[UK-CONTEST] 1st 1.8MHz - G3SJJ

Mon Feb 14 00:11:33 PST 2011

Hi Steve, you shouldn't take these comments so seriously! Actually I was very surprised that no-one even sent a "?" whilst I was netting several SO2V 
type QSOs. That lead me to suspect that activity had declined sufficiently to go true SO1V S&P.

The use of upper case was really a larf at the recent discussion you refer to! I didn't contribute to that as I felt there was a fair amount of 
naivety around concerning SO2V and SO2R techniques which are very much part of operating these days. I think the techniques have advanced considerably 
since the early days of having to manually switch VFO A/B rapidly and then move your hand to the keyer. I am sure the time lag would have caused 
problems. Another aspect was that we probably tried to complete QSOs in those days where as the experts now advise leaving the 2nd VFO/Sub Rx/Radio 
QSO unfinished and switching back to main VFO/Sub Rx/Radio immediately you hear any activity.

Belooo is probably the best contest to practice the technique because of its very slow QSO rate. I recall some years ago listening to Dave G4BUO who 
obviously had the "timed repeat / dual" facility enabled in his logging program and was using his SO2R station very effectively to alternatively CQ on 
20 and 15.

One thing I am trying to understand with the K3 / N1MM combo is that when you do Cntrl Right Arrow it enables dual rx but when you hit Cntrl Left 
Arrow the sub rx is switched out. My interpretation is that it puts your concentration back to Main Rx which you probably need to have. Up to now I 
have always kept the 2nd Rx on. Need to understand the psychology of that!

Run band mult chasing is something that bugged us during our GU8D operations 1996 to 2005. Whilst we were fairly successful and maintained top ten box 
most years, we eventually became aware that we were losing out on mults on our Run band. Breaking off from a 120-180 Q/H run to call a needed mult 
further along the band and then mentally to pick up the Run again was extremely difficult. This is particualarly harder in IOTA with the more complex 
exchange and that both stations will have an IOTA reference! I have watched Justin do it in CQWW CW at G5W. He is good! I got my knuckles wrapped once 
in the GB7HQ operation when I was running on 10m and didn't pick ZD8 who had been passed to us by another station! It certainly is a very interesting 
topic!

Yeah, I guess the use of "Punk" was a bit OTT. Sorry!

Keep on keeping on!  73 Chris G3SJJ

On 13/02/2011 22:51, Steve Knowles wrote:
> Hi  Chris!
>
> Definitely an evening to remember ... NOT (at least, for you)!
>
> Disregarding your finger trouble (remember: to fail to prepare is to prepare
> to fail) I seem to remember some bitter complaints on this reflector only a
> couple of weeks ago about stations turning up and claiming long-term
> occupancy of frequencies after the new user had already made a couple of
> QSOs there.  Scenario sound familiar?  You say:  "then F2 and hit Cntrl<--
> to clobber the guy who has been trying to steal YOUR run freq WHILST YOU
> HAVE BEEN AWAY".  Still YOUR run frequency, is it then?  Good fun ... ?
> Good operating ... ???
>
> Finally, what, exactly, is a 'Punk Op'?  Could this be a potential new
> recruit to our ranks ... someone trying contesting for the first time and
> unaware that OUR vernacular is based on what we learned 40+ years ago and
> not what may be commonplace in the non-contesting community today ...
> someone who may just have subscribed to this reflector and is interested in
> us, and in what we think and feel ...?   Oh Dear !!!
>
> Definitely NOT an evening to remember!!
>
> Steve
> G3UFY
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris G3SJJ"<g3sjj at btinternet.com>
> To: "UK Contest Reflector"<uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2011 9:06 PM
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] 1st 1.8MHz - G3SJJ
>
>
>> Chris SVL jogged my memory about the contest, also I received a trial copy
>> of the new N1MM format for the contest during the week from G4LMW. I never
>> got round to trying it until just before the contest. It seemed to work
>> out but I had a dreadful evening! Those of a nervous disposition please
>> look
>> away now!
>>
>> During my first contact I realised I hadn't changed the Fn messages from
>> last week's FOC Marathon. It was impossible to change during a pile-up so
>> I
>> sent everything on the paddle / Winkey until after 21 minutes (35 QSOs)
>> then f*!^^//**!! the whole shebang locked up. Exactly same as I
>> experienced in
>> the second hour of AFS. Nothing comes from pressing the paddle, not a
>> bl**dy dot. I think the memories (macros?) worked but the speed was slow.
>> Rebooted, still no go. Switched everything off and started again, waited
>> until the pc was fully up and running etc. It worked with a hitch after
>> that.
>> Seems to be a suggestion that buffers get full. Dunno. I lost a full 21
>> minutes though during the busiest time and ended with just 64 after the
>> 1st
>> hour which was only around 12-16 behind the leaders so I must have caught
>> up.
>>
>> Don't tell G3LET but several of my QSOs in the 2nd hour were made using
>> this new fangled, well, 25 year old, system called SO2V, also known as
>> LETting! Basically you wait until LET has worked you then press Cntrl -->
>> to bring in the 2nd Rx. You then have YOUR run freq in the left ear and
>> can
>> find stations to call in the right ear. Dob in a quick F4 and then F2 and
>> hit Cntrl<-- to clobber the guy who has been trying to steal YOUR run
>> freq
>> whilst you have been away. Good fun!
>>
>> I added another 70 in the 2nd hour and wasn't far away from the leaders
>> but then new activity seemed to drop off so I went ahunting for SSB
>> stations
>> after witching the amp out. Mainly PAs, a few keen Gs and a number of punk
>> ops including one who after a CQ was "Listening by!!!!!!!!!" Yer what???
>> Been licenced 47 years and never heard that one!! I very quickly returned
>> to the CW end but rate was virtually zero so packed in and went to bed at
>> 2330.
>>
>> There was a couple of really ropey sigs, a GM4 sounded as though he was
>> keying an amp relay and another had a 50Hz modulated buzz! Had a few who
>> were
>> speeding up/ slowing down!! Really, really annoying and totally
>> unnecessary.
>>
>> Any road up, I ended with 135 CW Qs and 13 SSB QS for 804 points.
>>
>> Nice try HFCC but I think the new version is a dead duck.  73 G3SJJ
>> listening by!
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