Do not be afraid!
It will be wonderful!
73 Armin
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Long memory here! Before the Maidenhead Locator was dreamed up there was similar but a Europe-only locator which was called the QRA Locator. Even now if QRA is mentioned my mind flashes back to that chart on my shack wall with all the highly-prized little red crosses on it!
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I heard, long time ago, this comes from the Italian verb “Aspetare”, which is to wait in English.
I use it from time to time, but I have doubts that some new hams understand it.
73,
Guru
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Good luck and (try to) enjoy it. No matter, how often you have to ask ? until you decode the call. And when the pileup is to strong, just go 1kHz up or down and call again. 《Tnx Lars, SA4BLM for this advice》
73 Chris
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Hi Guru,
It seems the people that this message is addressed to do not read the reflector.
I heard it today (?) so many times 
73, Jarek
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Jarek,
I owe you an apology because you called me a few days ago and I didn’t complete the QSO. My excuse is my mast fell down - the story is recounted here:
The relevance to this thread is sometimes despite our best efforts using correct procedures bad luck strikes. 
John
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Advice noted and I will definitely try it. I’m going to enjoy it but until I call CQ I’m nervous haha.
73 VE6JTW
Hi John,
It may happen, we know that.
However this thread is dedicated to chasers 
I will look for CW S2S with you
73, Jarek
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I did my first CW activation this year and have done a few more since. I agree with Armin - it will be wonderful! In my experience then and since the chasers are super helpful and patient.
If you have a memory keyer in your rig, I find it very helpful to have a CQ call in there and also the summit ref in another memory if you can. There’s a risk I’d run out of daylight before getting the summit ref out correctly - especially in the excitement of an S2S and this makes it much easier!
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I don’t have a memory keyer in my G90 unfortunately and my QCX mini arrived but doesn’t have side tone and now doesn’t receive and I haven’t used it yet, so its g90 and calling cq the old fashioned way.
I’m looking forward to it and know our chaser are phenomenal and it’s going to be awesome but still nervous.
73 de VE6JTW
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Thread drift alert!
I’ve fallen foul of using a memory keyer as it gives chasers a false impression of your skills when it sends out a perfect call including the summit reference.
I’m now cranking it all out manually not least because it gets me into the swing of transmitting. Doing it in the shack and on a summit are very different in my experience. 
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Oh, I’m sorry, Jarek. I guess it was while you were activating, wasn’t it?
On the other hand, I’ve been chasing today (18 chases) and I haven’t heard any ? or SOTA?, so I even considered the possibility of an educational effect of this thread. Well, it possibly was just an illusion…
73,
Guru
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So do I 
73 Chris
This has been a good educational thread Guru! I usually respond to the anonymous imi ? user (Also known as a “Jug Handle”) with a standard CQ SOTA call assuming there are no other stations calling…
73 Phil
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You shouldn’t be. The rest of us are not judging you. We’ve all been through your experience and [most of us] are empathic. And remember, as a CW activator you [should] control the situation: send only at the speed you are comfortable listening to, send “PSE QRS” to chasers who send too fast and ignore them if they won’t slow down - they will either comply or go away (their lives are so busy and important they can’t wait a bit).
Ignore interrupting chasers until you have finished with the current chaser [explicitly using his/her callsign so there’s no misunderstanding with whom you are replying].
Regular chasers soon get to know your style.Your confidence and CW speed will increase with time.
73 Andy.
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I was nervous before my first attempt on cw, but as others have mentioned, I have found the overwhelming majority of cw chasers to be patient and supportive. Most will be happy to try and slow down for you and repeat call signs etc. until everything is copied. I have really appreciated the sensitive operating from the chasers I’ve worked on cw so far.
Good luck!
Matthew M0JSB
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Hi Guru,
During QSO with somebody
Today also one time.
I am in SOTA tour right now, may be I have more chances to copy this question mark …
73, Jarek
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OK, Jarek,
I’ve copied a questionmark today too, but it was a spotted frequency totally empty and not right after the spot had appeared on SOTAwatch, but after some time and there was no activity by either activator or chasers, so no harm at all on that questionmark.
73,
Guru
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I’m sure I’ve seen submarines using lights. But I think I’d be more concerned if they were submerged at the time. 
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These great point apply to all modes.
I find it problematic when someone is in a QSO and an operator tries to jump the que then spend two minutes trying to verify the Call and the summit designator.
Two ears, one mouth. Listen more than you talk.
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