[TVARC] ARRL 10M Contest Starts Tonite

[K2PS Pete Stafford]

TVARCers,

 

The ARRL 10M Contest begins tonight at 7P local, and goes for 48 hours.
This can be a fantastic contest, or a fair amount of drudgery.  The key is
to operate when openings occur, so keep checking.  At the height of the
sunspot cycle, 10M is the best band on the planet.  But we ain't there yet.

 

The solar flux right now is 77 - zero sunspots.  But it's quiet, which is
good.  Too quiet.  It can change, however, and predictions are that it will
perk up a bit for the weekend.  We're blessed being in Florida, which is
often propagation-enhanced for 10M.  We'll typically get great openings to
various parts of the US, sometimes concurrently, while others may get
only.Florida.  But it's different every year, so who knows what 2021 will
bring?

 

You can operate CW, SSB, or both (Mixed mode).  For Mixed, CW QSOs count
double SSB.  So I try to emphasize CW, naturally.  Calling CQ is important,
as always, but there are a lot of casual operators in this one, especially
on SSB.  Note that 28.300 - 28.500 are accessible to Technician class
stations, many of whom may not (yet) be contesters.  They won't be calling
CQ, and will be interested in working you.  Be gentle and understanding
while you get them to tell you their state.

 

The exchange is 59(9) FL, and you'll receive 59(9) <state/prov/Mex/Ser#>.
That is: US states, Canadian provinces, and Mexican states (3-character
abbreviations), with DX stations sending a serial number.  HI and AK are
states in this one, as is DC.  You can work stations on both modes, and
multipliers count on both modes.  Note that the Low Power class allows up to
150 watts, so fire up the amp to get that 50% power increase.

 

I've been monitoring the band a bit on FT8 (not a contest mode) this past
week, and there hasn't been much activity.  But the best chance for European
openings are ordinarily between about 8a-10a local time.  Look for stateside
after that, and there should be a bunch of South American openings
throughout the day.  Remember that this is generally a daytime band, so
sleep is usually not a problem.  But Friday nights are often very busy, and
propagation can come and go until say, 10 or 11p.  Saturday night is usually
a bust.  Again, though, no guarantees.

 

I'll be on in Mixed Mode, Low Power, probably just CW for the first couple
of hours until it dries out, and hope to work you all twice!  Don't forget
to send in your logs, and credit your scores to TVARC.

 

Good luck!

 

73, Pete, K2PS

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