[nrv-hams] Ten meter contest is coming -- and W1Q

[Kay Craigie]

Here comes an operating event that hams of all license classes can take part
in -- the ARRL 10 Meter Contest. It starts at 0000 UTC Saturday, December 12
(that's 7 PM Friday, December 11, our local time) and ends at 2359 UTC on
Sunday, December 13 (6:59 PM Sunday evening, our local time). 

Ten meters is theoretically a daytime band, but we might find some activity
after dark. It's worth tuning around.

This contest is unusual in that it's both phone and CW. We can work either
or both modes. We can work a station once on each mode. If I work K1ZZ on
CW, I can work him again on phone.

The exchange (what we send and receive) is not too complicated. Stations in
the USA, Canada, and Mexico send a signal report (always 59 or 599) and our
state or province. Stations in other countries send a signal report and a
serial number. There is a list of Mexican states and their customary
abbreviations on the ARRL's 10 Meter Contest web page at
http://www.arrl.org/10-meter.

If I work the aforementioned K1ZZ on phone, I would say:

"Five nine Virginia" or "Five nine Victor Alpha."

He would reply: 'Five nine Connecticut" or "Five nine Charlie Tango."

If I were working XE1KK in Mexico, he would say to me:

"Five nine Delta Foxtrot," because he lives in the Mexican Federal District
(Mexico City). 

Ten meters has been up and down this fall. Last weekend, propagation was
so-so in the major CW contest, but other times 10 has been very good for DX
as well as domestic contacts. 

I like 10 meters because a station with 100 watts and a wire can make lots
of contacts if the band is open. 

Unrelated to contesting -- For the next 2 weeks, special event station W1Q
will be on the air commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first issue of
QST magazine in December, 1915. Several operators in New England will be
using this callsign on various bands and modes. I worked them on 40 meters
phone. That's a good band on which to work New England from here. For QSL
information, look up WJ1B on QRZ.COM. 

73, Kay N3KN