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Posted: 3/25/2021 11:20:41 AM EDT
[#1]
If propagation will cooperate this contest is a good way to work DX contacts all over the globe. Just be prepared for pileups on virtually every contact.
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Posted: 3/27/2021 12:48:00 AM EDT
[#2]
I got my cobweb up about 20' and have made contacts in Japan, Tampa FL, California and Oregon so far.
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Posted: 3/27/2021 2:08:43 AM EDT
[#3]
What if I just wanna help someone out and add to their log? I read the rules but I don’t contest and I don’t keep track of my numbers. I just log.
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Posted: 3/27/2021 2:13:34 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What if I just wanna help someone out and add to their log? I read the rules but I don’t contest and I don’t keep track of my numbers. I just log. Quote HistoryQuoted: What if I just wanna help someone out and add to their log? I read the rules but I don’t contest and I don’t keep track of my numbers. I just log. Just use the correct exchange: IV. EXCHANGE: RS(T) report plus a progressive contact serial number starting with 001 for the first contact. |
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Posted: 3/27/2021 9:16:14 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What if I just wanna help someone out and add to their log? I read the rules but I don’t contest and I don’t keep track of my numbers. I just log. As Gamma762 said, just do it. All you need to do is keep a running log of contact numbers so that if people entering the contest with your call in their logs don't show duplicate contact numbers. If that happens they will disallow the contact. The exchange is simply a signal report (*ALWAYS* "59" (or "599" for CW and RTTY) regardless of actual signal strength) plus the contact number (start with 001 and increment with each contact). It's the "Floaters" that make a contest work. Most of the people that enter the contest will sit in one spot calling CQ or QRZ and wait for the "Floaters" to come by and make a contact with them. So jump in and have some fun. What you are talking about is what the majority of us do. |
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Posted: 3/27/2021 2:58:24 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The exchange is simply a signal report (*ALWAYS* "59" (or "599" for CW and RTTY) regardless of actual signal strength) Yes all (HF) contest contacts are always 59 or 599 if the signal report is part of the exchange. FT8 in a digital contest would be unique in that it would have an actual automatically generated signal report. I say HF because VHF contest folks talk about actual signal levels because they're trying to figure out, or just marveling at, the propagation. VHF contests don't use signal reports as part of the contest exchange generally. |
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Posted: 3/27/2021 10:58:55 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yes all (HF) contest contacts are always 59 or 599 if the signal report is part of the exchange. FT8 in a digital contest would be unique in that it would have an actual automatically generated signal report. I say HF because VHF contest folks talk about actual signal levels because they're trying to figure out, or just marveling at, the propagation. VHF contests don't use signal reports as part of the contest exchange generally. FT8 would drive the contest guys crazy. 3 or 4 "Standard" messages each taking 30 seconds plus a return from the other station. This assuming there are no retries. It would send them into insanity having to wait that long. FT4 behaves pretty much identically but the transmission times are 15 seconds instead of 30 but even so it takes a minute or two to complete an exchange. |
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Posted: 3/27/2021 11:24:31 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: As Gamma762 said, just do it. All you need to do is keep a running log of contact numbers so that if people entering the contest with your call in their logs don't show duplicate contact numbers. If that happens they will disallow the contact. The exchange is simply a signal report (*ALWAYS* "59" (or "599" for CW and RTTY) regardless of actual signal strength) plus the contact number (start with 001 and increment with each contact). It's the "Floaters" that make a contest work. Most of the people that enter the contest will sit in one spot calling CQ or QRZ and wait for the "Floaters" to come by and make a contact with them. So jump in and have some fun. What you are talking about is what the majority of us do. Funny- I came to ask the same question as Keith. So if I hear someone calling CQ contest: I first reply with my call sign only...They reply with my CS, 59, and then their contact serial number...then I reply to them with their CS, 59, and the serial # I’ve given them? |
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Posted: 3/27/2021 11:49:57 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Funny- I came to ask the same question as Keith. So if I hear someone calling CQ contest: I first reply with my call sign only...They reply with my CS, 59, and then their contact serial number...then I reply to them with their CS, 59, and the serial # I’ve given them? That's it. As I said, just make sure and keep track of the consecutive numbering. Start with #1 and go up as far as you need to. If you give the same number to two reports they will both show the same number in their logs and it will be disallowed. With people working the band so close together it isn't unusual for someone working the contest to think someone is working them when they are actually responding to someone else. Since the log checkers can never know who was the actual recipient of that number their only choice is to disallow them in both logs. It's also a good idea to keep a log (even a temporary log) of callsigns and the band you worked them on. Duplicates are not allowed on the same band so try not to work the same station on the same band twice. This particular contest does allow the same station on different bands though so you can work the same station on, say, 20 and 40 meters. Jump in and have fun! |
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Posted: 3/27/2021 11:53:55 PM EDT
[#10]
You are right. 40m was crazy busy tonight!
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Posted: 3/28/2021 6:03:02 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You are right. 40m was crazy busy tonight! I figured it would be. We had heavy thunderstorms here all evening and night so I shut down early. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 6:09:14 AM EDT
[#12]
Why always 59 regardless of signal strength?
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Posted: 3/28/2021 8:26:22 AM EDT
[#13]
Follow up question: When can I start over in the serial #s I’m assigning to contest contacts? Daily?
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Posted: 3/28/2021 8:50:40 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Follow up question: When can I start over in the serial #s I’m assigning to contest contacts? Daily? Never. It is a serial# for the entire Contest. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 9:17:54 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Why always 59 regardless of signal strength? "It's just the way we do it."  It's a time-saver.SKCC sprints are different. We require much more info to count as a contact; call, state, name, SKCC number, and the actual RST. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 9:37:30 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Never. It is a serial# for the entire Contest. That doesn’t make sense. Remember, I’m not engaging in the contest. As a floater, I’m simply assigning #s on my side when I make contact with someone who is actually taking part in the contest. Hypothetically, it would depend on how long the contest is, I suppose. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 9:57:13 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That doesn’t make sense. Remember, I’m not engaging in the contest. As a floater, I’m simply assigning #s on my side when I make contact with someone who is actually taking part in the contest. Hypothetically, it would depend on how long the contest is, I suppose. They are only weekend contests, at most. Sometimes only a day, sometimes only a few hours. The sequence is specific to a particular contest so next time this contest runs (or another contest runs), just start from #1 again. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 10:05:30 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: "It's just the way we do it." It's a time-saver.SKCC sprints are different. We require much more info to count as a contact; call, state, name, SKCC number, and the actual RST. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Why always 59 regardless of signal strength? "It's just the way we do it." It's a time-saver.SKCC sprints are different. We require much more info to count as a contact; call, state, name, SKCC number, and the actual RST. Keep in mind that the "S" in RST originally had nothing to do with the "S" meter on a radio. They mean "1 - faint signals, barely perceptible" to "9 - Extremely strong signals" and are based on the operator's perception of the signal strength. A signal with an S-meter reading of 5 in the middle of noise with an S-meter reading of 7 is not going to be an S-5 signal, more like an S-1 signal. It's a qualitative reading, not a quantitative reading. Wikipedia R-S-T In the case of a contest, as Frank_B said, it's a time saver. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 10:23:07 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: They are only weekend contests, at most. Sometimes only a day, sometimes only a few hours. The sequence is specific to a particular contest so next time this contest runs (or another contest runs), just start from #1 again. I guess it would be tough to know which contest the person is engaged in because I suppose they could be different but that makes sense. Thanks! |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 10:30:27 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I guess it would be tough to know which contest the person is engaged in because I suppose they could be different but that makes sense. Thanks! Sometimes it is. I've seen times when more than one contest was running at the same time and it IS hard to determine which one they are in. Not all of them require a sequential serial number though, some are RST and name, some RST and country or state, others want RST and grid locator, it varies from one to the next. This Site has a very good list of all the upcoming contests. You can select the next 8 days, month, year, etc. and then click a specific contest to get information about the rules, the dates and times, and the information to be exchanged. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 10:45:18 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Keep in mind that the "S" in RST originally had nothing to do with the "S" meter on a radio. They mean "1 - faint signals, barely perceptible" to "9 - Extremely strong signals" and are based on the operator's perception of the signal strength. A signal with an S-meter reading of 5 in the middle of noise with an S-meter reading of 7 is not going to be an S-5 signal, more like an S-1 signal. It's a qualitative reading, not a quantitative reading. Wikipedia R-S-T In the case of a contest, as Frank_B said, it's a time saver. Very few entry level receivers of the '50s and '60s even had S-meters. A few mid-grade communication receivers and top-tier consumer radios had "magic eye" tubes for tuning indicators. Test equipment used them for null or peak indicators. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 10:53:44 AM EDT
[#22]
I still think it's poor form to make contacts with contesters if you have no intention of submitting a contest log, irregardless if the other station may or may not be penalized for the qso not being verifiable. Just make contacts on the WARC bands when contesters are clogging 80/40/20...
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Posted: 3/28/2021 10:56:47 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Very few entry level receivers of the '50s and '60s even had S-meters. A few mid-grade communication receivers and top-tier consumer radios had "magic eye" tubes for tuning indicators. Test equipment used them for null or peak indicators. True. According to that Wikipedia article I showed a link to the RST system came about in 1934. As far as I know that predates any radio with an S-meter on it. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 11:04:27 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I still think it's poor form to make contacts with contesters if you have no intention of submitting a contest log, irregardless if the other station may or may not be penalized for the qso not being verifiable. Just make contacts on the WARC bands when contesters are clogging 80/40/20... Without the hams who aren't entering the contests the number of log entries would drop by about 90%. The people who are truly working the contest don't roam up and down the bands looking for contacts, they park in one spot and stay there, and they aren't going to waste time trying to get through a pileup for one contact. I also don't think it's fair to make the people who check the logs have to check hundreds of little nothing logs that were submitted for no reason, they have enough work ahead of them with the people actually working the contests. If there was a mechanism where a log could be submitted as a "Check Log Only" so that they didn't have to be checked that would be a different story, and I would probably send mine in for that purpose, but I've never seen that ability. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 11:36:55 AM EDT
[#25]
I could be wrong, but I think most contest checkers only look at the logs with the highest scores.
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Posted: 3/28/2021 12:12:16 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I could be wrong, but I think most contest checkers only look at the logs with the highest scores. I use N3FJP and practically every contest is in available, it takes a couple minutes to download the logger for whatever contest or qso party is happening and another couple minutes at the end to upload it. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 12:46:35 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Right, so they'd lose points if you were in their log and you didn't upload one to cross check. I use N3FJP and practically every contest is in available, it takes a couple minutes to download the logger for whatever contest or qso party is happening and another couple minutes at the end to upload it. I don't think that's how it works. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 2:07:18 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Right, so they'd lose points if you were in their log and you didn't upload one to cross check. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I could be wrong, but I think most contest checkers only look at the logs with the highest scores. That's not how it generally works. Very few contests only count cross-verified contacts. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 2:45:04 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Very few entry level receivers of the '50s and '60s even had S-meters. A few mid-grade communication receivers and top-tier consumer radios had "magic eye" tubes for tuning indicators. Test equipment used them for null or peak indicators. When I got into this hobby in the 80's, comercialy build transceivers weren't available to anyone. All radios were home built or heavily retrofitted military receivers (made to transmit too). I had an S-meter on the radio I built but I never used it to give signal reports. It was calibrated with a signal generator. I took a meter apart and carefully drew the lines and numbers to make it look like a Kenwood S-meter I saw in a B&W copy of a QST magazine. Also, we didn't have any study manuals for license exams and exams were verbal. The only way to learn was from other hams and by listening to technical discussions on HF bands and by building radios at home. Here is how signal reporting was explained to me: 59 - good for every contact if you hear them ok. 59+ was for very strong and loud signals. 58 - when you hear them but not very well. 57 - when you can copy at least 50%. 56 - Chekov, can you hear me now? I can't hear you!!! 55 - is an insult. Sh*t can you radio, burn your license and get a life! Anything below 55 can't be posted here without bad language. Signal reports always started with a 5.  Similar technique was used for CW contacts. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 3:21:29 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: When I got into this hobby in the 80's, comercialy build transceivers weren't available to anyone. All radios were home built or heavily retrofitted military receivers (made to transmit too). I had an S-meter on the radio I built but I never used it to give signal reports. It was calibrated with a signal generator. I took a meter apart and carefully drew the lines and numbers to make it look like a Kenwood S-meter I saw in a B&W copy of a QST magazine. Also, we didn't have any study manuals for license exams and exams were verbal. The only way to learn was from other hams and by listening to technical discussions on HF bands and by building radios at home. Here is how signal reporting was explained to me: 59 - good for every contact if you hear them ok. 59+ was for very strong and loud signals. 58 - when you hear them but not very well. 57 - when you can copy at least 50%. 56 - Chekov, can you hear me now? I can't hear you!!! 55 - is an insult. Sh*t can you radio, burn your license and get a life! Anything below 55 can't be posted here without bad language. Signal reports always started with a 5. Similar technique was used for CW contacts. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Very few entry level receivers of the '50s and '60s even had S-meters. A few mid-grade communication receivers and top-tier consumer radios had "magic eye" tubes for tuning indicators. Test equipment used them for null or peak indicators. When I got into this hobby in the 80's, comercialy build transceivers weren't available to anyone. All radios were home built or heavily retrofitted military receivers (made to transmit too). I had an S-meter on the radio I built but I never used it to give signal reports. It was calibrated with a signal generator. I took a meter apart and carefully drew the lines and numbers to make it look like a Kenwood S-meter I saw in a B&W copy of a QST magazine. Also, we didn't have any study manuals for license exams and exams were verbal. The only way to learn was from other hams and by listening to technical discussions on HF bands and by building radios at home. Here is how signal reporting was explained to me: 59 - good for every contact if you hear them ok. 59+ was for very strong and loud signals. 58 - when you hear them but not very well. 57 - when you can copy at least 50%. 56 - Chekov, can you hear me now? I can't hear you!!! 55 - is an insult. Sh*t can you radio, burn your license and get a life! Anything below 55 can't be posted here without bad language. Signal reports always started with a 5. Similar technique was used for CW contacts.   I try to give honest reports by the chart. No insults intended by not giving everybody a 5-9. Momma always said I was a bit too literal. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 3:52:32 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I try to give honest reports by the chart. No insults intended by not giving everybody a 5-9. Momma always said I was a bit too literal. At first I also tried to give an accurate report but now I just go with 59 or I match what the person I'm calling gives me. That way we both have the same number in the logs. It really doesn't matter as long as you both hear each other good enough to make the contact. |
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Posted: 3/28/2021 4:24:38 PM EDT
[#32]
Slovenia and Italy today! I’m geeking out!
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Posted: 3/28/2021 5:31:36 PM EDT
[#33]
Your'e hooked!
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Posted: 3/28/2021 5:39:05 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: ...Similar technique was used for CW contacts. T-9 is just about all that's heard these days, unless you're working the Antique Wireless Association events.  The Antique Wireless Museum Presents K0SM's 3 Hartleys There were a lot of T reports less than 9 back '50s and '60s. Those transmitters made from defunct radios and TV sets often had compromised electrolytic capacitors and "chirpy" crystals from being overdriven. |
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Posted: 3/29/2021 1:50:06 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I try to give honest reports by the chart. No insults intended by not giving everybody a 5-9. Momma always said I was a bit too literal. I gave plenty of 5 by 1 reports to stations I could hear just fine but the S-meter wasn't even moving. |
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Posted: 3/29/2021 6:42:56 PM EDT
[#36]
I was bummed not being able to work Cuba because the guy shut down at the deadline before I could make contact. Maybe next time.
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Posted: 3/29/2021 9:57:22 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I was bummed not being able to work Cuba because the guy shut down at the deadline before I could make contact. Maybe next time. Trust me, you'll reach a point where you never want to hear certain countries again ;) Which is exactly what the rest of the world says about us! |
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Posted: 3/30/2021 10:20:30 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Trust me, you'll reach a point where you never want to hear certain countries again ;) Which is exactly what the rest of the world says about us! Ha! Being new, I have this mental picture of a single ham radio station in a country like Cuba and making a contact with them is like finding a unicorn. |
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Posted: 3/30/2021 11:00:04 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Ha! Being new, I have this mental picture of a single ham radio station in a country like Cuba and making a contact with them is like finding a unicorn. In some cases that is true. Years ago I used to buy a new DX callbook every year that listed the mailing address of all hams throughout the world (the USA had an entire separate volume!). In the back it always showed a census of hams in each callsign district and there were a number of them that had 1 to zero. That's what drives DXpeditions. A group gets together and heads for an island or country with no hams and sets up a station for a week or so. There are 340 countries on the current ARRL Countries List and one of my friends has worked 338 of them. His only chance of getting the last 2 is a DXpedition since nobody lives there, they are just rocks in the South China Sea. Unfortunately a DXpedition won't happen on either since one is owned by France and they flat out refuse to allow hams to set up there and the other is disputed with ownership claimed by several countries. Even if a group got permission from one of the countries they would be liable to get arrested by one of the others, one of which is China ;) |
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Posted: 4/11/2021 10:04:47 PM EDT
[#40]
Good video here that answers question about submitting a log if you are only a floater, etc.
 Must I submit a contest log if I make contacts? (#402) |
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Posted: 4/11/2021 11:43:33 PM EDT
[#41]
He doesn't answer the question in my opinion, he mentions that you don't lose points from the other guy not logging as your score is based on your log, but then he talks about "busted contacts" and those being programmatically removed using check logs. Seems like the same thing to me...
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Posted: 4/12/2021 2:38:46 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: He doesn't answer the question in my opinion, he mentions that you don't lose points from the other guy not logging as your score is based on your log, but then he talks about "busted contacts" and those being programmatically removed using check logs. Seems like the same thing to me... Well, based on my understanding, submitting a log to LoTW has more risk than reward. If I’m a floater who accidentally submits something wrong, I can penalize a contester, but if I don’t submit the log, than there is nothing lost (other than my personal ability to claim the contact.) |
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