Hi Archie: Nice to hear from you again and to work you on 160. You did
really well with that G5RV.
Well for the 10M contest, I will be CW only, but I have often operated
both modes from home, as it makes more points for the club and keeps it
from being too boring during the hours after the band closes to Europe
and before it opens to Asia and especially during the years at the
bottom of the cycle.
If I were working both modes, I would do pretty much what you
suggested. I would work CW (QSOs count more points) as long as there is
a good rate and then go to SSB until I am tired of it or the rate
drops. The exception is to be sure to work some of both modes during
the major openings. This is because the mults count once on CW and once
on SSB. So, before the band closes to Europe, you would want to get in
your SSB mults even if the rate is still good on CW. Same for Asia. If
you spent a lot of time on CW the first day and the mults are low on
SSB, then spend more SSB time the second day.
Nothing wrong with asking someone to change modes. You might have a
relatively clear frequency high in the band on CW and on SSB picked out
to move other guys to if they agree. It is easier to get someone to
move who answers your CQ than to call a guy and get him to move unless
he is a good friend (who is also working both modes).
Glad the Writelog is working OK. Eventually, you will probably get a
rig that will allow computer control of the frequency. It is more
important to have your rig set up for the computer to key the rig. This
only requires an interface and a Y for your keyline. So, one half of
the Y goes to the keyer and the other to the computer. W1WEF makes one
for the parallel port and one for the serial port. You just use a phono
cable for a jumper to the Y and you can let the computer send CW while
you correct the log, listen on the other radio if you have one, or just
to reduce fatigue. I think you can buy the interfaces directly from
W1WEF (I did at Dayton last year) or from K5TR. I looked at the TR
webpage the other day and got an order form that included the W1WEF
interfaces. Of course, you can also have the computer send a recorded
message on SSB. I don't have any experience personally in doing that
except at other guy's stations. It may be that Writelog has something
built in that you can use at least in part. MFJ makes a Digital Voice
Keyer that K4SB has heartily endorsed. If you make a lot of voice
contacts, it will come in real handy to keep you from losing your voice
and it also allows you to reduce fatigue and concentrate on the log or
something else while it sends CQ or the exchange or whatever. Every
time I do a voice contest with high power, I wish I had had a DVK, hi.
10 meters does close at night in this area of the world. Some guys
around the Equator during some years may find that the band remains open
around the clock. We often worked JAs longpath throughout the night
from Curacao. Anyway, the contest rules require stations to operate
only 36 of the 48 hours, so most of the guys will be asleep during their
deep nighttime.
When the contest opens at 0000Z, the band is usually open to the west
coast and Japan and South America. Usually it is also possible to work
east coast and Texas stations by backscatter or some such mode. Their
signals are weak, but, particularly on CW, a lot of them can be worked
while the band is more or less dead. Sometimes the signals have peaks
and valleys that are sudden and speed in making the QSOs is important,
so it is important not to waste any time and get the essential info
across and hope you hear the confirmation.
Once the last workable signal is gone from the band, it is probably safe
to sleep for six hours at least. The band has been opening by 8 AM and
sometimes earlier. It will probably be possible for the mid level
station to make some contacts by shortly after 7 AM and the bigger
stations perhaps earlier. I know you don't have an antenna to rotate,
but the first European stations are often on a "skew" path across
Africa.
10 meters also often has long path openings to Asia around 13Z, so it is
helpful to listen for JAs around that time. VK/ZL stations may be
either long path or short path in the mornings our time.
In case this info may be of help to someone else working the contest
this weekend, I will copy it to the reflector.
I am really glad you are enjoying contesting, especially with the
logging program, and appreciate your help to the club scores. Seasons
greetings.
73,
John, K4BAI.
--
SECC on the Web: http://secc.contesting.com/
Submissions: secc@contesting.com
Administrative requests: secc-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-secc@contesting.com
|