I created an Excel spreadsheet for the BARTG SPRING contest. I used it to help
pre-plan my operating times. Although this .xls file is for the BARTG RTTY
contest, it can be easily adapted for any HF contest.
If you have basic Excel skills and think this tool might be useful, you can
download a copy from either of these URL:
http://tinyurl.com/ncmbk
http://chudek.aberon.net/index.cgi?mode=album&album=./Minnesota%20Wireless%20Assn
Download the file named "2006 BARTG RTTY TIME SHEET"
Here's a brief overview about the spread sheet and how I used it:
The spreadsheet visually shows all 24 hours of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
while also showing all contesting bands (160 to 10). In addition, another
section displays the contest period. This quickly shows you the 0200Z Saturday
start time is actually 8:00 PM Friday in the Central Time zone. (You will need
to adjust the "Local" time zone to your situation.)
I color coded the time I expect propagation for each band. Basically the low
bands at night and the high bands during daylight. Some bands will be open
simultaneously, so they "overlap" and are evident looking at the page.
My next step was to determine my operating times. First I reviewed the rules
and found BARTG is a 48 hour event with a maximum operating time of 30 hours
for a single op. Time off periods are a minimum of 3 hours.
I then began typing "on" into the various time slots and bands I expect to
operate. (Each cell represents one hour on one band.) On my first pass, I
populated more than 30 hours of operating time. My next step was to decide
which hours to sacrifice. I quickly discovered this forces you to determine a
strategy!
My final step was to number both the operating hours and off hours to make sure
my schedule adhered to the BARTG rules of a minimum 3 hour off time and maximum
of 30 hours total op time.
I created this spreadsheet quickly so there isn't much automation.
Does anyone know if any other tool already exists along this line?
73 de Bob - K0RC
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