I want to encourage everyone to join in the NAQP RTTY contest this weekend. This includes stations outside NA. Even though stations outside NA do not count as multipliers for NA stations, it helps on our QSO totals. We want you in our logs!
For you new folks:
The action will start on 10 & 15 meters at the start of the contest. After a few hours, start checking 20 meters. 20 meters will be strong from the start, but will be busiest around 2100-0100Z. After about 0100, a lot of stations start going to 40 meters. After a couple of hours on 40 meters, the action turns to 80 at about 0300 or so. From there it's all 40 & 80 meters except to pick up west coast stations on 20 to fill your multipliers on that band.
It is important to have an antenna on 80 meters. If you don't have one, put a piece of wire in the air in the next couple of days. Almost everyone has an old external tuner laying around or an internal tuner in their radio. Use them! If you can't put up a piece of wire, try tuning your 40 meter antenna or even your tribander (I worked several EU and AF stations tuning my tribander barefoot on 160 meters in last years CQWW CW contest). It works! You may not have the best signal on the band but you should be able to make some contacts.
A rule of thumb is to go to the band that has the most signals present. This is a rate contest with NA band multipliers which makes it exciting. Operators are going to migrate to the next lower band as time goes on in order to keep the rate up and get as many total multipliers as possible. Use all five bands!
Rest periods are up to you. It's best to choose a short name but cute names are fun. Try not to make your name too long or too difficult to make out.
Good luck to each and every one of you. May the best dog, er, operator win their state/NA country/DX.
ARF! Grrrrrrrrrrr... Swamp Dog AA5AU
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