By all means, do the upgrade. When the other parts of the band are jammed you
can go searching in all areas and usually find somebody who is working the
contest more casually and at least get something. It also becomes one less
thing to worry about (band limits) during a hectic contest.
Getting a vanity callsign should be high on your list. Yours is difficult and
not very memorable. Take it from ex KC8JNC - the shorter callsign will
help a lot on both sides of the exchange. It will be easier for you and
other contest
regulars will begin to recognize you (which DOES help).
Don't rush into your choice and don't depend on the so-called lists that are
published about what's available - I found mine by going sequentially through
the FCC database. I STRONGLY urge you to stick with the number in the callsign
that matches your call area.
Unless you can form a proper club (as specified in the Part 97 rules) you can't
get a second callsign so forget that idea.
Rick Bullon wrote:
> Hello all
> I am considering upgrading to extra class just for the extra frequency
> privileges. I have been told that upgrading would give me a shorter call an
> thus it would be easier in contests.
> I have found that the extra calls that are being issued now are 2X2 calls.
> Mine is a 2X3 call. I can't see how a call being 1 letter shorter would be
> an advantage in a contest. Am I wrong in this thinking? BTW I am a phone op
> not a cw op.
> I remember being told a while back that it was possible to get another call
> just for contests but I was never told how to do this is this possible and
> if so how.
> I like my present call but I have been told that it is to long for contests
> and that a shorter call would be better. I know that I could go the vanity
> route but I don't like that idea.
> So my questions are
> Is a 2x2 call better than a 2x3 call in contests or not?
> Is it possible to have a second shorter call (1x2) and still keep my 2x3
> call also?
> 73
> Rick
> KC5AJX
--
Bruce Ferry, AK8B
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>From Michael Tope" <W4EF@dellroy.com Mon Feb 12 08:49:45 2001
From: Michael Tope" <W4EF@dellroy.com (Michael Tope)
Subject: [CQ-Contest] N5TJ CW Sprint Experience: LP + Bad Antenna
References: <691E3121EF1CD3119B5F0000F8B84596047B670B@zrchb181.us.nortel.com>
Message-ID: <016c01c094d0$bff09f60$6401a8c0@neptune>
Jeff,
I figured you were up to something when we worked on 20 meters and I was
only 3 QSOs behind. I said to myself "God he is weak and I am almost ahead
of him, he's probably running QRP, but will still make 300 QSOs". Hmmm,
W4EF + 5 Element monobander on 48 foot boom and 1500 W = N5TJ + Attic
Dipole and 100 Watts. One of these days, I am gonna learn how to do this
contesting stuff.
73 de Mike, W4EF (op at W6UE).........................................
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeffrey Steinman" <steinman@nortelnetworks.com>
To: <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2001 1:03 PM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] N5TJ CW Sprint Experience: LP + Bad Antenna
>
> Congrats to N6TR for pushing the envelope to just shy of 400 Qs and breaking
> my record. Wish I could have been there with him, running QRO + 2 radios +
> real antennas. But the recent antenna damage to K5MR left me without a
> *real* station to operate from. So I decided to try something a little
> different.....
>
> No doubt the CW Sprint is one of my favorite contests over the last 20
> years. I have operated it from a number of locations, high/low power, 1
> radio / 2 radios, and with antennas ranging from tri-banders to phased
> yagis. But I never thought I would spend a full 4 hours in a Sprint running
> 100W and an attic dipole. My current home situation finds me with just such
> an antenna, Alpha Delta 10-40M dipole strung in the rafters of our 2 story
> house.
>
> Saturday afternoon, 22 GMT
> Figure I'll make a few Q's in the Sprint tonight with the FT100 and 10-40M
> dipole in the attic. SWR is okay on 20 but high on 40, and the little FT100
> doesn't put out much power. So I figure I might as well drag the 1000MP out
> of the closet so I can at least use the internal tuner to get 100W on 40,
> and see if I can get anything out on 80M. As long as I'm at it I might as
> well drag out a keying interface and run TR ... don't bother with the COM
> port for frequency info.
>
> 23 GMT
> XYL and daughter are hungry - I make a pizza run
>
> 23:50 GMT
> Some RF feedback in the headphones but keying interface seems to be okay, no
> RFI problems there. I get 579-599 reports on 20M from the big boys - they
> are 30-40 dB over S9! Going to be a long night of frustration, I assume -
> might be lucky to hit 175 Qs.
>
> 00 GMT
> Start on 40 as I figure 20 will be a zoo. 13 Qs in 10 minutes, not bad.
> Surprised to work N6MJ so early on 40.
>
> 00:30
> Wow, 45 Qs in the log so far. I get beat out a lot but guys are answering my
> CQs on 20. Band is pretty short, a number of Colorado stations in the log.
> Nice to catch IA and UT, too.
>
> 01:00
> Still "rocking and rolling". An 84 first hour. But it is getting harder to
> find new people to work and no one on 40 yet. Surprised to work K3LR/5 on
> scatter for OK. Hear KL2A/5 working KL7Y and getting #1 - amazing no one
> else calls KL7Y and I get #2! Also put ZF2NT, W7ZRC (ID) and VE6EX in the
> log.
>
> 01:35
> At 123 Qs now and decide to hit 40 as 20 has been really slow. But it has
> been short, too, with KS and NM loud and in the log. N5RZ and K5GN are
> worked on scatter, RZ struggles with my QSO # (he is the GATOR, of course!)
> and GN gets the whole exchange. Also pick up DE, NV and ME. And a weak J38A
> calls me. So weak that I ask if he is calling me, cuz' I must be really weak
> there, too!
>
> 02:00
> Rate picks up on 40 as I am fresh meat. Find WB0O (ND) and W4OC (SC) for new
> ones. At the halfway point I have 157 Q's, well above what I expected, but I
> know the last half will be tough as my antenna is non resonant on 80.
>
> 02:30
> 40 is painfully slow, I try 20. Only 10 Qs but three new mults - RI, VT and
> VE7. I hear K3TM (MD) on 20 and 40 but no luck working him. I hear a loud
> W7LR (MT) on 20 but miss him also.
>
> 03:00
> The third hour is always the toughest, and running LP and a bad antenna it's
> no exception - only 48 Qs. As people start to go to 80 it becomes less
> crowded on 40 and I'm able to increase the rate a bit. I find VE5SF and WQ5L
> for a couple new ones. 205 Qs total now, and 48 mults.
>
> 03:20
> 40 was getting pretty slow so I decide to try 80. The band sounds quiet,
> signals are pretty strong. The FT1000MP does NOT want to tune my dipole at
> 3550 at all, the ATU won't even try. I go up the band to 3700 and it does
> tune the antenna, slowly QSY back down the band and it grudgingly stops at
> 1.5:1 at 3550. Either I'm going to work some guys on 80 or it's time to QRT
> ....
>
> 03:30
> I quickly figure out who can hear! Anyone 10 dB over S9 is a candidate for
> me to call on 80. If ANYONE else calls at the same time I do then I lose.
> And sometimes so one else calls but I get a CQ back in my face. But a few
> guys seem to hear me as far away as W8. I try a few CQs but only N5RZ takes
> pity on me. I keep looking for W5s to work [obviously] as they are the
> easiest. I hear a lot of W6 to W1 QSOs on 80 and know the band must be
> whisper quiet.
>
> 03:50
> I have maxed out 80M - all 23 Qs worth and all the W5s I can find. Shocked
> to put K1DG and K1KI in the log on 80. DG struggles a bit with my number
> (but so do the 5s!) but KI gets it no problem. I must be launching all of 20
> watts into that wire in the attic on 80 .....
>
> 04:00
> Back to 40M for the last 10 minutes - I work 13 Qs, many big guns who are
> using 2 radios and scraping 40 for anything they can find.
>
> After pulling off the headphones I sit back and think "wow, even with 100W
> and a crappy antenna the CW Sprint is still fun!"
>
> Final tally:
>
> BAND QSOs Mults
> 80CW 23 0
> 40CW 113 12
> 20CW 123 36
> Total 259 48
>
> Final Score = 12432 points
> Rate: 84/73/48/54
>
> I'm not sure I want to try this again - hopefully K5MR will be fully QRV by
> September. But for those of you who stay away from the sprint because you
> don't have a big signal I say "give it a try". The CW Sprint is an example
> of some of the best operating around. Without a doubt that is the main
> reason I was able to work as many as I did. And no way in %^&* I would try
> this in the SSB Sprint. Okay, even QRO I wouldn't try it .....
>
> And from K3LR, this about sums it up: "That PW signal from N5TJ was
> something to behold. He is inside my zone
> for 40 and 20 which meant he was 339 on those bands. 80 was much better, a
> comfortable 449 there."
>
> 73
>
> Jeff, N5TJ
> mailto:<steinman@nortelnetworks.com>
>
>
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>
>
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