[RSM] SS-SSB VE4VT Perspective - Long and Rambling

[ed_richardson at shaw.ca]

First of, I look forward to SSB sweepstakes as one of the fun contests all
year.  Propagation conditions this year made the experience a whole lot less
fun than in previous years.

 

When Art K3KU had sent us the W#LPL forecast for the weekend, I was
optimistic that the predicted below normal to poor conditions for higher
latitudes would not be an issue. As it turned out, forecast was spot on. By
the start of sweepstakes conditions had deteriorated and only improved about
90 minutes before the end of the contest. My observations were a higher than
normal atmospheric noise level on 40/80 making the signals sound like they
were covered in a constantly changing veil of noise. There was very rapid
fading. Signals that would start out perfect copy would fade to nil before
the exchange was repeated. Made for a lot of repeats.

 

Success in this contest is all about rate and the only way to get rate is by
running. There is the challenge in trying to find a frequency to run.  Here
in VE4-land, we are favored with great propagation to the areas with large
populations like the north eastern states, Florida, Texas, California and
Washington.  All nice single hop paths. The problem is that means we get
huge signals from all these areas simultaneously and finding a freq is
difficult.

 

I used an SDR connected to my main antenna to try and find holes.  It helps
but it doesn't protect you against the hidden transmitter phenomena. This is
where you cant hear another station calling CQ on or near the same
frequency, but many others do. It's a battle you won't likely win.

 

I find it helps to get on the band about 15 minutes before the start of the
contest to just rag chew and establish a frequency.  If you wait to the
23:00z start time, you are going to be in a tough battle. I favor going
higher in the bands as it opens you up for all the US license classes.
Others favor lower in the band where congestion may be lower. The downside
to working in the high parts is that you will encounter a lot more of the
new or inexperienced contesters and have to coach them along.  It slows your
rate down but I like to think if you encourage them, welcome them to
sweepstakes, you may help develop a new contester.

 

Another challenge in this contest is deciding when to move from 20m to 40m.
Some folks stay on 20m until the band drops and then they try to find a spot
on 40. If you wait too long 

You risk not finding a spot on the band.  This year I moved after about 90
mins after loosing a frequency battle. By then the eastern half of the
continent was already firmly established. The only spot I could find was up
high in the band sandwiched in between  an AM broadcaster and some heavy
QRM. I managed to have a few good runs until about 0100z when the band just
died.  I made the decision to drop to 80m but that was even worse with the
ethereal noise and fading. Made a few QSO but decided  I would feel better
watching the bomber game. 90 minutes of football did not improve the
evening!

 

Came back around 0300z and things were not better. The east coast was having
what seemed like an exclusive QSO party and it was tough to break their
pileups. Worked a KH6 for the PAC mult on 80m which is different for me.
Decided to preserve what was left of my sanity and pulled the plug after a
couple hours. Normally I go until 0700z before taking the 6 hours off.  At
the end of the first night I still needed ND, SFL, LAX, SF, AK, NL, ONN, NT,
PE.

 

Got back on at 1200z.  Bands were not in any better shape. It was a welcome
relief when 20m finally opened. It did not take long to get several of the
needed mults into the log. (Ended up with 4 ONN in the log) By late Sunday
afternoon I was left with ND, NL and AK on the needed list and had pretty
much written off the sweep. I had lost another 20m frequency battle and
decided at 2100z to head to 40m.  Within minutes I was called by a strong ND
station.   When VO1KVT called me at 23:13, I almost fell out of my chair.
That only left Alaska for the sweep.  I figured OK, 20m may be open to AK
still so swung the beam around to 315 degrees and started search the band It
took 15 minutes of wading through previously worked stations until I found a
weak AL1G running up around 14330. Worked her for the sweep at 23:39.

 

Found a spot to run again on 40 and spent the next 2 hours working 35
stations. Called it quits at 1:45z  The ethereal veil of noise had lifted
around 00:30 and conditions on 40 had returned to normal by then.

 

The most worked section was .OH,  followed by WNY. Worked VE4;s XT, GV and
VA4CQ.  Sorry Jack, I was pointed at California on 15m.

 

The boring stats:

 

Band     QSOs     Pts  Sec  Pt/Q

   3.5     149      298     8   2.0

     7      435      870   25   2.0

    14     577    1154   50   2.0

    21        43        86     1   2.0

Total    1204    2408   84   2.0

Score: 202,272

1 Mult = 14.3 Q's

 

2021-11-20 2147Z - 4.0 per minute  (1 minute(s)), 240 per hour by  

2021-11-20 2131Z - 2.4 per minute  (10 minute(s)), 144 per hour by  

2021-11-20 2217Z - 2.1 per minute  (60 minute(s)), 123 per hour by  

 

Section, 3.5, 7, 14, 21, Tot, Accum

AB, 1, 3, 3, , 7, 7

AK, , , 1, , 1, 8

AL, 1, 3, 8, , 12, 20

AR, 1, 2, 6, , 9, 29

AZ, 1, 2, 6, 9, 18, 47

BC, 1, 3, 1, , 5, 52

CO, 3, 7, 12, , 22, 74

CT, 4, 7, 9, , 20, 94

DE, , 1, 6, , 7, 101

EB, 2, , 2, 3, 7, 108

EMA, 1, 2, 9, , 12, 120

ENY, 4, 8, 11, , 23, 143

EPA, 1, 13, 16, , 30, 173

EWA, 1, 2, 1, , 4, 177

GA, 7, 11, 10, , 28, 205

GTA, , 6, 8, , 14, 219

IA, 5, 8, , , 13, 232

ID, , 1, 3, , 4, 236

IL, 3, 30, 28, , 61, 297

IN, 4, 12, 15, , 31, 328

KS, 4, 6, 8, , 18, 346

KY, 1, 4, 16, , 21, 367

LA, 2, 3, 2, , 7, 374

LAX, , , 3, 2, 5, 379

MAR, , 1, 2, , 3, 382

MB, 1, 2, , , 3, 385

MDC, 9, 21, 26, , 56, 441

ME, 1, 2, 7, , 10, 451

MI, , 17, 30, , 47, 498

MN, 5, 22, , 1, 28, 526

MO, 3, 6, 10, , 19, 545

MS, , 2, 3, , 5, 550

MT, 4, 3, 2, , 9, 559

NC, 3, 14, 15, , 32, 591

ND, , 1, , , 1, 592

NE, 3, 3, , , 6, 598

NFL, 2, 8, 16, , 26, 624

NH, 2, 4, 5, , 11, 635

NL, , 1, , , 1, 636

NLI, 2, 6, 6, , 14, 650

NM, 3, , 3, , 6, 656

NNJ, 3, 9, 6, , 18, 674

NNY, 1, 2, 3, , 6, 680

NT, , , 1, , 1, 681

NTX, 1, 19, 14, , 34, 715

NV, 1, , 4, 2, 7, 722

OH, 9, 20, 49, , 78, 800

OK, , 4, 7, , 11, 811

ONE, 2, 5, 5, , 12, 823

ONN, , 1, 3, , 4, 827

ONS, 1, 6, 8, , 15, 842

OR, 1, 4, 6, 5, 16, 858

ORG, , 1, 1, 4, 6, 864

PAC, 1, , , , 1, 865

PE, , 1, , , 1, 866

PR, , 2, 1, , 3, 869

QC, 1, , 8, , 9, 878

RI, 1, 1, 4, , 6, 884

SB, 1, , 1, 1, 3, 887

SC, 1, 8, 8, , 17, 904

SCV, , 3, 3, 5, 11, 915

SD, 1, 3, , , 4, 919

SDG, , 1, 3, , 4, 923

SF, , , 3, 1, 4, 927

SFL, , , 12, , 12, 939

SJV, 1, , , 2, 3, 942

SK, 1, 3, , , 4, 946

SNJ, 2, 8, 6, , 16, 962

STX, 1, 5, 7, 2, 15, 977

SV, 3, 3, 6, 3, 15, 992

TN, 3, 6, 14, , 23, 1015

UT, 2, 1, 2, 3, 8, 1023

VA, 10, 25, 28, , 63, 1086

VI, , 1, , , 1, 1087

VT, 3, 1, 1, , 5, 1092

WCF, , 4, 5, , 9, 1101

WI, 5, 16, , , 21, 1122

WMA, 1, 2, 6, , 9, 1131

WNY, 2, 9, 19, , 30, 1161

WPA, 2, 4, 11, , 17, 1178

WTX, , 1, 2, , 3, 1181

WV, , 3, 4, , 7, 1188

WWA, 1, 4, 5, , 10, 1198

WY, 2, 2, 2, , 6, 1204

Total, 149, 435, 577, 43, 1204, 1204

 

 

Ed Richardson