[SD-User] ARRL 10m Contest

[Paul O'Kane]

The ARRL 10m contest takes place next weekend 14/15th December. 
There are CW Only, SSB Only, and mixed-mode sections.

Here's how to configure SD - for both W/VE and DX.

Select Type 10 - General, County and Area Multipliers.

1. Single Mode Entry (SSB or CW)
.MLT File            : ARRL10 
.CTY File            : DXCC 
Multipliers Count    : B (by band - Yes, I know it's 10m only) 
Points per QSO       : 4 (if CW) 
                       2 (if SSB) 
Pts/Bonus            : 0 (multipliers) 
Receive Serial from 
   Area QSOs (W/VE)  : N 
Mode                 : CW or SSB 
Mixed-mode           : N 
______________________________________

2. Mixed Mode Entry - both CW and SSB
.MLT File            : ARRL10 
.CTY File            : DXCC 
Multipliers Count    : B (by band - Yes, I know it's 10m only) 
Points per QSO       : 0 (variable) 
Pts/Bonus            : 0 (multipliers) 
Points / Area QSO    : 0 (same as other QSOs) 
Points vary by mode  : Y 
             by band : N 
         by location : N 
Points CW            : 4 
Points SSB           : 2 
Receive Serial from 
    Area QSOs (W/VE) : N 
Mode                 : CW or SSB (your mode now) 
Mixed Mode           : Y 
Mults count on both 
               modes : Y 
Work same station 
       on both modes : Y 
___________________________________________

Work everyone. 
W/VE send RS(T) and State. 
DX send RS(T) and Serial.

Alaska and Hawaii count as DX countries, and not as area
(State) multipliers.  The ARRL10.MLT distributed with
V9.95 has been updated accordingly.

If you're using an older version of SD, you can update
your copy of ARRL10.MLT be deleting the following lines.

$KH6
$KL
AK=Alaska
HI=Hawaii

After the contest, use SDCHECK to create your .LOG file 
in ARRL's Standard File Format (Cabrillo). You're free 
to edit the Summary information if necessary (for example, 
add soapbox comments) - but do not edit the QSO records.

A reminder that, in Cabrillo logs, dupes are not marked, 
multipliers are not indicated, and QSOs are not scored. 
ARRL will do all this independently with your log.

Rename your .LOG file to YOURCALL.LOG (the call used in 
the contest) and email it, as an attached file, to 
10meter@arrl.org by 15th January 2003.
_______________________________________________________

Here is my suggested strategy for mixed-mode entries.
It was good for first place (low power DX) in 1991,
second place in 1992, and third place in 2001.

CW QSOs score double points (4 compared to 2 on SSB). 
Therefore, you should operate CW as much as possible, as 
it's usually easier to run, for example, at 120/hour on
CW than 240/hour on SSB.

However, multipliers score on both modes - so use SSB as 
necessary to ensure that your SSB mult total stays close 
to your CW mult total. SD shows SSB and CW mult totals 
separately.

At least 75% of your QSOs should be CW - and your average
Points/QSO will then be 3.5 or greater. If your average
falls to 3.0, it means you have equal numbers of CW and
SSB QSOs - you may be having fun, but you're probably not
scoring as well as you might.

73, 
Paul EI5DI