Before the Contest

• Start of the contest season
• Check the contest rules and if the contest program uses them correct
• Call History Lookup
• Importing and exporting message Function keys
• Getting ready for CQWW (and other contests)
• How to record Wav files for the Function keys used in SSB contests.

Start of the contest season

With the start of the fall it is time to get ready for the big contests. Here are some suggested steps for your station:

All stations

• Print out the key assignments help file and mark it up with a highlighter. Use one color for things you know how to use, and another color for keys that you didn't realize were there but are interesting.
• Learn how to enter frequencies from the entry window. You can type 14022. If you are already on a band, you can type offset from the bottom of the band or the last three digits of the frequency. On 80m examples are 22 for 3522 and 795 for 3795.
• Learn how to set split. Use the callsign textbox if you have not already copied the call. e.g. On 40m, 214 ctl-enter will set your tx freq to 7214. Use Alt-F7 to set split when there is already a call in the textbox. A recent change allows you to clear split by pressing Alt-F7 and pressing enter with no frequency entered. Esc still leaves split alone.
• On many radios, the up/down keys tune the radio or the rit depending on whether you are running or S&P. You can adjust the step amount in the configurer.
• Learn to use check partial. I find it is usually faster to make a good guess at the callsign and let them correct you than to just say what you know. I usually ask if their call is correct.
• On CW, use ESM. It's a skill that pays big rewards in believe it or not, reducing stress. Instead of thinking all the time "what key next", the program does it for you. Also learn to use the = key. It means, send the last message. Another good trick when you are tired.
• Make sure you understand how the bandmap and callframe work even if  you are not assisted. As you work stations, they will be "spotted" in your local bandmap. This allows you to skip over them during your next S&P trip through the band. This saves a lot of time. The call will appear in grey in the callframe as the station gets within the user-definable tuning tolerance. Grey means you worked them. Tune on.
• Make sure you load the lasted wl_cyt.dat and check partial files prior to the contest. Note that the wl_cty.dat has to be imported into the program. A step many forget.
• During the contest, if you work a station that is not handled properly by the country file, just put the correct prefix in front of it like (W8/N8SS), then log with Alt-Ctrl-Enter. You can put a note to check it later. You don't want to take a lot of time to fool with it during the contest. The other approach is to use Tools/Add call to country. To use this, you need to know the base countries in cty.dat. A printed copy at the operating position is helpful in this.

Assisted or multi-op stations

• You can use the available window to help determine band strategy. Bands with lots of available spots are likely open well to where the spots are from.
• Loud stations can jump from spot-to-spot and pick off many Qs. Be sure to confirm the callsign. Spot quality has been deteriorating. You don't want to get penalized for a broken call.
• Remove broken callsigns with Alt-D. If the call is in your callframe, Alt-D will delete it. Quick and easy. Otherwise use the right-click option from the bandmap or available list.
• During slow times, you may need to turn your antenna to "clean" a band of spotted stations. Clicking on the beam heading column heading lets you sort the list so you can get them with minimum rotor movement. Note that clicking all of the headings works. Click a second time to reverse the sort. Default sort is descending on spotted time (last column - usually hidden. Scroll over to see it.)
• Be sure to adjust the spot timeout and the filtering based on time of day and conditions. If times are slow, I allow more spots through. At peak times, I want last 20 min, North American spots only.
• Try "call stacking" mode. In multi-op, you can specify another computer as the "target for call stacking". If both stations set this to each other (recommended) they can see what each other types in their call textbox in the callframe. This *only* works if they are on a run frequency. The idea is that you have two ops with headphones listening to a run. If the secondary op copies the callsign, the primary op can wipe his and just press enter (in ESM mode). Since the correct call is in the callframe, it will be pulled into the call textbox and be sent as part of the exchange. This mode has not been used a lot, so I would recommend some ambitious souls try it out and let me know what needs changing. Also note that this function works across the internet. Now there aren't many contests that allow this -- IARU for HQ stations is the only one I know of -- but wouldn't it be an interesting kind of entry class? You could have one big gun and lots of listening stations supporting it. If you do this across the internet with stations exceeding the contest's separation limit, you must submit your log as a check log. The internet mode is useful for practicing with your Multi-op partner without the necessity of going to a single location.

73, Tom - N1MM

Check the contest rules and if the contest program uses them correct

Update the Call History Lookup file

In some contests part of the exchange is known if the callsign is known. So it would be easy to have this information shown (or already prefilled) if the callsign is entered. Lookup examples are names (Friends file in RTTY contests), gridsquares for VHF contests, ages in All Asian DX contests etc. In all cases the possibility to use this lookup function means changes in the contest class by the programmer. A lookup is only done when the cursor is in the callsign field in the Entry window and SPACE or TAB is pressed.

Importing and exporting message Function keys

The CW messages and SSB wav file messages are not contest-specific, but rather portable between contests.

When you get the message keys set up for a particular contest do the following: File > Export > Export Function Keys to File > CW Function Keys (for example) This saves the message key setup as a Macro file. Name it after the contest. You can recall that set of function keys any time you like by importing them: File > Import > Import FunctionKeys from File > CW Function Keys (for example) > (select file)

This way you can make and reuse different files for all the different contests.  Just import the message keys for the contest de jour.

Getting ready for CQWW (and other contests)

Top contesters have a checklist of things to do prior to a major contest. Please consider adding these logging program related items to your list:

1. Make a few dozen test contacts in the contest.
   Make several QSOs in 'running' mode and several QSOs in S&P mode. Press the CQ function key to set yourself to 'running' mode. If it does not, make sure the 'Configurer | Function Keys tab' matches your button setup.
2. If you plan to use any of the following features, make sure they work as you expect:
   • Enter sends messages
   • Autocompletion
   • Multi-op
   • Send leading zeros
   • Send corrected call
   • Radio interface
   • Packet connection
   • Telnet connection
3. Get the latest CTY.DAT and install & test it. The About window will tell you the version you are using.
4. Get the latest MASTER.DTA and put it in your install directory. The Check window at startup will tell you the version you are using.
5. Prepare your CW function keys, SSB wav files, or CQ/RTTY messages. Test them!
6. Make sure that RF does not get into your cabling.
7. Make sure you have selected the correct options in the contest setup dialog. For CQWW your exchange field should contain only your zone.
   Read the contest rules so you know how to setup the contest, Function keys etc.
8. Run Cabrillo output and check for proper generation.
9. Sync your time with an Internet time standard, if possible. I use a freeware program called Dimension 4 and resync periodically (every hour?) during the contest.
10. Review "Key Assignments" in the help. Print it out or print out a keyboard template which can be found on the N1MM website under 'Downloads', select in the 'Download' menu, 'Other Files'.

73, & GL in the contests

Tom Wagner - N1MM

How to record Wav files for the Function keys used in SSB contests.

By Tom, N1MM.

1. I use Cool Edit 96, but there are later versions.
2. Record **all** of the messages on one wav file. Make sure you have a quiet room. Record each message at least TWICE. Sound excited!
3. Leave 5 seconds of empty space at the beginning of the recording.
4. Record.
5. Save the recording as "Raw CQ" or some such.
6. Use Cool's noise reduction feature. Mark the blank part of the wav, and set the noise reduction, then noise reduce the whole wav file.
7. Save the recording as "Noise reduced CQ".
8. Perform bass reduction, treble boost or whatever other transformations and save them as you do them.
9. You can use compression, but I don't recommend it.
10. Split the wav file into the separate messages, saving the best of the two recorded.

Recording ALL your messages in one recording and afterwards splitting them up using a wav editor will avoid the pops at the start and end of recording, as well as making it more likely that all the messages will be recorded at the same volume level and sound the same.
Don't ask why you need Cool Edit. Just get it.

Here is what is recommend by Uffe, PA5DD

Another nice program is Audacity and this one is freeware. This program can scale the peak amplitude of all the audio files to be the same. In order to set the audio level out of the computer, I recorded 10 seconds of a 800 Hz tone. Scaled the amplitude (peak = mean) and assigned it to F7. I call it cal.wav. I turn off the speech processor, and turn up the computer volume just until full output is reached. Although not guaranteed, the peak amplitude of my audio files should now be in the dynamic range of my transceiver. Afterwards I turn the processor on again.
P.S. Ok then, I admit to sometimes turning the volume just 1 or 2 ticks higher to be on the safe side.........

Place the Wav files you have made in the N1MM Logger\wav directory and call them  cq.wav   n1mm.wav   59.wav   etc. Just what you like! In the program I specify them as:

NOTE THERE IS NO LEADING \ before wav !
This notation means to start looking for the directory at the current directory (N1MM Logger or whatever).

When making also all letters and number wav files these have to be placed in the N1MM Logger\letters directory.

Examples:

letters\1.wav
letters\2.wav etc

? = letters\query.wav
/ = letters\stroke.wav

Below some extra information from Mario, S56A, N1YU

• I recorded CQ CONTEST FROM S56A S56A CONTEST, S56A, THANKS S56A, THANKS 599 15 in one session. That should cover most of my automatic SSB transmissions.
• I used 20 dB MIC preamp in SoundBlaster and spoke few words before the real recording in order to settle ALC. I used modest 8 bit 11K sampling.
• Graphic equalizer was later used with 125 Hz cutoff, flat settings on 250 and 500 Hz, +7 dB on 1 kHz, +14 dB on 2 kHz and - 18 dB on 4 kHz.
• Output was checked for flat topping and later normalized. This is NOT Hi-Fi sound but HF SSB optimized audio.

NB. When using WAV files turn off Windows sounds in ' Control Panel - Sound' and select: Scheme : No sounds.

Making the Window Focus More Distinctive

By Pete, N4ZR

The standard Windows XP color scheme does not make the active window (among many) distinctive enough for quick recognition during a contest.  This can be particularly an issue in SO2R operation. Fortunately, this can be fixed.  You can do the same thing with Windows 98 as well, just by right-clicking on the desktop and proceeding as outlined.

In Windows XP the specific process is as follows:

• Open Control Panel|Appearance and Themes
• Click on Display
• Click on the Appearance Tab
• Under Windows and Buttons, select Windows Classic
• Click the Advanced Button
• Under Item, select the Active Title Bar and choose a color for it 
• • I use dark red for the active window and gray for the inactive. 
• Then select Active Window Border and choose a color for it

You will probably want to fool around for a while before you settle on what you like best.  Once you have done that, back out to the Themes tab under Display Properties. Click the Save As button and name this theme and save it to your settings.

From now on, all you need to do to switch to your N1MM setup is to right-click somewhere on your desktop, select Properties, and then choose your N1MM theme.

Turn of Windows Sounds when using Wav files

• Open Control Panel
• Double-click the Sounds folder.
• Click on the Sounds Tab
• Select scheme: No Sounds 

Adding a new font to Windows

• Open Control Panel.
• Double-click the Fonts folder.
• On the File menu, click Install New Font.
• In the Drives box, click the drive and select the folder that contains the fonts.
• Click the font you want to add. To select more than one font at a time, press and hold down the Ctrl key while you click each font.
• Click to select the Copy Fonts To Fonts Folder check box (mostly already selected).
  
• Click OK.
• Done