[Elecraft] [K3] SO2V?

[John K3TN]

Hi, Jim - I do SO2V with my K3 and subRX, with N1MM and RBN spots quite
often. My station is not competitive - single wire, KPA500. So, my
strategies are to maximize my rate and a big part of that is avoiding
calling when louder stations will likely beat me. The rates are pretty
amazing - it is more like running but instead of hitting F1 you are clicking
on spots.

Here are some ideas:

1. I use VE7CC's AR software to create filters for RBN spots that limit what
I see to nearby skimmers. In my case that means only those in MD, PA, VA and
WV. That keeps my bandmap full without overloading things with spots I won't
likely hear.

2. I created a macro to swap VFOA and VFOB, but you can also use ALT F10.

3. Learn how to use the `, \ and PAUSE keys - look  here
<http://n1mm.hamdocs.com/tiki-index.php?page=SO2V>  . 

4. Learn how to use the Available Mult/Q window - look  here
<http://n1mm.hamdocs.com/tiki-index.php?page=Available+Mults+and+Qs+Window> 
. Set that window to only show spots appropriate for the Contest Mode.

Now, you are ready to go. I usually have 2 modes of operation:

A. Left click on the first spot in the Available Mult/Q window. If that spot
is ready to be worked, work it. If not, right click on the second spot in
that window to fill VFO B - then work whichever one is ready first by using
your favorite way in (2) or (3) to switch N1MM focus or swap VFOs.

B. Left click on a bandmap spot. If that spot is ready to be worked, work
it. If not, right click on some other spot in that window - then work
whichever one is ready first. I like to either hop around the bandmap, or
start from the highest freq and work down the band because most people seem
to go the other way and I want to avoid getting in synch with someone else.

(A) can be a killer strategy, it is amazing how often you get there before
the CQ has even ended. But the big multis or the top Assisted stations are
often using this strategy - so I sometimes switch to the 2nd spot in that
window vs. the first. But if you are totally focused on that window you can
often beat W3LPL, K3LR, AA3B, etc to the spot. That is almost worth the
price of admission right there...

On dead bands, or later in the day on Sunday, there is a feeding frenzy on
new mults. Then I actually do a lot of old fashioned dial twisting on VFO B
while listening to a spot pileup on VFO A - I can usually find a few new
calls to work while either throwing my call into some poor "fresh meat"
guy's unruly pileup, or just waiting for it to die down.

Always stay around to hear the spotted station send his call - the RBN is
pretty accurate, but not 100%. Especially on the 2nd day of a contest, there
are always busted calls.

The RBN will usually crash at least once in the big contests. Either have a
backup cluster connection ready in the Packet/Telnet window, or use K1TTT's
WinTelnetX software to mix RBN feeds with other cluster feeds. I used to do
that, but the RBN reliability has gone way up - I haven't felt the need to
do so recently.

Hope that helps - 73, John K3TN



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