[CQ-Contest] New NS Ladder XI This Week, Thursday in NA.

[Bill Haddon]

Thursday night  marks the first segment of the 11th NCCC Sprint Ladder
Competition, NSL-XI.  As the winter contest schedule winds down keep your
skill honed and current by participating in this fast-paced competition,
dubbed "contesting on the edge" by John, K6MM.  It's no coincidence that
most of the ARRL SS Top Ten - Low Power category are NS Ladder regulars

. Like the NCCC's other popular contest, the CQP, NS Ladder has it's own
Winemaster. . ours is Ed, W0YK. See  www.munsvineyard.com for details on
these special award-winning CA wines. NSL Wine awards are determined by
weighing both performance and consistency using a weighted random drawing
procedure now managed by Ken, KE3X.  We'll have an awards announcement for
NSL IX and X very shortly.  Just showing up for five of the ten ladder
events gets you a place in the drawing list, with extra positions and a
higher chance of winning assigned for high scores within a division and for
perfect 10-event attendance.

 -- NSL XI runs 10 weeks through June 24,2011 with a bye week prior to
Dayton.  Complete Schedule at http://www.ncccsprint.com/next_ns.htm and on
Bruce Horn, WA7BNM's contest calendar at
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/ .

Details for NS Ladder:

 -- Exchange: Ser #, Name, QTH (State , Prov, or NA Country)

 -- Rules: :  http://www.ncccsprint.com/ladder.html
      - Low power, 100 watts max.
      - NA Sprint format, but 1 KHz QSY Rule
      - Four Bands CW:  20, 40, 80 and 160
      - Time: 0230-0300Z (Fri) Thurs night in NA
      - Work stations once per band.
      - Report scores via http://hornucopia.com/3830score/
      - Mults are per band. Score = Q's * Mults
      - Your top six scores count toward awards of ham-crafted W0YK CA wine.

         To figure your division see the map at:
http://www.ncccsprint.com/ladder.html  All countries in the Caribbean region
are considered to be NA, as per UN convention. Domestically, we count DC as
a multiplier.

      -- SO2R:  About half the NS Ladder participants use SO2R in the
contest.  Existing commentary by N3BB and N4OGW in the "Advanced Strategy"
section of
               http://www.ncccsprint.com/operating.html  has been
supplemented by a novel SO2R scheme devised by Eric NO3M, reflecting his
position as the perennial over-all winner of the NS Ladder.

If you're new to NS and find the 25-40 wpm code speed or Sprint QSY rules
daunting, consider joining the "Slow NS", SNS, at 0200Z;  same bands and
rules, but slower CW (~18-25 wpm).  The new Director of SNS, Chris, N6WM,
plans an enhanced year for this part of the Thursday Night Contesting family
of events.  Following the Thursday night event, you're welcome to join the
NCCC Contest net on 3610 at 0300z, with Ken, N6RO usually officiating.

NS Ladder owes special thanks to Bruce, WA7BNM and Dink, N7WA for providing
essential score-keeping services and summary services.

Questions and requests to join the nccc-blue reflector, write
n6zfo at arrl.netor one of our Advisory Group, W9RE, N4AF, K4BAI, K6UFO,
N3BB, W4NZ, W0BH and
N6WM.

73 Bill N6ZFO
Contest Director,
NCCC Sprint Ladder