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KARC December Club Contest. 10 Meter Contest: How to use your time efficiently & Optimize your score. Contest overview. Date: 7:00 pm Friday Dec 13 th thru 6:59 pm Saturday Dec 15 th Band: 10 meters both CW and SSB Exchange: 59 ON (Ontario). Time Management.
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KARC December Club Contest 10 Meter Contest: How to use your time efficiently & Optimize your score
Contest overview • Date: • 7:00 pm Friday Dec 13th thru • 6:59 pm Saturday Dec 15th • Band: 10 meters both CW and SSB • Exchange: 59 ON (Ontario)
Time Management • Plan to operate when the band is likely to be open: • Daylight hours through the early evening • Don’t waste time calling in a pile-up if your not getting through and the station is coming back to callers who are far away (and probably have ‘preferential’ propagation at the time) • Don’t waste time on ‘dupes’
Optimize your score • Know the rules and ‘do the math’: • SSB = 2 points per contact • CW = 4 points per contact • Total score = QSO points X the number of multipliers
Qs versus Mults • Since they’re multiplied: both are important • BUT as the contest progresses it’s easier to build up the Q count. for example; you may have 200 Qs and 50 mults. If you add a SSB Q; your score goes up by 100 points (2 x 50) a mult; your score goes up by 400 (assuming all SSB Qs)
Strategy for Qs versus Mults • Early in the contest: build your Q count by • holding a frequency if you can and running • ‘Hunting and pecking’ up and down the band. If you haven’t worked him yet; got for it • Latter on, take the time hunt for Mults by • Following up on DX Cluster spots • Methodically ‘hunting and pouncing’ up the band • Both on SSB and again on CW
‘Dupes’ a.k.a. duplicate contacts • Dupes ‘don’t count’ and • Waste your time and the other guy’s as well • Contest loggers check for dupes • If you’re ‘hunting and pecking’; check before you call • If you’re ‘running’ let him know ‘we’re a dupe’ and keep calling
Logging software • Popular ‘general’ contest logging software: • N1MM – freeware – complex (but very goood) • N3FJP – up to $64.99 depending on the ‘package’ • HRD version 6 (the paid version) • CT – getting long in the tooth • 10 meter contest specific: • N3FJP – looks pretty good – costs $8.99 • Get familiar with the program before the ‘test’
Paperwork • ARRL: http://www.arrl.org/10-meter • KARC: send VA3LX your claimed score calculation: Submit a separate score for CW and SSB if you operated both modes: • N of Qs CW (4 points each) X # of mults on CW • N of Qs SSB (2 points each) X # of mults on SSB
Prizes • SSB: $10 Tim Hortons gift card for highest score • CW: $10 Tim Hortons gift card for highest score • Highest overall score: $5Tim Hortons gift card for highest score