[SMCARA] Contest Strategies - Pt. 2

[Tom Shelton]

In this note, we'll continue to discuss contest strategies, with the emphasis on the ARRL 10 meter contest, coming up this weekend.  Today's topic is Entry Categories.  As in the previous e-mail, anything with a number in front of it is straight from the official rules and my comments follow.  Full rules can be found at: http://www.arrl.org/10-meter

The entry category you select, decides who you'll be competing against.  Of course, your ultimate competition is yourself.  You should try to set a goal, then work to achieve it.  If you've done the contest before, then improvement should be your goal.  If you haven't done it, then set a realistic target (number of QSO's, butt-in-chair time, total score, etc.) for yourself.

Recently, the ARRL has been trying to discourage the use of spotting networks (while some other groups, such as the CQ magazine contests are very encouraging of them).  If you decide to use a spotting network, you will be entered as a multi-op station.  If you don't then you'll be a single-op.  There are three basic contest strategies: Run, S&P, and a mix.  Running is when you grab a frequency and sit on it, letting people come to you.  Search and pounce (S&P) is when you jump from frequency to frequency (and mode to mode) and work the people who are running.  Many operators mix the two, doing S&P for a few hours, then switching to running, then back to S&P for the last few hours of the contest to pick up multipliers.
If you can hold a frequency, running will bring you the most QSOs.  Unfortunately, it is rather hard to hold a frequency unless you have an edge (directional antenna, amp, etc.).  If you can run, then there isn't a need for a spotting network, as other stations will be coming to you.  

Newer contesters have an easier time doing S&P as it gives you the option of listening to a contact several times, and getting the exchange in the log before actually making the contact.  Spotting networks are very helpful when doing S&P as they usually identify new stations, needed multipliers, and worked stations (dupes).  Speaking of logs - I usually recommend GenLog for the new contesters as it is very easy and intuitive, but its simplicity is mostly because it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles.  For a free program that has all the bells and whistles (but takes some effort to learn and use) I recommend the N1MM logger.  It will do CAT control of your rig, send both CW and Voice (special equipment required), connect to a telnet spotting network, and just about everything else you need in a contest (except keep your coffee cup filled).  If you're going to do the contest this weekend, and you'd like to try N1MM, download it today and start playing with it sooner rather than
 later. (http://n1mm.hamdocs.com/)

Doing a mix between running and S&P might work for you.  Again, use of a spotting network is helpful during your S&P.  If you find an open frequency, make a run out of it.  During the November Sweepstakes, I was able to run for about an hour on 80 meters and I made 100+ contacts during that hour (compared to 20-ish per hour for S&P on all the other bands).

The next thing you need to decide (regardless of being Single or Multi-op) is your power level.  I'll assume that if you have an amp, you'll use it, so I'll limit my comments between QRP and Low Power.
QRP:  If you have a good antenna (tri-band or mono-band beam) you may want to try QRP contesting.  5 watts with a 9 dbd gain is the same as 40 watts off a dipole, plus you get the front to back/side attenuations that you don't have with a dipole, meaning that you are less than a single S-unit difference from someone with a dipole.  Only a few operators choose to work QRP (so your competition is very limited) and they've told me that it's all in the timing of when you make your call.  Last year there were only 3 QRP stations operating in Maryland and the highest scorer made 143 QSOs.  The other two made 10 and 12 Q's each.
Low-Power:  This is the category that most new contesters will use.  The competition is stiff, but since you are competing against your own goals, then this shouldn't be a problem.

Lastly, you need to decide if you are going to operate CW, Phone, or mixed.  
CW: CW is the great equalizer.  A CQ signal will punch through a pile-up and even a QRP station can be heard along-side the big-guns.  With the proliferation of free CW software (HRD for example), CW is a mode that is open to the masses.  There are a couple of things you can do to make a CW contact.  The first is to be patient.  Sooner or later there will be a lull in the pile-up and you can pop your signal in then.  The second is to jot down the frequency for the pile-up and come back to it later.  The third (and this seems to work for me) is to tune about 50Hz higher than everyone else.  Most of the pile-up will be zero-beat with each other, so being just a little off key will make your signal more noticeable.  If you want to operate CW in a contest, be sure to have good filters on your rig.  You want at least 500Hz, and narrower is better.  I usually use 200Hz and sometime take it down to 50Hz.
Phone: A lot of people will be doing phone this weekend, for obvious reasons.  The same principles as operating CW apply.  To tune slightly off frequency, start by tuning the other station in clearly, then adjust your knob so the other person sounds slightly low (but still readable).  This will make you sound slightly high to the other person.  
Mixed: This is your chance to play in both worlds, and since you can work each station once per mode, and your multipliers count once per mode, you have access to a lot more potential Q's during the contest.

One last observation.  In the last few hours (or minutes) of the contest, it is always very tempting to use a spotting network to pull in the one reclusive multiplier.  If you decide to operate un-assisted (no spotting network), and you make even one assisted contact, then your entire log needs to be submitted as assisted (multi-op).  The same goes for power; moving your power up to 10 watts, just for a single contact, means you are no longer a QRP station.  Making just one phone contact means you are now a mixed category.  

3. Entry Categories: 
            3.1. Single Operator (use of spotting networks is NOT PERMITTED):
                        3.1.1. QRP (5 watts or less)
                                    3.1.1.1. Mixed Mode (Phone and CW)
                                    3.1.1.2. Phone only
                                    3.1.1.3. CW only
                        3.1.2. Low Power (150 watts or less)
                                    3.1.2.1. Mixed Mode (Phone and CW)
                                    3.1.2.2. Phone only
                                    3.1.2.3. CW only
                       3.1.3. High Power (1500 watts or less or your country's maximum power limit, whichever is less)
                                    3.1.3.1. Mixed Mode (Phone and CW).
                                    3.1.3.2. Phone only.
                                    3.1.3.3. CW only.
            3.2. Single Operator stations that use spotting networks will be entered in the Multioperator, Single Transmitter category.
 
            3.3. Multioperator, Single Transmitter (use of spotting networks is permitted):
                        3.3.1. Low Power (150 watts or less)
                        3.3.2. High Power (1500 watts or less or your country's maximum power limit, whichever is less)
                        3.3.3. Includes single operators using spotting networks.
                        3.3.4. This category is mixed-mode only.

As always, if this e-mail didn't answer a question for you, or if you'd just like to chat about contesting, shoot me an e-mail and I'd be happy to help. 

The next part of this series will discuss the Contest Exchange and Scoring. 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry