Topband: Patience in ARRL 160 Contest

[Jim Brown]

On 12/3/2012 8:26 PM, Augie "Gus" Hansen wrote:
> as in "CQ TEST KB0YH", with about a 1-2 second loop delay. 

I have NEVER found a CQ repeat interfal less than 2.5 seconds to be 
adequate to actually LISTEN for callers, and I often use 3 seconds.

I strongly agree with the need to keep CQs short.  I always have three 
CQs programmed. The shortest, automatic on F1, is "TEST K9YC" The next 
is "CQ TEST K9YC,"   and the longest is "CQ TEST K9YC K9YC."   I start 
with the shortest, then the middle one, then the longer one when things 
are slow and I need to beat the bushes.

When a QSO is finished, it's TU, a long space so someone could tail end, 
then K9YC. No "73, GL in the contest, no "QSL," "CFM,"etc.  If I think 
there might be any confusion about callsigns, I'll use F5 (his call) 
then F3 (TU    K9YC) at the end of the QSO.  All that extra crap takes 
time, and when I'm in S&P mode, I'll tune past the guy who's wasting my 
time with it.  I can average 80 Qs per hour in S&P mode, but not waiting 
through that blather. :)

I've contested with N6RO at his place.  He's a top scoring guy (he's won 
SS nationally, doing it from the west coast), so I have a hard time 
finding fault with him!  What Ken does is send YOUR call at the 
beginning of an exchange, when in S&P mode. That's smart -- it makes 
sure both guys know who's working who under crowded band conditions when 
there can often be two stations running a few hundred Hz apart on 
different coasts, and callers answering both.

BTW -- another good way to make sure that the other guy is working YOU, 
not someone else on your frequency, is to ask for a simple repeat of  a 
short part of the exchange.  If he responds, you know he's working you.

As to "being weak" -- I strongly agree with N6RK's advice.  I'll add 
this:  never send ANYTHING again that the other guy has copied 
correctly. If he has your call, don't send it again. If he doesn't have 
your call, send it until he does.  If he needs your report, send ONLY 
the report, over and over again until he gets it.  If he asks for 
confirmation of something, send R R R R R R, and nothing else. At the 
end of QSO and I'm the S&P guy, I'll send TU TU TU TU if I need to let 
him know I copied his exchange.  When your signal is "vapor" on the 
other end, anything beyond the bare minimum confuses things.

And QSK is a wonderful thing, especially if you're weak.  I don;t use 
full QSK at 1.5 kW -- the vacuum relays wear out too often -- but I 
always do at 100w or less.

73, Jim K9YC