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

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:$5 Tim Hortons gift card for highest score