LH surge and one attempt

Hi Atomic,
Was wondering if you could confirm a few things re LH surge on opks and one attempt.
Is it correct that the Test line has to be darker than the control line in order to be a positive LH surge reading?
Also if we go ahead with the one attempt, within how many hours of the test line being darker can you do the one attempt to sway pink, or is it possible to have the one attempt at a nearly dark test line?
Is it better to go for the one attempt at the nearly dark line before ovulation or the nearly dark line after having a dark test line?
Sorry if Ive confused you, hope u get what I mean?
Also what do cramps around ovulation mean, the egg has already been released or is due to be released? So for eg if i get cramps but not a dark as or darker than control line opk what does that indicate?

As dark or darker than control line is positive (this is sometimes called "peak"). This means you will ovulate an average of 24-36 hours after that first one. (of course, an average means some people ovulate sooner...not that many, in my experience, if you are using the tests regularly...and others will ovulate later. We see many more people ovulating more like 48-72 hours after the first positive OPK if they are using them diligently, than do 8-12 hours after their first positive. But MOST people will ovulate 24-36 hours after they get their first peak).

You can have your attempt at any point around the first positive. A little sooner is ok, a little later is ok. There is no "better" because there's too much variation in when a person gets that first positive, and most of that variation has nothing to do with what's happening in your body at all, but instead is more to do with your urine concentration. When we're using OPK it's all very inexact and estimating/averages so please don't get too hung up on specifics because it just doesn't work that way.

Cramps unfortunately do not mean ANYthing concrete like that. You can have O pains before ovulation as the ovaries and the follicle the egg will come from swell, you can have them during ovulation when the lead follicle ruptures and the other follicles start to be reabsorbed, and you can have them after ovulation when the fluid is released from the follicles and causes irritation inside your abdomen, the unused follicles are reabsorbed, and the Fallopian tubes and uterus cramp to move the egg down. Again, it's not so exact the way you're thinking of it, and while you may have patterns that are typical for you most months, swaying can and usually DOES change that leaving people thinking one thing only to find out that something else is now true for them, some other pattern is taking over, and that pattern may change in the next month! It's just best not to get overly invested in symptoms and OPK timing because it's completely unreliable.