Excellent advice Rick !!! I get tripped up when a CQing station leaves too long a gap between his last callsign and "Test" and I start sending too early. And your QRP tips are very well taken. 73, Jim / W1FMR
--- On Sun, 12/2/12, Richard (Rick) Karlquist <rich...@karlquist.com> wrote: From: Richard (Rick) Karlquist <rich...@karlquist.com> Subject: Re: Topband: Patience in ARRL 160 Contest To: j...@audiosystemsgroup.com Cc: topband@contesting.com Date: Sunday, December 2, 2012, 1:56 PM > TX antenna, never gave me so much as a QRZ for the several dozen times I > called, and had his auto CQ set for a very short recycle time. One of the reasons why people do the short CQ recycle is to be able to hold the frequency. This morning a well known op who should have known better sent "?", waited 500 ms, and started CQ'ing on my frequency. Leaving the frequency "unattended" to listen to weak signals leaves the running station open to this kind of thing. Bottom line is that if you want to encourage QRP/weak DX, etc. learn proper frequency etiquette. QRL and LISTEN for at least 30 seconds before firing up your CQ machine. During the recent contest, in spite of running only 150W, I had the usual ESP level callers. Here is some advice for those with weak signals from my perspective as a running station: 1. Call EXACTLY (within 50 Hz or better) on my frequency. If you don't know how to do this, figure it out. If you are off frequency, I don't know if you are coming back to me, or some other station CQ'ing on the east coast. Also, I use a very narrow filter for weak signals. (There is the counter argument of multiple stations at zero beat, which is a problem if they are all weak.) 2. Call at my code speed. Not 10 WPM faster or slower as I often get. Turn down your keyer to QRS, rather than sending at 35 WPM and spacing out the characters. 3. Use a memory keyer with your call, 5NN, and section, so that you don't make sending mistakes, or make me guess at your bug or straight key fist. 3. Send only 5NN <section>. Do not send my call, BK, etc 4. Respond with proper timing of about 1/2 second delay, so I don't miss the first character. The 1/2 second delay is also necessary to make sure I have stopped sending. However, don't wait more than a second. Again, this is necessary to make sure you are calling me, not some other station on the same frequency. I always get some calls 3 seconds or more after my CQ. Is he calling me? Often, this is clue that I have company on the frequency. 5. QSB. Often, a station will pop up out of the QSB briefly where I can get his call, but then waste time (see above) and fall back into the QSB before I can get his section. Be aware of this. 6. Antenna: if possible use a vertical, with top loading if you can. If you only have a dipole, operate it as a top loaded vertical if possible. Especially if the dipole is for some other band or a so called G5RV. I guarantee you will get out better in most cases. If you don't follow the suggestions above, I will still try to work you if I can; we both need the points. However, I do need to be cognizant of holding the frequency. Rick N6RK _______________________________________________ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com _______________________________________________ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com