[Mldxcc] SS CW

[Robert Hess]

Hello MLDXCC'ers,

Well, this coming weekend is ARRL Sweepstakes CW.  This was once a NCCC "Focus" contest but (sadly for some) NCCC has moved on to focus on other contests, at least for now.  Frankly, I think that if this club did a serious effort we could stand a chance of placing first in the Medium club category or even third in the Unlimited club category.  Perhaps something to think about next year if NCCC doesn't make it a "Focus" contest.  We did not submit a score in 2011.  All member scores went to NCCC.

For our new members, SS is a unique contest in at least two ways.  The exchange and the rules.  The exchange involves the last two digits of the year you were licensed (check), your Precedence (power), your own call sign, and your ARRL section.  On CW, or even phone, there is a boatload of potential for error if you copy the exchange wrong.  The rules require that you only work someone once; not once on each band, but ONCE PERIOD!  This can limit the amount of contacts you can make and can cause Sunday to get pretty darn slow for the real serious guys who ended up working 80% of their contacts on Saturday.  Contesters seem to either love or hate this contest for those two reasons, yet the bands continues to be packed each year during SS.

Because of the "work-'em-only-once" rule, a new station popping up on Sunday can end being "rare DX", or "new meat", for the guys who think they have worked everyone.  If you only have an hour or two to get on the air, you can have a lot of fun late in the contest calling CQ.  I'd go off on a limb and say that even if you are calling CQ at 10 WPM, they are going to want to work you.

Sweepstakes starts at 2 PM on Saturday and ends at 7 PM on Sunday.  I always go by a 24 hour clock, so I hope I got this right.  Remember, there are four new Ontario sections this year, which replace the single "ON" section of the past.

So, if you feel inclined, get on the air, have a good time, and turn in your log on behalf of MLDXCC.

I am usually very active during this contest.  This weekend, it looks like more tower work, so I'll be on the air part time.

73,
Bob