[SECC] [Contest] Announcement, Worked All Europe CW DX Contest This Weekend

[John T. Laney III]

Tips for WAE:  When the contest starts, check 15M.  Likely no Eu there.  
Start on 20M then and quickly work what is available and call CQ a few 
times.  If no good rate, go to 40M, which will be the night time band of 
preference.  However, keep checking back on 20M, maybe every hour would 
be good.  Your beam on 20M will mean you can make QSOs there when it 
will be more difficult with a wire on 40M and 40M will be noisy too. 
Don't be surprised if you are unable to do much running on 40M and most 
of it is S&P.

I hate for a good run to be interrupted by a request for QTC.  However, 
if the run isn't urgent and I have at least ten QTCs, I'll go on and 
send them even early in the contest.  Later on, I will send fewer than 
10 QTC at a time when requested by a friend in Europe or when the run 
rate is very slow.  You can send QTCs again and again to the same 
station until you reach the maximum of 10.

80M should be checked and you should work whomever you can in Europe by 
S&P because it will close early in the Summer.  What you miss the first 
night, you can partially make up the second night, but the activity 
always drops as the weekend goes on, so it is better to be QRV early in 
the contest if you have a choice.

When both 40 and 20 are no longer productive into Europe, you should get 
some sleep.  Look for an European sunrise opening into Europe about 07Z 
or 08Z on 20M.   About that time, even the loudest Eu stations will 
disappear on 40M.

Try to get on 20M for our sunrise and then beginning checking 15M 
periodically.  Maybe every 30 minutes until it is open good.  After 
that, 15M will be the best band and you can check back on 20M for the 
big guys, but daytime absorption will prevent much running on 20M until 
18 or 19Z.  After that, you will want to be primarily on 20 until 40 
begins to open, but check back on 15 periodically.  Sometimes, we get 
our best summer openings to Europe in our late afternoon.

After 15 is open good, you will need to check for those elusive 10M 
European openings.  Maybe every 15 minutes is a good time for a quick 
check of 10M during the day.  But, particularly look at 10M if the US 
NorthEast signals become loud on 15M.  That is a sign that the higher 
band may be opening.  Sometimes in the summer 10M may open to Europe 
about 21Z to as late as perhaps 2230Z, so check 10M around those hours.  
If an European station asks you to QSY to 10M, give it a try. He 
wouldn't ask if he didn't think it was possible.

Keep an ear open during marginal conditions to Europe for signals, 
particularly from South and Southeastern Europe to be on the "Skew" 
path.  Signals may then peak from the East with both stations needing to 
beam toward Africa.  This is most likely early as the bands begin to 
open.  If so, leave your antenna there and work what you can.  These 
will likely be the big high powered stations.  If you start hearing 
stations from western Europe and the lower power stations, check on the 
NE path, because the direct path is then likely to be open.  Rarely, 
after the direct path closes to Europe, there may be skew path stations 
workable in the late afternoon.

48 hour contest gives you a second chance if you must miss a part of it 
the first day or if have made a bad choice the first day.  What I say 
here applies equally to the SSB WAE contest in September except that mid 
September brings us the fall Equinox and conditions will usually be 
somewhat better and 40M will stay open later.  But, it is harder to find 
a run frequency on 40M on phone for those of us without 40M beams.

I will likely be QRV part time if I can get CTWIN going for this 
contest.  It can be a lot of fun and is a big challenge.  It certainly 
can improve your CW skill.

Good luck to all.   73, John, K4BAI.