[UK-CONTEST] Typing skills and contesting

[john reynolds]

Hello Stewart,

I have been following the replies you have rec'd concerning entering QTC's in WAE.

Firstly I commend you for attempting to log the QTC's...........I am sure many contestants shy away from this contest because they find it too challenging.

I have for many years entered this contest and I look forward each year to the challenge of copying at well over 30WPM.

There is no way I could cope typing them into the log directly,I am not a touch typist and too old to learn now in my 86th year.

What I do is before the contest I prepare a typist shorthand pad to record the QTC manually written with about 25 pages made out as attached speciman page,(may have to send this separately).

What happens in fact:-

Receive a report say from N0NO which I type into the log directly.Reply to him with my report followed by " QTC?  "
If he replies positively then I grab the prepared pad and write it in manually.Give "TU" etc. and then switch my antenna to dummy load so that I don't transmit what I next type on the keyboard.!

Then I type"QTC" in the call area and the QTC box appears, I then enter the data at my own speed and it goes into the log ............switch the antenna out of dummy load and away we go again.

You may think you will miss QSO's doing it this way but in practice you will find it easy to read what you scribbled on the pad for a callsign, easier to interpret immediately rather than looking at it many hours later.
and another thing I noticed is that often stns send the four figure for the time of the contact whereas all you need is the two figures after the hour and you can use this gap to correct anything you haven't written clearly before putting in the two figures for the time of the next QTC........hope you understand what I am trying to say.


I believe there is a download  of WAE running in morse so one can practise receiving but maybe someone can point you in the right direction.
Incidently I use "SD" for CW WAE but N1MM for DATA WAE.      Iam sure you will want to attempt the DATA leg in November and if you need any assisyance will be pleased to guide you hpoefully in the right direction. In data mode you can both receive and SEND QTC's

73 and tnx for the many QSO's in the past 
John G3RSD