[nrv-hams] ARRL 10 meter contest

[Kay Craigie]

The 10 meter band, which can be as dead as a sack of sand, can also be huge
fun for all license classes. I'm hoping for the "huge fun" option this year.
The contest runs from runs from 0000 UTC Saturday, December 8 through 2359
UTC Sunday, December 9. Yes, 10 meters is typically a daytime band, but we
may be able to make some contacts during the hours of darkness, too. It
never hurts to tune around and see who's on. The complete contest rules are
posted at http://www.arrl.org/10-meter.

Technician class licensees can use 10 meters. The Tech phone segment is
28.300 to 28.500 MHz. Techs who know Morse code can operate that mode from
28.000 to 28.300 MHz. Technicians are limited to 200 watts, but that is all
I have ever used on HF and it's plenty of power when the 10 meter band is
open.

In this operating event, everybody works everybody. The exchange (what we
send and receive) is simple. Stations in the 50 USA states, the Canadian
provinces, and the Mexican states will send a signal report (always 59 or
599) and their state or province abbreviation. Stations located elsewhere --
including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands -- will send a signal report
and a sequential contact number.

We can work a particular station on phone and on CW, too, if we are
operating both modes.

For example, if I work Ramon XE1KK on phone, I'll send 59 VA, and he will
reply with 59 DF or DFE. He lives in Mexico City, which is in their Distrito
Federal, the equivalent of our District of Columbia.

If I work Reinaldo YV5AM on phone, I'll send 59 VA, and he will reply with
59 100, meaning I'm his 100th contact in the contest. He lives in Venezuela,
so he sends a serial number instead of a state or province abbreviation.

Even if you don't plan to send in an entry, try logging the exchange anyway.
Why bother? There is no doubt that contesting builds operating skills that
are essential during an emergency.  Contesters develop "ears." That's the
ability to concentrate intensely and pull information out of bedlam on the
bands. They learn to copy quickly and accurately for long periods of time.
These are skills an emergency communicator needs, and they only come with
practice practice practice. 

I hear that the employees at ARRL Headquarters are feeding rolls of quarters
into the big Propagation Machine in the basement so we'll have excellent
band conditions to enjoy. (Joke, folks. The Headquarters building doesn't
have a basement!)

Have fun on the 10 meter band! 73 - Kay N3KN