[SFDXA] Are You Ready for the Ultra Marathon in 2021?

Sun Dec 27 17:10:33 EST 2020

Are You Ready for the Ultra Marathon in 2021?

  A major new initiative for 2021!

The True Blue DX Club announced in the fall of 2020 their plans for a 
year-long event to promote CW and SSB activity on the HF bands. Now, 
with hundreds of operators pre-registered to participate in the event, 
we are ready to launch!

Are you ready for the First Annual Ultra Marathon?   The event begins at 
0000z on January 1, 2021 and ends on December 31, 2021.

  All the event details are available here: 
https://www.tbdxc.net/marathon 
<https://grooveplanet.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=13c09fdf063993d3a241af04b&id=8209c30c2c&e=387f7d5253>

*Q & A with Jeff N1SNB, Ultra Marathon Manager*

*Q: What is the purpose of the Ultra Marathon?*

*A: *  The event exists to bring more activity to the HF bands while 
also creating a fun, stimulating, and unique event. There is an 
explanatory 5 minute video here: https://www.tbdxc.net/marathon 
<https://grooveplanet.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=13c09fdf063993d3a241af04b&id=583a3f91c5&e=387f7d5253> that 

I think this event is very appealing because it can tie a lot of your 
operations together into one big score, a sort of Annual Report of your 
HF activity. The Ultra Marathon also fills a void between casual 
contesters and DXers and their more competitive brethren: one might not 
have the station or work schedule to be a top contester or atop the 
Honor Roll. but one can still put together an impressive Ultra Marathon 
score and maybe even win or earn a top placement.

I don't think of my ongoing HF operation now in terms of Ultra Marathon, 
so who knows what I can accomplish? Can I work 175+ entities in 2021? 
Can I work 30 zones and 100 countries on 80m as part of my Ultra 
Marathon score? I don't know. What goals will you set for yourself and 
your station?

I also like that even if one misses some big chunks of caledar with 
other commitments, they can jump back into the Ultra Marathon and still 
push forward.

*Q: Who do you think will participate? Contesters? DXers?*

A: The short answer is that anyone who uses HF and enjoys making 
contacts on CW and SSB is eligible to participate and submit a score. 
The entry barriers are low; you don't need to know a specific Ultra 
Marathon contest exchange or anything like that nor do you need to be a 
member of our club.

Contesters and DXers are competitive groups of operators. Based on 
pre-registrations, we expect strong support from both of these groups. 
We are in a unique moment in ham history as few DXpeditions are 
happening, while contest participation is at all-time high. 2021 also 
will feature the return of sunspots. Taken together, I think the timing 
is perfect for an Ultra Marathon to launch and take off.

*Q: What are the categories I can enter?*

Each participant must choose CW or SSB and indicate their power: High, 
Low, and QRP. There are six total categories possibilities. Please note, 
there is no mixed-mode category.

*Q: How is the Ultra Marathon different from the CQ DX Marathon?*

A: The fundamental difference is that we're running on the scoring model 
provided by the CQ WW contests. Ultra Marathon has multipliers (zones 
and countries), QSO points, and a more contest-like structure. The CQ DX 
Marathon is different. For instance, in the CQ DX Marathon in 2019, R6YY 
won the CQ DX Marathon's unlimited category with a score of 322 
(countries plus zones).

We don't know what to expect in terms of high scores for Ultra Marathon, 
but they could conceivably get very high into the tens of millions of 
points. Other differences are that we are asking entrants to choose one 
mode (CW or SSB) and that contacts on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 
10-meter bands are the only ones eligible. Some of the contacts could be 
rapid-fire contest QSOs (even QSOs made in other contests) or ragchews 
or however you choose to make contacts. It doesn't matter, they are all 
potentially eligible for inclusion in your Ultra Marathon score.

These parameters introduce all sorts of potential strategies that could 
help maximize one's score. For instance, here in the United States, I 
could maximize my Ultra Marathon score by working as many VE/Canadian 
stations as possible on 160m even if I can't work more than a handful of 
different zones on that band.

The feeling is also that the event's duration can be a great equalizer 
between larger and smaller stations. There are many opportunities for 
strategy development to improve one's score regardless of your stations' 
capabilities.

*Q: How should I log QSOs?*

A: You'll want a computer logging program that supports the CQ WW 
contest. See the help videos on our website, 
https://www.tbdxc.net/marathon 
<https://grooveplanet.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=13c09fdf063993d3a241af04b&id=054f054406&e=387f7d5253>, 
to answer all your questions on logging and software.

*Q: Can I use other contest QSOs or event QSOs in my Ultra Marathon score?*

Yes, absolutely -  but just like the WW contest, you can only work a 
station once per band, and that contact is worth a set number of points 
based on the geography of the station you work.

There is a record-keeping challenge as you begin to merge logs into an 
Ultra Marathon score submission. For instance, I'll be using N1MM as my' 
log of record' and will need to make some effort to maintain it 
separately than my day to day or contest logs.

*Q: Will there be a scoreboard?*

Yes, there will be a place to register, enter results, and view the 
results of other participants on the club's website. We will also be 
providing regular updates. Participants are encouraged to enter scores 
often!  Visit it here: https://tbdxc.hamserver.de/marathon/ 
<https://grooveplanet.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=13c09fdf063993d3a241af04b&id=7e19819711&e=387f7d5253>

*Q: What about log checking?*

Unlike more traditional contests, we are operating primarily on the 
honor system. We are not asking for logs from most participants. 
However, If you qualify for an award, you will be asked to submit a log 
file that the Club Contest committee will adjudicate.

*Q: How can I participate, and where can I get more information about 
the Ultra Marathon and read the full rules?*

A: Everything is available on the website, 
https://www.tbdxc.net/marathon 
<https://grooveplanet.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=13c09fdf063993d3a241af04b&id=6d0a9df460&e=387f7d5253>. 
Sign up and get started today! Make contacts and submit your score; 
that's most important. But we also need help spreading the word.

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