[PaQSO] qso hints and tips

[wv2b at juno.com]

Hi Folks,
Here are some tips that were in "The Contest Rate Sheet". The PA QSO Party is a fun contest, but I think many ops could benefit from these suggestions. If nothing else, phone ops may finish the contest with some semblance of a voice left by avoiding unnecessary repeats and repeating back the other ops info unless unsure.
After operating in a number of contests and Dxpeditions over the years it has been interesting to note the effects of QSB. Often a station calls, and when first heard he is loud, then fades out. Sometimes vice versa. The pattern stays the same with repeated calls. So, if you are a calling station, and the station you are calling gets the number easily, but continues to miss the county, you may be fading out. If you continue to repeat- number 275 Sullivan, he will continue to hear the number 275, and your signal will fade out for the Sullivan part. Try just giving the missing info as the first part of your transmission, before it fades out. Do the opposite if he keeps missing the first part. Maybe your signal starts low, then builds up. Repeat the number a few times so the station can catch it on the up cycle.
 Here is the article info:
"If you are getting ready for Phone Sweepstakes this weekend and want
to minimize repeats and fills, think about how you will sound when
giving the number, check, and section.	In the QRM and QRN, "fifty"
and "sixty" sound an awful lot alike and there are many other
combinations that aren't clear or easy to confuse. Why not say the
individual digits and leave no doubt?  "Seven Six Five" is a lot
clearer than "Seven sixty-five," for example.  The same goes for
checks.  Sections are another opportunity for errors to creep in. 
Was that Sacramento Valley or Santa Clara Valley?  Try "Sugar Victor"
or "Sugar Charlie Victor" to get it across the first time.  You'll
find that by using phonetics and saying each digit separately, you'll
save time with fewer repeats and you can maintain a rhythm. (Thanks,
Marc W6ZZZ)

One more tip for phone contesting - before responding and giving the
contest exchange, breathe in.  Then say the whole exchange in one
long exhalation.  Do not add extra words like "Please copy" or "Your
number is" or "Check," "Uh," and "And."  They are just 
time and
breath wasters.  Listen to the top operators when you tune by them. 
The key to sounding like a pro is efficiency and rhythm, giving the
information in the expected order, enunciated clearly for easy copy."

reprinted from the ARRL "Contester's Rate Shee"t with permission of the editor.
Please don't take offense to any of these suggestions. It is meant to be a helpful hint, but I know sometimes things aren't taken in the spirit they are intended. But, one must accept the fact that at least part of the difference between a station who can make 500 contacts in the test and one who can make a thousand or more is how many words are spoken in the course of the contest {or keyed}. Just think how many more q's you could make, or how much more time could be spent looking for that last county, not to mention being able to talk better at the end using format B.
format A:
CQ PA QSO Party from WV2B/3
KB2QOL
KB2QOL you are my number 123 here in Sullivan County, QSL?
QSL, you're number 12 in Western New York
Thanks for your number 12 from Western New York old man, and thanks for the section. This is WV2B/3 calling cq cq for the PA QSO Party.
 
 Format B:
CQ PA QSO Party from WV2B/3
KB2QOL
KB2QOL you're 123 Sullivan
Roger, you're number 12 Western New York
Thanks, qrz? WV2B/3
During the really slow periods one may want to be more casual to entice the casual ops or passersby to call, but if several stations are calling don't waste time repeating back the other guys info, etc. The additional ops calling will likely tune away for a quicker qso elsewhere, and maybe he was in a county you need, or may be only making a few qsos and the chance for that contact will be gone.
I had a great time in this years test. I hope to get back to PA again some year for the test. If I had known ahead of time Sullivan would have been so needed I could have went there at least part time, but for many years there was always a resident on. I guess that's how it goes. One year no one is on from a rare county, then the next year five guys will go there. You never know which ones will be rare, and that's part of the fun!
73 for now,
Duane, WV2B
 


"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it."- 
Ralph Waldo Emerson