N8CPA
10-31-2004, 02:27 PM
With all the posts commenting on how much fun CQWW is, I thought I'd try to encourage some of the newer HF ops to try NovSS. # The CW event will start at 2100UTC next Saturday. #The Phone event will begin at 2100 UTC on Nov 20. #Operate 24 of the next 30 hours after start for the time of your life! #
Involving only stations in the US and Canada, the scope and range of the event is smaller than CQWW. But I find it more fun than CQWW because the challenge and the joyful stress are a bit higher, because there is a real goal beyond "as many contacts as you can make." #The goal is to make at least 1 contact in each of the 80 ARRL Sections to make the "Clean Sweep." #But that doesn't mean you're limited to only one contact in each section. In fact,
you'll probably find your log quite heavy with the Sections in Texas and California, but quite light with Northern New York and Northwest Territories, for example. #
To increase the challenge, there is no default signal report and State, Province, Country, or CQ Zone number exchange. #The exchange is a bit more complicated than that and must be logged accurately. #It is intended to resemble the preamble of NTS messages, and for that reason each contact will have a unique number. #And if that number doesn't match what the other station logs, it will be counted as a "busted" contact and credited double negative points--i.e you gain two points for a good contact, but lose 4 for an error. So you really have to pay attention.
Sound intimidating? #It really isn't, once you get started and catch on to the flow of the exchanges. #But you have to know what to expect before you get on the air and tackle the challenge and a quick on-air explanation might not be the handiest way to learn. #So here's a breakdown.
The exhange consists of six parts: #Station called, QSO Number, Precedence, Calling Station, Check, ARRL Section. #
Here's an example from my log of last year, 51 weeks ago this moment.
I received: "N8CPA 704 M K0WA 66 KS."
My response was: "K0WA 175 A N8CPA 79 OH."
What does his exchange mean?
N8CPA: [Called station] My call.
704: [QSO number] I was his 704th contact
M: #[Precedence] The call was being used by a Multioperator station. [More on this later]
K0WA: [Calling station] His (their) call sign.
66: [Check] The first license of the callsign holder was issued in 1966.
KS: [ARRL Section] The station was located in Kansas.
What does my response mean?
K0WA: [Called station] Self explanatory.
175: #[QSO number] It was my 175th SS contact for that year--Okay, I slacked a bit.
A: [Precedence] I was using less than 150 Watts.
N8CPA: [Calling station] My call.
79: [Check] I was first licensed in 1979.
OH: [ARRL Section] I was operating in OH.
All that changed for the next contact were the call sign of the called station, and the QSO number: #"AF8A 176 A N8CPA 79 OH" #Just remember to increment the QSO number and get the other guy's call sign right. #All other information stays the same. #After you do it 3 times, you might be tempted to go on autopilot. But remember: Accuracy is golden; error is negative platinum.
The most arcane aspect of the exchange is probably the Precedence. #It is the nature of your station, basically. #You have six possiblities: A, B, M, Q, S, U. #
A stations are low power, <150 W.
B stations are high power, >150 W.
M stations are multioperator, using any power.
Q stands for QRP, <5 W.
S stations are club stations affiliated with schools, colleges, etc and are somewhat rare.
U, Unlimited, are single operator stations hunting for Sections using packet clusters as a fast track to the Clean Sweep.
You need not be a member of the ARRL in order to participate, but if you're in one of the Provinces or states so subdivided, you must know your ARRL Section. #If you're in Pennsylvania, for example, are you in EPA or WPA? #If you just say Pennsylvania, expect a lot of questions to clarify your location. #
Your Check is just the last two digits of the year you were first licensed. # #
As for scoring. #You get 2 points per completed [i.e. accurate!] contact. #But you multiply that by the number of Sections you work. So scores can really accelerate as you rack up those Sections. Effectively, contacts begin as worth 2 points, but in the end can be worth 160 points each.
I doubt that such an intoxicating mixture of euphoria and angst exists in any other hobby. #You'll find times that you go for hours waiting, seeking, hungry for a contact with UT, for example. #And you'll work a whole string of 7 stations, elated at each call that it might be Utah. #And you'll be just as disappointed when it's just another daggone Arizona. #And then, when you've given up on Utah, when you've worked your fill of Minnesota and Iowa, you'll get a call from a 0, who turns out to be in the coveted Utah. There is no word for that kind of delightful surprise.
Even if your CW is slow, or your CW confidence low, I encourage you to get on the air next weekend in the Novice sub-bands. #There are stations, like myself, who will slow down to your speed. #Who knows? #You might even be the only CW station on the air in your Section at that time. So stations can only make the Clean Sweep by working you. #Just call CQ SS at your comfortable speed and reel them in. #Every year, stations earn WAS and increase their code speed by participating in the most anticipated Amateur Radio contest of the year, the November Sweepstakes. #Be there, or you will miss something--I promise! You can find complete rules at the ARRL website.
I forgot to mention in the original post: Unlike Field Day and other events, you may only contact each station once. If you get him on 15, you may not work him on 20.
So each call sign gets logged only once.
And if you think CW is dead, listen this weekend on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10. The signals will be dense-packed from subband edge to subband edge. A lot, if not most, will be machine generated, but will sound oh so sweet! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Involving only stations in the US and Canada, the scope and range of the event is smaller than CQWW. But I find it more fun than CQWW because the challenge and the joyful stress are a bit higher, because there is a real goal beyond "as many contacts as you can make." #The goal is to make at least 1 contact in each of the 80 ARRL Sections to make the "Clean Sweep." #But that doesn't mean you're limited to only one contact in each section. In fact,
you'll probably find your log quite heavy with the Sections in Texas and California, but quite light with Northern New York and Northwest Territories, for example. #
To increase the challenge, there is no default signal report and State, Province, Country, or CQ Zone number exchange. #The exchange is a bit more complicated than that and must be logged accurately. #It is intended to resemble the preamble of NTS messages, and for that reason each contact will have a unique number. #And if that number doesn't match what the other station logs, it will be counted as a "busted" contact and credited double negative points--i.e you gain two points for a good contact, but lose 4 for an error. So you really have to pay attention.
Sound intimidating? #It really isn't, once you get started and catch on to the flow of the exchanges. #But you have to know what to expect before you get on the air and tackle the challenge and a quick on-air explanation might not be the handiest way to learn. #So here's a breakdown.
The exhange consists of six parts: #Station called, QSO Number, Precedence, Calling Station, Check, ARRL Section. #
Here's an example from my log of last year, 51 weeks ago this moment.
I received: "N8CPA 704 M K0WA 66 KS."
My response was: "K0WA 175 A N8CPA 79 OH."
What does his exchange mean?
N8CPA: [Called station] My call.
704: [QSO number] I was his 704th contact
M: #[Precedence] The call was being used by a Multioperator station. [More on this later]
K0WA: [Calling station] His (their) call sign.
66: [Check] The first license of the callsign holder was issued in 1966.
KS: [ARRL Section] The station was located in Kansas.
What does my response mean?
K0WA: [Called station] Self explanatory.
175: #[QSO number] It was my 175th SS contact for that year--Okay, I slacked a bit.
A: [Precedence] I was using less than 150 Watts.
N8CPA: [Calling station] My call.
79: [Check] I was first licensed in 1979.
OH: [ARRL Section] I was operating in OH.
All that changed for the next contact were the call sign of the called station, and the QSO number: #"AF8A 176 A N8CPA 79 OH" #Just remember to increment the QSO number and get the other guy's call sign right. #All other information stays the same. #After you do it 3 times, you might be tempted to go on autopilot. But remember: Accuracy is golden; error is negative platinum.
The most arcane aspect of the exchange is probably the Precedence. #It is the nature of your station, basically. #You have six possiblities: A, B, M, Q, S, U. #
A stations are low power, <150 W.
B stations are high power, >150 W.
M stations are multioperator, using any power.
Q stands for QRP, <5 W.
S stations are club stations affiliated with schools, colleges, etc and are somewhat rare.
U, Unlimited, are single operator stations hunting for Sections using packet clusters as a fast track to the Clean Sweep.
You need not be a member of the ARRL in order to participate, but if you're in one of the Provinces or states so subdivided, you must know your ARRL Section. #If you're in Pennsylvania, for example, are you in EPA or WPA? #If you just say Pennsylvania, expect a lot of questions to clarify your location. #
Your Check is just the last two digits of the year you were first licensed. # #
As for scoring. #You get 2 points per completed [i.e. accurate!] contact. #But you multiply that by the number of Sections you work. So scores can really accelerate as you rack up those Sections. Effectively, contacts begin as worth 2 points, but in the end can be worth 160 points each.
I doubt that such an intoxicating mixture of euphoria and angst exists in any other hobby. #You'll find times that you go for hours waiting, seeking, hungry for a contact with UT, for example. #And you'll work a whole string of 7 stations, elated at each call that it might be Utah. #And you'll be just as disappointed when it's just another daggone Arizona. #And then, when you've given up on Utah, when you've worked your fill of Minnesota and Iowa, you'll get a call from a 0, who turns out to be in the coveted Utah. There is no word for that kind of delightful surprise.
Even if your CW is slow, or your CW confidence low, I encourage you to get on the air next weekend in the Novice sub-bands. #There are stations, like myself, who will slow down to your speed. #Who knows? #You might even be the only CW station on the air in your Section at that time. So stations can only make the Clean Sweep by working you. #Just call CQ SS at your comfortable speed and reel them in. #Every year, stations earn WAS and increase their code speed by participating in the most anticipated Amateur Radio contest of the year, the November Sweepstakes. #Be there, or you will miss something--I promise! You can find complete rules at the ARRL website.
I forgot to mention in the original post: Unlike Field Day and other events, you may only contact each station once. If you get him on 15, you may not work him on 20.
So each call sign gets logged only once.
And if you think CW is dead, listen this weekend on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10. The signals will be dense-packed from subband edge to subband edge. A lot, if not most, will be machine generated, but will sound oh so sweet! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif