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About The Mystery Sprints
You never know what to expect with the Mystery Sprints. The theme, the QSO exchange, special rules, and the scoring remain a mystery until the Mystery Sprint is announced. Not only that, many of the mystery sprints will involve a puzzle for you to solve as to when it takes place just to add to the mystery. This format allows for trying out a wide range of ideas. Some may work, some may fall flat. If anything, we should have some fun trying.
Since the Mystery Sprints are part of the SKCC activities you should be reminded that participants are to use a mechanical key approved by the rules of the Straight Key Century Club. These include straight keys, sideswipers (Cooties) and bugs. Exceptions are granted to those with physical disabilities that prevent the use of such keys. We would like to keep the Mystery Sprints informal and a fun activity for operators with different skill levels. Operating speed should be adjusted accordingly. Shortwave listeners are invited to participate. Finally, as with all SKCC sprints, WARC bands are not to be used.
The Three Time Sprint
A common complaint is that the two hour SKS falls at an inconvenient time for some participants. This mystery sprint will explore the idea of spreading the time out in three one hour segments. The one hour sements will begin at 0000 UTC, 0800 UTC, and 1600 UTC. Everybody is to operate within those time blocks and put their QSOs together as one sprint. On the submit form you can tell us how the time slots worked for you.
As with the SKS, the K3UK sked page or similar spotting pages are off limits. In addition, computer aids like cwGet and Skimmer are NOT to be used. You can, however, call CQ 3T to hint that you are sprinting.
Use the simple sprint exchange: RST QTH NAME SKCC#.
Your final score will be determined by the sprint analysis program using the following formula:
Score = (QSO x MULT) + (2 x TRIB) + (5 x CENT) + (10 x NoC/T)
| QSO | = Total QSO count, excluding duplicates of SAME call on SAME band. |
| MULT | = Total count of QTH multipliers, excluding duplicates. |
| TRIB | = Total number of Tribunes worked in sprint, excluding duplicates. |
| CENT | = Total number of Centurions worked in sprint, excluding duplicates. |
| NoC/T | = Total number of operators worked that are neither Centurion, Tribune, or SKCC Member. |
Okay, when is it?
You will have to consult your Electric Mystifying Oracle for that. The date is exactly 80 years after the filing for a patent that was eventually granted months later as patent 1870677. Good luck.
LATE BREAKING NEWS - THIS SPRINT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL EXACTLY ONE WEEK AFTER THE DATE DESCRIBED BELOW. THE TIME REMAINS THE SAME. MARK YOUR CALENDAR.
This is a two hour sprint that will begin at 1600 UTC on m/dd/yy where m is the month number starting with January as 1, dd is the day of the month, and yy is the last two digits of the year. The values of m, dd and yy are from the five digit POSTAL CODE mddyy that corresponds to 47 deg, 28 min, 7.4 sec N and 5 deg 16 min 12.18 sec E. Be very careful to use the date format described here or you may wind up missing the whole event. When you have figured when it will be, don't let the secret out - just show up for the sprint.
The exchange will follow the standard WES exchange but will also add your five digit postal zip code.
For example: K2PAY DE K2RFP RST 599 NY DICK 2099T ZIP 11764 BK
Not all countries have a five digit postal code. Some countries incorporate letters and digits in their postal code system. If you are operating from one of those countries just send whatever you have.
Your final score will be determined by the sprint analysis program using the following formula:
Score = (QSO x MULT) + (2 x TRIB) + (5 x CENT) + (10 x NoC/T) + ZipBonus
| QSO | = Total QSO count, excluding duplicates of SAME call on SAME band. |
| MULT | = Total count of QTH multipliers, excluding duplicates. |
| TRIB | = Total number of Tribunes worked in sprint, excluding duplicates. |
| CENT | = Total number of Centurions worked in sprint, excluding duplicates. |
| NoC/T | = Total number of operators worked that are neither Centurion, Tribune, or SKCC Member. |
| ZipBonus | = Total bonus points as determined below. |
Calculating your ZipBonus
Make a grid of five rows and ten columns numbered 0 through 9.
Use the digits from the zip codes you collect to check off the grid boxes, one digit to one box. If you get a zip code that includes letter, just throw the letter part away and use just the digits. If you have a QSO but get no zip code data you may still count that toward your other points but you get no ZipBonus points from it.
At the end of the sprint your ZipBonus = the number of boxes checked off.
You can use the K3UK sked page to announce your participation and call CQ ZIP DE your call. However, please direct all questions about CQ ZIP that are asked on the sked page to this web page.
Shortwave listeners are invited to participate. See Rules for Shortwave Listeners.
For the photo submit file show us something unique about your QTH.
That's it. Have fun.
This is a three hour sprint that starts when the clocks in Petropavlosk show November 15, 2009, 0400 their standard time. You will have to adjust for your time zone and possible switch between standard and daylight savings time to determine when the sprint is actually taking place. That's part of the mystery - everybody needs a challenge now and then to prove their worth. Once you have figured out when, please do not post it on any website or emails. Just show up on the bands and have some fun. Just as a reminder, WARC bands are off limits.
You may use internet spotter pages for this sprint but please do not disclose any information that will give away the secret of the time period for the sprint. Let's see if we can keep that a mystery. Also, instead of posting frequencies you are asked to post bands instead. Let's make it a little more challenging. You can give some clues with a post like this:
I NEED TO BONE UP ON MY CW SKILLS - CALLING CQ AND QRZ ON 20 M
or
THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG ES CALLING CQ ON 40 M
And it is acceptable to use CQ DOG DE (your call) on the air.
In the exchange add the name of your dog. If you don't have a dog, use the name that you would use for your dog. Just make sure you use the same name throughout the sprint. Would it be REX, BARKER IN THE NIGHT, or perhaps PRINCESS, STAINER OF PERSIAN RUGS?
Here is a sample exchange: KB4QQJ DE K2RFP - UR 579 NY DICK 2099T FIDO - BK
The rules for recording data and calculating points are as follows:
During the sprint record the dog names you get in a column on your worksheet. If you get a name the same as one you already have, don't count it. At the end of the sprint calculate your special DOG bonus as follows:
| 1) For each unique name in the list you get 5 points. |
| 2) If the name you sent appears in the list, add 10 points. |
Multipliers and bonus points for Centurions and Tribunes are to be included and counted as they are for the SKS and WES. Working the same station on more than one band adds to your QSO count but does not count for additional multipliers or Centurion or Tribune counts.
Score = (QSO points) X (Multipliers) + (C and T Bonus) + (DOG Bonus)
You may encounter operators that either don't know about the DOG sprint, or do, but are not participating in it. That's fine. You can still count the QSO even if they don't send you a dog's name. Just use their REAL name as their DOG name also.
Shortwave listeners are invited to participate. See Rules for Shortwave Listeners.
That's it. Have fun.
See the results here.
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This sprint idea goes back to a discussion with former sprint manager Bill (NT9K) in April, 2007 but has gained traction as a result of an email from Jim (N5IB).
When
The first Mystery Sprint will occur on April 5, 2009, 1700-2000 UTC. You MAY use the K3UK webpage or any other spotter page to help make contacts.
The Exchange
The exchange will include the following items:
RST Name SKCC# Grid Square Transmit Power.
For example:
NT9K DE K2RFP - 579 DICK 2099T FN30MW 25 - BK
If you do not have an SKCC number you can still participate - send the word NONE in place of the SKCC number.
The Grid Square is the six character Maidenhead grid square for your transmit location. If you don't know what it is, or want to check it, you can go here:
http://f6fvy.free.fr/qthLocator/fullScreen.php
Just move the screen and zoom in until you find your home QTH.
The Transmit Power is the power in watts to the nearest whole watt. Power levels less than one watt must be sent as one watt. There is no score advantage for operating at milliwatt levels. There are scoring advantages to operate at QRP levels but you do not have to use QRP to participate in the sprint.
Scoring
Your sprint score will be calculated with the following formula:
Score = (QSO Count) x (Total Multipliers) + Miles-Per-Watt Bonus
QSO Count = Total number of QSOs for the sprint. Working the same station on the same band is considered a duplicate and should not be counted. Working the same station on different bands can be counted.
Total Multipliers = Sum of the multiplier points for each countable QSO.
Determining QSO multipliers:
Look at the first two letters of your grid square and the grid of the station worked.
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Examples:
EM40jk works EM39bh ---> 1 point
EM40jk works ED40cd or DM39ga ---> 2 points
EM40jk works DN30fg ---> 4 points
Miles-Per-Watt Bonus = Sum of the all the Miles-Per-Watt points for each countable QSO.
Miles-Per-Watt = (Distance Between Stations) / (Station-A Power + Station-B Power)
The distance between stations is to be calculated in miles as determined from the six character grid square values for the two stations. That distance is then divided by the sum of the power levels of the two stations in QSO. The power levels used in the calculation are in watts to the nearest whole number. Milliwatt power levels must use 1 for that part in the calculation. The Miles-Per-Watt value obtained for each QSO is then rounded to the nearest whole number and added together to get the Miles-Per-Watt Bonus.
If you are a paper logger it is not much trouble counting up the multipliers by hand. Calculating the Miles-Per-Watt is a lot more work. There are programs available from the internet to calculate the distance based on the grid squares but that still leaves the task of dividing by the combined power levels.
A helper program has been written especially for this sprint that will do both the multipliers and bonus calculations. The program has a manual mode for the paper loggers to enter their data piecemeal for each QSO, and an automatic mode for those that keep a computer log in ADIF. Since computer logging programs are not likely to have separate data fields for grid square and the other station's power level that data is to be recorded in the comment field of the logging program. For example: FN30MW 5. You then call the ADIF file from the logging program into this special helper program and BINGO! you get your answers right away.
If you keep your log in a spreadsheet you have a few options: You can use the helper program in manual mode and take the data from your spreadsheet, OR, if you can export from spreadsheet to an ADIF file you can use the helper program in automatic mode, AND finally, you can try writing the calculating procedure within the spreadsheet to do the calculations for you.
Get the helper program here:
k2rfp-miles-per-watt.zip
High power or low power? With high power you might increase your QSO count but reduce your bonus points. On the other hand, with low power you might reduce your QSO count but increase your bonus points. You decide your power with your first sucessful QSO. Once you have made that first contact you must keep your power at the same level for the rest of the sprint and that is what you must indicate when submitting your results.
Submissions
Logs are not required unless requested by the sprint manager. Scores are submitted via the web submission page linked at the top of this page. Scores must be submitted no later than the Friday following the event. If you discover a mistake in your entry after it has been submitted you can correct it by resubmitting the data, provided the time window for submitting is still open. When resubmitting, you must re-enter ALL of the data, not just the correction.
See the results here.
------------ Rules for Shortwave Listeners ------------
| 1) If you copy both sides of a QSO you can count that as two QSOs. |
| 2) You can count the same call again in another QSO only if it is on a different band. |
| 3) Follow the rules that apply to hams for counting multipliers and C/T bonus points. |
| 4) You can claim Extra bonus as specified in the sprint description. |
| 1) Enter in the SWL category. |
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2) If you are a ham, enter your call sign/SWL. If you are not a ham but have a unique SWL club identification, enter that as your call sign. If you do not have a club identification, make up a name to go by. Please note, it should be just a one word identification. |
| 3) For SKCC number, if you have one, enter it else enter SWL as the number. |
| 4) Enter your counts for QSOs, Multipliers, etc. as determined by the rules given above. |