1. Field Day “Contesting”
Kevan Nason
N4XL

2. References:
Radio Contesting, Moving To The Next Level: Ideas for Improving Your Score by Gary Sutcliff, W9XT
Contesting Tips for Little Pistols by Dan Zeitlin K2YWE
What is Field Day? From ARRL

3. Set up is only part of Field Day

4. From ARRL
Field Day is… opportunity to practice… emergency response capabilities…
The contest part is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and to learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations and less than optimal conditions.
We use these same skills when we help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walka-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls and museums…

5. We are expected to operate our radio during Field Day just like we would in a real emergency This is practice for the real thing

6. From NTS Standard Net Procedures
Time-consuming pleasantries and other superfluous matters are not to be a part of the procedure while the net is in session. Explanations of any kind are not transmitted unless they are absolutely essential to the net's conduct

7. University of California
Radio Procedures During Emergencies
Before you key your mike, gather your thoughts about what you are going to say. Many people with radios have a tendency to talk and/or repeat too much. Say what you need to say without unnecessary repeats.

8. University of California
Radio Procedures During Emergencies
Keep in mind that you must strive to get your message through the first time. Know what you are going to say before you push the mike button; in other words, engage your brain before you put your mouth in gear. Under stress, many operators have a tendency to talk too fast. ACCURACY FIRST, SPEED SECOND.

9. University of California
Radio Procedures During Emergencies
During an incident, communications suffers enough confusion without wisecracks and jokes. When providing emergency communications you must remember that it is serious business and should be treated as such at all times. At times, radio conditions are poor and words must be overly exaggerated to be understandable. In general, speak very slowly and distinctly to carry through static and weak signals.

10. Contest style operating contains many skills needed for Emergency Communications
Efficient messages free of irrelevant distractions
Maintaining operator focus over long periods of time to ensure accurate information exchange
Cooperation between many stations to optimize the flow of information

11. How can I help improve our score?
Our antennas are what they are until next year
Our power is what it is until next year
Bonus point activities have already been decided and planned for or are beyond our control
That leaves use of operating time and operator skills as biggest factor still in our control

12. Make your contacts as quickly and efficiently as possible
Be aware of propagation changes and choose what band to be on to maximize rate
Adjust your radio for a contest environment instead of for a friendly rag chew
Run instead of S&P whenever possible

13. What Makes A Good Exchange?
Efficient
Ideally, a contact takes 10 seconds
Only send what is needed per the rules
“I copy your XXX, Please Copy my…” wastes time
Although there are exceptions (i.e: RTTY) just send your exchange once – UNLESS they will likely have trouble copying you the first time.
The running station says “Thanks” to let you know she believes she copied your information correctly and to tell others it is okay for them to call her now.

14. Running
Keep transmissions short. If on CW - call at a speed you feel comfortable receiving a reply
2 to 3 seconds between CQ’s. If you leave too much time between CQ’s someone will take the frequency. Yes, some actually think the freq is clear after 3 seconds of silence.
Don’t say unnecessary things like “Please copy”
Say everything in one smooth sentence
Be nice
There WILL be QRM. Work through it using filters and other rig controls

15. Mock Exchange Runner: CQ Field Day Kilo 4 November Alpha Bravo
S&Per: November 4 X-ray Lima
Runner: N4XL 5 Alpha South Carolina (or Sierra Charlie)
S&Per: Echo North Florida (or November Foxtrot Lima)
Runner: Thanks. Kilo 4 November Alpha Bravo

16. Trouble During The Exchange
Once sent, don’t repeat any information unless the other station has it wrong and you are trying to correct it (i.e.: Call sign, State, QSO number)
Have alternate phonetics ready
If someone is having trouble understanding “Alpha” change it to “America”
Many DX stations are non-English speakers.
Many hear “Sugar” better than “Sierra”
Learn their numbers. i.e.: 4 is “quattro” in Spanish and “shi” in Japanese.

17. Trouble During The Exchange
Only send what is asked for.
Runner: “Your class? Your class?”
You just say “3 Alpha, 3 Alpha” and nothing else
Do not send “K4NAB” or “Sierra Charlie” again because they may think they have either your call or section wrong.
Send twice now because they had trouble the first time

18. 3 Most Important Things While Operating
Rate
Always keep the rate up.
A couple of extra QSOs/hr adds up to almost 100 in a 48 hour DX contest
Always watch the rate meter!
W9XT
W9XT 18

19. Keeping the rate: CQ a lot
CQ whenever possible
An average CQ rate is usually better than a good S&P rate
More than half of stations in contest never CQ
CQing seems slower than S&P – watch rate meter
Smaller stations
Try CQs higher in band
CQ 2nd day in DX contests, Sunday afternoon in Sweepstakes
Don’t waste time in frequency fights
Most contesters don’t CQ enough
There are times in any contest where anyone can CQ effectively
CQing seems slow – less mental involvement than S&Ping
The rate meter on the logging program is one of the most important things to watch
W9XT
W9XT 19

20. Watch the rate meter! When rate is below what it should be:
Stop CQing and start S&P (Search and Pounce)
Stop S&Ping and start CQ
Change bands
Take a break if contest has mandatory off times
The rate meter is one of the most important things to watch on your logging program
When the rate drops, do something different
W9XT
W9XT 20

21. Some Phone Tips Use conventional or unmistakable phonetics
Apply these basic Phone tips for starters
Use conventional or unmistakable phonetics
“Duck Soup” are poor phonetics for “D S”
Use Standard or “Common Use” phonetics (countries, cities . ..)
Maintain a “friendly sense of urgency” in your QSOs
Chattiness will slow your rate and lose you contacts.
Do not be intimidated by stations talking fast or unintelligibly.
Firmly ask until you get all the exchange info. Use “again?”
It is usually better to ask for one piece of missing info at a time.
Listen to what is on your frequency when working split.
If you can hear it, you can better time your call or defer until later.

22. Best Practices General
Use K3ZO's "Rule of TWICE" – modify “twice” as sensible
If you can't get a station after calling TWICE, move on
If he doesn't ID after transmitting TWICE, move on
Don’t waste time repeatedly calling DX that has moderate Sigs when the band is otherwise quiet from their part of the world
They are probably “opening the band” with lots of ERP
Enable and use the band map in your logging software
Check for dupes in S&P as well as for new Mults and Q’s
Insist on fills until you get all the info. Use “Again?” on phone
Don’t log the QSO without complete info. “Sorry, No QSO”
Keep the width of an SSB signal in mind
Be sure you are far enough from strong stations running not to be covered by a pileup you can’t hear
“Twice” doesn’t need to be exactly twice for everyone.
My signal is smaller that Fred’s – my rule is three or four . .
Point is in S&P it wastes time, and when running people will tire of waiting for you and disappear, breaking your run. .

23. Some CW Tips* - CW
Don’t let your code speed keep you from enjoying CW contests
Do not be intimidated by stations too fast for you to copy.
Start with the slower stations higher in the band.
Don't worry if you have to hear a call several times to get it.
As the contest goes on your will improve!
Try moving frequency a bit if you can’t seem to be heard.
Often receiver bandwidths in a crowded band are set very narrow.
Spotted frequencies put everyone on the same frequency
Call CQ high in the band at a speed comfortable for you.
It’s sometimes OK to send QRS
During Run when you get QRQ response (you can also ignore)
During S&P when the CQing station has “run dry”
*Some tips are courtesy of the 1999 YCC “Cookbook”

24. Best Practices Basics - Overall
Overall - continued
S&P rates can be very high early in the contest
Everyone is fresh meat for you.
You can quickly hop from station to station with little fear of Dupes.
You are usually safe to call first and fill-in the call at the QSO end.
Use early S&P to find a spot to CQ
You can maintain a high rate while searching for a clear spot.
It beats the alternative of establishing a frequency before the Test
Be sure to try CQing late in the contest
You will be “fresh meat” to many that have been CQing all along.
They will be seeking to squeeze out the last few QSOs.
Repeat only what is missing when asked for a fill
Repeating known parts wastes time and possible “clear times.”
QRL? . . .
Watch the fresh meat come in !

25. more Best Practices . . . Running
Use the widest IF bandwidth you can stand
Less chance to miss off-freq callers, especially on CW
Don’t break a run to pull one station through
Your rate will suffer if you take too long
You will drive away impatient waiting stations
Use only a quick ‘Thanks’ if stations are waiting
They know your call. Don’t waste time on it.
Throw in your call every few Q’s for newcomers
Send the full exchange with a partial call
Nearly all Ops will correct you, good ones without a missing a beat
Fix the call during his transmission

26. more Best Practices . . . Running - continued
Call CQ when bands are dead for the day or worked out
Call CQ when the band is active if you are able to find a frequency and hold it
Always work Dupes (set software to allow)
You might not be in his log and it’s usually quicker
If you can't drag a station's call through after trying TWICE, ignore him and start calling CQ again.
This is part of K3ZO's "Rule of TWICE." Modify "TWICE" to suit your station capabilities and contest circumstances.
Enable call sign correction in your software.
This will send the corrected call as part of your goodbye message

27. The Complete Best Practices Collection
more Best Practices . . .
Running - continued
If another station calls CQ on your frequency, try "QRL" or "Frequency in use, please QSY"
Don't engage in extended frequency fights
If QRL/QSY fails, it almost always pays to move
Sometimes you can move up or down a bit in order to lessen the QRM and still hang on to "your" frequency
NEVER NEVER NEVER acknowledge a "jammer". NEVER. Just keep your pace, and don't change your tone of voice on phone or even synchronize your calls to his QRM.
Often throwing in a few fake Q’s will discourage the jammer
The complete list is worth looking at.
The Complete Best Practices Collection
Appears in Appendix A
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Conclusion

28. Maximizing Score Turn your VFO knob and find them Keep the dial moving
S&P
Turn your VFO knob and find them
Keep the dial moving
If you can’t get a running station after 2 or 3 calls, seriously consider moving on. You are wasting BIC time. Come back to them later
(BIC = “Butt In Chair”)

29. The Radio – Using in a Contest
Preamplifiers
Normally bad in contests.
Cause unnecessary receiver noise in crowded bands
Raise noise along with signal actually making copy worse on lower bands. (40, 80 and 160)
Can use on quieter higher bands. (10, 15 and sometimes 20)
Attenuation and RF Gain
Reduce effects of QRM and overload on the receiver
Normally adjust rig so band noise about 1 or 2 S units
Improves S/N ratio making weaker signals easier to hear through noise.
Less fatigue on your ears

30. The Radio – Using in a Contest
Compression
Gives you 3 or 4 dB signal strength increase
Misadjusted will cause splatter and wasted power
Transmit Audio
Our ears get most information from speech between 500 and 2500 Hz.
Use microphone elements or transmit equalizers to reduce low frequency speech (below 500 hz)
Noise Blanker
Turn off unless absolutely needed
Significantly reduces ability of receiver to combat QRM

31. The Radio – Using in a Contest
AGC
Fast
Consider turning off in some cases
CW Side tone
Lower is best
Helps distinguish between multiple callers more easily
SSB Receive Equalizer
The frequency range giving the most audio intelligibility is 500 to 3000 Hz
Consider setting receive equalizer to enhance that range
DSP for noise reduction – better if leave it off and use RF gain control

32. What is the biggest asset at your operating station?

33. You
Sound excited. Make them believe you are hungry for another contact
Stay focused on maintaining rate
Be the “Little Engine That Could”… “I know I can”. Don’t let QRM, QSB, QRN or your doubt stop you from making that contact
If you have to leave the operating station for a few minutes get someone to take over while you are gone
Watch how others around you are doing. Encourage each other

34. Videos
and
Exercise

35. Summary
Rate is king
Be efficient
Stay focused on making contacts
If something ain’t working – CHANGE