Many of the contests, specifically those by the ARRL and CQ Magazine, provide Log Check Reports (LCRs) after the results are all compiled and completed. The 2011 ARRL DX CW contest results were just posted and I opened up my LCR as it helps to point out areas to focus on. Well, I had no errors with 266 contacts. No call sign errors and no report errors.

Now, it might not be a huge number of contacts but it’s not just a handful either. As those that might follow my posts would remember, I don’t really know morse code well. Some might say I don’t know it at all. I do know CQ, my call, TU, 5NN, etc but I can’t yet decode call signs and exchanges so I use CW decoding software. In my case I usually use DM780 to decode the incoming signal and N1MM to send out my info and log the contact. I can tell by ear at most any speed if someone is coming back to me or if they misheard my call sign and sometimes even my report. It’s a start and I do have a desire to learn morse code but I don’t have the time right now to put in what is needed and I don’t feel it would be beneficial to do it half ass. So for now, this is what works, and apparently pretty well.

Yay for me!
K2DSL