CQ WW CW Contest

Started by KK0G, November 22, 2013, 03:07:29 PM

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KK0G

Just a reminder that the CQ WW CW contest starts tonight, I know Gil wouldn't want to miss it...................... sorry, I just couldn't resist 8)
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin

KK0G

gil

Thanks for the warning, I'll keep the radio off  ;)

Gil.

RadioRay

Remember this when someone posts about there 'only' being 5 contests per year ...



>Ray


Ps.  30 meters anyone?
"When we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can."  ~ Matthew Henry

raybiker73

Fortunately, this weekend is the big Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special, so I'll have to watch that as well as a few episodes featuring the 9th, 10th and 11th Doctors. The weather is crappy and we have a winter storm warning, so maybe I'll follow up my Who-a-thon with some more sci-fi, and break out the Babylon 5 DVD set, and since I'll have the TV fired up anyway I have been in the mood to watch Zulu again (the fantastic Michael Caine movie about Rourke's Drift, not the crappy 'Chaka Zulu' movie), and maybe spend a few hours catching up with Call of Duty: Black Ops II or Saints Row IV on XBox, and.... well, maybe it's good to spend a couple days away from my radio desk and just...


KK0G

I'll probably just cruise the WARC bands and sit close to the heater.................. it got COLD here in Iowa today! Cold front moved in. There's not a cloud in the sky and the temp is hovering around 13 degrees F with an expected high of only 19 degrees.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin

KK0G

KK0G

They say every cloud has a silver lining right? Well I was cruising 17 meters to avoid the hoards in the contest and just had a very nice chat with Sven, SM7ALC in Sweden. No pile up, no QRM, no interruptions, no "5NN TU QRZ?", but a real honest CW QSO where we chatted about our rigs, antennas, WX etc. Everybody else is working  the contest leaving the DX stations ripe for the picking on the WARC bands. 8)
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin

KK0G

KC9TNH

Quote from: KK0G on November 24, 2013, 10:37:07 AM
They say every cloud has a silver lining right? Well I was cruising 17 meters to avoid the hoards in the contest and just had a very nice chat with Sven, SM7ALC in Sweden. No pile up, no QRM, no interruptions, no "5NN TU QRZ?", but a real honest CW QSO where we chatted about our rigs, antennas, WX etc. Everybody else is working  the contest leaving the DX stations ripe for the picking on the WARC bands. 8)
WARC bands be awesome; cool QSO. Hope that "breeze" (to be polite) blows this arctic mass outta here tomorrow. I'm frozen and am heading for the electric blanket to warm up, have some soup & kuh-rash.

Deer: 2
KC9TNH:  0

Silly deer, I can't believe they don't reciprocate and get out of a warm bed to walk around looking for me...
;D

cockpitbob

I listened in on the chatter for a bit.  There were so many QSOs way faster than 30WPM I have to wonder how many are using their keyboards.  Does anyone know if keyboard code is common (or allowed) during contests like this?

KK0G


Quote from: cockpitbob on November 25, 2013, 09:15:02 AM
I listened in on the chatter for a bit.  There were so many QSOs way faster than 30WPM I have to wonder how many are using their keyboards.  Does anyone know if keyboard code is common (or allowed) during contests like this?
I would venture to guess that non-keyboard sent code would definitely be in the minority during any contest.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin

KK0G

cockpitbob

Quote from: KK0G on November 25, 2013, 10:33:05 AM
I would venture to guess that non-keyboard sent code would definitely be in the minority during any contest.
That's kind of sad.  They are probably letting the computer read the code for them too.  To me there's no difference between that and PSK31.

RadioRay

#10
IT's usually loaded into contest software and/or memory keyer with multiple push buttons of preloaded swill:

F1:   CQ TEST DE CALLSIGN
F2:   ______  DE CALLSIGN 599 SK

Maybe if there's a one-up number, then the software sends it in order as well.  nr 3412,   nr 3413 ... Because there is much transmitting and close to zero communication, and these things run for two days, there is minimal human-in-the-loop. If the requirement were hand key, pencil, paper, paper QSL's and etc. there would be very few contests.

I find more humanity in telephone SPAMers using auto-dialers than I do in contesting.




de RadioRay ..._ ._
"When we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can."  ~ Matthew Henry

KK0G


Quote from: cockpitbob on November 25, 2013, 10:36:26 AM
Quote from: KK0G on November 25, 2013, 10:33:05 AM
I would venture to guess that non-keyboard sent code would definitely be in the minority during any contest.
That's kind of sad.  They are probably letting the computer read the code for them too.  To me there's no difference between that and PSK31.
Some of them may be using some form of reader to assist but I doubt that's their main means of copying. Code reading software won't work well in a crowded pile up if at all. The softwares I've tried also aren't exactly the most accurate at copying code either and contesters lose points for inaccurate logs.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin

KK0G

cockpitbob

Quote from: KK0G on November 25, 2013, 10:46:08 AM
Some of them may be using some form of reader to assist but I doubt that's their main means of copying. Code reading software won't work well in a crowded pile up if at all. The softwares I've tried also aren't exactly the most accurate at copying code either and contesters lose points for inaccurate logs.
I've had similar (poor) experiences with CW reading software.  There must be some good stuff out there because the reverse beacons seem to grab call signs very well, but of course that's not in a pile up.

RadioRay

#13
Remember also, that machine sent code is much easier for a machine to read.  Handsent can be a a real problem for a computer due to minor variations in timing of even good handsent code. Other factors are assumed , like the alleged signal reports which are always "599", regardless of the number of repeats required. So, hard formatted exchanges of callsign, 599 and a one-up number and/or two letters of their State are easy with less than perfect copy and a repeat or two.

Also I do believe that many contesters are probably using whole spectrum readers so that that there's no tuning around: it deciphers the entire passband. If you see an 'answer', your computer can answer. Many DX'ers do the same thing, seeing calls back to them up the entire band (and often on top of existing QSO's).  I also wonder how many contest stations are fully automated, so that the station owner  can 'win' without the 'drudgery' of actually having to be a radio operator.

To each their own. I just wish that they did not take over the bands, by jamming everyone else for the entire weekend.  It violates good manners and Part 97 - but this poor behaviour is not going to change before the next EMP, which if it does happen, I hope is during the peak of the next World Wide contest.



Moo-ha-ha-ha!


de RadioRay ..._ ._


----- LATER -----

>>>====>    I HAVE SINNED!  I just got a US station on DXpedition in Equador with my KX1.  No conversation. "599" both ways.....   and I enjoyed it.  Is this the first stage of my decaying into, into,  into  -   a CONTESTER???  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!




"When we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can."  ~ Matthew Henry