[VHFcontesting] How to increase my score

[John Isenberg]

Buck,

I agree with you that there is too much chatter on grid circling and captive rovers and not nearly enough on such subjects as how to do a better overall job.  (Unfortunately, I have to admit to being part of the problem myself!)

In terms of your specific contact cleaning questions, What I do is several things:

1.Before I go out for a Roving operation, I spend a couple days with the power meter and the directional couplers to make sure everything is up to snuff.  I usually find at least one bad contact and/or bad coax.

2.If I need to clean a contact, I start by brushing it with a BRASS wire brush.  The brass is much softer than the contact material and generally will do some cleaning without damaging contacts.

3.If that is not enough, I have been very gently and carefully using some contact cleaning solvent ( I have been using GC Electronics contact cleaner)  I am not sure how much "damage" this is for the higher frequencies, but what I do is use a Q tip with some cleaner on it to clean the contact surface and then wipe it dry with a clean soft cloth.  I try not to get any on the insulators if I can.  I would like to know what other people do as well.  

4.In the worst case, I very gently use an extremely fine burnishing cloth, knowing that will remove contact material as well.  If necessary, I replace the connector.

5.Once all are working well, I try to tape them as tight as I can to keep out moisture.  I have also tried using Performix Liquid Tape available from K1CRA and that seems to work well too.  It is much easier to get in on connectors with limited near in access


I am all for using my roving experience as a learning experience and trying to modify equipment and operational techniques to not make the same mistakes over (at least not too many times), and to improve my results.  After all that is probably the second most important reason for my contesting (Having a good time is first).

Other suggestions:

I have found that attendance at some of the microwave conferences has been very helpful.  I tend to learn a lot  and get to meet and chat with many of the operators I work face to face.

hashing over with my partner what has worked well and what has not, so we know where to focus our improvement efforts.

I have found that one of my problems particularly on the higher frequencies is being off frequency.  I have improved my frequency measuring capability and think that has helped a lot.  I am now using an HP GPS frequency standard, and a decent Racal-Dana counter.

The whole subject of "rare grids" is another interesting one to me.  One of the values rovers do tend to provide is contacts to grids that some stations would not work otherwise.  In NE where you and I rove, Obviously FN21, FN31 and FN32 are not rare (anyone with some milliwatts and a wet noodle can work TEO, SZ and CCX there.  However, FN22, FN23, and even to some extent FN33 (Depending on whether Mitch is operating the higher bands) are somewhat rare.  I think FN24 and FN34 might be even more rare, but I have not been going to them.  One thing I would like is more data available on what grids are being worked on what bands.  All that is in the log data that is submitted to the league, and I would like to see it made available.  Not to say I would go to a rare grid and sacrifice a lot of score, but I might try a new one once and a while.

NOW for some more unrelavent chatter (sorry, I can't help myself sometimes)  Most of the things you mentioned in your append are IMHO just people blowing off a bit of steam.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with rovers (or fixed stations) doing what the can to improve their operations and nothing at all wrong with working anybody you can (after all that is the point isn't it?)  There is nothing at all wrong with going to a grid corner and making it easy and quick to get to a new grid as long as you work whomever you can.  It does however bother me to see some "grid Circlers" who are blatantly going diametrically opposite to the contest objectives being allowed to be the category winners.  Perhaps a new category is needed, but I think it is a bit hard to crisply define.

Jack
WA2IID