Mastering Contesting: Strategies & Skills for Radio Operators

2. REASONS TO CONTEST • Improve operator skill, capability, & efficiency • Earn various awards – DX, states, grids • Learn more about the science of radio • Propagation, antenna theory, receiver principles • Camaraderie with other contesters

3. CONTESTING IS A GAME • Players • Rules • Method to determine winners (scoring) • Strategy

5. COMPETITORS • Winning / records • Peer recognition • Full-time operation

6. ENTHUSIASTS • Enjoy the challenge • Chasing personal goals • Use time available

7. PARTICIPANTS • Make contacts • Improve skills • Help others • Have FUN !

10. KINDS OF CONTESTS • Geographic • Modes • Bands • Power

11. CONTESTS : GEOGRAPHIC • International • ARRL International DX, CQ World Wide • Domestic • Primarily W/VE, NAQP, Field Day, ARRL Sweepstakes • Regional • State QSO parties

12. CONTESTS : MODES • CW • CQWW CW, NAQP, ARRL 160M, ARRL SS, WPX CW • Phone • CQWW SSB, NAQP, ARRL SS, ARRL Int’l DX, WPX SSB • RTTY • CQWW RTTY, NAQP, RTTY Roundup, WPX RTTY • Mixed • ARRL 10M, Field Day, State QSO parties • Other digital modes • PSK31 contests, Feld-Hell Turkey Shoot

13. CONTESTS : BANDS • HF – may or may not include 160M • VHF/UHF – CQWW VHF, ARRL VHF SS, 10 GHz and up • Never WARC bands – 12M, 17M, and 30M • May choose single band in multi-band contest • Only one “contest” with both HF and VHF/UHF • Field Day

14. CONTESTS : POWER • High Power (>100 watts up to 1500 watts) • Low Power (mostly 100 watts) – NAQP • QRP (5 watts or less) – many QRP contests

16. STATION DESIGN • Invest in antennas • Effectiveness • Flexibility – “two antennas are better than one” • Station Configuration • Everything within easy reach • Comfortable chair • Reliability • Do things right • Have spares

17. WB4YDL Short tower – Force 12 XR-5 stack Covers 20M through 10M (WARC 12/17M included) Other antennas for 6M, 2M, 440 MHz

18. BUT I DON’T HAVE A TOWER ! • Even a simple dipole or commercial vertical will get you in the game. • Multiple yagi antennas are not typical ! WBøYEA

19. WB4YDL Station Corner design with central monitor Radio #1 – Elecraft K3 Radio #2 – Yaesu FT-1000MP MkV

20. AUTOMATE EVERYTHING YOU CAN • Interface radio(s) to computer(s) • Frequency control • Use all the control outputs available to you • CW output • PTT output to key radios • Sound card (or voice keyer) control • Band data for antenna and filter selection

21. CHOOSE THE GAME • Select a category • All band or single band ? • Power – High, Low, QRP ? • Assisted or non-assisted ? • Multi-operator ? – M1, M2, MM • Set a goal • Have fun ? • Win a certificate ? • Set a record ?

22. UNDERSTAND SCORING • Point for each QSO ? • Per mode ? • Per continent ? • Per band ? • What is a multiplier ? • Section ? • Zone ? • Country ? • Prefix ? • Constantly evaluate actions against final score

23. EXAMPLE : CQ WORLDWIDE • You have 1000 QSO’s, 100 zones, 250 countries or about 980,000 points • Which is more valuable ? • Getting the 40th zone on 20M ? • Working 10 more contacts ?

24. EXAMPLE : CQ WORLDWIDE • You have 1000 QSO’s, 100 zones, 250 countries or about 980,000 points • Which is more valuable ? • Getting the 40th zone on 20M ? • Working 10 more contacts ? 1001 x 351 = 983,782 points 1010 x 350 = 989,800 points

25. EXAMPLE : CQ WORLDWIDE • You have 1000 QSO’s, 100 zones, 250 countries or about 980,000 points • Which is more valuable ? • Getting the 40th zone on 20M ? • Working 10 more contacts ? 1001 x 351 = 983,782 points 1010 x 350 = 989,800 points That multiplier is only worth 2.8 QSO’s !

26. EXAMPLE : CQ WORLDWIDE • You have 1000 QSO’s, 100 zones, 250 countries or about 980,000 points • Which is more valuable ? • Getting the 40th zone on 20M ? • Working 10 more contacts ? 1001 x 351 = 983,782 points 1010 x 350 = 989,800 points That multiplier is only worth 2.8 QSO’s ! @ 60 QSO’s/hour – 4 minutes @ 30 QSO’s/hour – 7 minutes

27. MAKE A PLAN • Where do the QSO’s come from ? • Do activity patterns repeat ? • What hours to be on the air ? • Expect opening times for each band • When to “run” and when to “search and pounce” ?

28. SKILL DEVELOPMENT • Know the flow • Contest QSO’s have a rhythm and sequence • Good operator’s habits require less thinking and less energy

29. SKILL DEVELOPMENT • Know the flow • Contest QSO’s have a rhythm and sequence • Good operator’s habits require less thinking and less energy • Driving a car • Had to think about everything at first • With experience, able to focus on other things

30. SKILL DEVELOPMENT • Know the flow • Contest QSO’s have a rhythm and sequence • Good operator’s habits require less thinking and less energy • Driving a car • Had to think about everything at first • With experience, able to focus on other things • Learn to type ! • Contesting requires a lot of typing without room for errors

31. PHONE TECHNIQUE HINTS • Breathe ! • Consistency and Efficiency • Find a rhythm that suits the conditions/rate • Learn not to say, “Uh”, “Please copy”, “Roger the 5914, you are …”, “QSL QRZ ?” • Say your call often – almost every QSO • Answer guys with the phonetics they use • Speak clearly • Go slow to go faster

32. CW TECHNIQUE HINTS • Be consistent and be ACCURATE • Let the computer send • Sending speed depends on conditions • Cut numbers • Sometimes OK, sometimes not • Practice • CW is a learned skill that improves with practice

33. KNOW WHEN TO … • There is no magic formula for when to run vs. S&P • Decision based on log analysis, scoring formula, band conditions, a “feeling”

34. CQ’ing FOR MID-SIZED STATIONS • Timing • Be the first or last on a band • Don’t fight with giants – move ! • High in the band is perfectly OK ! • Position yourself where you can be heard • Be aware of your “surroundings” • Get whole calls the first time • Know your rate goal and thresholds

35. ATTACKING A PILEUP AS A CALLER • Think “opportunity cost” • Assess the worth of the target • Assess the size of the pileup • Is propagation improving or decaying ? • Smart beats loud • Avoid zero beat • Varying timing

36. SPEED SEARCH & POUNCE • Tune in a station on either VFO • Set VFO A = VFO B • Tune in another station and switch VFO’s • Assess, call, switch … repeat • When one is worked, switch & equalize VFO’s • Leapfrog your way across the band

37. BIC – BUTT IN CHAIR • No other single thing will help you more to improve your score • It only works if you spend your time making QSO’s !

38. BIC STRATEGY • Plan your life to meet your contest goal • Work, family, food, rest, station repairs • Part time ? • BIC for the best rate or at different times each day • Have a goal !

39. SLEEP FACTS • You can not train for lack of sleep • You can not store sleep • Under sleep deprivation, highly practiced skills will deteriorate more slowly than those that require new or creative thought • The human sleep cycle is 90 minutes

40. HUMAN SLEEP CYCLE

41. CONTEST SLEEP STRATEGY • Preparation • Have good physical fitness • Stay on your normal sleep schedule • Get extra sleep 4-7 days before the contest • Take 3 hour nap before the contest starts • During the contest • Sleep for 90 or 180 minutes • Avoid caffeine until needed