NCCC Thursday Night Madness - NS Sprint
I discovered the Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) Thursday Night Madness by happenstance. The running of a 30-minute sprint-like contest peaked KA3DRR's interest. Thursday night why not? I attached the KA3DRR random wire and prepared the station; loaded memory keyer with exchange information, checked AE6Y's contest software, adjusted the 949E antenna turner and waited at the starting line.
The NS Sprint is three-years old and designed as an all-skill level contest. According to the NCCC Thursday Night Contesting article, "NS participants are asked to listen for slower stations and reduce their CW speed to accommodate them." (para 2) What an opportunity for entry-level contesters to practice contesting skills such as logging and sending the NS exchange. Additonally, maximum output for the NS is 100-watts and at least handicaps the high-power contester in terms of power to the antenna.
I'm evaluating the 100-watt rule in comparison to my low-profile, low-power contest station. Perhaps, especially in a 30-minute burst-like contest like NS, high-power stations might provide beacons for stations like KA3DRR. The QSY rule nullifies the associated run potential and the objective of the NS is to attract a new generation of contesters while facilitating activity between the majors like ARRL DX or CQ WPX. Furthermore, NS sponsored by NCCC spun the dupe -Q and one may work the same station on the same band after contacting a different station in-between. I like the idea as it applies to a contest like NS. One can practice sending and receiving the exchange, the art of SP, and processing information flow between the computer screen and operator.
I started and ended Thursday Night Madness on 40-meters. The Operating NS page ( http://www.ncccsprint.com/operating.htm) suggests searching and pouncing (SP) as a beginner strategy. In addition, it is suggested to change bands frequently without delay and SP between .040 and .050. I maintain a short-cut sheet with transmitter matching, inductor selector and antenna matching settings in order to minimize time-on band change. For example, time is an important variable when contesting and time spent reinventing tuner settings subtracts time from SP and/or calling CQ. Lastly, work as many multipliers as possible within 30-minutes if one is reluctant to call CQ.
KA3DRR called CQ three times as suggested in the NCCC operating article while sweeping the bands. I repeated the strategy for the entire 30-minutes while switching between 80 and 40-meters. KA3DRR logged two QSOs however I could not reasonably confirm one and removed that invalid QSO. Reasonably means feeling comfortable the receiving station correctly logged your exchange and one copied the correct exchange information as well. I did not reasonably copy the other station's first-issued callsign.
Results
(Band) Raw QSOs (Valid QSOs) QSO Pts (Pts/Q) Mults
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20 -- -- -- ---- --
40 1 1 1 1.00 1
80 -- -- -- ---- --
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Totals 1( 1) 1 (1.00) 1
Final Score = 1 Operating Time = :30 (off times shown in log)
Thanks to the NCCC for filling the gap between the majors with an andrenaline filled 30-minutes on a Thursday night!
73s and see you in the next NS Sprint!
