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Re: [RTTY] NA SPRINT

To: rtty@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [RTTY] NA SPRINT
From: Richard Ferch <ve3iay@storm.ca>
Date: Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:34:35 -0400
List-post: <rtty@contesting.com">mailto:rtty@contesting.com>
Dick,

The Sprint is not a DX contest where many of the signals you work may be 
weak and where repeating the exchange can prevent lots of repeat 
requests. In the Sprint, there can be several loud stations calling in 
at once. It's the loudest one who gets responded to, and if your signal 
is loud enough to overcome the competition, it is unlikely to be 
necessary for you to repeat the exchange info when you are transmitting 
in the clear. If, on the other hand, you have a weak signal and only get 
responded to when there is no competition, then maybe a repeated 
exchange, such as you might use in a DX contest, might save some repeat 
requests.

In other words, it's good to have both available to use depending on the 
situation, but in the Sprint, for a station with a half-decent signal 
the default would be only one copy of the exchange. A QRP station or one 
using a poor antenna might be better off with a repeated exchange, but 
even then if the band is busy, then if the weak station gets through the 
competition the copy is likely to be OK and a single copy will suffice.

Because of the QSY rule, it is also important in the Sprint to adapt 
your messages to whether you are the CQing station or the responding 
station.

The recommended exchange when you are the CQing station is:

{his_call_sign} KS0M 001 DICK MO

The recommended exchange when you are the S&P station is:

{his_call_sign} 001 DICK MO KS0M

The different order tips off other stations as to who is going to own 
the frequency at the end of the QSO. The "KS0M" followed by a short 
QSLing message from the other station (e.g. RR or TU or QSY) is 
equivalent to QRZ? DE KS0M in other contests. "Tail-ending" like this is 
normal procedure in the Sprint.

A full (hypothetical) set of two QSOs on a frequency might go as follows 
(with apologies to Don for using his call sign and exchange as an example):

AA5AU: ... DON LA AA5AU
unknown: TU
KS0M: KS0M (NB: *WAIT* for the TU/RR/QSY before transmitting!)
AA5AU: KS0M AA5AU 010 DON LA
KS0M: AA5AU 005 DICK MO KS0M
AA5AU: TU
VE3KI: VE3KI
KS0M: VE3KI KS0M 006 DICK MO
VE3KI: KS0M 001 RICH ON VE3KI
KS0M: RR
...at which point you QSY up or down by at least 1 kHz to find another 
station to call (or 5 kHz if you intend to call CQ), while I stay on the 
frequency hoping that someone else will call me. At least, this is how I 
remember it from past years, and I don't suppose it has changed all that 
much.

73,
Rich VE3KI (whose knowledge of the procedure greatly exceeds his ability 
to put it into practice!)


KS0M wrote:
> I have not worked the NA Sprint and hope to get in 2 or 3 hours Saturday. I
> will be putting out about 95 watts into my beam on 20 M and my ground
> mounted vertical for 40/80 M.
> Question on exchange: Since this is a short 4 hour contest I am wondering
> about which exchange is best to use:
> 
>   KS0M 001 DICK MO  and maybe get more "AGN?"
> 
>   or  001 001 DICK DICK MO MO  and maybe not so many "AGN"
> 
> Everyone will probably have a preference, but I am interested in knowing
> what those who have worked this sprint before recommend.  I hope this thread
> does not carry one for the next 3 or 4 weeks. hi hi.
> 
> Dick  KS0M
> 
> Richard C. "Dick" White
> Fulton, MO. 65251  U.S.A.
> whiter26@sbcglobal.net
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