[SCCC] 2009 Ohio QSO Party

[Bill Haddon]

NC6Q wrote: "I have the usual beginner's comment  that cw speeds were just
too fast for
me. "

Not just you . . The cw speed of many ops was too fast under sometimes
marginal conditions: Many number repeats were needed out of 100 q's.  The
pace may, to some extent, be set by the frantic cw pace of the OhQP's
organizer, Jim, K8MR.   (well, one organizer: there was an odd
dueling-organizer situation in the OQP this year, see www.ohqp.org and
www.oqp.us )
[Raises a ? . . is it preferred to send an exchange at 35 wpm twice, or at
18 wpm once in marginal conditions, assuming op can copy 35 wpm, i.e. which
is optimal for same total time]

>Too bad I didn't hear my hometown county of Lorain
  i missed Knox county, where my great-great-great grandfather setled in
1823 in the town of Bladensburg after walking there from SE PA; my
grandfather was born in Bladensburg two years prior to the outbreak of the
American Civil War, revealing something of the politics in my family . . his
name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Houck, after the orator and abolitionist
(emancipationalist) writer from KY, who later became Pres. Lincoln's
minister to Russia.  **Boxer Cassius Clay, Muhammae Ali, was also named
after Cassius Marcellus Clay, who had freed his own slaves)

With regard to slow speed contest practice.  . .

Look at page 77 of the Sept 09 QST, Sean, kx9x's column (contest branch mgr,
for ARRL) features our SNS (Slow NCCC Sprint), which occurs most Thursday
nights at 0200Z on 20m and 40m, midband,   prior to the NCCC sprint/sprint
ladder competition (NS/NSL). This practice  event is organized by Mike, W9RE
of the SMC.  Speed is limited to 18 wpm, not the 23 wpm mentioned in Sean's
column.

73 Bill n6zfo
(formerly temporary resident of SJC,  OC, now back permanently in
Kelseyville, N. CA.).
Contest Director,
NCCC Sprint Ladder,  www.ncccsprint.com

On Sun, Aug 23, 2009 at 11:01 AM, <RGrubic at aol.com> wrote:

>
> 2009 Ohio QSO Party
> [Filed in  Panama]
> Call: HP3/NC6Q
> Operator: NC6Q
> Station: HP3/NC6Q  portable
> Class: High  Power
> QTH: Boquete, Chiriqui Province,  Panama
> Operating Time: 8 1/2 hours (hey,  I’m on vacation!)
> Mode: CW
> Summary:
> Band   QSOs   Mult
> ___________________
> 80:
> 40:     10     8
> 20:       5     5
> 15:
> 10:
> ___________________
> Total:   15     13
> Total Points:  390
> Club: Southern California Contest  Club
> Comments:
> A portable station with a G5RV  antenna up in the backyard in an inverted-v
> at 35 ft (with help of EZ Hang  slingshot to sling the rope and pulley over
> the 50 ft tree). Tried the  recommended 10 meters on the even hours (UTC)
> and 15 on the odd hours, but never  heard anything from here; even called
> CQ
> for 5 minutes each time. Several hours  with no propagation on any bands.
> Twenty meters picked up for a while in the  afternoon then 40m was the work
> horse for the rest of the night. Heard several  stations on 80m during the
> last hour (10 to 11 pm local time), but they could  not hear me so I went
> back
> to 40. A CW filter would have helped in my little  Kenwood TS-50. Luckily,
> no storms came through the whole day to require me to  disconnect the
> antenna..
> I have the usual beginner's comment  that cw speeds were just too fast for
> me. Had to listen and copy pieces at a  time with QRM and QSB to get my
> anticipated exchange. That took a lot of time.  (I felt like an SWL.) If a
> station would only have sent their NR or County twice  (as several did), I
> could
> have called them sooner or even worked them on the  first try (to my
> benefit
> and theirs)! Some stations immediately slowed down  to match my sending
> speed (about 17 wpm) others replied at 25 to 30+ wpm. (I  know, I have to
> get
> faster.) I realized then a useful piece of  equipment for a contester (for
> a
> fast operator) would be to have two keyers  at two different speeds,
> switchable for the occasion. I learned a lot and had  fun in all the
> preparation.
> First time I ever used my Logikey K-5 keyer's auto  serial number
> incrementing. Just the very preparation for a contest helps  you learn more
> about your
> gear and what it'll do. Beat my last year's score from here  substantially!
> hi Too bad I didn't hear my hometown county of Lorain in  there.
> Cambio y fuera (over and  out)
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