[CQ-Contest] RTTY NCCC Sprint continues on Thursday (in NA), 15-80m

[Ken Keeler]

This week we continue the NS Ladder format practice sessions.
Don't forget, starting time is one hour later, now that we're on 
Daylight Savings time.

A 30 minute RTTY sprint practice will be held on Thursday night, half 
an hour before the CW NS:
  0200 to 0230  March 28,  Thursday night in NA, 7:00-7:30 PM PDT, 
10-1030 PM EDT, etc.
Those of us doing the CW session will stop a few minutes early to set 
up for that.

A new page has been set up on the NCCC website with the RTTY NS info 
for those who
don't check the reflectors for the weekly announcement.
Click 
on: 
<http://www.ncccsprint.com/rttyns.html>http://www.ncccsprint.com/rttyns.html

There are two main differences between the NCCC Sprints and NA Sprint:
In NS, power is limited to 100w, and mults count on all bands,  no 
dupes (both CW and RTTY).
There are occasional changes in format in NS, so check the weekly 
reflector announcements.

For this upcoming RY practice, use 15, 20, 40, 80m;  up 80-90 Khz. 
from the bottom of the band.

These practices are for all operators. People new to sprints can get 
familiar with the exchange format and QSY rule,
  experienced CW sprinters can learn to sprint in a new mode.
  RTTY contesters can try out the newly popular 2Tone decoder and 
optimize your station setup.

You need two different messages in sprint, one when acquiring a 
frequency:  N6TR  245 KEN CA N6RO;
in a different order when vacating the freq.:  N8EA N6RO 246 KEN CA.
This let's others know who is acquiring the freq.

NS rules at: http://www.ncccsprint.com/rules.html
These apply for the RTTY practice sprints.
More information on RTTY contesting can be found at:
<http://rttycontesting.com/lagniappe/rttysprint-n6ro.html>http://rttycontesting.com/ 


My short article "Secrets of RTTY Sprinting" is at: 
http://rttycontesting.com/lagniappe/rttysprint-n6ro.html

If you would like macros for sprints, I would be glad to send you 
mine for N1MM.
Writelog macros by AA5AU are his website: 
<http://rttycontesting.com/lagniappe/rttysprint-n6ro.html>http://rttycontesting.com/

W0YK publishes a column on RTTY contesting in each issue of the 
NCJ.  The May-June issue will feature
a detailed article on how to do the RTTY Sprint and WHY we use the 
now-accepted message formats.

Thanks to WA7BNM/N7WA for providing the 3830 score reporting each week.

If you want the Sprint RTTY practices to continue, vote by showing up 
each Thursday.
Watch for weekly announcements, we may change the times later in the spring.

The NCCC SSB net meets at 0300Z, right after the CW NS, near 3610 +/- QRM;
We discuss the night's sprint activity, share strategies, dinner 
menus, wine preferences, etc.

73,  N6RO, Thursday Night Diddler!