Getting Better In Contests

We have comfort zones. You can easily recognize yours when you venture outside its boundaries. It can happen by accident or by design. It's uncomfortable. But if your intent is to change, improve, excel, you must do it. 

Stay in your comfort zone and nothing will ever change. Many rationalize why nothing in their lives improves, blaming government, other people, or circumstance. While all may be true in select cases, the jailers who keep us inside those comfort zones are ourselves.

Although the topic of this article is radio contesting, it applies to every aspect of life. It would be surprising were it not so. How did a runner get so fast? By running that fast, and doing the preparation necessary to make it possible. How did that fellow become a millionaire? Discovering what people want and then building a business to deliver it at a profit.

Both come with risk. There is no assurance that a desire to run fast is enough. There are barriers to success: injury, individual biochemistry, opportunity cost and more. Similarly for the prospective businessman: misunderstanding the market and competition, upfront costs (finances) and execution detail. But if you don't try you will certainly not succeed. Most people prefer their comfortable ruts to taking risks.

Do you want to be a better contester? What's your motivation? Are you willing to invest the time and effort and, yes, money? What does success mean to you: overall champion, local record, or simply enjoyment of the endeavour? Only you can decide.

For example, I enjoy contesting. Would I like to win? Yes. Will I? No. Does it matter? No.

For me the true enjoyment comes from building a competitive station and striving to be worthy of it. That is, to be better, not the best. In many ways I get more enjoyment from watching others operate my station. I'll never be a contesting champion or truly competitive yet I still enjoy the activity. I think that applies to almost everyone you contact in any contest. The elite are a small minority.

In a contest there are no class boundaries. Everyone works everyone and appreciates every contact. When there are serial numbers in the exchange you may be startled by what you hear. In the recent CQ WPX CW contest, after the first 30 minutes when I had almost 60 contacts I worked a top contester that sent me a serial number over 100. Impressive. The online scoreboard is an even better way to follow the top competitors as you pursue your own objectives.

Can you be a top contester? Probably not. However you won't know if you don't try. Yes, talent is required in addition to hard work. The first is out of your control but you are fully in control of the second. You may actually have the talent but haven't discovered it since you have not tried. The answer: try. You may surprise yourself. 

But talent or no talent, hard work is not optional. So let's talk about that. What hard work is necessary?

First up are the basic skill sets:

• BIC (butt in chair): You have to put in the time. Not just the contest but also preparation. Practice is essential. I'll make what should be an obvious observation: couch potatoes never medal at the Olympics. Get active, be active, stay active.
• Technical skill: Is your CW slow? Get faster. You do that by being active. Make QSOs, chat to people on CW. It isn't contesting and that's why it helps. You don't know what the other person will say or whether you can say what you want to say. Do you avoid some words because they're difficult to send? "Best wishes" is a good example because of all those dots in the second word!

It continues to astonish me how many long-time contesters, not just those new to radiosport, deceive themselves about these points. Be honest with yourself. Compare your operating and results with the best, not with your friends. That is, unless your friends have just won WRTC.

Observe, listen and learn

Choose a contest you don't plan to operate, find those top competitors and listen to them. I mean, not for a minute or two, but for an hour or two hours, or even more. If they're doing 2BSIQ, find them on the second band and listen to them on both receivers. 

I guarantee that you'll learn a lot from intelligent observation. Think about what they're doing, how they're doing it and why they're operating as they are. You will learn something. For example, I am regularly amazed by how the best operators can almost unerringly pick one full call from an unruly pile up, and do it on two radios. Not needing to ask for fills of calls and exchanges turbocharges the rate.

A friend of mine will travel to WRTC in July. He'll be a referee, not a competitor. Former referees I've spoken to have marvelled at what it's like to closely observe the world's best contesters in action. Not just during the 24 hours of the contest, also their set up, preparation and the team's post-contest discussion. Observe, listen and learn.

Join a multi-op and watch others operate and discuss tactics. Ask questions. You'll learn more in 2 days than you will operating multiple contests as a single op. However, only do it once you have some contesting experience or the flood of knowledge wash over you with very little sticking. Learning has to come in stages since there is only so much you can absorb in a short period of time.

Reject tradition

Humans are creatures of habit. We absorb the culture in which we're immersed and we are loathe to change our habits as we grow older. We my call it "tradition" to justify our resistance to change. But that's just a word, an excuse. Refusing change by clinging to tradition will hold you back, not just in contesting but in all aspects of life. Get over it.

Digital isn't traditional: too bad, get over yourself. AI-generated messages aren't traditional: too bad, get over it. Conversation on the ham bands is traditional: in a contest that's anathema (see below), so get over it.

Observe yourself. Every time you refuse a technology or an operating behavious because it isn't traditional, or what you're accustomed to, you are tying yourself down. You will fail to improve your contest results. However, if tradition is more important to you, accept the implications and don't try to blame others or claim that the world (or our hobby) is moving in the wrong direction. The limitation is within yourself, your clinging to "tradition". Reject tradition and become a more successful contester.

Accuracy vs. speed

Many contesters don't worry about their accuracy and some never review it when the final results are published. They may ignore their LCR (log check report) entirely. This may be surprising since the penalties from making mistakes can be quite onerous on one's score. From my experience this is because the vast majority of contesters are not competitive and they know it, doing it for the fun of it and to contribute to their club score. Fair enough.

If you care about your score you must care about your logging accuracy. How accurate should your logging be? What is a sensible objective? Should a higher error rate be acceptable when doing SO2R or for contests with variable exchanges (e.g. serial numbers) or complicated exchanges (e.g. ARRL Sweepstakes, or WAE QTC)?

I will propose a sensible target: 1%, for all contests no matter your category or contest exchange. Anything higher signals a need for improvement. Complex exchange or weak signals? Adjust your operating to compensate and still meet that accuracy objective. No excuses.

This objective is well beyond what most contesters can regularly achieve, whether novice or expert. It astonishes me how many supposedly serious contesters avoid talk about accuracy or convince themselves that 2, 3 or 4%, and even more (!) is perfectly acceptable. They can give you any number of excuses. Don't deceive yourself: excuses are unacceptable.

I don't really enjoy going through LCRs after a major contest. It's a lesson in humility. For example, in January's NAQP CW when I chose to focus almost exclusively on 2BSIQ my error rate was 2.4%. I'm not happy about it and I have to think about what I got wrong; I expected an error rate no more than 1.5%. Being a weak 2BSIQ op is not an acceptable excuse. 

If I have to slow down to avoid errors that's what I should have done. Accuracy always take precedence over speed. Too many contesters, novice and old timer alike, value speed over accuracy when the run is hot. That's a mistake.

"You don't get fast by training slow"

Those that know me well, know that my other great passion is cycling. In my prime I did well as a recreational rider, and I still get on the roads as often as I can. Of course I'm slower and can't go as far now that I'm old, but I still enjoy it. I was never competitive. Even so I strove to improve. 

I pushed myself, training with the strongest local riders, occasionally with elite athletes, and set high objectives on my solo training rides. I did the same as a runner, regularly doing interval training, and generally making myself miserable on a schedule. I did it because it got results.

I don't recall the source of the quotation I used as the title for this section. It applies to any athletic endeavour, and it also applies to radiosport. There are times when it is beneficial to train slow and times to train fast. However it is certain that if you never train fast you will not be fast on the day of the race.

You must push yourself, no matter your age or fitness level, if you want to get faster and score higher. No supplement, sleep schedule or other brand of magic will do it. Don't deceive yourself: getting better is hard work. You probably won't like it, though you will like the results.

Beginning contesters make many mistakes, which is to be expected and nothing to be ashamed of. Often those mistakes are passed on from mentors who have no track record of success. They're just trying to be helpful. Here are few of those mistakes:

• Participation in minor, low-pressure contests or those that are explicitly devoted to newcomers: While very accommodating, don't stay there since you're only going to hold yourself back. You need to mix it up with experienced contesters to challenge yourself. Don't extend your stay in the wading pool when your objective is to swim with the dolphins.
• Sending CW no faster than you are comfortable receiving: I can't tell you how often I've observed this perplexing behaviour. I can't understand it. If the other station is sending at 40 wpm why are you sending to them at 20? They can copy 40, so you are just wasting their time and yours. You already know their call and exchange (maybe you've had to listen to them for a minute to copy it at their high speed) so you're ready to go. Send fast! When I get called by a slow caller and a fast caller, guess which one I respond to? Time is of the essence. 
• Avoiding the low bands: They're noisy and effective antennas are challenging, but they're a gold mine of contacts and multipliers. Sure, copying is a challenge and your rate will be slower. So what? Every QSO boosts your score. In the coming solar minimum you'll work little if you avoid the low bands.
• Not calling the speedsters: Are you uncomfortable calling the big guns with a high rate and a high speed. Nonsense! Call them! Trust me, they want you in the log. Crank up the keyer speed on CW or crisply speak your call, once, using standard international phonetics on phone. Bashfulness is cute in a child, not in a contester.
• Unnecessary repetition: Send your call and exchange once. Repeat only when requested. You may have difficulty copying at one go, but experienced contesters will copy you fine. Repetition when it isn't necessary wastes everyone's time.
• Excessive time spent chasing mults: If you can't get through a pile up quickly or the propagation isn't in your favour, mark it in your band map and move on. You can come back later. There are other mults and contacts you are failing to log by fruitless calling. It's a contest, not a DXCC or WAS pursuit. Focus on your score, not the rarity of each station.
• Not running: You'll never be competitive in a contest by strictly calling others (S & P). Many contest novices or those with small stations avoid running. It's difficult! You have to squeeze yourself into a slot on a crowded band, pull calls from a crowd of callers, and deal with the pressure of not keeping callers waiting. Practice! Soon you'll marvel at how quickly your log fills up.

Set an objective and make a plan

As the saying goes: if you don't know where you're going, you're sure to get there. There is nothing wrong with entering a contest with no plan or objective and simply enjoying the experience. That stops being effective when you want to do well. Maybe it's to beat last year's score, beat a friend's score, work every multiplier, exceed 5000 contacts, break a record, or to win overall. 

Assuming the objective is within reason considering your unique situation, you are more likely to succeed with a plan. But what does a plan entail?

Reviewing logs can tell you a lot, be it just your own from last year or those of operators you wish to emulate. An increasing number of contests have public logs. Otherwise, if you know the individual you can ask, perhaps make a trade. Although propagation and other factors are never the same from year to year, there will be many similarities. History doesn't repeat but it rhymes.

Did you miss a band opening? Perhaps 10 meters briefly opened between 2 and 3 PM, or 20 meters opened overnight to Europe, or a mult was worked (missed) on 80 meters during their sunrise opening. Were runs better high or low in the band? When does 15 meters open to east Asia and Japan? These are just a few ideas I regularly deal with, and I'm sure you will have your own. 

Write the key points on a sheet of paper so that you do the right thing at the right time. Don't get so wrapped up in that big run that you miss 20 multipliers during an all too brief opening on another band. The run can be resumed later and the stations you didn't work will still find you.

To be honest, I'm not very good at making and keeping to a plan. I contest more for enjoyment than to accomplish a serious objective. The few times I do set an objective, that's when I make a plan.

Extraneous or pointless information

Many non-contesters have a poor opinion of contests and contesters. They listen to the pandemonium during major contest weekends and wonder why we do it. They criticize the seeming lack of meaningful conversation. To them we appear toxic, extreme and anti-social. For similar reasons, many will look at marathon running as boring, repetitive, unhealthy and also anti-social. 

Yet the participants in both activities (sports) are driven, committed and goal oriented. Yet outside of the events are talkative, friendly and ready to welcome and help newcomers to the sport. You learn little of a contester's (or marathoner's) social life by what you hear during the competition. The social interaction happens outside of the activity where the non-contester doesn't see it.

It is entirely natural that hams new to contesting, or perpetual casual participants, aren't so "lean and mean". They are more openly friendly on each QSO, say "thank you" and "please copy", among other statements that are extraneous to the basic data that must be logged. That's okay, but it's not compatible with a competitive result. To competitors the non-essential items, the unnecessary repetition of calls and exchanges, real signal reports and being greeted with their names (logger linked to QRZ.com) only slow them down. 

Sensible competitors adjust to it, as they must, since points are points and they appreciate every caller and every QSO. It's simply a part of the environment they must navigate. There are SO2R techniques, for example, to extend or delay on the second radio while a QSO drags on for longer than it strictly needs to be.

It is common on CW that even best friends say nothing at all when they work each other in a contest. For social human beings this behaviour feels wrong. Yet it is perfectly acceptable and may be necessary when juggling QSOs on two radios. On phone it' may be easier to drop in a "hi Joe" before smashing the keyboard to send the pre-programmed exchange. Even this may be lost as AI continues to eat away at phone contesting.

As a competitive contester you want to be polite while avoiding non-essential communication. You should tolerate it in your QSO partners, but don't do it yourself. Save the chatting for after the contest. You're in a race, you can stop to smell the flowers later. If saying something doesn't contribute to your score, don't say it. That isn't rude, and you should not feel guilty doing it.

Other considerations when you're running: never say "QRZ?" since it conveys nothing; listeners know that you just ended one QSO and you're going on to the next. Give your call instead since that tells listeners who you are. Only repeat calls and exchanges when conditions require it or on request. Again, if it doesn't contribute to your score, cut it out! Don't repeat back the other station's exchange, they already know what they sent. If you're uncertain, request a repeat.

There are far more poor practices than I could possibly list, so listen to yourself and others and make your own judgments. Many of the best contesters record the whole thing and play it back later to see how they sound, or to review mistakes reported in the LCR.

Trust others and be courteous

A good contester is a courteous contester, both to fellow contesters and others sharing the band. This is not about proper social mores, as important as that is. Conflict is fatiguing and will lower your score. Keep your emotions in check.

Place your trust in your fellow competitors. Those out to cause you pain are a small minority.  When trouble arises you should first assume good intentions. For example, a station appears to muscle in on your run frequency. Maybe they don't hear you or failed to check the frequency properly. Don't lose your temper. Tell them and in a majority of cases they will move. If they don't move and the tactic is deliberate, it is better to QSY and continue your run elsewhere. There is a lot of spectrum and getting into a battle will hurt your score. Try to see the big picture at all times.

When you are called by someone not quite clear on what a contest is or what you need from them, take a moment to explain. After the QSO, thank them for the points and encourage them to call others. You are helping to increase activity in future contests, which we want. If you are rude or exasperated at their ignorance you will lose points and turn one more ham against radiosport. Courtesy pays dividends, rudeness will come back to haunt you.

Yes, it's a competition, but never lose control of your emotions. Relax. Take a break if you're becoming short tempered or frustrated.

"It never gets easier, you just go faster"

This is a quote by Greg Lemond, a very successful professional cyclist. It was supposedly said in response to a journalist asking him whether racing was less difficult as he became stronger. You always perform at your limit whether as a youthful amateur or a world champion. Your competitors are doing the same. Experts at their craft may make what they do look easy, but it isn't. When you ease off the accelerator, you slow down and you lose.

When you do everything right and your contesting skill improves, your scores will improve. But it will not be easier. You'll be able to do more at the same perceived level of effort. There is a joy of being facile at 2BSIQ, madly typing on two keyboards and copying without error, yet it is hard work and you'll be doing it for hours on end. Talk to any contest winner and you can be sure they won't tell you that it was easy!

Be honest with yourself

There are few champions, almost by definition. If everyone's a winner, no one's a winner. A pyramid has one peak. I am not a champion and neither is almost everybody reading this. Maybe you can be one someday, or maybe not. You practice, you build, you compete, and keep improving.

Learn to appreciate the journey, not only the destination, and you'll suffer fewer disappointments. You don't have to be a champion to be a winner, to derive great satisfaction from radiosport. Contest champions are not necessarily happier than the rest of us.

Self-deception leads to frustration, dissatisfaction and scapegoating. While it's okay not to be champion no one wants to hear you casting blame elsewhere. I accept my limits. I can still learn and improve, open my station to others and find other ways to enjoy radiosport. 

Without honesty, how can we be open to improvement? There is always more to learn.