Not really a keen contester, I decided that the bands would be crowded with contest stations, so decided that if I couldn't beat 'em then I'd join 'em and entered the All Band QRP contest. Only spent a total of 3 hours "Scan & Pounce", but managed to finish in the top half and acquired some exotic call-signs from places I don't usually get as a low power station. Contests can have their good points! 🙂
Top draw stuff... This is how I got excited about Ham Radio. Only attending the club (QRZ Amateur Radio Group of Sussex G3YNN) on a few consecutive occasions, before I knew it, a newly licenced friend who induced me to the club and I were in charge of a CQWW night shift. Half the time was spent making sense of the band plan and figuring out the radio, which at the time frankly looked like it could perform a moon landing with all those buttons and dials. When we did get half figured out, catching callsigns and then logging them correctly was another challenge. We only logged about 70ish contacts and a lot less confirmed but that harsh learning curve and the places we traveled with RF that evening got me hooked. This was back in 2002 in my teens....Good days.
To answer the question of giving 5/9 or giving 599 in cw instead of a true signal report . its because you can log callsigns much faster and more efficiently if every station gets the same report ie the default reports as setup in the log programme . In cw we dont even send 5 9 9 ( too many dashes ! ) so we use Cutt numbers and the 9 becomes a N So the operator can send 5NN ,its much quicker . To expect a station running a pile up to give and receive anything different would need him be constantly changing the entry fields . Nowhere near as fast which is the name of the game in contests or dxpedition running . This would slow everything down and deny many people calling the chance to get in the log . Cheers Ron G4DIY
Hi Mark I thought I answered your question but notice it had gone to the top of the thread re the 300 qso,s and hour video . Hope you can see it ifyou go the the comments again . Cheers Ron
Also operated our club station and know how hectic it can get in the pile-up. I think I might have spotted 2 wrong zones logged 01:13 KC8QDQ was 05 (and not 04) and 03:23 KF4ORQ was 04 (and not 05). But anyhow great QSO rate. We had a good run on 15m opening to North and South America. Good fun with so many stations in action. Cal keep up the good work for amateur radio. 73 Joe
I blame this stream for me getting so few points. I spent most of the weekend watching you do the contest instead of me doing the contest. :) Still, I managed to rank 921st in the world, so that'll do for my first contest. Was a pleasure to watch and learn when you were in high speed mode, Callum.
How do I actually take an exam to use HF radio ? I used CB radio years ago loved it did it for years . But now I'm really keen on taking up this radio hobby with using HF radio. I've googled it and found all the pages that help you learn things but how do I actually book a test? It's like going down a rabbit hole with no simple answer? Could you do a video on a dummies guide to learning and how to actually book the exam. West midlands based here. Thanks
Steven, if you are West Mids, it's easy.. Suggest buying the Foundation Booklet from RSGB (about a fiver) and enrolling in the FREE Ham Radio Traning course at Esses Ham.. Google all that - it's the short cut, honest!
Nice rate :) I watched your videos on processing, EQ, etc, but it almost sounds like you’re changing your voice to make it punch through. Are you? I do when I contest, after a while I start sounding like a 7 year old and I can hold it for only about 30mins before my voice box wants to divorce my throat.
The QSO rate for the last ten Q’s was indeed close to 300 p/h but the number the number that really matters in de number of Q’s in the last 60 minutes ;-) Nevertheless an awesome job running on 10 meters with the new vertical! You know, you could speed up things even more. If you hear a partial call, you could give the other op his report straight aways. He will then give you his call again and the report. You then only read back the part of the call that you missed, say thanks and move on to the next one. Saves a bit of time but over the duration of the contest it will add up.
Yes I noticed that.. A couple times did it. But to be frank I was only after 500 that afternoon and wasn't prepped for a pile up at all.. Not with a basic vertical! :)
@@truckinguy92 That's why I don't participate in POTA. I could give two #*$&#@ about your signal or mine. the only thing matters is that the contact was made
Jep. Self spotting and asking for QSO’s via any other means then the contest bands, is prohibited. Sharing your call sign and QRG via a UA-cam livestream is viewed as soliciting for QSO’s by other means then the contest bands. Callum is doing the right thing by not showing his QRG.
It depends on your definition of ‘chock full’ but in the 6:32 minutes of video, I spotted 3 errors. First one is KC8QCQ who gives him zone 5 but is logged as zone 4. Then K1BF is logged as K1BZ (to be fair, the other op didn’t correct the error). And finally I copied KF4ORQ giving zone 4 but was logged as zone 5. Three errors in 6,5 minutes is according to contesting standards quite a lot. That said, he’s probably doing it for fun and in this contest the other op doesn’t get dinged for his mistakes so no harm done.
Nearly 300 QSO's per hour....thats not making a QSO, its bearly as fast as possible an exchange of calls and numbers. As soon as you have one you drop the person on the other side to call sombody else. Thats not a QSO. Title is wrong. This is a contest to make as much possible contacts. That's all. Up to you to manage it
Awesome run! Your ability to copy callsigns quickly is commendable. Good work!
Thanks!
Congratulations Cal shows what can be done with a good antenna and operator
I can tell you're having a blast here. CQ WW sure was fun on 10. Great to see the callers just rolling in. Nice operating sir.
Yes Stian, it was a fun game!
Not really a keen contester, I decided that the bands would be crowded with contest stations, so decided that if I couldn't beat 'em then I'd join 'em and entered the All Band QRP contest. Only spent a total of 3 hours "Scan & Pounce", but managed to finish in the top half and acquired some exotic call-signs from places I don't usually get as a low power station. Contests can have their good points! 🙂
Yes, it's a bit like a game..
That's the fun of big contests like cqww.
Very nice Callum, love these videos.
Glad to hear!
To be honestly a contest is not really a ham qso. But some hams find it cool to say only you're 59 QSL over.
But its a way to use the bands.
Certainly is - and checks if your antenna actually works :)
Great to see it being done by a master ...now I need to have a lie down because my head is spinning!
You and me both!
Loads of Fun!!! 10m is hopping !!
Yes, I heard NY repeater on 40dB over S9 again today!
Top draw stuff... This is how I got excited about Ham Radio. Only attending the club (QRZ Amateur Radio Group of Sussex G3YNN) on a few consecutive occasions, before I knew it, a newly licenced friend who induced me to the club and I were in charge of a CQWW night shift. Half the time was spent making sense of the band plan and figuring out the radio, which at the time frankly looked like it could perform a moon landing with all those buttons and dials. When we did get half figured out, catching callsigns and then logging them correctly was another challenge. We only logged about 70ish contacts and a lot less confirmed but that harsh learning curve and the places we traveled with RF that evening got me hooked. This was back in 2002 in my teens....Good days.
Yes, it's a fun game!
To answer the question of giving 5/9 or giving 599 in cw instead of a true signal report . its because you can log callsigns much faster and more efficiently if every station gets the same report ie the default reports as setup in the log programme . In cw we dont even send 5 9 9 ( too many dashes ! ) so we use Cutt numbers and the 9 becomes a N So the operator can send 5NN ,its much quicker . To expect a station running a pile up to give and receive anything different would need him be constantly changing the entry fields . Nowhere near as fast which is the name of the game in contests or dxpedition running . This would slow everything down and deny many people calling the chance to get in the log . Cheers Ron G4DIY
Hi Mark I thought I answered your question but notice it had gone to the top of the thread re the 300 qso,s and hour video . Hope you can see it ifyou go the the comments again . Cheers Ron
Good reply Ron. Most folks who ask this are being sarcastic, but of course you probably know it :)
Also operated our club station and know how hectic it can get in the pile-up. I think I might have spotted 2 wrong zones logged 01:13 KC8QDQ was 05 (and not 04) and 03:23 KF4ORQ was 04 (and not 05). But anyhow great QSO rate. We had a good run on 15m opening to North and South America. Good fun with so many stations in action. Cal keep up the good work for amateur radio. 73 Joe
Correct! But I don't adjust my log afterwards (there was a few, believe me!) - I just send it in and to hell with it :)
I blame this stream for me getting so few points. I spent most of the weekend watching you do the contest instead of me doing the contest. :) Still, I managed to rank 921st in the world, so that'll do for my first contest. Was a pleasure to watch and learn when you were in high speed mode, Callum.
You are in the top 1,000..!! Way to go Nathan! :)
Love it. Love these pile-ups to the US/Canada. 73, Bas
Lots of fun!
How do I actually take an exam to use HF radio ? I used CB radio years ago loved it did it for years . But now I'm really keen on taking up this radio hobby with using HF radio. I've googled it and found all the pages that help you learn things but how do I actually book a test? It's like going down a rabbit hole with no simple answer? Could you do a video on a dummies guide to learning and how to actually book the exam. West midlands based here. Thanks
Steven, if you are West Mids, it's easy.. Suggest buying the Foundation Booklet from RSGB (about a fiver) and enrolling in the FREE Ham Radio Traning course at Esses Ham.. Google all that - it's the short cut, honest!
@DXCommander Thanks I will look into it
Good job bro!
Thanks!
Callum what is that logging software? This was great to watch! KC1PSK
OK, so MOST of that is N1MM+ (plus my DVI / HDMI capture card out the back of the TS0990s)
What logging software are you using? Great video!
So that's N1MM.
Funny to see your growing suspicion towards the 51 prefix, I heard it same as you, only when he gave his zone as 5 it was clearly wrong
Yes.. Also first time I heard Whiskey as a Fifty! :)
Nice rate :) I watched your videos on processing, EQ, etc, but it almost sounds like you’re changing your voice to make it punch through. Are you? I do when I contest, after a while I start sounding like a 7 year old and I can hold it for only about 30mins before my voice box wants to divorce my throat.
Hello Sterling! Yeah, I noticed that on the Compression video too. I can "squeeze" my voice somehow. No idea what I'm doing really!
10 was a blast this year!
It was!
impressive!!!
Fun!
What antenna, the DX commander or the starduster design?
Yes Peter, that "Evo" thing I was playing with.
That’s crazy!
Couldn't even get a smoke in while you were smokin!
Hahaha
The QSO rate for the last ten Q’s was indeed close to 300 p/h but the number the number that really matters in de number of Q’s in the last 60 minutes ;-) Nevertheless an awesome job running on 10 meters with the new vertical!
You know, you could speed up things even more. If you hear a partial call, you could give the other op his report straight aways. He will then give you his call again and the report. You then only read back the part of the call that you missed, say thanks and move on to the next one. Saves a bit of time but over the duration of the contest it will add up.
Yes I noticed that.. A couple times did it. But to be frank I was only after 500 that afternoon and wasn't prepped for a pile up at all.. Not with a basic vertical! :)
wow ! I want to get into comps but this speed is frightening ! Respect! 73 de M5PM 🇬🇧 Patrick
I did start once at the beginning - don't worry yourself :)
Hi Cal,
Enjoyed listening to you during the contest. Did not want to participate this year. You and your family stay safe. 73 WJ3U
Don, you are always so polite and pleasant. A real nice friend you are.
Wasn't that a great time? All those rare callsigns for the logbook.
Yeah, we'll never see some of these for a long time :)
Awesome watching this. Would be good to get a group together to work a contest station using antenna in your field. Well done Cal
That would be cool! Maybe sometime next year..?
@@DXCommanderHQ It may be a crazy idea, but for sure it would work.
How can you give 59 signal reports if the signals aren’t even close on the meter?
Culture and tradition.. If we gave out real reports.. well, fill in the blanks!
@@DXCommanderHQ I do POTA and give what I see on the meter and the actual quality of the signal. If people don’t like it, oh well.
@@truckinguy92 That's why I don't participate in POTA. I could give two #*$&#@ about your signal or mine. the only thing matters is that the contact was made
Yes, its always 5 & 9 regardless of true signal strength or readability.
@@richardgroves290 then why bother giving one, that’s time wasted that can get more contacts. It’s a contest after all.
Crikey. That's busy!
Haha yeah it was fun :)
Wow not bad for single Tx op ☺️🤔I could do half in twice the time 😂😉
Me too :)
Why can't you show your frequency when CQ-ing? Contest rules?
Jep. Self spotting and asking for QSO’s via any other means then the contest bands, is prohibited. Sharing your call sign and QRG via a UA-cam livestream is viewed as soliciting for QSO’s by other means then the contest bands. Callum is doing the right thing by not showing his QRG.
@@maartenvanr9478 Thanks
I dig your videos Callum, but your contest logs (if you even turn them in) are chock full of errors
They are! Great game!
It depends on your definition of ‘chock full’ but in the 6:32 minutes of video, I spotted 3 errors. First one is KC8QCQ who gives him zone 5 but is logged as zone 4. Then K1BF is logged as K1BZ (to be fair, the other op didn’t correct the error). And finally I copied KF4ORQ giving zone 4 but was logged as zone 5. Three errors in 6,5 minutes is according to contesting standards quite a lot. That said, he’s probably doing it for fun and in this contest the other op doesn’t get dinged for his mistakes so no harm done.
Nearly 300 QSO's per hour....thats not making a QSO, its bearly as fast as possible an exchange of calls and numbers. As soon as you have one you drop the person on the other side to call sombody else. Thats not a QSO. Title is wrong. This is a contest to make as much possible contacts. That's all. Up to you to manage it
No, title is absolutely accurate :) We exchanged callsigns, a zone and some "meaningful" data (signal report!! LOL)
@@DXCommanderHQ LOL indeed!
😀
Great Job Cal. 73 de Michael, DL2YMR
Tnx Michael!
Good fun running in a contest de Chris VO1CH
It is.. Need another 10dB..!
contests are so boring, but if it's your thing that's fair enough
It's just a game.
Man and machine in perfect harmony - M0DSK
It really suits my mind doing that!
Contests are the main reason why I'm in ham radio :) It's really exciting and fun to run pile-up :) 73 DE LY7K
Couldn't agree more!
599 Cal! 73 de PD4TZ