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<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>CONVERSATION<a name=Conversation></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>How To Have A
(Contest) Conversation <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>After the last
issue was emailed to readers, I received a most reasonable request. "This
issue shows how NOT to make a Field Day QSO. How SHOULD I make a Field Day
QSO?" Here is a good example of how experienced operators (i.e. - your
editor) can forget that criticism without instruction is not helpful. One has
to demonstrate the right technique so as to illustrate why the wrong technique
is, in fact, wrong! So here goes... <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=right
width=250 style='width:187.5pt;margin-left:7.5pt;margin-right:7.5pt;
margin-top:3.0pt;margin-bottom:3.0pt'>
<tr>
<td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-element:frame'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><img width=250
height=188 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CC46FC.C0AD7D80"
border=1><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-element:frame'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Here's somebody having fun learning the right way to
make Field Day QSOs! That's Scotty Wright, son of KĜMD at the controls of
WĜSAA (Photo by KĜMD)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>First, a
disclaimer. There is no One Perfect Method for efficient, effective contest
operating. The "right" technique depends on band conditions, how many
are (or aren't) calling, the intensity of the competition, and the skill of the
operators on each end. What follows are guidelines and I am assuming that the
contest is a phone contest. The reader should be able to apply the same
principles to CW and digital contest operation. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>To make a lot of
QSOs in a fixed period - the goal of nearly every contest - you need to
minimize the time you spend making each QSO. The first step in minimizing the
duration of a QSO is to remove all unnecessary verbiage. In a perfect world,
the only thing you should hear going back and forth during a contest is call
signs and exchange information. It should sound like this: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>1 - CQ Field Day
KOĜA <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>2 - [pileup] <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>3 - W1ABC 2 Alpha <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Missouri</st1:place></st1:State> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>4 - 1 Alpha
Eastern <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:place></st1:State>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>5 - Thanks KOĜA <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Not a wasted bit
of transmitting exists in that exchange. Lines 1 and 5 are "bookends"
in which KOĜA identifies and solicits QSOs. (This style of operation is
sufficient for W1ABC, as well.) This is the standard to which you should aspire
on either end of the QSO. In Line 3, KOĜA has pulled out a full call sign from
the pileup, sent it to notify everyone who the QSO is with, given the
information in the expected order and stopped transmitting. KOĜA does not say,
"Please copy..." or "You are..." or repeat any information
or say, "Over" or "Go ahead" or any number of other things
that take up time but don't add anything to the flow of the contact. In Line 4,
W1ABC responds when called, gives the contest information, and stops
transmitting. That's it - no extra "stuff" to slow things down. In
Line 5, KOĜA acknowledges that the information was complete and the call sign
ends the transmission. No "QRZed" or "CQ Field Day" or
"from" is required. If no stations call, then a longer CQ
transmission starts the cycle again. (A nit to pick...when a station says
"You are" and then describes their own configuration, shouldn't that
really be "I am"?) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>When should you
deviate from this ideal? There are lots of reasons to do so. In Line 3, KOĜA
should not give out any exchange information until sure of enough of the
caller's call sign that only one station is likely to respond. For example, if
KOĜA doesn't get the last letter of W1ABC's call..."W1AB-something 2 Alpha
Missouri, what's the last letter?" W1ABC should respond with something
like, "W1 Alpha Bravo Charlie, last letter is Charlie, 1 Alpha...etc"
Why does W1ABC repeat the full call? To confirm that the missing letter is the
last one and that the call is not W1CAB or just W1AB. Similarly, if KOĜA has
W1ABC's call wrong, W1ABC might simply respond with, "W1ABC". At that
point, KOĜA can resume with Line 3 shown above. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>What about
repeating your information? If not requested to do so, don't! 9 times out of
10, even a QRP station will be perfectly readable in Line 4 above. The other
callers are standing by (hopefully) so KOĜA is probably going to get the
information on the first transmission - don't waste time with unrequested
repeats! If a repeat is requested, repeat only the information requested. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Should W1ABC give
KOĜA's call sign in Line 4? Whenever there is any question about the intended
receiving station give the call sign. It is very common under crowded contest
conditions for two stations to be extremely close together or even on the same
frequency if they are in each other's skip zones or have antenna nulls aimed at
each other. When this happens, don't depend on timing - give the other
station's call sign before sending your own information. If you don't, you take
a chance that the "wrong" station will log you. The extra information
often saves losing a contact (and the multiplier and the possible penalty). <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>What if W1ABC
misses some of KOĜA's information? Then W1ABC should request a repeat
("What is your section?") BEFORE proceeding with "1 Alpha
Eastern <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:place></st1:State>."
W1ABC should not transmit any exchange information until all of KOĜA's
information has been received. If W1ABC waits until after sending the category
and section to ask for a repeat, KOĜA will likely assume W1ABC received the
information OK and will proceed with Line 5 too soon. This gets everything out
of sync for everybody, including any callers waiting to contact KOĜA. Yes,
W1ABC could wait until KOĜA's next contact to copy the information but I can
tell you from personal experience - it doesn't always work out that way! Get
the information you need during the contact and don't assume you can get it on
subsequent contacts - that's a big waste of time for you. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Obviously, there
are many more variations on the basic theme. By practicing, you'll learn the
basic principles of snappy, crisp operating. To learn more about effective,
efficient operating, listen to the top operators on the air while they are
"running" and try to emulate them. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Learn to pull a full call sign out of a pileup
whenever you can <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Give your <i><span style='font-style:italic'>full
</span></i>call whenever calling in a pileup <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Transmit exchange information the same way every
time <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Eliminate wasted syllables and words <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Speak clearly without rushing or mumbling <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Speech audio should be non-distorted and free of
background noise<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ul>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The top operators
are flexible, too. When conditions require it, they will "change
gears" to a faster or slower technique in order to maintain the flow of
information and keep the contacts coming. Just like a long-distance runner who
only lifts each foot enough to clear the ground, the top operators only
transmit enough information to keep making contacts. You might not think the
difference between "Thanks" and "Thank you" is worth much,
but if in a 48-hour contest the goal is upwards of 5000 contacts, saying the
extra "you" 5000 times is significant. This may be "cutting the
tags off the teabags" as the backpackers say but work on eliminating
non-essential transmissions and see if your log doesn't fill up a little
quicker! <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Should this be the
style of operating for casual, non-contest contacts? Of course not! But it would
be completely appropriate for a net control station trying to run an emcomm net
with many calling to check in, pass traffic, report status, etc. When trying to
handle that load "extra stuff" can really gum up the works. The
habits and skills formed under contest conditions help make you an effective
operator when the chips are <i><span style='font-style:italic'>really</span></i>
down - in a disaster or emergency situation when every minute counts. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>73, Ward NĜAX<a
name=toc07></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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