVK.
>
> I also take a second break (often longer than a half hour) at Sunday 
> lunch, when our grown children often come over.  This is actually a 
> pretty good time to take some more off time.
>
> With a tribander and wires and reasonably good conditions with 
> reasonably short skip, 20 meters is the big band for CW SS from this 
> area.  With a good 40 meter beam, 40 meters might be the big band even 
> from this far south.
>
> On CW, I have never been able to productively do CQ running on either 15 
> or 10 meters in SS even the four year or so I did it from W4AN.  I 
> realize that K4EA and K4WI seem to disprove that theory on 15 meters, 
> but you must have a really good signal on 15 meters to productively run 
> there and I never have been able to, except when we get short skip.  And 
> even then, you run out of CW stations on 15 meters on CW a lot sooner 
> than you would think.
>
> Most of what I have said is directed to those planning a full-time 
> effort.  But, I encourage everyone to be as QRV as possible with 
> whatever rig and antennas you can put on the air.  Even a few minutes 
> over the weekend will help increase the club aggregate score and can be 
> a lot of fun.  If you can't be active early in the contest, you may find 
> that you are as good as rare DX when you get on and CW later on.
>
> 73,
>
>
> John, K4BAI.
>
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