[SCCC] ARRL Sweepstakes: Tips for West Coasts Ops

[H Lawrence Serra]

Here are some notes from the OCT 2006 and earlier SCCC SS Clinics with panelists K6NA, K6LL, K6LA, and K6AM (sorry, I just located them today):
 
1.Preparation: At least two weks before, ferret out RFI line noises. (See SEPT '93 QST re line noise reduction). Test all gear, equipment, and antennas.
 
2. Preparation: Sleep 10 hours before contest; eat high amino acid GNC food bars for 3-4 days before-- keeps your brain working when you are tired in the contest. Pig out with a big meal before the contest.
 
3. Band choice: (CW SS starts SAT at 2 PM local Pacific time.) Stay on the highest band open, then go to lower bands. Try 10M, 15M, 20M if signals S-9, but if the band"spotlights"-- bunches of stations from same area (e.g., W8s, W2s)-- it closing, so go to lower band where propagation will be broader. If 15m not open at beginning, go to 20M. 10M SSB has a lot of uniques that you won't get on any other band (Novice stations).
 
4. 40M: Go to 40M ONLY whe 20M peters out; use 40M and 80M to round uplocal SECs. Also, a special 40M opening to the east coast occurs 0330-0430 local Pacific time (east coast sunrise).
 
5. 80M: Go to 80M at 9 PM local Pacific time. K6LL: Put up a 40M sloper aimed to the NE. K6NA: Put up a simple inverted V as high as you can.
 
6. Use 2d radio (or CW Skimmer) to monitor next lower band to compare openings.
 
7.On a particular band, see how long it takes to tune the band once; if you get no answer to your CQ w/in that time, go to another band.
 
8. If you run LOW power, go HIGH in the band to CQ (xx.050-xx.060). Try to CQ 80% of the time, S&P 20% of the time (hard to do with LOW power, where you must do more S&Ping).
 
9. Time Off: Stay ON the air the entire first 12 hours (2 PM to 2 AM) without a break. Take all six hours off at once to sleep ~1:30 AM or 2:30 AM until 6 AM or 7 AM local (but note the 0330-0430 Pacific opening to the east coast).
 
10. Get ON the air the last 3 hours of the contest on SUN. On SUN afternoon do "friendly CQing" at 15 WPM to draw out QSOs with timid OPs.