Basic Contesting June 13, 2006 Peter Wollan N8MHD

What’s contesting? A game: make as many contacts (QSOs) as possible. Anyone can start up a contest, but the big ones are sponsored by large organizations. Some controversy: - Big contests can fill up the bands, and some people play rough (aggressive, rude). - Logging software can make the QSOs almost automatic – not a real contact with a real person. Contests are not permitted on WARC bands (30m, 17m, 12m).

How to Play Read the rules Make QSOs and log them Send in your log.

The rules specify: band, power, or mode restrictions date, start and stop times “exchange” scoring – some QSOs may count more than others other requirements

The contest QSO CALL REPLY Who’s there? Me. Hello, here’s my exchange. Here’s my exchange, thanks. Thanks. Next?

An example: Spartan Sprint CW only, 5 watts or less, HF bands. First Saturday of each month, 8pm - 10pm Central (a “sprint”). 1 point/QSO, also reported as points/pound (radio+key+power). Exchange: RST, S/P/C, power Log: just send in total number of QSOs on each band. –see

A Spartan Sprint QSO: CQ SP DE N8MHD K W0MXW W0MXW 55N MN 5W K R 55N MN 5W TU K TU QRZ?

with imperfect reception: CQ SP DE N8MHD K W0MXW W0? W0MXW AGN? W0MXW W0MXW DE N8MHD 43N MN 5W K 55N MN 5W 55N MN 5W TU K TU QRZ?

Another example: MN QSO Party February (Sat Feb 4, 2007), 8am – 6pm classes based on power, # xmitters, mobile, VHF; SSB/CW/digital scoring: SSB 1 pt, CW/RTTY 2 pts, times number of MN Counties + states + provinces exchange: name and county (three letter abbreviation) - see

a MN QSO Party SSB QSO: CQ Contest, this is W0MXW, over. N8MHD N8MHD, this is John in Olmsted county. Thanks John, this is Peter in Olmsted County, over. Thanks. QRZ?

Strategy: Call or Answer? Call: “Run”, “Hold a frequency” –most efficient way to get QSOs –requires some skill: if you are slow or ask for too many repeats, you can get pushed off your frequency. Reply: “Search and Pounce”, S&P –most efficient way to get multipliers –easier for beginners. Rule of thumb: spend 70% of your time Running.

The Majors ARRL Sweepstakes (November) –24/30 hrs, serial+class+call+check+section, sections are multipliers CQ-WW WPX (March-May) –48 hrs, RST+serial, prefixes are multipliers NA Sprint (Sept-Oct, Feb-Mar) –4 hrs, call+call+serial+name+S/P/C, S/P/C’s are multipliers, only one CQ then QSY ARRL VHF (Sept, Jan, June) –Mobile! 33 hrs, grid squares are multipliers Others ….

In important contests, logs get checked: submissions are matched, to confirm that the QSO occurred. QSOs that can’t be verified may be deleted, and if too many deletions occur the entrant may be disqualified. In short: some people take this seriously.

Field Day Part contest, part “exercise”. 24 hrs, 4 th weekend in June, stations in the field. Classes based on # of simultaneous xmitters, power source,... 1 pt for each voice QSO, 2 points for CW or Digital Multiplier: 2 if pwr = 150 w, 5 if pwr = 5 w Bonus points for specified activities exchange: class, section

FD Class 1B: one or two operators. 1A: one transmitter, any number of ops, emergency pwr. 2A: two transmitters + one GOTA + one VHF, any number of ops, emergency pwr. 1C: mobile 1D, 1E: home, mains power or emer.pwr 1F: EOC

Number of transmitters - FD Only one transmitter is allowed in any one band/mode. –so, on 20m you can have 3 xmitters operating simultaneously: CW, Digital, SSB. Not all bands are usable at any given hour; also, in practice, transmitters interfere with each other. Most groups use between 2 and 5 transmitters (max 21??).

Reducing interference between transmitters single-band antennas horizontal vs. vertical polarization directionality – beams, or oriented nulls good transmitters and receivers.

Choice of power - FD 5 watts gives most points per QSO, but QSOs are harder, and Running is difficult – may need to S&P entirely watts makes running easier, but increases interference with other transmitters. Estimate: 10dB increase in power gives 2 times more QSOs for SSB, 1.5 for CW.

Maximizing points - FD Decide whether to go low power, medium, or high. The highest power used ever is what matters. –1 CW QSO at 5 watts = 10 SSB QSOs at 1500 watts Decide number of transmitters Orient antennas to minimize interference

Maximizing points, cont. Get as many extra point activities as possible. Find people who will operate the night hours. Consider propagation: match your operating to the band conditions.

Resources ARRL: QST, NCJ magazines; Rate Sheet CQ magazine MorseRunner contest training software web sites: – – – (a multi-multi DX station)