SS Rules, and yes - SS rules (dude)
Seeing as one doesn't get contest rules monthly in QST anymore and there has
been some confusion over the SS exchange lemme make sure everyone on the
reflector understands the exchange they will give us this weekend in the CW
SS.
you send:
a) the other guys callsign - so he knows you are working him
b) A QSO number, starting with 1 (this applies to Canadians, too)....with
each new QSO you increment the number by 1 and go as high as you can within
your allowed 24 hours out of the 30 hour contest period...rumor has it that
the operator at the W5WMU station is trying to break 1000 QSOs, :-)
c) A/B/Q, (The Precedence) Your power designator;
B = >150Watts (the guys with linears),
A = <150Watts (barefoot ops) , and
Q = QRP which is 5 watts or less (guys truly seeking to hpush the
envelope...SS is a great contest for QRP fanatics)
d) Your Callsign, the SS exchange embodies the essence of a preamble to
"traffic" - messages relayed via ham radio (you know - the top line of a
yellow and green Radiogram, from traffic nets)...hence signing your call is
like the call in a traffic preamble indicating the station of the messages
origin. The SS exchange was created to act as a workout for the
participants...you have to copy more than 599!
e) the Check, the last two digits of the year you were first licensed, i.e.
mine is 70 indicating I got my Novice ticket in the dark ages, 1970
f) Section, your ARRL or RAC section, VE8/VY1 for Jay and possibly a VE
dxpeditioner or two, Puerto Rico , KV4/KP2/KG4 - the rocks considered the
Virgin Islands Section, or the Pacific section which includes KH6 and US
possesions where the women have great tans and wear necklaces made of
flowers...but I digress. There are a total of 78 different sections (which
are the multipliers in calculating your score). For this year - a new
addition - there is the recently created Northern New York section...if you
are using contest software check to make sure you have this new mult! A list
of ARRL sections is in QST each month on page 12.
So an exchange goes something like this:
CQ SS K1ZX K1ZX
w5wmu
W5WMU 1703 B K1ZX 70 SFL
k1zx 999 b w5wmu 67 la
(to those of you who see some probable inaccuracies of these QSO
numbers...heah, I can dream!)
SS is the oldest domestic contest, and it is a great chance for those who are
working on WAS to clean up those last few states....very VERY seldom are all
the states not on the air for this classic.
The ARRL offers a "pin" to those stations who make 100 or more contacts, and
a "mug" for those getting the Clean Sweep (working all 78
sections/multipliers).
Because it is a domestic contest, stations with modest antennas can do very
well...in fact some big gun types will install lower antennas to get that
high angle takeoff needed for those closer in SS QSOs! Make sure your 40
meter dipole is working Saturday morning...it will get a workout!
As you tune up the band the speed at which stations are sending CW usually
drops...but don't be afraid to ask a fast guy to slow down...simply send QRS
PSE when he finishes his CQ....any good operator will be glad to slow down
for you, and for a new QSO!
SS starts at 2100 on Saturday afternoon (that's 4 PM Eastern) and runs for 30
hours ending Sunday night at 0300 (10PM Eastern). Pick up to 24 hours of this
period to operate, with your off times having to be at least 30 minutes in
length.
SS CW is a fun contest, for the first time ever this year I am entering it
the multi-operator category. Luckily a friend from years gone by has moved
here to Florida, and doesn't have his station put up yet...this seems like a
good way to renew an old friendship, and simultaneously keep him from
breaking my single op section record for at least a year! Oh yes, a reminder
to those who use a Packet Cluster for multiplier information- you are
considered multi-ops so don't forget to check the right box on your summary
sheet or computer logging program.
We hope to work all of you this weekend, and no, after this long diatribe I
don't feel guilty about solicting QSOs via the reflector. I am on my way over
to the W1CW/W1YL contest QTH, cu SS!
73/GL from Florida
K1ZX, K1TO, W1CW, W1YL, four cats and a horse next door
(probably signing K1ZX - and not that new 610-V "4" call which will porbably
be issued next week, "missed it by that much!")
>From jon@vii.com (Jon) Fri Nov 1 04:28:08 1996
From: jon@vii.com (Jon) (Jon)
Subject: indiv.dat
Message-ID: <199611010427.VAA03031@lonepeak.vii.com>
Anyone know what the indiv.zip file on the fcc's servers is. It is 14 megs
when uncompressed.
Jon
>From neader@centuryinter.net (Scott Neader, KA9FOX) Fri Nov 1 04:31:13 1996
From: neader@centuryinter.net (Scott Neader, KA9FOX) (Scott Neader, KA9FOX)
Subject: Info on Beverage Antenna...
Message-ID: <v02140b0eae9f2a66c817@[206.65.185.17]>
Chris N4YGY <cpenick@juno.com> wrote:
>I am looking into the possibility of putting up a Beverage for 80M & 160M
>& want to ask the ones who have one or more up now for some gud info.
Chris and all:
Some of questions that come up here on the reflector have been asked and
discussed a few times already. I've tried to save the 'good stuff' over
the last couple of years and those articles, plus some contributed things,
have helped build a pretty neat library of ham tips and information. I
might suggest that either instead of, or in addition to, asking the
question on the reflector, you might spend a few minutes perusing this list
of past articles and summaries from the mail reflectors.
Regarding your question on beverages, a quick search on my site found these
articles:
Antennas, Towers, Feedline
* Beverage Preamps - Are they Necessary? - by KE1FO (via K1VR)
* Phased and Single Wire Beverages - by W3LPL (via KM9P)
* EWE vs. Beverage - by KD1NG
* Beverages - by K3MQH
This information can be accessed by going to: http://www.QTH.com/ka9fox
and then clicking on 'Summaries from Contest/DX Mailing Lists'.
Other categories of information on this page include:
* Computers and Software
* Radios and Amplifiers
* Station Design
* Operating Techniques
* Travel / DXpeditions
* Miscellaneous Information
All of these categories are far from complete, and I welcome any additional
contributions, whether you actually created the 'summary' or simply found
it somewhere and tucked it away on your hard drive.
I hope y'all find this information helpful! If you have trouble finding
what you are looking for, there is an extensive search engine available,
which searches all pages on the QTH.com site for keywords you specify.
73 - Scott KA9FOX
(soon to be WN9KKN)
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