[CQ-Contest] SS Sundays

Sun Feb 10 15:42:11 EST 2013

I like SS for a number of reasons, and the fact that it is unique in both
the type/length of its exchange, & that you are only allowed to work a given
call once, make it one of the more challenging major contests.

The key to increasing activity on Sundays is obvious, but it is the solution
that requires the most effort.

Consider recruiting more casual hams to operate.

Consider, for example, that we are (by many reports) at or near the peak of
the current solar cycle.  For example:  What better time to convince a Tech
class license that this is a great opportunity to make contacts on 10 meter
SSB?  Or on 80, 40, 15 & 10 for the CW part of the 'test?  

What better time to loan someone a rig, and give them a hand with an
antenna, as incentive to put in a few hours?

Or take that ham who is schlepping along to a WAS or USA-CA or similar
award.  Especially those who believe that certain nets are the only way to
do it.  Rather than let them believe that the bands are too "crowded",
convince them that Sundays are prime times to work loads of people & pick up
their state/county fills.

I'm sure we can all think of more examples, but you see the point, I'm sure.

The solution, IMHO, is not to change SS irrevocably.  We need more activity?
Then let's start recruiting.

Incidentally... I currently have a rig out on loan to a Tech who's one of
the ops when I run a contest from here M/S.  It's taken a little while, but
I believe he's ready to 'solo' on 10 meters during ARRL SSB in a few weeks
(and more importantly, HE believes he's ready).  So it's a start.  

73, ron w3wn

-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dan
Kovatch
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2013 11:33 AM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] SS Sundays

I like SS just the way it is but here is a way to increase activity on 
Sunday. After you operate (or just after a time period) of 12 ,15 or 18 
(choose your time ) hours you are allowed to work the same station again ON 
ANOTHER BAND only. SO, if you worked W8CAR sat. afternoon on 40 you can work

me sun. afternoon on 80,20,15 or 10 as long as you have been on for 12 
hours. Probably a nightmare for a logging programmer but it would work to 
increase activity I believe.

But, that makes it a miniNAQP sort of??!

Dan W8CAR

-----Original Message----- 
From: W0MU Mike Fatchett
Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2013 8:59 PM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] SS Sundays

We seemed to have gotten well off the original topic which was a
substantial drop in participation in the contest and what things we
could do to get more people to participate.

Sunday afternoon, lack of rate was mentioned as reason that discouraged
some.

I am not sure if there is any correlation between changing the length of
the contest  and increasing participation.

Mike W0MU

On 2/9/2013 9:14 AM, Zack Widup wrote:
> If you don't want to operate during the full length of the contest,
> what does it matter what the actual length of the contest is? If you
> only want to operate on Saturday, then do just that, etc.
>
> If you are in it mostly for fun (like I usually am), then you operate
> when you wish. If you want to be competitive, you'd do whatever it
> takes to be competitive if that means operating the maximum time
> allowed by the rules.
>
> 73, Zack W9SZ
>
>
> On 2/8/13, Radio K0HB <kzerohb at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Not only NO but HELL NO!
>>
>> Bring more players, not less operating time.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Friday, February 8, 2013, Timothy Coker wrote:
>>
>>> Shorten it... better for family time, less Sunday boredom, etc.
>>>
>>> I think this idea has something for everyone. I know a lot of the older
>>> guys who no longer choose to stay in the chair due to ailments. I know a
>>> number of the younger guys who choose to not stay in the chair due to
>>> family time. The third is the shear boredom factor of a one contact per
>>> station rule.
>>>
>>> I could go with the break period too... maybe two hours like NAQP? I
>>> personally like the decision making involved with when to break. Plus we
>>> can take a walk, sleep, eat dinner with our loved ones, etc.
>>>
>>> 73,
>>>
>>> Tim/ N6WIN.
>>> On Feb 6, 2013 12:27 PM, "Steve London" <n2icarrl at gmail.com
>>> <javascript:;>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 02/06/2013 11:42 AM, RT Clay wrote:
>>>>
>>>>   Yes, the fix is simple: shorten the overall length to 24 hours. Still
>>>>> keep a required off time of 6 hours. > The off time is important to
>>> allow
>>>>> stations in different parts of the country to choose the best times to
>>>>> operate (day/night). That is particularly important for small
>>>>> stations.
>>>>> Choosing when to take off is also > part of SS strategy.
>>>>>
>>>> I could almost warm up to this. Except I would say get rid of the
>>> required
>>>> off time. Go 24 hours if that's what you want.
>>>>
>>>>   With 24 hours total the exact start time doesn't matter either as far
>>>> as
>>>>> propagation- it covers a full day.
>>>>>
>>>> 0000Z to 2359Z . That should make Sunday more interesting - it will be
>>> the
>>>> first opportunity for significant high band propagation, and there
>>>> would
>>> be
>>>> only one night-time opportunity.
>>>>
>>>>   I'm sure the average qso speed in SS has gone up over the years-
>>> computer
>>>>> logging/etc, plus the exchange used to be longer. So it makes sense to
>>> make
>>>>> the whole thing shorter.
>>>>>
>>>> That is absolutely true. I have listened to recordings from the 1970's.
>>>> Much slower. That was the way to pick up the hoards of newly-licensed
>>>> General's who could barely do 13 WPM.
>>>>
>>>>   Yes, records get messed up. But they already get messed up every time
>>>> a
>>>>> new section is added.
>>>>>
>>>> Agreed.
>>>>
>>>> If SS is shortened, I could even warm up to grandfathering the old
>>> records
>>>> and starting new records.
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>> Steve, N2IC
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>>
>> --
>> 73, de Hans, K0HB
>> "Just a boy and his radio"
>> --
>> Sea stories at --------> http://K0HB.wordpress.com
>> Superstition trails ---> http://OldSlowHans.com
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