[GCARC] Why not try 10 meters this weekend?

[thewrightplacenj]

If you find yourself with a few extra moments, and you have an HF radio that can get on 10 meters, why not give it a try this weekend?  Every amateur license class has some voice privileges on this band. It could be fun!

Why? Because it's the ARRL's 10 meter contest, and stations from all over the US and the world will be on the air trying to make contacts. Need a few more countries for DXCC?  This might be the weekend to get some! 

Starting tonight just after 7pm local time (we are 5 hours behind UTC, with the contest starting at 0000 UTC Saturday) and running into Sunday (2359 UTC Sunday), stations from all over will be on 10 meters looking to exchange their call sign, signal report, and state.  
For example: <your call>, 59, New Jersey
That's it! Then you copy what they send back to you.

Stations in the USA will send their State. Stations in Canada will send their province. Stations in Mexico will send their Mexican state.
Stations elsewhere in the world (and there will be some) send a sequential serial number starting with 001.  
Just write down their call, the time (in UTC), and their exchange info for your log (e.g. 59, New Jersey). 
You can use either a paper log or your logging program, and then you can submit an entry later, after the contest is over.

As Kenny WB2P (our club's contest chairman) mentioned at our last club meeting, when you send in your log, there is a Club Name box.  In that box, type: Gloucester Co ARC
You get the credit, and our club gets the credit - a double win!

If you did a paper log, you can type it in and submit it online at www.b4h.net/cabforms. The Club Name box appears on that online form too.

If you want more information about the contest, it's at www.arrl.org/10-meter

As for propagation, you might not hear much tonight. 10 Meters does best when the sun's still up. But definitely turn on the radio tomorrow morning after sun-up to see what's out there on the 10M band. You might be surprised!

Have fun!
'73
Jim (and Denny)