WES - The SKCC Weekend Sprintathon Information - Submit your score - View results - Certificates - Feedback

The SKCC WES is a 24-hour sprint that occurs on the second Sunday of each month, starting at 0000 UTC. The 24-hour time span was created to allow operators to fit some operating time into their busy lives.

Some of the events focus on a particular theme or activity. Three popular themes that repeat each year are Homebrew Keys, QRP, and Boat Anchors. Some themes may have special rules and scoring. Announcements about themes and special rules are made via email notice to the SKCC's group on Yahoo.

Participants in the WES should use straight keys, sideswipers (cooties), or bugs. Exceptions are granted to those with physical disabilities that prevent the use of such keys.

The sprintathon also has an entry category for shortwave listeners, who are cordially invited to join the fun.

Many operators treat WES as a contest. But WES is rather informal. Its main goal is to bring together operators with different skill levels. Operating speed should be adjusted accordingly.

October 9, 2011, 0000 - 2359 UTC

The Theme for October is Hit & Run

The idea for this WES is based on old traditional ham-radio sprint rules. It seemed like a real fun theme idea and will challenge members to spin the big knob. s how it will work.

For this WES, initiate a contact by calling CQ (hit) and when the contact is complete change frequency (run). The person that answered that CQ can now call CQ on that same frequency, make a contact (hit), then change frequencies (run) to call CQ -- or search and pounce again. Of course, you may search and pounce for the whole WES if you choose to do that.

Example:

CQ WES CQ WES de KC9KHG k
W1PNS
W1PNS de KC9KHG tu 599 IL Randy skcc 3687T bk
Tu 599 MA Pete skcc 4853T bk
QSL tu es gl 73 de KC9KHG

At this point KC9KHG has to "run", but W1PNS can stay on that frequency and call CQ. Once he gets an answer to his CQ and completes a contact, he has run." All other WES rules will be the same.

Milt, K4OSO SKCC 180T will use the club call K9SKC for 25 bonus points per band.

Good luck to all and most of all...have fun!

Rules and scoring

Eligibility:

The SKCC's Weekend Sprintathon is open to all licensed amateurs, as well as shortwave listeners. All active participants must use a manual key (stright key, sideswiper, or bug). unless granted an exception by the SKCC.

Frequencies:

Participants may sprint on 160-6 meters, excluding the WARC bands (60, 30, 17, 24 meters). Suggested frequencies are on or around the SKCC calling frequencies: 1.820, 3.550, 7.055 and 7.114 (scored as a single band), 14.050, 21.050, 28.050, and 50.090 Mhz. K3UK's sked page or other spotting tools are permitted for this event.

Exchange:

The minimum exchange must include RST, QTH, operator name, and SKCC number. If you are not a club member, please send "none" for SKCC number. Please give a realistic RST, not a perfunctory 599 or 559. If you don't get a signal report, please ask for it. For QTH, US and Canadian stations should use their two-letter state or province abbreviation. Stations outside the US and Canada should use their three-letter alpha code. You can find the country codes here:

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/codes/country.htm.

This is an informal event, so if you are not an SKCC member, take a moment to visit our home page and apply for one. It's free! And if you are a member and have completed the required exchange, hang around and chat for a bit with him or her. It's good PR!

For shortwave listenters:

You must copy at least one side of a WES QSO for a QSO point. If you copy both sides of a WES exchanges, that counts as 2 QSO points. You can count the same station more than once only if you copy that station's QSO on a different band -- one QSO per band.

Scoring:

Your score is calculated by multiplying your total number of QSOs by your total number of multipliers, then adding your total bonus points.

Total = (QSO x Multipliers) + bonus points

Each unique QSO counts as one point. You may count contacts with the same station on multiple bands, but only once per band. You earn one multiplier point for each state, province, or country worked during WES. If you worked five NY stations throughout the event, you only count NY once. You earn bonus points for working Centurions and Tribunes, with each unique C worth 5 points and each unique T worth 10 points. You can work the same C or T on multiple bands for QSO points, but his or her C or T only counts once for bonus points. You receive an additional 25 bonus points for each band on which you contact the special sprint station, if one has been designated for the event. Finally, extra bonus points may be offered as part of a given sprint's theme. If no extra bonus points are offered, enter 0 in the appropriate box on the submissions page. For SWL stations, note that some themes may not allow SWL entrants to claim this extra bonus.

Submissions:

Please use the submissions page, reached by clicking on "Submit Your Score" link at the top of this page. Logs are not required unless the WES manager requests them. The deadline for submitting or correcting your entry is the Friday following the event. If you are correcting your entry, you must resubmit all your information, not just the item that needed correction. If you are a non-member, use "none" in place of SKCC number on the submissions page. If you are an SWL and have a unique SWL club ID, use that in place of a call sign. If you don't have a club ID, make up a unique, one-word ID to use.