Don’t Touch the Mouse! Contesting Tricks from K1RX

Mark Pride is a veteran contester from New England and former leader of the renowned Yankee Clipper Contest Club. With more than six decades of ham radio experience, he’s done it all—from building top-performing stations to running at world-class rates—but what he enjoys most these days is mentoring. Whether it’s a brand-new op or someone trying to bump up their score, Mark has a gift for teaching the tough stuff—and he’s probably forgotten more than most of us will ever learn.

He joins Kevin Thomas W1DED remotely, as Kevin prepares for a run at CQ WPX from Turks and Caicos as VP5E. The conversation is practical and packed with tips—from managing pileup cadence to handling partial calls. Mark walks through the small changes that add up, like when to use function keys (always), how to avoid N1MM pitfalls (don’t touch the mouse), and why consistency and clarity are your best tools.

If you're looking to level up for CQ WPX—or your next contest weekend—this one’s worth a listen.

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