[Elecraft] KX3 Setup For Contesting?

Tue Jul 2 10:04:40 EDT 2013

Fred, 

Aaron was asking specifically on how to do well as a contester in a contest and not for working DX.  The /QRP is not as much of a penalty when working SSB in terms of elapsed time but it is still a penalty.  It is quite a penalty in CW when you have to listen to the additional dah-dih-di-dah-dit, dah-dah-di-dah, di-dah-dit, di-dah-dah-dit.  Remember, Aaron and the other station are both trying to maximize QSO count in a contest.   On SSB there is a good chance (in a Contest) that the /QRP station will be ignored.  Contests are for shortest exchanges and clearest exchanges.  Some contesters even invest in acquiring a 2x1 or 1x2 call to shorten the exchange.  Some even calculate the CW and phonetic weight of a call sign and also to have a very recognizable call sign like W4DX for the same purpose.

I say this as a casual contester.  I have also worked DX.  My elapsed time for completing QRP DXCC is from February 2011 to December 2012.  Like Aaron, I am also a relatively new ham - licensed into the General-Extra class in early 2010 - so I have only been working HF for 3 years.

Ariel NY4G

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 2, 2013, at 9:42 AM, "Fred Smith" <mfsj at totalhighspeed.com> wrote:

> Well all I work is DX and have worked some very good ones the exact way I
> describe as well as DXpedition's both QRP and QRO. I'm not talking about the
> KX3 or Fred's knowledge of the radios I have all his material books and PDF.
> Versions. I plead "No Contest" as far as either the K3 or KX3 I always defer
> to him about the radios.
> 
> In fact yesterday I received my latest "QRP" QSL card ZK3N using the KX3
> with the appended N0AZZ/QRP they too asked others to stand by for the QRP
> station. You just need to know when to try I worked them on 20m at 05:47 utc
> at other hrs it would have been impossible to work him on 20m. 
> 
> So all I can add to the OP is do what works for you mine may work for anyone
> else. But I'm 31 countries away from QRP DXCC since I started on it
> 02/17/13.
> 
> 
> 73,
> Fred/N0AZZ
> K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 2573--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100
> P3/SVGA--KPA500--KAT500--W2
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ariel Jacala
> Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2013 8:13 AM
> To: Cady, Fred
> Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Setup For Contesting?
> 
> I would listen to Fred - he wrote the book (quite literally) on the KX3
> ..... :-) my answer to the post says the same.
> 
> Ariel NY4G  
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On Jul 2, 2013, at 9:05 AM, "Cady, Fred" <fcady at ece.montana.edu> wrote:
> 
>> Hate to rain on the /qrp parade, but when I've operated on the DX side,
> and particularly during a contest, believe me, I'm looking to work stations
> as fast as possible. So that means that the station that catches my ear, be
> it the loudest, or most in the clear, or on the right frequency at the right
> pitch, or just timed correctly gets the response. Adding /qrp doesn't' help
> (for me to pick your call out). In fact, it's pretty annoying to have to
> wait through the unnecessary /qrp once I've zeroed in on your call. And it's
> really, really annoying when stations just send qrp qrp without their call.
> That's a bit like "last two". Yuck. Send your call at the right time on the
> right frequency and you'll get through.
>> My $0.02 worth and probably valid only for me.
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> Fred KE7X
>> 
>> Fred Cady
>> "The Elecraft K3: Design, Configuration, and Operation 2nd Ed"
>> "The Elecraft KX3 - Going for the Summit"
>> www.ke7x.com
>> www.lulu.com (20% discount code is JULYBOOKS13) fcady at ieee dot org
>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft- 
>>> bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Fred Smith
>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2013 6:46 AM
>>> To: 'Aaron Melton'; elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Setup For Contesting?
>>> 
>>> Hi Aaron
>>> 
>>> For official QRP SSB it's 10w instead of 5w. I'm not a contester but 
>>> do work some of the contests looking for DX now mostly for my QRP 
>>> DXCC. New contracts for my regular DXCC are getting harder to come by 
>>> and have been fewer and far between so QRP just made sense.
>>> 
>>> When I'm trying to work a new contact I do append my call with a QRP 
>>> many times I'm covered up by presentence pay off. Usually they will 
>>> finally notice and you will hear a standby for the QRP station. Don't 
>>> be surprised if a ORO station jumps in front of you it happens, just 
>>> hang in the DX will know the difference.
>>> 
>>> Do I get them all no but that is why QRP is fun and SSB are the 
>>> hardest contacts to make. CW and digital are the easiest way to work 
>>> QRP that's why they are limited to 5w and not 10w like SSB. Good luck 
>>> and enjoy you may not make the most contacts or the highest score but 
>>> you will have fun.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 73,
>>> Fred/N0AZZ
>>> K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 2573--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100
>>> P3/SVGA--KPA500--KAT500--W2
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
>>> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Aaron Melton
>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2013 6:44 AM
>>> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>>> Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 Setup For Contesting?
>>> 
>>> [Cross-posting between KX3 Yahoo Group & Elecraft mailing list.]
>>> 
>>> Hi all,
>>> 
>>> I'm sure at least a few of you read this email to see if this was a 
>>> joke...
>>> :D
>>> 
>>> I originally purchased a KX3 for portable ops, SOTA, etc. and it's 
>>> been an awesome rig in that regard. However, I'd like to participate 
>>> in a few DX contests from time to time and this is currently my only 
>>> HF rig.  I know that operating QRP means I'm getting clobbered more 
>>> often than not by higher power stations, but is like to know if 
>>> anyone else has any tricks they'd like to share?
>>> 
>>> If you operate QRP (5 watts) during normal contests, what/how do you 
>>> do?
>>> 
>>> I have experimented with the mic gain and its currently set to 30 
>>> (which seems to provide the most power before detrimentally 
>>> distorting my voice). I haven't touched this dial since week one.
>>> 
>>> I've alternated adjusting the voice compression at times, but haven't 
>>> had much opportunity to get feedback from another station on how well 
>>> (or
>>> not)
>>> it might improve cutting through the noise.
>>> 
>>> I've been told that taking some of the lows out of my voice (EQ?) 
>>> might help as well?
>>> 
>>> Finally, I've started appending "stroke QRP" to the end of my call 
>>> when contacting other stations. It doesn't make it more likely that 
>>> I'll be heard, but if heard I find I usually receive preferential
> treatment.
>>> 
>>> Have you any radio settings or techniques that would help a new(er) 
>>> KX3 owner and wannabe contester?
>>> 
>>> Thanks!
>>> 
>>> Aaron
>>> de KK4LOV
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