[UK-CONTEST] Operating a 24 hour contest and staying awake?

[Dave Sergeant]

On 30 Aug 2010 at 22:02, Keith Maton wrote:

> I'm shortly going to be pulling a full 24 hour operating shift for an
> SSB contest, do any of the old hands have any hints, tips, suggestions,
> advice (apart from "don't do it") that would be useful for keeping awake
> and as alert as possible for the duration?
> 

You don't indicate whether this is an HF event or a VHF one - and 
looking at your website it would indicate it is probably the latter. If 
it is VHF then the obvious question is why you really need to do the 
whole 24 hours when there are going to be many quiet periods in the 
night you could take breaks - or during which you are going to drop off 
anyway from boredom...

I tend to take different approaches from some of those expressed 
already - but guess I am not a really serious entrant anyway as an HF 
CW QRP only entrant.

In 48 hour events like CQWW and WPX I usually manage a maximum of 40-42 
hours. Being a natural early-to-bed early-to rise chap for ones 
starting at midnight I take an early night on the Friday (9pm ish) and 
start the contest an hour or two into it - the first hour is 
frustrating with a small station.

I take proper meal breaks at my normal times - a good mid day cooked 
lunch only takes an hour, and in those contests where breaks need to a 
minimum of 1 hour it fits well. I hate junk food, only the proper stuff 
here... Plenty of cups of tea during the event, don't drink coffee and 
it takes the same time to make a cuppa as open a soft drink.

Operate till around 11pm the first day, by which time I have had enough 
for one day. Off to bed, up again around 3am. Repeat process for Sunday 
and usually stick it out to the bitter end. Up at my normal 6am on 
Monday morning fresh and raring to go...

I marvel those who can do a full 48 hours non-stop, but you always have 
to do what your body is capable of. Years ago I did try 48 hours but 
flaked out at 1am on the second night....

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com