[VHFcontesting] WSJT for random contacts in contests?

[Marshall Williams]

Hello to everyone.....Jay's advice is excellent.  In January, 
especially, there are a LOT of "rare" grids that you can work if you 
just get on meteor scatter using the  FSK441 mode of WSJT.  On 6M, you 
can pick up 15-20 new grids fairly easily.  If more people would get on 
late at night(and especially from 5-7AM Sunday morning local time), even 
more contacts will result.  More activity ====> more contacts and more 
multipliers. 

One reason given for NOT going after the rare contacts in this way is 
that a single op station has to worry about sleeping, eating, taking 
Aunt Minnie to church, and other such stuff.  I have never been a single 
op, so I never worry about those things.  I worry about how to keep 
someone in the chair operating for the entire 33 hours of the contest.  
Sometimes that is hard.  I want to praise the set of ops who come over 
here and run the station....they are the best. 

However, with just 2-3 ops, you can keep a Limited-Multi going the 
entire time.  One brave guy runs the digital stuff late at night and the 
other two sleep.  Then the night op gets 5-6hours of sleep and comes 
back to help finish the contest.  You will see a huge increase in the 
score if you just keep plugging the whole time.  Just ask yourself, what 
would 20 new multipliers do for my score??

K5QE will be on plugging away during the night hours.  On 6M, we operate 
at 50.267MHz First sequence, but we work that out pretty quickly and 
then we call CQ UP7 on 50.260MHz.  We run about 1KW and stacked yagis, 
so most people will hear us quickly.  On 2M, we operate on 
144.142MHz(the same as our EME frequency) also First Sequence.  We 
resort to calling CQ UP2 when we fish 144.142MHz out.  We run a stacked 
pair of 17el M2 yagis at 160ft for 2M tropo and MS.  Please note this:  
We will be on EME until 0730Z(=1:30AM Sunday morning).  For that reason, 
we will not start meteor scatter operations until that time.  IF there 
is nothing happening on EME, we may start meteor scatter sooner.  IF you 
are 2M EME equipped, please work us that way before the moon sets.  It 
is a lot easier and quicker to make an EME contact than to wait for 
random meteors.  On 2M EME, we operate JT65B on Second Sequence. 

If you are within range, please look for us on meteor scatter during the 
January contest.  Thanks a lot...All new grids gratefully appreciated.....

73 Marshall K5QE

Keith Morehouse wrote:
> KK6MC wrote:
>
> Does anyone have experience using WSJT to make random contacts 
> in VHF/UHF contacts? That is, calling CQ on a specific frequency 
> without skeds and making contacts? Do you work enough additional 
> contacts and grids to make it worthwhile?
>
> ********************
>
> Yes.  More and more people are finding it productive to CQ on the 
> WJST calling frequencies of 50.260 and 144.140.  I've been doing it
> for years, both from home and our limited-multi-station.  There's usually
> not a whole lot else to do that time of the morning when you're only
> on the bottom 4 bands.
>
> Just be sure you use proper protocol concerning sequencing and the use 
> of UP/DWN cues.  The more popular the calling freqs become, the more of
> a zoo they will be !
>
> I am time limited for the Jan contest so I've told everyone who asked 
> about skeds that I would work them if I heard them on the calling freqs.
>
> With regard to mobile WSJT.....welllll, I kinda doubt it'll work.
>
> Jay W9RM 
>
>
>
>       
>
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