Single Digit Contesting

Are you a ragchewer or contester? Or somewhere in between?

If you are a ragchewer you probably have been forced off the air for at least several weekends a year whenever one of the big contests are in progress.

If you are a contester do you dedicate several weekends a year to operating some of the big contests and ignore your family during those times? Would you like to operate those contests yet still have time to spend with your family?

The concept of Single Digit Contesting may be your salvation.

In most contests, everyone is trying to maximize their score to win a certificate or at least have a listing of their callsign somewhere near the top in the contest results. If you can accept that the certificates are only given to a few top scorers, then most contesters evidently are satisfied to see their callsigns posted somewhere at the top of the contest results.

If a contester truly knows that their station and operating technique can be a contender and a potent force for communication, could they be content to be listed at the bottom of the contest results and thereby free up their weekends to spend more time with their family?

If you are a ragchewer, would you like to join in on the fun of contesting, but don't want to be part of the problem of causing endless QRM and and would rather spend most of your weekend ragchewing with your friends?

In either case, Single Digit Contesting may be the way to enjoy contests without destroying your life. The concept of Single Digit Contesting is thus: Compete for the minimum possible score, get your call listed in the contest results and then move on with your life.

Step 1: Be aware of which contests will be causing QRM each weekend. Check Bruce Horn's contest calendar at http://www.hornucopia/contestcal/. Then get the rules for the contest at the website listed for the desired contest.

Step 2: Calculate what is required to achieve the absolute minimum score. This is usually one QSO. Running high power helps to keep your score low. Familiarize yourself with the information needed to be exchanged between stations.

Step 3: Anytime during the contest period make your one QSO. Do it with flair. Take your time. Remember, this will be your golden opportunity to make that sole contest point. If others are in a hurry, that's their problem. You have discovered a more relaxed style.of contesting.

Step 4: When the contest is over, submit your log via email. Most contests prefer this method of submission and can handle an almost unlimited quantity of log submissions. If you don't have a logging program that generates a Cabrillo file, any text editor should allow you to type in the minimal information that will be submitted in Cabrillo format. Most contest websites give a sample Cabrillo log format that can be modified in a text editor for your specific info. Some sample Cabrillo formats can be seen at http://www.storm.ca/~ve3iay/qsoform.txt

While a logging program is certainly not necessary for submitting the one QSO, it can be beneficial for quickly generating a Cabrillo file and an optional summary sheet in ascii text format.  W3KM's GenLog Program is freeware and includes templates for many contests.

A helpful page that allows you to manually enter your QSO info and automatically email a Cabrillo log to the contest sponsor of many larger contests is Cabrillo Web Forms at http://b4h.net/cabforms/. Remember to add "Single Digit Contesters" as your contest club in the space provided for "Club Name" to emphasize your adoption of this style of contesting.

These four steps can usually be completed in a maximum of thirty minutes. You can relax and enjoy the weekend, yet still see your call posted in the contest listings as a Single Digit salute to the current contest madness.

With Single Digit Contesting everyone is a winner even with many tied for last place. The contest sponsors will see an increase in the number of logs being submitted by former ragchewers, indicating a wider acceptance of their contest. If enough current contesters adopt these Single Digit Contesting practices there will be fewer total contacts and much less QRM on the bands which should minimize on-air squabbling and present a more dignified view of Amateur Radio to the public. The old line contesters will still be able to slug it out amongst themselves, but with fewer total contacts occuring, they might become more gentlemanly in their operating practices. They would be hoping to be one of the chosen few selected by the Single Digit Contesters as being the worthy recipient of the sole contact. All contesters would benefit from the increased challenge of making a contact, knowing that many of the other contesters will only be on the air for a short time.