[3830] NA Sprint SSB K7SS(@K7RI) HP

Sun Feb 13 06:36:03 PST 2011

                    NA Sprint SSB Contest - February

Call: K7SS
Operator(s): K7SS
Station: K7RI

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: wa
Operating Time (hrs): 4

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Op Time
---------------------
   80:   13        
   40:  185        
   20:   69        
---------------------
Total:  267    Mults = 52  Total Score = 13,884

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Team: 

Comments:

Whew..that ended up being GOOD FUN !!!

Having done the NA SSB SPRINT for many years, I must concur, that this was one
of the most challenging of them all.  Luckily I was at the K7RI station on the
hill, with good aluminum and gear and could make the most of it.

That being said, and after having read the comments so far about the NA SSB I
would like to offer some suggestions on how to revive this contest to its
former activity and fun levels.

I had fun...I have to admit that before the test, after listening to the
bands,
that there were pretty high expectations for 20 meters.  Out here in on the W
Coast, 20 is usually the deal maker or breaker.  Short time on 20 means hard
time on 40/80 which usually slows to a crawl. Have done my very best in NA SSB
when 20 stayed open the longest. One year did 3:45 time just on 20, and a hop
to 80 for the last 15 minutes. That was the best NA Ive done.

This year after 30 minutes on 20 we all knew that this was not going to satisfy
with long runs into W8/9/0 and East, like in past years. It quickly became
evident that what we now had was another 3:30 of a familiar kind of  "Contest
Scavenger Hunt". Anything heard was worth listening to, turned over, and then
tried to turn into a few more points. Lots of scrambling around once the
regulars were in the log, which didnt take too long! 

My guess is, that the major reason there was little 'regular' contest activity
was due mainly to conflict w/ WPX RTTY.  Teletype has become much more popular
over the years, and WPX is one of three MAJOR contests of the year. My guess is
that many who would have got on for SSB NA were busy diddling away on RTTY.

I agree with Craig (ED)N6ED and others, that this contest is worth pumping back
up. We dont need to euthanize a contest, just because of low activity or bad
propagation. The challenge is to bring it back into the fold, and I think IF it
can be moved to a more 'friendly' weekend, still near the CW NA, that we would
see a major change in activity. Heck, Im sure all of us have sat on a near dead
band and scraped for any Q, many times. "PROPAGATION IS" and thats what we get
when we throw the dice.  

Here are the top 20 NA CW claimed scores from 3830 for last week. 

N5KO/6(@W6NL)      376    45     4     16,920 NCCC #1
N2IC               364    44     4     16,016 Arizona Outlaws CC
W6YI(N6MJ)         364    43     4     15,652 SCCC #1
N6TV               337    44     4     14,828 NCCC #1
N6TR               343    42     4     14,406 Oregon Slug Farmers 
N9RV               327    43     4     14,061 Ad Hoc Contesters
N5RZ               326    43     4     14,018 Arizona Outlaws CC
N3BB               322    43   4.0     13,846 CTDXCC Snowmen
N6RO               313    43     4     13,459 NCCC #1

K6LL               305    43     4     13,115 Arizona Outlaws CC
N6RT(@N6WIN)       295    43     4     12,980 SCCC #1
K4RO               300    43     4     12,900 Ad Hoc Contesters
N2NT               307    42     4     12,894 FRC Domestic
W9RE               296    43     4     12,728 Ad Hoc Contesters
W5KFT(K5PI)        303    42     4     12,726 CTDXCC Snowmen
KO7AA              294    42   4.0     12,348 Arizona Outlaws CC
AA3B               293    42     4     12,306 FRC Domestic
W6YX(N7MH)         299    41     4     12,259 NCCC #1
N6XI               287    42     4     12,054 NCCC #1

I only worked 3 of these guys in this SSB NA.  granted some are CW purists,
most are ambidextrous and worth both modes. Have worked all of them on SSB at
one time or another, Im pretty sure. 

So ... IF we can move the SSB NA to a better weekend, w/o conflict of another
major contest, I think most of these guys will show up for the SSB. And the
more the show up, the better it gets for ALL.

Granted the NA SSB requires working the casuals, I usually find that after a
couple hours those giving you #1 or #2 are happy to join in the fray, and give
out a few numbers. They are the lifeblood of this contest, not the
regulars....but its a symbiotic relationship, and you have to have the regulars
in numbers to stir up the casuals, and the more of both, results in more action
and fun. Perhaps an email campaign to all these guys will bring them back next
time, and at the starting gun, for 4 hours. 

After 30 min on 20m I felt like throwing in the towel and going back home, but
its a Saturday nite, you are in the saddle on a good horse, so no reason NOT to
keep going a bit more to see whats over the next rise.  Well before long it was
half time, so what the heck...keep on keepin on.  I can only imagine what this
might have been like doing it back home w/ low wires...and I have to hand it to
those that did not only LP, but QRP, in this one. Hanging in for 4 hours was a
real grind this year. CONGRATULATIONS to all that stayed the course. 

So in sum:  MOVE TO BETTER WEEKEND. Promote within the ranks, and with those
casuals that did participate.  GIVE PRIZES (tnx N6ED, FOX, etc) . (I would be
glad to work w/ a few guys on this part of promoting the Sprints). 

In a few years, if we ever get towards a propagation peak, this weeks NA will
be a distant memory, and we all will be running at full speed once again, with
lots of action.  Lets see if we can help make that happen.

73
DanWa, K7SS

Mults: no ID or UT, but all other states worked. Many gave #1, #2, #3.
DX:  FM, J6.      VE: VE3, VE7, VY1.

IC 7800, Alpha, Stacked KT36XA, 4 el 40, Slopers for 80 at K7RI...THANKS K7RI &
W7KAT for hosting me.

Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/