The ARRL 10 Meter Contest is just two weekends away. There are some
major rules changes for the contest this year. For the first time, the
32 states of Mexico will count as multipliers. What can you do to get
ready?
* Read the rules: if you haven't read the rules in a while, it's a good
idea to go through them again. (Do KL7 and KH6 count as W/VE mults?
Are YT/NWT/NU three separate multipliers or one? What about the
District
of Columbia? Are novice stations still worth extra points? Read the
rules to find out!)
http://www.arrl.org/10-meter
* Download the Grupo DXXE's reference sheet for Mexican multipliers in the
contest. This is especially useful for phone ops to have handy for
looking
up the correct state abbreviations. It's useful for everyone to know
which states are in which of the three call areas, and which states are
likely to be the most active:
http://www.dxxe.org/concurso/xe-mults.pdf
* Make sure your logging software supports the new multipliers. Upgrade to
the latest version and try it out. Some logging software programs can
be configured with custom multiplier lists, so support for the new
multipliers may require special configuration files. Most logging
programs
have email support reflectors if you need additional help.
* For those with directional antennas, make a note of the beam headings to
Mexico City, Baja California in the west, and the Yucatan peninsula
in the
east, just to get a sense in advance of where you will want to point your
antennas.
* Remember that in addition to the XA-XI prefix block, Mexico is also
assigned
prefixes in the ranges 4A-4C and 6D-6J.
* Talk up the contest with your friends. Not everyone is on CQ-Contest or
pays really close attention to the rules in QST every year. Post
something
to your contest club or local club discussion forums and mention the
new multipliers in the contest and how to get ready for them.
* Good luck!
-- Kenneth E. Harker WM5R kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/
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