[SECC] NAQP Strategy

[Bill Coleman]

On Jan 15, 2006, at 3:46 PM, Sherman Banks wrote:

> Well from looking at the scores I did not have the same success in
> making QSOs as others did.  I thought it was conditions but it was  
> more
> likely operator and strategy.  I only had about 200 QSOs after about 5
> hours of operation before I had to leave and go to Rome, GA.  I  
> usually
> try to stay on the high bands for the first half of the contest and  
> then
> work the low bands for the second half of the contest.  That was most
> likely not the right strategy with the high QSO totals I have been  
> seeing.
>
> How soon should you go to the lower bands for next weekend?

Well, Sherm, I won't say that I have figured this contest out at all,  
but with the sunspots the way they are, you've got to have a certain  
amount of flexibility in the NAQP.

The first goal is to keep the rate up. That means you either have to  
be CQing on an active band where a lot of folks are, or you have to  
be S & Ping like the wind.

W4AN used to say, "In a domestic contest, if you aren't working 8 and  
9-land, you are losing." 2, 3, 8 and 9-land have the largest  
concentration of hams in the country -- that's where most of your Qs  
are going to come from.

So, for much of the contest, you need to be on whatever band is open  
to this area. To make your Qs. But, you also need multipliers. To get  
them, you've got to be in a bunch of different bands at different  
times. If you can operate SO2R, that's one way.

The tricky part about this part of the sunspot cycle is that the high  
bands aren't going to be open much. 10m may not be open at all. 15m  
may be really long. 20m will be open into 8-9-land until the sun goes  
down. If you plan to operate half the contest on the high bands, you  
may be missing out on a lot of Qs.

I don't remember if it was the August running or January last year,  
but I seem to remember everyone moving down to 160m as early as  
0200z. Imagine! Four hours spent on 160m!

The contest winners get a lot of their Qs and Mults by moving folks  
from other bands. (This part, I haven't figured out at all)

Have fun! See you in the Phone portion next week.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901