7 Things I Do BE-4 Every Radiosport Weekend

Recently, I wrote a BloG entitled "7 Things
I do after EVERY Radiosport Weekend". 

You may be wondering if there are 7 things I do BE-4 every contest weekend; and of course, there is.  Preminicising this Blog Entry, a couple of weeks ago I scribbled
a page of notes, which I eventually went
on to prioritize.

Sometimes after enjoying a Peanut Butter Stout after a contest, as I am preparing Blog material for a write up on that GiG
I am also looking ahead to the next radiosport weekend; either the next contest, or, the 2nd part (Ssb, Cw or RTTY) of this particular style of contest (Ex: DX, WPX and SS contests are all mode specific on different weekends.)

In an overall sense, the seven things to be considered before a radiosport contest event include:

 

1. To begin with, how do we find out about the different contest events each weekend? 
   While there are dozens of ways to find contest activity, my top-3 favorites include:
   
   
    
   1. The WA7BNM Contest Calendar
   2. CQ Magazine's Contest Calendar
   1. QST Magazine's Contest Corral
2. R T F R --- READ the RULES FIRST.
   It amazes me how virtually EVERY radiosport contest, it is clear that most casual entrants have not read the rules.  For example, if you read the rules for the JIDX contest it CLEARLY STATES that it is a JA only contest.  At 4am on 40 meters, the Southeast stations who respond to my CQ JA calls are afflicted with one of the following:
   A) They can't understand CW and therefore don't know what Dit-Dah-Dah-Dah  Dit-Dah
         means - in which case, they should not call me.
   B) They haven't read the rules so they don't know it is a JA-only contest - in which case,
         they should not call me.
   C) They are bored and want something to do  - in which case, they should not call me.
   D) Their 6AM coffee hasn't kicked in yet so they dunno what's going on - in which case,
         they should not call me.
   E) They just DON'T CARE whether or not they disrupt an activity that was running smoothly
        until they showed up  - in which case, they should not call me.
   F) They are actually sound asleep - Sleep-Operating - in which case, they should not call me.
   
   Bottom-line:
   When the rules say it is a JA-ONLY CONTEST, what part about that do you NoT understand?
   
   
3. Determine WHERE you will operate the contest event from.
   The operating location (QTH) you choose can have a profound impact on the quality
   of the radiosport operation you run during that weekend. 
   For example, over the years I have run radiosport events from different venues:
   A) NX6T remotely from Concord, Alameda and even a hotel room at Harrah's Laughlin.
   B) Portable from N6GEO's and W7AYT's QTH's, or while house-sitting in various locations.
   C) As /MM from a sailboat in the Oakland harbor or a cabin cruiser on the Sacramento river.
   D) Running off of batteries on Mt. Diablo, Mt. Abel, Modoc county or Carpinteria state beach.
   E) Running /P (portable) next to several different lighthouses in one weekend.
   F) Running as WP2/WQ6X from a villa on the island of St. Croix
   G) Running from 3rd-floor lodge hotel rooms using hamstick dipoles.
   H) From cabanas on Kona and Kauai and 33rd floor condos on Maui.
        A tuned-wire shot over the tip of a palm tree or a folded dipole taped
        under the condo eaves is all one needs in order to enjoy world-wide communication.
   
   The challenge is to leverage those different locations into successful/winning operations.
   
   
4. Make sure that any contest logging and/or contest support software has been properly updated.  Programs like DX-Log and N1MM+ are updated frequently (often weekly). 
   If you install an update, test it thoroughly BE-4 the contest event.
   
   
5. Verify the workability of all radios/antennas (if you are onsite) or have someone do that for you (if you are running remotely).  Remote operation requires that the internet connection on BOTH ENDS of the operation be as fast and spiffy as possible.  Intermittent bouts of internet dropout can quickly RUIN the operating experience.
   
   
6. Check recent Space-WX forecasts, as well as propagation charts for the contest time of year.  If the A/K indexes are OFF the CHART, the kind of radiosport event you experience will
   be dramatically different from a no-storm period, such as my experience during this last weekend's 12-hour NAQP RTTY contest.
   
   
7. Eat healthy and well; Sleep DEEP; Exercise regularly; Meditate if you are so inclined.
   Attempting to run a contest while hungry simply puts your attention on your stomach,
   not on what you're hearing in the speaker or headphones.
   Running a contest shift while sleepy runs the risk of falling asleep at the operating position while an auto-CQ calls on-and-on - forever.  (In all honesty, this HAS happened to me.)
   Proper exercise keeps my limbs limber throughout the contest. 
   I recall many visits to NX6T in Fallbrook where before an operating shift I would run
   down the steep hill and then trudge-Jog my way back UP that hill.  Taking 4 minutes all
   by itself can significantly open up the bloodflow (which is good for the brain).  If you have walking/running limitations you can still exercise your upper body, gaining nearly equivalent benefits - your mileage may vary.  Don't take MY word for it, check with your physician first.

If you are just a casual radiosport operator (like I used to be) then these 7 items are probably not all that crucial.  However, if (like me today) you strive to be the BEST you can Be and do the BEST you can Do, the above 7 items can make a HUGE difference.

What separates a novice operator, a good operator, a VERY good operator and a radiosport "SPECIALIST" is paying attention to the above 7 points before EVERY competition event. 
There are probably more than these seven items, however these 7 are MWR (Minimum
Weekend Requirements).

What about YOU?
How do YOU prepare for a radiosport event?