[RTTY] [NCCC-blue] NCCC RY-Sprint K6YL LP

Bill Haddon haddon.bill at gmail.com
Sun Apr 15 08:36:42 PDT 2012


Couple additional comments:

You will see a number of radio contests called "sprints".  There are two
definitions of the term:

1) A Sprint is any short-duration contest (for ex. the BARTG mentioned
earlier).

2) Some sprints (NA Sprints, NCCC Sprints) use the Rusty, W6OAT Sprint
exchange format that we're discussing.

When I started the NCCC Sprints about 6 years ago, it was done with my
background as a runner. . . I wanted a radio contest that left you "out of
radio breath" at the end; hence the short 30-min format that is a mad race
to the finish.

Noting also that the popular "ladder" concept, widely used in chess and
bridge competitions was missing from ham radio, I introduced a ten-week
ladder competition, for which scores build from week to week.  Thus
entrants have a chance to hone their skills over the duration of the
ladder.  Also, we count just the highest 5 or 6 weeks' scores from the
ladder, so those who miss a few events aren't penalized wrt to great wine
prizes provided by W0YK.

Furthermore, we have an innovation just introduced in the way prizes are
awarded, so that the same-old stations don't win the wine every time:  We
make the wine awards based on a "random weighted drawing" of all ops who
show up for a minimum number of events in a ladder.  Extra entries are
given in the drawing for first place in one of our 5 divisions (Atlantic,
East Center, W. Central, West, and NCCC member). This method has been very
very popular.

The ladder format has been so popular that we now hold three ladder
competitions (CW) every year.

For a bit of fun, watch the You-tube video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jIcyzxjHOw
This "NS-DASH" was a parody on the NCCC Sprint organized by W0YK at the
Dayton Hamvention in 2009.

Also, for a history of the NCCC Sprint Ladder, check the following NCJ
Article:

*March-August 2009 NCCC Sprint*
 *Ladder VI Results*, Bill Haddon, N6ZFO, National Contest Journal,
Nov/Dec, 2009.

[If you don't have access, I can send you a copy . . n6zfo at arrl.net  ]

73 Bill N6ZFO

Best reference for all this is the article appearing in the NCJ:
On Sun, Apr 15, 2012 at 8:10 AM, Bill Haddon <haddon.bill at gmail.com> wrote:

> Lee, and others. .
>
> The Sprint, including our NCCC Sprints, have an unusual format.
>
> For an operating guide, see    http://n6tr.jzap.com/sprint.html  Be sure
> to listen to the SSB example.
>
> The Sprint format, was I believe "invented" by Rusty, W6OAT and has become
> very popular among a group of sprint fanactics, who love these contests for
> the operating challenge and fun that they provide.  The exchange you
> mention:
>
> > CQ CQ NA K6LL
> > K7ABC
> > K7ABC K6LL 12 DAVE AZ
> > K6LL 32 JACKI AZ K7ABC
> > TU
>
> has evolved as the most efficient means of clearly indicating who "owns"
> the frequency at the end of a couplet.
>
> Lee, you are right .  we don't have a clear example of this special
> exchange in the NS Rules (and there's not one in the NCJ rules either) .
> will make sure that's added to our Operating Hints page.
>
> 73 Bill n6zfo
> NCCC Thursday Night Contesting
>
>
> On Sun, Apr 15, 2012 at 7:44 AM, Lee Roberts <ham at n0sq.us> wrote:
>
>> On Sunday 15 April 2012 08:17:24 Dave Hachadorian wrote:
>> > In the Sprints, the station who is going to "inherit" the
>> > frequency puts their call sign at the end of the exchange.  If
>> > you are the "vacating" station, you bury your call sign in the
>> > middle of the exchange.  Someone tuning across the frequency,
>> > hearing a call sign followed by silence, knows that essentially
>> > that station has just called CQ.  Here's a full exchange:
>> >
>> > CQ CQ NA K6LL
>> > K7ABC
>> > K7ABC K6LL 12 DAVE AZ
>> > K6LL 32 JACKI AZ K7ABC
>> > TU
>>
>> I don't recall seeing this format in the contest rules (or anywhere else)
>> but
>> I'll make a note of it for future contests.
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>


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