24 Hours: CQ WW SSB Classic Overlay

I decided to try the classic category in CQ WW SSB last weekend. I wasn't ready to host a multi-op and I wasn't willing to push myself to compete in a 48-hour single-op category. Single band 10 meters was an option but with the ARRL 10 meter contest coming up I didn't want to do the same thing twice. This was an opportunity to try something new.

Classic has a few restrictions, per the rules:

• One radio: therefore no SO2R or 2BSIQ
• No assistance: cluster spots must be turned off
• Off times are a minimum of 60 minutes: this is largely irrelevant in other categories

This is what some call the "boy and his radio" category, hearkening back to how everybody contested decades ago. I'm not nostalgic but it is fun to contest this way from time to time. Well, except for the dupe sheets!

What I quickly discovered is that 24 hours is a significant constraint. It demands carefully thought through tactics to be competitive. It may seem like a long time at first glance, but only at first glance. Especially with 10 meters so hot it is easy to get drawn into runs that last for hours. Those hours are precious and excessive running can reduce your score. But it is fun.

Let's take a quick look at where I spent my time. This is from my post to 3830.

 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:                    
   80:   80    11       29
   40:  344    20       72
   20:  301    27       73
   15:  505    30       92
   10: 1415    30       96
------------------------------
Total: 2646   118      362  Total Score = 3,578,880

Those are not great numbers, until you realize this was done in 24 hours. I spent minimal time on 80 and 20, and I ignored 160 entirely because my primary antenna has not yet been returned to service following the fall harvest, and due to the trip hazard during tower work. My band statistics reflect my attempt to maximize my score, not to equalize band presence! Did I succeed? To a degree, yes, but I could have done better.

One of the consequences of the high MUF was that everybody spent a lot of time on 10. Sure, that made for great runs, but it reduced activity on 20 and 15 meters. Thus the runs were never as good elsewhere. Casual operators are attracted to the best bands and they may seldom or never spend time on others. That's why my 10 meter QSOs are more than half the total -- you have to go with the activity.

Multipliers aren't much higher on 10 than on 15. This is evidence that I swept 15 for multipliers more often than on 10, but ran far less on 15. Despite the high run rate on 10 (up to 6 per minute) it was still wise to break off occasionally and run elsewhere. While you are on another band there will be a turnover of stations so that when you return the rates are again high rather than merely good. Frequent band changes help your score. Recall that I was in the classic category so SO2R -- operating 2 bands at the same time -- was not permitted.

There are two ways to add multipliers: them calling you when you run, or you finding and calling them. The first is relatively easy with a big signal, and the latter is time consuming without assistance. But you must do both to maximize multipliers. It is always a thrill when the rare ones call you during a run. Examples that I can readily recall include: ET, JY, 5Z, E2, FK, VK6, ZS, VU, DU and EA9. There were many more. 

Most of the rare ones hunt very little. Since most use assistance and want the mult, they must call them. I must do the same. That requires breaking off runs to sweep the bands to find them. It can be difficult to do that but it is necessary. After those sweeps you can get back to running and add those precious QSO points. The pattern of run and hunt continues throughout the contest.

20 meters is not productive during daylight when the MUF is high because the same intense ionization absorbs signals at lower frequencies. A glance at the waterfall on the Icom 7610 was enough to prove that, with almost every signal dim compared to other bands. 20 was more productive during darkness. Since running on 20 was difficult, I did it in brief spurts, and otherwise spent the time on 20 hunting for multipliers.

Unfortunately, good DX signals were not always workable. With conditions excellent worldwide, often those paths were better for others since they were closer. Numerous times I ran straight into the European, Japanese and west coast "walls" that were difficult to penetrate. I may have heard the DX at S9 but for the others it was S9+20 db. Even stacked yagis and a kilowatt can't quickly break through. After a few calls I move on to hunt elsewhere. 

It doesn't matter which multipliers I work as long as I work them. This is a contest, not a hunt for rare DX. A PZ is equal in value to a V8. Chase DX after the contest.

Although it was tempting to only operate during the days and evenings, since the high bands were so good, nighttime operation on the low bands was necessary. Running was difficult even with good antennas, but there were many multipliers to be had, and those were critical to the score. What should not be done is to operate the low bands more than necessary to build up the multiplier count. The easy mults on 80 and 40 were Europe and Caribbean. The more difficult DX was there but it took time which I didn't have.

I could run pretty well on 40 if I stayed below the US phone band, and didn't stay for long. Once the run dried up I moved on, and returned later to try again with new stations and different paths open. Around sunrise I was able to work the available Pacific multipliers very quickly, followed by many US stations by CQing just above 7200 kHz. There was no time for more since the high bands, including 10, opened before sunrise.

Again, this is not a strategy to maximize multipliers, but to find the right mix between contacts and multipliers. Long runs of Europeans can make up for those missing mults.

One surprise was that there were fewer Americans in my log than usual. During the years of solar minima, my points-per-QSO statistic can be as low as 2.5. In this contest it was over 2.8. US stations are worth 2 points compare to 3 points for intercontinental contacts and Canadians are 0 points.

Looking back, I did pretty well despite not aiming to place highly. Would I do it again? Perhaps. The difference in tactics due to clock pressure and the high MUF made me operate differently. Too many hams and contesters (everyone really) stick to one way of doing things and rarely get out of the rut to experiment with alternatives.

It's interesting that I am writing this contest while ARRL Sweepstakes CW is underway and the DX is rolling in on 6 meters. My activity in Sweepstakes is mainly for practice and the bulk of the 6 meter DX is nothing unusual. My time is devoted to neither. I'll have more to say on the latter in a future article. 

Now I need to get back to antenna work...and the contest and 6 meters, and more.