[SECC] NAQP Tactical Considerations

[John Laney]

Time:  Limited to 10 of the 12 hours.  1800Z Sat to 0559Z Sun. After you 
make your first QSO, you may take 30 minutes or more off at any time.  
Be sure to take off a full 30 minutes.  For example, if your last QSO 
before the break is at 2100Z, you cannot make a QSO before 2131Z if you 
want the time off not to count against your max time.  If you make your 
next QSO at 2130Z, you will have taken off only 29 minutes.

If you can't get in ten hours under any circumstances, just put in all 
the time you can and don't worry about off times.

If you can put in ten hours, part of the tactical consideration is when 
to take time off.  W4AN thought it would be best to take two hours off 
in the afternoon in 4 half hour segments.  This was because he had very 
good low band antennas and he wanted to be on the low bands at the end.  
My experience is that the rate for me begins to slow toward the end, so 
I prefer to take off the last hour or so and also to take off time in 
the evening for dinner with my wife.  So, if I take off only 30 minutes 
for dinner about 0000Z, I'd take the last 90 minutes off.  One problem 
with that is that you may miss far west coast multipliers on 80 and 
160M.  So, take into consideration your strong bands and your weaker 
bands in planning your off times.

Since multipliers count per band, you need to make as many 
mutliplier-QSOs as you can on each band.  Multipliers are States, 
Provinces and Territories of Canada (your logging software will know 
which is a multiplier).  KH6 and KL7 are states.  Also District of 
Columbia is a multiplier.  Also multipliers are North American 
countries.  You will need to make your own judgment as to how long you 
try for a multiplier before you move on and put that frequency into 
memory and come back later.  Generally, most NA multipliers outside 
US/VE are rare and you might want to spend time calling any XE or other 
NA country multiplier.  Propagation is short to KL7, the northern 
Canadian mults, and Hawaii.  So, grab them when you have the chance.  
Some states may be rare.  NE, ND, etc.

If someone you call asks you to QSY to another band and you can easily 
do so, by all means say yes and give it a try.  This is especially true 
if you also need him on that band.  You are probably wasting your time 
to ask someone to move to another band as a mult when he is running 
unless he is a close personal friend.  If you are running, you may 
freely ask a caller to move to another band that you think is open to 
them.  Some will, some won't.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they 
don't.  It is probably a good idea to have a frequency on another band 
noted to use for QSY requests.  Probably a usually not widely used 
frequency high or low in the band.  There may be a few General class ops 
who cannot go below 3525, 7025, 14025, and 21028.  They can use all of 
the 10 and 160M bands. Mostly of the big stations will be Extras and a 
frequency low in the Extra class segment may be a good choice.  There 
will be a few stations who are M/2 and will be on two bands at the same 
time.  If they ask you to QSY, they will be sending you to a frequency 
where their other station is running.  Guys who are SO2R will be about 
the same. They will be asking you to move to a frequency that they are 
monitoring on their second radio.

Some times, QSYs will work when you think a band is dead.  If someone 
asks you to move, he thinks a QSO with you on the other band is 
possible.  I'd listen at the suggested frequency, call him if you don't 
hear him, and then go back to what you were doing if a QSO seems impossible.

10 meters will likely not be open much.  There has been some Es reported 
on 10M in the past few weeks.  I try to monitor 10M just before the 
contest starts and check it periodically during the day. If 10 is open 
at the start, make hay while the sun shines. Otherwise open on 15M and 
work as many easy multipliers as you can. Then try running or S&P on 20M 
and back to 15.  15 will likely close early, so again work anyone you 
can hear there when you hear them.

I will try to run on 15 (or 10) at the top of the daylight hours. Then 
go to 20.  Check back on 10 and 15 every half hour.  Do at least one run 
on 40M before the sun goes down, maybe about 2200Z so you will get those 
multipliers where the stations may be skipping over you later on.  From 
our part of the country, 15 is hard to run on for most of us, 20M is a 
good daytime band and running should be possible.  40M may be the big 
band from around here, although 80 has been good lately.  If 40 goes 
long and seems crappy, you might start checking 80M about 2300Z.  Then 
go between 80 and 40 trying for the best rates and to work every 
possible mult.  If you have 160M, you might start checking that band, 
perhaps on the half hour, after sunset.

The frequencies will be crowded and you may need to use narrow filters 
and be flexible.  Be courteous.

You should probably program your F keys before the contest starts to 
have them ready.  "CQ NA W4AN" is a good message for CQ F1.  If you 
think you need to send your call twice, you can hit F4 (your call) 
again  before the F1 message is over.  F2 you would want to send "BILL 
GA" or whatever just once.  Your TU message might be "TU W4AN."  I put a 
plain "TU" in F6, so if two stations have called me I can send TU and 
listen to see if the other station calls.
F1 CQ
F2 Exchange
F3 your call
F4 your call
F5 his call
F6 TU
F7 ?
F12 Wipe QSO.
You can put whatever you want under F8, F9, F10, F11.  Such as "SEC?"  
"NAME?"  "AGN".  Whatever works for you.  Some of you will use ESM, 
which means "Enter sends messages."   I don't recommend trying to to 
this until you get to the point where you can run pileups for a good bit 
of the time.  If you know how to use ESM, by all means do so.

Frequencies will range from the very bottom of the CW bands up to 065 
kHz or so. Up until you run into digital and RTTY QRM on 15 and 20.  And 
40 perhaps up to 070 or so.  80M maybe up to 080 or so.  On 160M, most 
activity will be between 1810 and 1840.

Use the speed you feel comfortable copying if you are CQing.  If you are 
doing S&P, use the speed of the running station approximately unless you 
really need him to QRS with your exchange. If so, most good ops will do 
so.  Don't be afraid to ask him to slow down "QRS."  If you are doing 
S&P, the exchange to everyone will be the same from the station you are 
hearing running. So, you can already know his info before you call.  I 
put the call and exchange into the logging program even before I call.  
Just be sure to Wipe the QSO if you don't complete a QSO.

Others of you may want to express your ideas to, so feel free to send 
them to SECC and KZ5D at aol.com.  Also, if you have questions, let us know 
about them.

Thanks.  Have fun.  Make the highest score you reasonably can with the 
rig and antennas and time you have available to you.  And if you don't 
make a big score, don't worry about it.  Just post whatever score you 
make.  And, again, have fun.

73, John, K4BAI.