[SFDXA] CQ World-Wide DX Contest Tips for modest stations - N1GNV

[Bill]

/Interesting Notes from N1GNV(Quickdsilver Radio)/

The CQ World-Wide DX Contest is this weekend, October 24-25.  It kicks 
off at 00:00 UTC, which is 8:00PM Eastern Time.  As promised, here are 
some ideas on how to make the most of a contest, especially if you're 
new to the sport.

Now I'm, at best, a casual contester.  My modest station includes a 100W 
HF rig and a wire antenna up about 30 feet. Squarely in "Peanut Whistle" 
territory, for sure, compared to many others.  But I do enjoy getting on 
the air and working stations all over the US and the world.  With just a 
bit of effort, you can often get your Worked All States, or DXCC Award, 
in a single weekend.  If you're new to HF, or contesting, here are ten 
tips for you.  But before we even get started, now is the time to 
inspect your station and antenna system.  Replace old and lossy coax and 
frayed support ropes.  Clean up connections and shack wiring.  Or 
finally install that Bandblaster you keep meaning to put up.  What?? You 
still haven't passed your General Class License test?  Take a look at my 
tips for passing here. 
<https://qsradio.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=433b6ff0a2&e=8eb55c876c>  
Find an exam session, and join the fun.

#1. Read the contest rules.  Understand what bands you can use, what 
your entry category will be, and what the "exchange" is. Simply, that's 
the information you will give to the other station and he/she will give 
to you.  In the CQWW, for example, you send them a signal report and 
your CQ "Zone".  Since I live in the Eastern US, I'm in Zone 5, so I 
would send "59 05".  Note that by tradition, in a contest everyone has a 
59 or 599 signal.

#2.  Get with the program.  Specifically, a logging program. There are 
quite a few options out there.  My personal choice is the N1MM Logger 
<https://qsradio.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=69c0bb0662&e=8eb55c876c>  
It's free and has an amazing array of features.  It's updated regularly, 
and has an extremely active online support community.  It also 
interfaces with just about any modern HF radio you might own.

There is a bit of a learning curve involved, so you don't want to wait 
until the last minute to install it and familiarize yourself with it.  
Get it now, connect your rig, and spend a little time with it.  You 
might want to start a "fake contest" -- select CQWW, for instance, and 
enter some calls.  Get to understand the entry window, and what other 
windows you might or might not want open during the contest.  After you 
enter a few dozen fictitious contacts, make sure that the program will 
produce a Cabrillo file with an accurate score and summary. Hint:  If it 
doesn't, the problem is in your setup, not the program itself.  And 
finally -- don't get into the habit of hearing a station, writing his 
call and info down on paper, and then entering it in the computer.  This 
only wastes time and leads to more mistakes.  Enter it straight into the 
program. And if you already have logging software installed, make sure 
you have the latest upgrades and support files installed and working.

#3.  More Butt-in-Chair-Operating-Time = more contacts. Turn off 
distractions like texting, Facebook, e-mail, TV, broadcast radio, etc.  
Concentrate.  But don't forget to take breaks.  For 5 minutes every 
hour, get up, stretch, get some fresh air and a glass of water or a cup 
of coffee.

#4.  Set an achievable goal.  Face it.  If you're not an experienced 
contester with a "Big Gun" station (yet!) you're not going to win. But 
you can certainly try to beat your score in last year's contest.  Or 
work DXCC in a weekend.  Or outscore your buddy across town.

#5.  Study propagation forecasts, and get a sense of what bands are 
likely to be open to areas you want to work, and at what times.  This 
will help you come up with a basic plan. But remember that band openings 
can occur at any time, so if you're operating in a category that allows 
it, keep an eye on the DX cluster because those openings can often be 
brief but intense.

#6.  Don't waste time in pileups early in the contest, especially if you 
have a Little Pistol station like mine.  Sure, give those rare ones a 
call or two, you may get lucky.  But you're competing with guys running 
plenty of power into big antennas.  Go back to them later in the 
contest, after they've worked all the Big Guns.  Often enough they'll be 
begging for contacts and you'll work them easily.

#7.  Work those mults!  Most contests include "multipliers" in their 
scoring system.  Basically, your score is calculated like this:  You get 
a set number of points for each contact.  Then, depending on the 
contest, you get one mult for each country, or each state, or each 
something that you work.  Multiply your points by the number of mults, 
and that's your total score.  You can see that each mult makes a much 
bigger difference in your score than another contact in the same country 
or state.  Again, read the rules for the contest you're operating in.

#8.  Know those Knobs!  Try to familiarize yourself with the controls on 
your radio.  Just about every rig has an attenuator, a pre-amp, an RF 
Gain control, and a noise blanker.  Most also include an IF shift or 
pass-band tuning adjustment.  An old trick that QRP (very low power) 
operators use is to turn OFF the pre-amp, and turn ON some attenuation.  
That may seem counter-intuitive. But now if a station is loud to you, 
the chances are much better that you're also loud to him.  Let his big 
antennas and high power do the "heavy lifting".  Similarly, turning down 
your RF gain can knock down a nearby (in frequency) Big Gun so you can 
work a weaker station.

#9.  Use standard phonetics.  My call is N1GNV.  Years ago, I enjoyed 
having a small vegetable garden.  It was kinda fun to announce my call 
as No One Grows Nicer Vegetables on the local repeater or among Ham 
Radio friends.  But in a contest, that only causes confusion and 
mistakes -- and is considered poor practice.  November One Golf November 
Victor is what the other guy is expecting to hear.  In noisy or 
otherwise difficult conditions I might say "Golf November Victor, 
Germany Norway Victoria" but that's about it.  Standard Phonetics in 
contests, always.

#10.  Listen before you call. Make sure you've got the other station's 
call and exchange.  You can even pre-enter it in your logging software.  
Listen to his pattern.  Does he say "QRZ?" after each contact?  You want 
to make sure you're transmitting when he's listening.  Work him (making 
sure he's got YOUR call correct!), hit enter, and he's in your log.  
Move on to the next one.

#11.  Bonus Tip:  Many Hams travel to rare locations and assemble 
stations just for the major contests, particularly CQWW.  In the days 
leading up to the event, they'll be testing their equipment on the air.  
That can be a great opportunity to test your own setup and snag a few 
more countries at the same time.

Finally -- this is a hobby.  It's supposed to be FUN!!  Enjoy the 
contest, and I hope to work you on all the bands.