[UK-CONTEST] ARRL CW

Wed Feb 24 16:52:14 PST 2010

I've been following this thread with interest. Two totally different 
perspectives: the competitor who wants to win and the more casual operator 
in it for fun. Both are right.

I would just mention that the winner of CQWW CW 2009 (claimed scores) is 
EF8M with over 11,000 QSOs in 48 hours, single operator. Quite amazing! He 
never changed his CW speed, set to 42wpm, except on 160 metres. I was his 
Observer and was horrified when I first heard him operating this way but 
during many hours of monitoring I didn't hear a single query or repeat and 
he always had callers. Apart from being loud his main factor, I suggest, was 
size of pile-up and therefore QRM on his frequency. He seldom had more than 
a few calling - a small pile-up. So, I've adjusted my thinking somewhat - 
but only for those special circumstances. As others have said, flexibility 
is paramount.

As to slowing down to help the newcomer - sorry, an Olympic athlete doesn't 
do that. He only wants to win! If I'm going hammer & tongs to win I'd only 
slow the keyer if it helped to increase my QSO rate at that moment.
73 de Roger/G3SXW.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Colin Wilson" <colin at sheffield-live.co.uk>
To: <me at gerrylynch.co.uk>; <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 4:15 PM
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] ARRL CW

> Gerry
>
> I knew someone would fire a full broadside in my direction!
> Sorry but I disagree with most of your statements below.  Perhaps the use 
> of
> "good rate"  was not correct what I should say I guess is that its an 
> ideal
> speed at which even new operators to CW contesting can cope with. (or even
> some old hands for that matter!). Yes its a contest but please remember we
> do this for fun, it is after all a hobby!  Now I'm not saying that we
> shouldn't aim to win every time but its not always about speed, there are
> other factors to consider too if you want to maximise your score! Speeding
> up number i.e., RST and serial number is possible as even new CW ops can
> usually cope with faster CW when it comes to numbers! I have to say that
> most people do send 599 unless your on a VHF or UHF contest then you can
> expect to get a real report! (I found this out recently in the UKAC as 
> this
> was my first time entry this year!)
> Now this leads me to working from a DX side of the pile up, yes they can 
> be
> great fun and yes they can fall apart very easily if not controlled but
> doing it at 42wpm is not going cut it I'm afraid, in my opinion its better
> to TX at a speed that everyone in the pile up can read first time, its bad
> enough trying to copy callsigns in pile ups and getting them right first
> time with real QRM and some times QSB, there is no point in leaving 
> someone
> wondering if they got the right details they needed and that I have their
> call correct in the log! Worse still is having to repeat it over and over
> until they do get it either way its slows the rate down but lets face it
> unless the QSO is right in both logs then you need not bother having it!
> Unfortunately the use of the DX cluster can be a problem and more and more
> we see stations calling not having a clue even if they can hear the DX
> station and just hope that they get in the log! If by some pure chance 
> they
> can hear the the DX station but cant read the CW as its too fast for them,
> they will call anyway and if they do hear a bit of their call come back 
> they
> will automatically respond, if the timing of the QSO is okay then they 
> will
> put a tick in the box of their DXCC and await the confirmation of a QSL
> card!. How often have you seen on this and other reflectors statements 
> like
> "I think I'm in the log", this of course can be for any number of reasons
> but very often they are just not 100% that it was their call that came 
> back!
> I will always try to give everyone a chance in a contest and all I'm 
> trying
> to say is to stay flexible and "keep it sensible" and remember not 
> everyone
> can read 42wpm!
>>
>>
> 73
>
> Colin G3VCQ/J38CW
> www.sheffield-live.co.uk
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Gerry Lynch" <gerrylynch at freenetname.co.uk>
> To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 11:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] ARRL CW
>
>
>> Colin Wilson wrote:
>>> For me I think a good  CQ rate is
>>> between 26-28wpm, most can read this with ease and its fast enough to
>>> keep
>>> your rates up
>> It depends what you mean by a "good CQ rate".  One could argue that a
>> good CQ speed is one at which both you and the people calling you are
>> comfortable.  And if 26-28 wpm is the speed you're happy operating at,
>> good for you.  Ultimately contesting is a hobby and the way that
>> maximises your enjoyment of it is the right way to do it.
>>
>> However, if you're talking about winning contests, your hypothesis is
>> arguable from G.  Arguable, although not an argument I would agree with
>> in any big rate contest on 80 and up.  (160 and BERU are different!)
>> However, from the Caribbean in WW or ARRL CW, it isn't even close to
>> being fast enough to either maximise the score or maximise the number of
>> people who get to work your multiplier.  Hell, from a decent station in
>> GI it isn't even close to being fast enough in peak propagation periods.
>>
>> You cannot work four people a minute on CW if you're sending at 28 wpm.
>> Simple as.
>>
>> If the band is wide open and you've just been spotted, one can run quite
>> successfully from the Caribbean at 42 wpm.  At G6PZ I had the keyer up
>> to about 36 wpm after a few early cluster spots in last year's WW CW and
>> it was the right thing to do.  Yes, it scares some people off, but if
>> the pileup is getting too big to manage that's exactly what you want to
>> do.  Joe Slow with his hand cranked 16 wpm will not slow down the rate
>> in the middle of a big pileup (chaos *WILL* result, and screw things up
>> for everyone), and if things thin out you can and should always back off
>> the speed a little and he can get you then.
>>
>> A contest is (and the name should be a giveaway here) a competitive
>> activity.  Not a QSO party, a DX propagation challenge or a means of
>> introducing newcomers to CW.  I remember starting in contesting and not
>> being able to copy the guys blurring away at what was probably only
>> around 30 wpm.  But there were, and still are, plenty of slower ops to
>> pick off up the band for beginners, and like in any other competitive
>> activity, one achieves more as one's skill level improves.  The way to
>> get more people active in contesting is to have enough challenges for
>> them to do once they get through the beginners phase - *not* to limit
>> everyone to a mediocre level of skill.
>>
>> Have a listen to where the really chaotic pileups occur in the next big
>> contest - is it on the guys sending at 40 wpm (and contrary to the
>> nonsense I hear on this reflector after every major contest, the only
>> operator I've ever heard send much faster than that was 4L5A at D4B) or
>> is it on the guys sending at 18 wpm?
>>
>> As far as speeded up reports go, I'm with EI5DI.  I cannot understand
>> the weird obsession G3SJJ has with attacking this.  I've done it, I
>> don't do it any more, but I can't see what the big issue is.  Are you
>> really worried that RU1A is going to give you a 589 report or something?
>>
>> Oh, and yes, there were some disgustingly broad signals on 15 last
>> weekend.  I'd add RL3A to the list of offenders.  But kudos to the E7
>> station (can't remember the callsign, sorry) who I called to tell had 5
>> kHz clicks who immediately adjusted something and returned to normality.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Gerry GI0RTN
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