Question on IARU HF Contest exchange.

[W9KDX]

I looked up the exchange and they say "IARU member society HQ stations send signal report and official IARU member society abbreviation".  I looked it up, the USA is a member, so what is our official abbreviation?

Is there anything else I need to know?

Thanks

[K9NW]

There will be two US based "HQ" operations:

  W1AW/7 will send ARRL   
  NU1AW/9 will send IARU
  (each will be QRV on 10-160 both modes)

You would send your IARU zone which, you being in MN, will be zone 7.

[W9KDX]

Thanks, CQ zone, ITU zone, IARU zone, DXCC zone, Grid square, it is hard to keep track.

[KG4NEL]

IARU zone = ITU zone

It's a fun 'test.

[NN3W]

I looked up the exchange and they say "IARU member society HQ stations send signal report and official IARU member society abbreviation".  I looked it up, the USA is a member, so what is our official abbreviation?

Is there anything else I need to know?

Thanks

Unless your callsign is NU1AW or W1AW, you send whatever ITU zone you're in...

[W9KDX]

IARU zone = ITU zone

It's a fun 'test.

I'm looking forward to it; this will be my first.

Thanks

[K3TN]

It is a fun contest, though conditions in July are never the best.

Remember, the HQ stations count as multipliers but only as 1 point QSOs. So, for example, I'm in zone 8. If I work a DL station it will be worth 5 points but if I work DA0HQ (a HQ station) it is only 1 point. However, DA0HQ will give me an extra multiplier even if I already have worked a DL station in Zone 28.

Sounds complicated, but here is how to think about it: someone making 300 contacts in the IARU contest might have 1,000 QSO points if they work a mix of close in and far away stations. If they worked a total of 100 multipliers, their score would be 100,000. That means each multiplier was worth 1,000 points. A QSO with a DL station in zone 28 would be worth 500 points (5 QSO points times 100 multipliers) while a QSO with an HQ station is worth about 1100 points (1000 as an additional multiplier, plus 1 QSO point times 100 multipliers).

Boil all that down: sitting in a pileup to work an HQ station when  you could have worked 3 "regular" stations mean you are wasting your time. 3 DLs would have gotten  you about 1500 points while finally working DA0HQ only got you about 1100 points.

So, score-wise it really does not pay to chase the HQ stations but it sure is fun!

73 and see you in the contest, John K3TN

[N3QE]

Boil all that down: sitting in a pileup to work an HQ station when  you could have worked 3 "regular" stations mean you are wasting your time. 3 DLs would have gotten  you about 1500 points while finally working DA0HQ only got you about 1100 points.

So, score-wise it really does not pay to chase the HQ stations but it sure is fun!

Many of the HQ stations are massive contest multi-multi superstations, and very very easy to work. They have really good antennas and really good ops and can pull out a pipsqueak signal (like me!) no problem.

Other smaller HQ stations are indeed ones that have pileups waiting for them.

The HQ stations have very pretty QSL cards too :-).

I usually approach the IARU test as just-dip-my-toes-in-the-water, but sometimes I get bitten by the "contest bug" while I'm just dipping my toes in the water.

Tim.

[KG4NEL]

IARU zone = ITU zone

It's a fun 'test.

I'm looking forward to it; this will be my first.

Thanks

It's a good one to start...busy, but just enough practice for the madhouse that November Sweeps or the International DX ones are

[LA7GNA]

I'm looking forward to it; this will be my first.

Thanks

I hope you have a good time.

I'm working as LN2HQ @ 15M Phone, give me a call if you hear me.

GL!

LA7GNA, John

[W9KDX]

I'm looking forward to it; this will be my first.

Thanks

I hope you have a good time.

I'm working as LN2HQ @ 15M Phone, give me a call if you hear me.

GL!



LA7GNA, John

I will, 18-15 meters are pretty decent when the rest of the bands are falling apart.  Here's hoping that those auroras stay away!

[W9KDX]

I'm looking forward to it; this will be my first.

Thanks

I hope you have a good time.

I'm working as LN2HQ @ 15M Phone, give me a call if you hear me.

GL!

LA7GNA, John

Got You, 5 minutes ago.  What a blast!

[AC4RD]

Got You, 5 minutes ago.  What a blast!

Sam, it sounds like you had a good time with your first IARU HF test!     Congratulations, and 73!

[K3TN]

I ended up doing a 62 mile bicycle ride on Saturday to a friend's house in PA who was having a barbecue to watch thousands of motorcycles roar by to the Gettysburg battlefield for some kind of celebration. So only got on for a few minutes early and late.

Seemed like the Coronal Mass Ejection event held off and conditions were pretty good until Sunday am. At about 0400Z Sunday I worked FO, VK and ZL stations on 15m, as well as NU1AW/9 for a multiplier. The low bands also seemed in very good condition until Sunday am when there was a lot of auroral buzz and lots of absorption.

So, I only made about 120 contacts in the limited operating time but fun as usual.

73 John K3TN

[LA7GNA]

Got You, 5 minutes ago.  What a blast!

I'm sorry for the late reply.

Thank's for stopping by and for the points Sam!

We had a good time but condx was bad sunday.


Our claimed score:

Contest         : IARU HF World Championships Callsign        : LN2HQ Mode            : MIXED Category        : Multi Operator - Multi Transmitter (MM) Overlay         : Headquarters Band(s)         : All bands (AB) Class           : High Power (HP) Zone/State/...  : NRRL Locator         : Operating time  : 24h00   BAND   SSB    CW ITU  HQ  POINTS   AVG ----------------------------------------   160    68   205   9  25     716  2.62    80   762   435  15  33    3359  2.81    40  1290  1370  33  48    7986  3.00    20  1292  1360  41  50    8521  3.21    15   704   857  32  50    5158  3.30    10   398   195  12  25    1649  2.78 ---------------------------------------- TOTAL  4514  4422 142 231   27389  3.07 ========================================         TOTAL SCORE : 10 216 097   Dupes are included in QSO counts and avg calculations