[SECC] Club activities

[John Laney]

Here are some more or less random thoughts about SECC club activity, 
particularly in light of the recent ARRL SS Contests.

We are falling behind in recruiting new members.  It might be helpful 
for someone to be appointed membership chairman.  The membership 
chairman might contact stations active in recent contests, such as SS, 
from Georgia, the areas of Ala, NC, and SC that are within our circle. 
I am not mentioning Tennessee, since the only member we had in Tennessee 
(K4JNY) seems to have dropped out, and the TCG seems to be pretty much 
occupying that territory.  I could go through my SS logs and others 
could do the same and we could provide calls to the membership chairman 
of people we worked in the contest who aren't on our roster, but appear 
to be within our area.  Maybe we could also provide additional info such 
as mode, QSO #, etc., which might help indicate areas of interest.  The 
membership chairman might contact these non-member contesters by e-mail 
where the address is listed in one of the data bases, or even by mail or 
telephone.

Secondly, I may be wrong.  I have not seen this in print anywhere.  But, 
it is my impression that certain contest clubs in California and perhaps 
the area around Illinois (SMC, for example), are encouraging activity by 
their members in the Unlimited category.  Members who don't particularly 
care about a contest, but want to help the club, are operating logged 
onto the internet or a packet group.  They work their own members first 
and they spot their own members.  Then they use the spots to get as many 
multipliers as possible.  They also make random contacts with 
others--old friends, strong stations, unusual calls.  They also probably 
CQ some if they like to run.   Thus, they increase the scores of their 
club members by working them and spotting them and they run up good 
scores for the amount of time they spend on the air.  At the end of the 
contest, they copy off a Cabrillo log and e-mail it off with credit to 
their club.  I suspect they are also using multiple calls.  When the 
rate slows down or they get bored, they switch to another call, such as 
a club call or a family member's call.  They then send in logs for all 
the calls they used with credit to their club.  An analysis of the rules 
of any particular contest would be required to see what would be 
permissible within the rules of that contest, with regard to these 
multiple calls.  They may also go to established club stations or to 
stations of inactive members of their clubs or members who may not be 
able to contest on a particular weekend and use their calls.  They rack 
up a lot of points for their clubs, but they also generally increase 
activity and make more calls available for everyone in the contest.

I draw these conclusions from the number of "Unlimited" precedences 
given out this year in ARRL SS, particular from California and from the 
number of "Multi" precedences, even with low numbers.  I believe "M" 
stations may also use packet and the multiple operators may include 
family members or friends, licensed or not.

I am in favor of as many hams as possible enjoying contesting and, if 
the use of packet (and perhaps sending packet messages back and forth 
during the contest) contributes to that, I am all for it.  I'd not like 
SECC to be completely left out though, and wonder if there are members 
out there on the repeater who think they might enter a contest like this 
to make whatever score might be possible in the time available, have 
some fun, and contribute to our club score?  We may have no real chance 
of winning against the larger and better organized clubs, but I'd like 
to see us keep our place among the contest clubs submitting scores.

Because of the submission of scores prior to 1996, SEDXC was allowed to 
name a team captain for WRTC 1996 in San Francisco.  Because of scores 
submitted for SECC in international contests, SECC was given a vote for 
US team captains for WRTC 2002.  WRTC 2006 has been announced for 
Brazil.  The selection method for US teams is, I am sure, yet to be 
determined.  Nevertheless, club scores submitted is a recurrent theme 
from past WRTC selection processes.  It isn't too early for us to be 
thinking about 2006 and placing ourselves in a place to have some effect 
on that selection process.

Also, the composite scores of teams published in magazines or on the 
internet help us earn international recognition.  We might think of 
other ways to raise consciousness of our club, including a club QSL card 
with logo, etc.

Hope everyone has a nice week.  There is an international contest this 
weekend, called the LZ DX Contest, on both modes CW and SSB, 12 UTC Sat 
to 12 UTC Sunday.  Everyone can work everyone else for point credit. 
The CT/NA logging programs can be used in the IARU contest template.  It 
won't figure the score right, but the logchecking software will do that 
from your Cabrillo file.  We send RS(T) plus ITU zone and LZ stations 
send RS(T) plus 2 letter LZ district abbreviation.  The IARU logging 
programs will accept the letters they same as if they were a HQ station 
ID.  Apparently TR and Writelog are fully functional including scoring 
for this contest.  Logs within 30 days to lzdxc at yahoo.com.  The rules 
may be found at:  http://www.qsl.net/lz1fw/contest   Note there is a 
ten-minute rule per mode, but not per band, so you can do SO2R and quick 
QSYs as long as you stay on the same mode.  This could be a good warm up 
for CQ WW CW the next weekend.  The PJ2T contest station will QRV in 
this contest.  If I am not mistaken, it will be a single op effort by 
Geoff, W0CG, as PJ2DX.

Again, a reminder to look for me as PJ2/K4BAI Nov 25 to Dec 2 and look 
for PJ2T in CQ WW CW.  We will be multi two, so we should be QRV on two 
bands at any given time.  We are hoping, if conditions permit, to have a 
shot at the all time M/2 record, set by A61AJ in 2002.  Our ops will be 
K4BAI, W0CG, K8MFO, N8BJQ, W8WTS, K8ND, and S50R (Leo was an op at A61AJ 
in 2002).  I may not be as QRV before and after the contest as usual 
since we will have more ops than rigs and I will not be staying at the 
station location overnight except during the contest, perhaps.  We will 
be monitoring six meters with a new 100 watt 6 meter rig, to take the 
place of the 5 watter used in the past.  If I can provide a new 
band/mode/country for anybody, it would be a great pleasure for me to do so.

73,


John, K4BAI.