might sound a bit weird to you when you sense that's in your room doing
it but by the time it gets to the other end so I had an email from a guy who
he says I'm just not getting out I'm calling CQ and no one can hear me and what do I do right so
what do I do this is not simple this is a really simple one because I suppose to get my pen we got
what frequency are we going to choose you want to you want to call CQ for the first time ever
all right or nobody's hearing you I'll guarantee you away of you being heard so we need to pick
a frequency we need to pick a time of day well which day that is and then we have a technique
you've probably noticed that 40 meters for instance on either a Saturday morning or a
Sunday morning people are out in force I'm not necessarily saying it's a contest weekend you
know at a bigger contest weekend you want to get a reliable contract or couple of contacts in the
log for 40 meters then let's choose a Saturday or Sunday morning because the problem is if we
choose Monday afternoon there's a lot of people in ham radio that still work I know there's a
ton of us are retired I'm not one of them I don't think ever will be but there's a ton of
people who are retired uh sure but they know that the Busy times of the weekend so it's pointless
calling CQ for all our worth when it when the bands we know at least half the population
isn't there all right and also the other thing is they're not really interested in a quick
contact with you because if they really are an afternoon man they're probably after a bit of DX
so that the time and the day is really important so I would particularly pick do the frequency time
and day is I would choose either a Saturday morning or a Sunday morning and 40 meters all
right that's what I'd do because what we're after is a first CQ that is reliably intercepted by our
partner friend whoever who's going to give us a break and that'll be our first successful CQ cool
the next thing is probably more important than anything else which is your Technique now I when
I'm running pileups there are people who are kind of mic shy right so they say they're called sign
actually quite quietly I think in the hope that they don't get through sometimes I don't know
but you want to I remember Aiden Larson was saying to me or one of his comments you need
this call CQ like your life depends on it I know it doesn't but you need
to sound as if you really Bloom and mean it so there's pointless just going CQ CQ M1 ABC
I mean it you sound the most boring unlikely person I'm going to want to seek you with okay
so if necessary stand up take a big deep breath and call CQ for all your might seek you hello this
is M1 ABC I'm calling CQ from Manchester CQ CQ CQ I know it might sound a bit weird to you when you
say that's in your room doing it but by the time it gets to the other end and you're five and four
you're not going to sound weird at all you just sound like a fairly quiet SSB signal because if
you're trying to get through on a CQ and nobody's ever answering you chances are you really got a
bit of a Duff antenna or you're very low power Maybe it's on the SSP by the way not Morse not CW
say call like all your might and when that operator the station comes back to you you
need to show an element of surprise and excitedness Delta Lima 1 ABC thank you
so much for calling me my name is John I'm from Manchester you're five and eight over
that's it why do you show a level excitement to him because there's someone else on the
band who's been listening and they're just busy and say oh I wonder what's going on here oh I
can hear the Delta limo one as well they're busy writing and writing there you know a note to their
partner and say yeah by the way I'm off fishing at the weekend I'm going with Callum on a DX Fest
because when you finish your dl1 ABC then Papa Alpha One ABC is going to call you you
go we sounds good I'll give him a blast as well sound excited sound like this is the best thing
you've ever done okay pick the right time in the day uh Saturday or Sunday morning I would
suggest on 40 meters and that will just break the mold and go I could do it damn it right
I'm doing another video about Mike shy okay I mean if I say my child but if you're just a little bit
unsure about what to say and why to say it but fundamentally the three pieces of information
you normally need to get across is only your name your qth and give him a signal report
okay that's that's that's all so you don't need to be what am I going to tell these
people he's come back to me what am I going to say let's just say I'm John I'm from Manchester
you're five and seven and he'll repeat he'll probably tell you he's running at 7 300 and
he's got an amplifier and he's got this at 12 meters and he's got that microphone all
that doesn't matter you just thank him for that now he particularly asks you you don't
need to say anything he said thank you very much I'll see who else I can get France uh
Fritz from Dusseldorf I think I've said enough labored the point not going to go on about it
uh that's all from Callum today enjoy your radio okay and I'll catch you next time bye for now