Inside the NCCC Sprint Grid (Week 16)

One might say that stadium Earth and its ionospheric dome provide both exciting and frustrating moments. For example, the super charged surge of NS Sprint records or one operator putting Dayton on the Grid while others tenaciously pursued personal best records. Whatever the reason albeit in the spirit of competition, refining one's operating skills or for the sheer fun of it, one might say, the Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) NS Sprint exceeded the ionospheric challenge at the bottom, bottom of the cycle.

Likewise, if one is new to Morse code and searching for an excellent practice opportunity? The Slow-NS (SNS) Sprint is a stellar format combining code speed at less than 20 WPM and a supportive contest environment. Every participant runs no more than 100-watts as well. If you are thinking about contesting without using high speed code, then, the SNS is a fun place to begin one's adventure.

On the other hand, the last 100-meters is within sight for each respective sprinter and following the storyline on 3830 Score Rumors, W0BH/VE3 and W1UE/VE1 both upped the the multiplier potential in week sixteen. Sportsman of the week goes to Bob, W0BH and Dennis, W1UE for going-the-extra-mile for NS Sprint! Additionally, BH maintained his perfect record of 16-consecutive sessions as well. Thank you Bob and Dennis for infusing the NS Sprint Grid with can-do spirit.

A change of the guard in the East of the Mississippi Division. N9CK turned in a top-shelf performance scoring 2028. CK a member of the Society of Midwest Contesters averaged nearly 2 -Qs per minute on 20 and 40-meters before the low-band wall. W9RE, on the other hand, averaged 1.8 -Qs per minute overall and scored 1904 on the division leader board. Five multipliers separated CK and RE in week sixteen. N4OGW rounds out the division scoring 1536 and a third place finish. Many returned from a few weeks of rest and welcome back goes to K3STX, VA3NR, W8UE, KJ9C, and WW9R.

K7SS in the West of the Mississippi Division and member of the Western Washington DX Club posted 2013 this week. The SS signal is rising up from Western Washington as the storyline evolves on 3830 Score Rumors. Meanwhile, K5OT scored 1643 capturing second in a cw showdown between Texan stations as N3BB scored 1334 and a third place finish. K5NZ took the week off and W7WHY set a new personal best scoring 900 this week. Welcome back to the Grid goes to KG5U.

N6RO keyed his way to first place within the NCCC CA/NV division scoring 1350. Propagation continues to challenge the division but, K6VVA in a classic match up against K7NV, battled his way back into second position on the division leader board. VVA sponsor of the 3,000 point "X" prize scored 1104 while K7NV posted 851. K6TD continues his string of five consecutive since week 11. Right on.

The Standings:

Record Sprint Scores
1. W9RE, East, 2574 8th consecutive week
2. K7SS, West, 2409 5th consecutive week
3. W9RE, East, 2301 6th consecutive week

Grid Series Leader's Week 16
1. N9CK, East, 2028
2. K7SS, West, 2013
3. W9RE, East, 1904

East of the Mississippi Division
1. N9CK, 2028, 14 of 16
2. W9RE, 1904, 12 of 16
3. N4OGW, 1536, 14 of 16

West of the Mississippi Division
1. K7SS, 2013, 9 of 16
2. K5OT, 1643, 3 of 16
3. N3BB, 1334, 8 of 16

NCCC CA/NV Division
1. N6RO, 1350, 15 of 16
2. K6VVA, 1104, 16 of 16
3. K7NV, 851, 13 of 16

Our summer days shorten minute by minute while the fun factor increases each successive week for the fastest 30-minutes in RadioSport such is the NS Sprint. Thanks to fellow sprinters and operators like W0BH and W1UE who carved time from their adventures for the photon powered. On the other hand, the ionospheric dome that covers stadium Earth despite its challenge brings a surprise now and again. Who knows? The Sweet 16th running of the NS Sprint is complete but the storyline continues on 3830 Score Rumors. Until next week, GO NS!

73 from the shack.

Reference:
Northern California Contest Club (n.d.) NS Results Retrieved on July 21, 2007 from http://www.ncccsprint.com/results.htm.

NCCC Thursday Night Madness (16 of 16)

I did not anticipate the support, encouragement, and new friendships going into the Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) NS Sprint back in week one. It is a testimony to our great hobby when one receives good luck or when an operator takes time out from a run to say hello. I worked a few of our NS Sprint regulars during the IARU HF World Championship this weekend. The morale boost alone is immeasurable and difficult to quantify. They added a touch of GO NS spirit while I searched and pounced.

The intensity of week 16, at least for me, was intense. I cannot identify the reason why but 30-minutes disappeared into the ether. Perhaps it was absolute focus on the task at hand. The same can be said when pulling a longboard rail into a chest high, point break wave. Time, by all accounts, ceases to exist. Twenty-meters can be like a point break with long rolling waves or it can behave like beach break with short intense sections. Likewise, twenty reminds me of a short board with its speed of attack, crisp s-turns, and off the lip maneuvers.

The sixteenth week behaved like beach break on 20-meters. I called CQ into the line-up of NS Sprinters and worked Texas. We shared one of those short intense sections before the propagation tide closed out the band. I waited for another set of waves but none was forthcoming. The thrill of our contact resonated as encouragement and support. KA3DRR is in the game and no pearl this evening. A pearl is when one drives the nose of their surfboard into the bottom of the wave. The result? Typically, a spectacular wipeout of limbs and board followed by hooting from the line-up. It's part of the fun.

Forty meters, on the other hand, reminds me of soulful surfing using a longboard or California fun shape. The band is local as well. This evening, I worked a few of our locals and members of the NCCC team. One might consider 40-meters as the point break band. I can see a few hang tens or a rail grab coming from these guys. The propagation wave felt mushy just not enough ground swell with its concurrent power. But, that's operating with the sun just above the blue Pacific horizon.

I enjoyed sharing the line-up with stellar operators throughout those intense 30-minutes. The beach break on 20-meters was electrifying and the soulful ride with NCCC members on 40-meters rated shaka for the night. Encouragement, support, and new friendships is an added bonus when one operates the fastest 30-minutes in radiosport. Until this Thursday, GO NS!

73 from the shack.

2007 IARU HF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The genuine reward operating low-power, low-profile is the operating chair. One's sweat, labor, and knowledge converges for 24-hours. Personally, the drive to improve one's signal is an important component within radiosport. A decent, above-the-noise-floor-signal will increase the fun factor by tenfold. The KA3DRR antenna project is on-going and the next potential step is either a dipole or an inverted-vee. My goal is to take a difficult terrain problem and make lemonade from the lemons.

I heard South America on 15, 20, 40, and 80-meters throughout the championship. But, no luck adding valuable multipliers and points to the overall score, for this event. Standout moments include Mexico on 80-meters late Saturday night, Belize on 20-meters late in the afternoon, and a Pacific/Japan opening going into the final hours of the championship. The 5-point -Qs strengthened my resolve to find a better antenna solution for KA3DRR low-power, low-profile amateur radio contesting.

The operating chair can be one's foe or best friend while I continuously changed bands until my first logged 1 point QSO. However, gutting it out in the chair, is another piece of the radiosport experience. The first -Q in the log came at 1525Z nearly three and half hours into the event. The same phenomena occurred in CQ WPX 2007 and the ARRL International DX.

Another challenge is bottom of the cycle operating. One might read the buzz on 3830 Score Rumors. The west coast reported some but not enough Europe to make a score difference. Results suggested more 1 and 3 point -Qs versus the meat and potato 5-pointers. My log reflected my current station configuration that is, 1- and 3-point -Qs.

The action did not pick up until 0400Z or 16-hours into the championship. I enjoyed a mid-summer opening on 20-meters at mid-afternoon and worked several 6-land stations. It wasn't meat and potatoes but it sure was a lot of fun. I allocated 99.9% of my operating activity towards searching and pouncing. Three stations answered KA3DRR's CQ during the course of the championship or less than 5% of the total. It took me a second to realize, "Hey a station is calling."

The Breakdown:

10-meters: 0 Q 0 mults
15-meters: 8 Q 2 mults
20-meters: 44 Q 9 mults
40-meters: 9 Q 3 mults
80-meters: 6 Q 2 mults

QSO: 67
Mults: 16
Points: 145
Total: 2,320 points

Rate: QSO, Multiplier, Point(s)

1500-1559: 2, 1, 2
1600-1659: 3, 1, 3
1700-1759: 3, 2, 5
1800-1859: 2, 0, 2
1900-1959: 3, 1, 5
2000-2059: 6, 0, 6
0000-0059: 3, 0, 9
0100-0159: 2, 1, 6
0200-0259: 5, 0, 11
0300-0359: 7, 0, 13
0400-0459: 11, 3, 19
0500-0559: 7, 2, 13
0600-0659: 9, 3, 37
0700-0759: 2, 1, 10

Interesting and embarrassing moment? I wanted to experience operating at 50-watts during the championship. Previous frustrations accounted for, going 50-watts, felt like additional fun and an opportunity at improving my score. Enter Mr. Murphy -- I overloaded my girlfriend's blow dryer. No, it was not RFI getting into the phone or the television, it was the crucial blow dryer early Saturday morning. I backed my power level down to 35-watts and she continued using the blow dryer without missing a curl. The next step in the KA3DRR on-going project is a good RF ground. Likewise, I'm wondering about the wiring inside our condo as well. But, I wanted to share the story and its good, bad, and embarrassing.

Overall, the fun factor rated high despite the bottom of the cycle and its operating challenges. Each radiosport event pushes my operating skills just a little further. Additionally, the motivation and drive to improve KA3DRR's signal continues moving me forward into amateur radio's literature and asking for additional help from the Jedi Knights. One day, a signal will rise up from the edge of the continent and in the meantime; I'll keep my fingers on keyer, my nose in the literature, and build that low-profile antenna with punch. And, keep that blow dryer operating without interruption as well.

73 from the shack.