I just wanted to try this small local CW contest without using the DX cluster and without a CW decoder on the computer. Just decoding with my own mind. And it went reasonable well. Even that well that I found the courage to run for the last 5 minutes ;-). Participation was only the last hour of the contest.
But it was confusing at times. I really had to adapt on some stations. Why calling with CQ PA DE PA... etc. or CQ PA PA.... The double PA is really confusing. In my opinion just send CQ TEST.
Another panic situation was when neighbourstation PA0O wanted to direct me to his 40m frequency. Oh my, this went way too fast for me and it was unexpected. I didn't know what to do. Alle went well in the end...
Tomorrow is the SSB part of this contest in which I will participate the whole contest. I hope to have time next year to participate in the CW part as well for the whole duration of the contest. I think I really like CW contesting. If only I get faster in decoding CW.
4 comments:
Good morning Bas as I read your post memories came back from the first time I ran in a CW contest. I read the butterflies, thrill and accomplishment in your post! Congratulations on this great move forward.
73,
Mike
VE9KK
Hello again Bas I forgot to add that it is very normal even for veteran CW contesters to get thrown off with odd come backs. I have to ask for a repeat when someone after the contact comes with with a QSY to a certain frequency for a multi. Also something simple as "CQ VE9KK CWT" when 99% of the time it's "CQ CWT VE9KK" for the CWops CWT contest.
73,
Mike
VE9KK
Hello Mike, tnx for your comment. It was indeed a nice first in this small local CW contest. And indeed sometimes a direction is needed, like you wrote for example the CWT. In this case it was only PA <-> PA and no DX allowed. From a reaction on my blog I also got to know PE2V Vincent who started learning CW last year, it was also a first for him. I added his blog to the blogroll. 73, Bas
Hi Bas. It is quite common to indicate the contest you are participating in. This weekend there were a couple of CW-contests running at the same moment. So the stations sending CQ PA were indicating they were participating in the PA Beker Contest.
It is a good idea to check a contest-calendar when you participate in a contest so you know if you should do this or not. With a major contest like the CQWW, which because of it's size is the only contest on the calendar that weekend, sending CQ TEST would be enough.
It's quite frustrating if you work someone in the different contest. However, there are some exceptions where you can cross-contest. I think a RSGB-contest running at the same time as the PACC allows this.
73, Martin PE1EEC/PE6X
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