[SCCC] CQWW CW contest, working on my DXCC, any tips?

[Leigh S. Jones, KR6X]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tony Ruiz" <usctony at charter.net>
To: <sccc at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 6:57 PM
Subject: [SCCC] CQWW CW contest, working on my DXCC, any tips?


> Greetings to all. I'm looking forward to this weekend's CQWW CW contest 
> and
> my goal will be to work more than 150 stations (my all-time high) as well 
> as
> to work toward my DXCC.  At present, I have 54 confirmed countries and I'm
> hoping this weekend's contest will give me some more new ones than can be
> confirmed. I'd like to be at 100 by the time April 21, 2006 rolls around
> (Int. DX Convention in Visalia).

This is an excellent question.  I'm going to handle it by answering broadly 
for the
benefit of those who have much less DXing experience than you given that 
you've
already got 54 confirmed countries.  It might help someone who doesn't have
your level of experience to get started in DXing and contesting.

Your most important step in preparation for the weekend is to assure that 
you have
antennas and equipment available for as many of the ham bands from 160M to 
10M
as possible.  The 30 M, 18 M, and 12 M bands will be unused in the contest,
however.  DX is somewhat more difficult to work on 160M and 80M, and it's 
likely
that only limited areas of the world will be available on those bands plus 
on 10M
this weekend.  This year, you need to concentrate on 40M at night and on 15M
and 20M in the daytime.  I personally have found multiband verticals to be 
poor
contest performers due to the likelyhood of high receive noise levels, so if 
a beam
isn't available, then I recommend dipoles or inverted vees.

With no beam and with concerted effort, you'll probably be able to work over 
50
countries in a weekend, and barefoot with dipoles it should still be 
possible to
make make several hundred contacts in the weekend.

>
> I'm thinking that using the DX Spotting category will help me find new 
> ones.
> Doe this help or does this actually slow you down (I think I read that
> somewhere). I guess, in other contests, I didn't pay attention until
> afterwards & then sort it all out. ACLog (for my regular contact log) will
> tell me when a spot is a new one. I don't think the N3FJP CQWW Contest
> software program will do that for me.
>

Most contest logging software will tell you if the multiplier is a new one 
for
the contest (contesting software doesn't care about helping you with your
DXCC, just your contest score).  Spotting connections can slow you down,
generally because the rest of the world always gets the spots at the same
time that you do.  Intelligent use of the spots can turn them into an aid
rather than a problem.


> When you send "599 03"  Is it always both numbers "0" & "3" or do folks 
> send
> the letter "O" and number "3" without it getting too confusing. Timesaver?
>

send 5NNT3, "cut numbers" are often used on both ends:
1 = a
2 = u
3 = v (you probably won't hear this used)
4 = 4
5 = e
6 = 6
7 = b  (you probably won't hear this used)
8 = d
9 = n
0 = t

Japanese stations will often send "ue" in place of 25, Caribbean stations
send "5nntn" or "5nnt9" in place of 59909, and "5nntd" or "5nnt8" in place
of 59908.  Real hotshots might shorten it further, for example sending 
"ennn"
in place of "599_9".  You get used to this stuff pretty quickly, copying
callsigns is the hard part.

> If I don't catch their zone, is it pretty standard to send "AGN"? Will 
> folks
> throughout the world know what I mean?
>

AGN? will work.  Usually, you don't need to ask.  Honestly, if you use an
up-to-date country file in your contest logging software, you probably won't
even need to hear the exchange.  The question will be: "Did he really come
back to me?"  Often you hear his exchange sent dozens of times before he
finally picks you out of the pileup, while in that whole time he's never 
sent
his callsign once.  He may not send his callsign again until no one is left 
in
the pileup calling him, even with everyone asking "cl?", then finally send a
tongue-twister of a callsign once.

> Well, hey, Any tip's, funny tid-bits & info is appreciated. Hope to work 
> you
> this weekend & 73.
>
> Tony K1USC
> dit dit & Fight On!
>
>


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