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Author Topic: Tricks in SSB contesting  (Read 632 times)

NO9E

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Tricks in SSB contesting
« on: March 29, 2021, 11:38:51 AM »

Let's say you want to run in CQ WPX SSB on 20m. Stations seem to be every KHz, and seemingly empty frequencies are those of US megastations running. 

If you chose any frequency, most likely it is already taken many times. Do you run CQ long enough to force the weaker ones to leave? Should you limit your TX bandwidth to take as little space as possible, or should you widen it (with some overdrive), to discourage cohabitation? Or is it best to occupy a frequency at the start of the contest and never relinquish it until the propagation is over?

I pondered these questions yesterday, unable to establish a run frequency in CQ WPX on 20m.  My station in Georgia runs a KW to 2 phased beams at 65' and 100'. It seemed that stations on the East Coast with modest antennas were doing much better. 

One culprit could be Flex 6600 where setting of mic gain with speech processor is critical. With Flex I experience many more repetitions than with K3. But I had good runs on 80m (4 square).

Ignacy NO9E
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K6AER

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2021, 12:22:40 PM »

We just finished a SSB contest this weekend. Almost all the stations were under 3 KHz wide on the spectrum scope with many under KHz in band width.

I thought everyone operated very well.
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RADIOPHONE

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2021, 12:50:29 PM »

"If you chose any frequency, most likely it is already taken many times. Do you run CQ long enough to force the weaker ones to leave? Should you limit your TX bandwidth to take as little space as possible, or should you widen it (with some overdrive), to discourage cohabitation?  Ignorant-see".

Every 21st century HAM with out of area callsign knows that when the frequency is in use, they should...

Turn all knobs fully clockwise...
and yell "Break go break. 10-4. Contest".
Then repeat.  Just scream it over and over and over.

The new norm.
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K1KP

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2021, 01:07:14 PM »

Do you run CQ long enough to force the weaker ones to leave?

The term 'clear' frequency is relative. The important point is not to cause interference to anyone else. Quite often you can coexist on overlapping TX bandwidth with other stations and not cause interference to them. A good practice is to ask if the frequency is in use a couple times, then if nothing heard, blast away. If you get asked to move in the first few minutes, then move. But if you get a good run going and no one is complaining, keep it up. Quite often if you have occupied a frequency for a long time, propagation will change and you will get new complaints from other stations who claim to have been on the frequency for hours; this can easily be true but as propagation shifts, interference issues become apparent.


Should you limit your TX bandwidth to take as little space as possible, or should you widen it (with some overdrive), to discourage cohabitation?

Use a reasonable, normal TX bandwidth, like 3.1K. Do NOT occupy more than is needed in an attempt to drive others away. On a busy band, often narrowing the Rx bandwidth down to 2.1 or 1.8kHz is needed to cut out adjacent stations, either due to overlap or splatter. Imagine how much more space there would be if everyone reduced their Tx bandwidth to 2.1K! With old crystal filter rigs this was impossible, but with today's DSP rigs it is more than doable.

 Or is it best to occupy a frequency at the start of the contest and never relinquish it until the propagation is over?

Unless you are one of the biggest stations on the band, this simply isn't possible or practical.

My station in Georgia runs a KW to 2 phased beams at 65' and 100'. It seemed that stations on the East Coast with modest antennas were doing much better.

Not surprising; there is a definite advantage to being on the East Coast with one less hop to Europe. But your power and antennas should have done fine. Note that conditions were pretty poor, especially Sunday, and even here in 1-land the loudest EU stations were not more than 20 over, would have expected some 40 over.

One culprit could be Flex 6600 where setting of mic gain with speech processor is critical. With Flex I experience many more repetitions than with K3. But I had good runs on 80m (4 square).

I highly doubt it's the speech compressor setting. The Flex uses CESSB which is excellent at increasing average power and also very immune to being overdriven. It's much more likely it could be a Tx equalization issue. You want to use Tx equalization to 'fill up' and flatten the available Tx bandwidth. If you voice has a lot of low-end peaks, you might need to add 10 db of boos at the top end.

-Tony, K1KP



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ZL1BBW

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2021, 01:46:14 PM »

Its very easy to hold a frequency especially when you have signal like this one:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1xpl00shqj74ku8/IMG20210328190359.jpg?dl=0

It was a good 10Khz wide and this was taken off the back of the beam, the audio was flat, when I looked at it on the scope, they guy was flat topping most of the time.

This was the worst signal on the band here, most people were under 3k wide and it was easy to pop in and out between them.

« Last Edit: March 29, 2021, 01:49:20 PM by ZL1BBW »
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KD6VXI

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2021, 02:17:52 PM »

I like to run DSB to keep a wide berth of lessor operators 😎😳

Tongue in cheek of course.....  But one time I forgot to turn the dsp on and was unpolitely reminded I was TX in DSB.

I reminded the guy it wasn't against the rules and then hit the power switch on the dsp turning it I to ssb.

--Shane
KD6VXI
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ZL1BBW

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2021, 03:23:12 PM »

I like to run DSB to keep a wide berth of lessor operators 😎😳

Tongue in cheek of course.....  But one time I forgot to turn the dsp on and was unpolitely reminded I was TX in DSB.

I reminded the guy it wasn't against the rules and then hit the power switch on the dsp turning it I to ssb.

--Shane
KD6VXI

Do you really mean DSB or A3H?
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ex MN Radio Officer, Portishead Radio GKA, BT Radio Amateur Morse Tester.  Licensed as G3YCP ZL1DAB, now taken over my father (sk) call as ZL1BBW.

NO9E

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2021, 05:46:52 PM »

I heard about 300 stations on 200 Khz of 20m with a phased beam. One quarter of them with a  Spiderbeam at 40', and 10% with a vertical.

Things are a whole lot more complex than it seems.  If you are on the East Coast, Upper Midwest or Prince Edward Island, all of US is back to you, and with good antennas you can ignore what is happening in the back. In GA you hear everything on the way. If you have a hexbeam at 40ft, you don't hear many stations especially if noise floor is low.

 In Flex, cranking up mic gain increases signal strength and suddenly distortions appear like with old AF speech processors (e.g., IC735). I asked the author of CESSB about the implementation by Flex, and he does not know what is implemented by Flex.

Ignacy NO9E
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K3TN

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2021, 02:36:21 AM »

There are different strategies for contests like the CQ WW and CQ WPX where everyone works everyone compared to say ARRL DX or other contests where DX has to work US stations for points.

In the everyone works everyone contests, there are a lot more EU stations calling CQ because they can work across EU pretty easily well before whatever band they are on (like 20M and 160M) opens to the US. So, makes it harder to find a run frequency for US stations and harder to S&P at really good rates, too.

If you operating in assisted mode, one strategy that works really well in CW contests but not as well in SSB contests, is to work your way down the spots (either on the bandmap or if using N1MM in the Available Mults/Qs window) and you will pretty quickly hit a spot that is no longer active - throw out a few QRLs and you have a run freq. If that works, at first you will get calls thinking you are that spotted call - make sure you are IDing often.

Not as useful in SSB contests because there is no skimmer spotting and way fewer humans seem to be spotting!

If you are in assisted mode, in N1MM turn on Spot All S&P QSPs to help change that. You will have to enable it again each time you start up N1MM.

As far as bad/wide audio, that problem has been around since the first ham connected a microphonium to his radio! Got worse when transceivers started including compressors. Some of the contest sponsors have gotten more agressive with "be a good op or get disqualified" type rules but hard to enforce - you can forward recordings to the sponsors as part of a complaint.

73 John K3TN
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John K3TN

KF5LJW

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2021, 08:41:23 AM »

During contest my neighbor two blocks away and I find the most congested frequencies and talk all day long at full TX power. We share recipes, talk about weather, politics, religion, what meds we take, and how important ham radio is to the community during times of crisis. Example how to hide in your basement during COVID and wait for a distress call on the radio.
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K4EMF

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2021, 06:03:55 AM »

......Do you run CQ long enough to force the weaker ones to leave?
Even if they were there first?  What sort of good operating practice is that?

Quote
Should you limit your TX bandwidth to take as little space as possible, or should you widen it (with some overdrive), to discourage cohabitation?
This would depend of course on whether you want to be a good operator or a Lid. 

Quote
Or is it best to occupy a frequency at the start of the contest and never relinquish it until the propagation is over?

B I N G O !


The Radio Amateur's Code

The Radio Amateur is

CONSIDERATE...He/[She] never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

LOYAL...He/[She] offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, the IARU Radio Society in his/[her] country, through which Amateur Radio in his/[her] country is represented nationally and internationally.

PROGRESSIVE...He/[She] keeps his/[her] station up to date.  It is well-built and efficient.  His/[Her] operating practice is above reproach.

FRIENDLY...He/[She] operates slowly and patiently when requested; offers friendly advice and counsel to beginners; kind assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the marks of the amateur spirit.

BALANCED...Radio is a hobby, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

PATRIOTIC...His/[Her] station and skills are always ready for service to country and community.

- adapted from the original Amateur's Code, written by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, in 1928
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K2WH

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Re: Tricks in SSB contesting
« Reply #11 on: May 09, 2021, 12:45:26 PM »

I run 1kw on AM just to piss people off.  ;)
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