NCCC Thursday Night Madness 13 of 13

I enjoy the thrill of competition either team against team or self against self. Competition motivates my performance and advances my skill set. Recall, Wide World of Sports, when ski jumper Vinko Bogataj tumbled widely out of control? Stanley Ralph Ross wrote, "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition....".

In any athletic endeavor such as radiosport, one has moments, perhaps not as death defying as Vinko but, those moments exist.

KA3DRR pushed forward in week thirteen. Lesson learned and valuable insight gained from week twelve. My radiosport fire that place in one's gut that refuses to give up, blazed. The Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) official 0230Z clock signaled the start. KA3DRR focused on minutes and remained within my game plan.

My game plan? One -Q for the evening. I wanted to score one -Q for the NCCC team and defeat the specter of Darth Zero for self. The game plan called for search and pounce (SP) followed by calling CQ three-times then repeat without hesitation. In addition, ten minute increments on each band 20, 40, and 80-meters.

I spun the FT100 dial as the first minute turned over. The fierce competitive pile-ups between 14.041 through 14.043 necessitated calling CQ. Strategy for this low-power, low-profile radiosport operator -- let Morse code combat sort out the SO2R carrier wave (CW) gladiators then strike. My odds would improve after minute five. KA3DRR moved to 14.045 then called CQ NS. I hit the memory keyer waiting no less than three seconds then fired another series.

Score from Texas! My first -Q in the log and the specter of Darth Zero vaporized. A Richter scale hoot sounded through the KA3DRR shack! The SO2R CW gladiators left 20-meters a barren land of ionospheric hiss by the ninth minute.

Game plan for this low-power, low-profile radiosport operator beat the SO2R CW gladiators by one or two minutes before Morse code combat commences on the next band.

Forty-meters growled and zero -Q production for this evening. It is not surprising at this time of the year. I heard mortal cw combat between the Heartland and the East moments before tuning the 80-meter red zone.

I SP'd for SO2R CW gladiators then called CQ NS. Yes! A second shout escaped from within the KA3DRR shack. The sweet sound of Morse code filled my headphones. A stellar s8 signal from Northern California. My second -Q bagged for the evening.

Then the fastest 30-minutes of fun concluded.

Practice breeds confidence and competition motivates performance. Certainly, it was no Vinko and Ross got it right, "...The human drama of athletic competition."

Until next week, GO NS!

73 from the shack.

NS Sprint Newcomer's Division: The Legacy of the Rookies (Week 12)

The Newcomer's Division driven by Morse code and fired by voltage rocked stadium Earth. This division is historical and many will speak of the legends who rose out of the NS Sprint grid. The fastest 30-minutes in radiosport continues gaining popularity as a source of fun, contest skill development, and stellar sportsmanship.

Contesting clubs represented within the Newcomer's Division are the Society of Mid-West Contesters (SMC), Central Texas DX and Contest Club (CTDXCC), Northern California Contest Club (NCCC), Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC), Mad River Radio Club (MRRC), Alabama Contest Group (ACG), and the Tennessee Contest Group (TCG).

Twenty-one NS Sprint participants comprise this exciting division composed of entry-level to seasoned contesters. It is the place and who knows? Perhaps a World Radio Team Championship operator may rise up and claim the gold in the future? For this division nothing is impossible.

Legends begin somewhere and now the coverage begins.

N6TV in his first appearance scored 1682 claiming the first-ever top slot in the Newcomer Division as of week twelve. K5NZ and K9BGL went keyer to keyer in a narrow finish decided by an 8-point margin. BGL a member of SMC won second position followed by NZ who is a member of CTDXCC. W1UE scored a solid 1305 as a fourth place finisher. N9NB fought his way to a fifth place finish scoring 1008. NB is a member of CTDXCC.

The Standings:

Newcomer Division Leader's Week 12
1. N6TV, NCCC, 1682
2. K9BGL, SMC, 1568
3. K5NZ, CTDXCC, 1560
4. W1UE, 1305
5. N9NB, CTDXCC, 1008

All-time Divisional Sprint Scores
1. N6TV, NCCC, 1682
2. K9BGL, SMC, 1568
3. K5NZ, CTDXCC, 1560

Rise up within the Newcomer Division. The legacy of the Rookies is underway and until next week, GO NS!

Remember, the fastest 30-minutes in radiosport, where operator's operate at 100-watts or less and all code speeds welcomed.

73 from the shack.

Reference:
Northern California Contest Club (n.d.) NS Results Retrieved on June 15, 2007 from http://www.ncccsprint.com/results.htm.

Inside the NCCC Sprint Grid (Week 12)

The answer to last week's W9RE question arrived this afternoon. It was not Federal Express or United Parcel Service who delivered. The package neither brown or purple. It was first-class operating and the spirit of sportsmanship who delivered. K7SS bolted with lock washer and torque wrench a 2409 on the Grid Series Leader board and a sprint record. This is super-sonic scoring out of Washington state. One might of observed the SS carrier wave (CW) contrail from coast to coast. The ground crew at 3830 Score Rumors did.

RE who is a member of the Society of Midwest Contesters lit military afterburners and blazed a 2210 final. As the radio frequency (RF) battle raged high in the ionosphere, K4BAI, who is a member of the South East Contest Club fired a 1904 salvo for third. The twelfth NS Sprint was a classic night of fun powered by stellar G4 propagation.

Checking the six and those ace CW operators in the East of Mississippi Division. The Fighting Falcon heads up display flagged K8GU and N1GU. This evening GU and GU tied. Both scored 1040 before calling the tower for approach instructions. N9NB checked his six for bogie's and scored 1008 a personal best. Meanwhile, N2NL/4 flying solo representing the Florida Contest Group scored a 1242 in his first appearance on the grid. Right on.

Flight check in the West of the Mississippi Division before igniting the turbines on the Eagle. K5NZ received a 'thumbs-up' from the ground crew scoring 1560. One heard an echo in the headset say, "Roger that Houston." NZ notched a personal best on the side of his Eagle. Continuing, an epic dog fight unmatched since the day of the Red Baron, W7WHY and W7OM flew to within 40-points of each other. W6SJ a member of the Southern California Contest Club posted this week as well as W0MU out of Colorado. W0BH turned in a top-gun performance and his 12th consecutive NS Sprint mission.

All is green and go for the Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) CA/NV division. The Raptor checked out and CQ Hall of Famer N6RO scored 1736 on his return flight. N6TV nailed the barrel roll and scored 1682 in his first appearance on the grid. On the other hand, K7NV returned and keyed 1596 for a third place finish before shutting down the Raptor engines.

The Standings:

Record Sprint Scores
1. W9RE, East, 2574 4th consecutive week
2. K7SS, West, 2409
3. W9RE, East, 2301 2nd consecutive week

Grid Series Leader's Week 12
1. K7SS, West, 2409
2. W9RE, East, 2210
3. K4BAI, East, 1904

East of the Mississippi Division
1. W9RE, 2210, 9 of 12
2. K4BAI, 1904, 7 of 12
3. N9CK, 1650, 11 of 12

West of the Mississippi Division
1. K7SS, 2409, 5 of 12
2. K5NZ, 1560, 4 of 12
3. W0BH, 1363, 12 of 12

NCCC CA/NV Division
1. N6RO, 1736, 11 of 12
2. N6TV, 1682, 1 of 12
3. K7NV, 1596, 9 of 12

The keyes are positioned for another evening of NS Sprint. The Falcon is ready. The Eagle is prepped. The Raptor is poised. Can W9RE's record sprint score sustain another week? Whose gunning for the top slot in week thirteen? This and more fun to follow until then GO NS!

73 from the shack.

Reference:
Northern California Contest Club (n.d.) NS Results Retrieved on June 13, 2007 from http://www.ncccsprint.com/results.htm.

NCCC Thursday Night Madness 12 of 12

The 12th running of the Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) NS Sprint goes down as training, training, and training. Sometimes training is not easy. Some sessions everything works and others everything flat lines. For example, my marathon training schedule called for a 23-mile run on a Saturday morning. I woke to miserable windy and rainy weather conditions. The worst yet since beginning a two month odyssey too the 15th annual Los Angeles marathon.

Recently, I relocated KA3DRR's random wire alongside our condo which lowered its overall profile. Signal strength dramatically improved as a result. I reviewed propagation numbers going into Thursday Night Madness. The A-index reported an eight and better than usual solar flux indice. The high A-index worried me not unlike the windy, rainy weather for my 23-mile training run.

The clock read 0230Z NS Sprint time. I heard great signals from the mid-west, south, and east. Some measured s7 to s9 on the meter. That was a first for me. The pack spread out on 20-meters while I spun the dial searching for a -Q. Nothing at the moment. Seconds count in the sprint. KA3DRR called CQ NS just above the pack. Called three times then search and pounce (SP). Ten minutes off the sprint clock and zero production on 20-meters.

Forty-meters is the second best production band for KA3DRR. I changed bands, tuned the antenna, and SP'd for a -Q. I heard q5 signals from the mid-west, south, and some west. My favorite band since the lore years as a novice just did not produce. The sprint clock shed valuable minutes and sweat formed on my palms. Still zero.

The 80-meter red zone? Not this evening.

Each NS Sprint teaches and trains. No one evening is like the other. I learned this particular evening that participating was more important than my score. In addition, KA3DRR trained in less than ideal space weather conditions much like that Saturday morning session. I reflected on my zero and its personal meaning. What came to mind? Keeping my string of consecutive training sessions alive not so much the score. It is part of the fun.

The day arrives when all the hours of training are completed. I ran that Saturday morning in the cold, wind, and rain. It was tough. The wind bit and chilled. My running shoes felt like lead weights. The irony? The same weather, the worst ever recorded for a Los Angeles marathon up until 2000, struck on race day. I finished that rainy slog in 4 hours and 29 minutes.

Week 12 goes into the log as a training evening that taught me alittle more. No matter what just contest and until the next Thursday Night Madness, GO NS!

73 from the shack.