[PVRCNC] Sweepstakes Tip No. 3

[Jim Jordan, K4QPL]

"O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!"  (Robert Burns, GM poet)

"Aye, Robbie, but contesting is na' SSTV."

So let's change that to "hear ourselves as others hear us."
CW first. We'll do phone later.

CW has come a long way since my "CK 57" was first sent with chirping VFO's,
clicking cathode keying, and two choices--straight key or bug. Along came
W9TO and the commercialized Hallicrafters 'TO keyer and we haven't looked
back in the quest for automated code. You can now go through an entire cw
contest and never touch anything but a keyboard and function keys.
Your cw can sound just like everyone else's with a perfect 3:1 ratio.
 But is that good?

When we speak, we put emphasis on words or syllables when we want to make
sure the listener understands. And the OT's "swing" often had a purpose to
emphasize a letter that through experience they knew was often busted. Think
how much time is lost whenever you have to repeat your call or give a fill.
That fill is as often caused by lack of comprehension as by QRN, QRM, or 
QSB.
My call is horrible for cw. At 30+wpm the brain just gives up, so in S&P I
get a "K4Q?" far too often. Look at last year's log checking report and see
what others bust most in your call or exchange.

Modern logging programs like N1MM have the capability to restore
individuality and more intelligibility in your code.

STEP 1. Check "weighting". (N1MM: Configure/other). Avoid "soft" keying.
Start at the default. Try going up a bit to give your dits a bit more
punch but don't overdo it. If you're also using an outboard keyer or radio
internal keyer, check them as well. All should sound the same to make
switching transparent to the other op.

STEP 2. Speed. The overall speed will of course be adjusted for varying
conditions and operators encountered. Know how to change quickly. Don't
hesitate to QRQ for a known high speed op and QRS before you have to give
fills. But you can also adjust speed within your function key messages. In
the SS exchange, slow down for the numbers, speed up for repeating your
call. In N1MM, use the <  (faster) and > (slower) keys to insert 2 wpm
changes into your message.

Therefore, your exchange might look something like this:

NR >#< A<<K4QPL>> >57< NC   Be sure to count the "ups" and "downs" so at
the end you're back to your normal speed.

CAUTION: Don't get carried away with this. One op reports that a speed shift
upsets his rhythm in copying the exchange. I have personally not noticed 
this,
but if you find you get more fill requests, you may want to look at how
you've set the macros.

Speed up "SS" in a CQ. Not many folks have trouble copying that. Doesn't
save much time but adds a bit of excitement to your run.

CQ <<SS SS>> K4QPL K4Q~P~L <<<SS>>>  {clearrit}

STEP 3. Spacing.  Another way to improve intelligibility, especially where
letters and numbers can run together and be hard to copy, is to insert a
half space. In MM, this is a ~ (tilde). If your check has been busted
frequently, or you're giving too many fills, you might try putting a half
space between the digits. I do this by making the macro read 5~7. A slight
emphasis should help.

This can also be used with your call. See run CQ above. The first time my
call is sent normally. The second one is written in the macro as "K4Q~P~L"
to give emphasis and a mental break to the listener. I do the same for "My
Call" in S&P.

With these tricks you can often set your overall speed higher with a benefit
to rate. But again, use the capability judiciously. I've heard some stations 
jack
the speed of their call to the point it's a blur. That's as silly as 
extremely slow
and excess emphasis on a character to the point of annoyance.

The ideal set up is one that the other operator never notices what you have
done but comes back the first time you drop your call and you always
get "TU" for your exchange.

STEP 4. Listen to the real thing. Your sidetone is NOT your transmitted
signal. If you have a second radio, cut the power to the lowest possible,
attach a dummy load, and listen with a short antenna so your receiver is not
generating clicks etc that don't really exist. Using QSK with some radios
may lose a part of the first dit to the detriment of intelligibility. Test
ALL of your messages to be sure they are accurate, intelligible and error
free. Once you're satisfied, and particularly if you're going to use an amp,
get some on the air reports to confirm. Some amps, particularly claimed QSK,
can mess up an otherwise beautiful signal. That can sometimes be fixed by
adjusting the delay time for the first character in the program or your
radio, depending on your setup.

Step 5. Save that carefully created set of macros for next year. In N1MM do
File/Export/Function key and rename it for the particular contest so next
time you can designate it when you open the new contest. You can also use it
as a starting point for other contests.

Approach contesting cw from the standpoint of the guy at the other end.
You'll see your rate go up and your LCR's improve.

Good luck and good hunting!

73,

Jim, K4QPL