January | - | “Winter Bands”theme - 160 and 80m SKCC QSOs are 5 bonus points each. |
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February | - | “Boat Anchors” theme - Only the number of tubes received from the contacted SKCC station count as bonus points. |
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March | - | “Bug/Cootie” theme - 5 points for each bug QSO and 5 points for each cootie QSO. |
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April | - | “Easter Egg Hunt” theme - 5 points for each egg station QSO. |
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May | - | “New Members” theme - 5 points per each New SKCC Member QSO. |
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June | - | “Summer Bands” theme - 15 and 10 meter bands - 5 points for each 15m and 10m SKCC station QSO. |
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July | - | “13 Colonies theme” - 5 points for each SKCC colony QSO , on each band. |
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August | - | “Home Brew Key” theme - 5 points for each home brew or home made key SKCC QSO. |
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September | - | “Club Calls” theme - 5 points for each different club station worked on each band. |
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October | - | “TKA” theme - 5 points for each SKCC - TKA station worked on each band. |
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November | - | “Veteran’s” theme - The bonus points received are for number of years served by the SKCC Veteran operating. |
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December | - | “Reindeer Stations” theme - 5 points for each reindeer worked on each band. |
The December WES will be a little different. In preparation for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, we will have some very special operators out there just looking to fill your WES stocking with bonus points. This month, we will have Santa, Rudolph (his most important Reindeer) and some of his original elves operating as bonus stations. There will also be a couple of not so nice characters that are trying to be stingy with their bonus points. They never stay in one place very long. Since they are harder to get, they will really help build bonus points. So, the very special operators this month are:
* KK0I / Jack | aka: | Santa |
* AA2XB / Frank | aka: | Rudolph |
* WD7JS / Russ | aka: | Bushy Evergreen |
* K1ARR / Art | aka: | Wunorse Openslae |
* VE0XDX / Tony | aka: | Pepper Minstix |
* AF8A / Gary | aka: | Sugarplum Marty |
* F6HKA / Bert | aka: | Père Noël |
* K7TKT / Brian | aka: | Snowflake |
* K3EW / Phil | aka: | Elf Bernard |
* K3MSB / Mark | aka: | The Grinch |
* N8KR / Ken | aka: | Ebenezer Scrooge |
* KZ3T / Dan | aka: | Frosty |
* KA5TJS / Allen | aka: | Candy Kane |
* W1ZAH / Frank | aka: | Alabaster Snowball |
* N8KQ / Randy | aka: | Jack Frost |
>Santa - We all know who he is.
>Rudolph - The most famous reindeer of all.
>Bushy Evergreen - The inventor of the magic toy-making machine.
>Wunorse Openslae - He designed Santa's sleigh and maintains it for top performance. He also cares for the reindeer.
>Pepper Minstix - The guardian of the secret of the location of Father Christmas's village.
>Sugarplum Marty - Head of the Sweet Treats and assistant to Santa's wife, Mrs Claus.
>Père Noël – Father Christmas
>Elf Bernard - Santa's head Elf
>Alabaster Snowball - A very important elf. He is the Administrator of the Naughty & Nice list.
>Snowflake - Alabaster's assistant
>Frosty – The only real live snowman in the world!
>Candy Kane – Santa’s Head Decorator
>Jack Frost – We couldn’t have Frosty without Jack.
>Ebenezer Scrooge – The meanest and stingiest guy around. (Multiplier)
>The Grinch – Selfish and as mean as can be. Green and funny looking too. (Multiplier)
Here's how it works. You get bonus points for each "Special Guest Operator" you work. All the bonus stations are worth 100 points. Here’s the good part. Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch are multipliers as well! Work one of them and you get to multiply your bonus points times two. Work them both and you get to multiply your total bonus points times three! Remember, they will be harder to find, and they will move around a lot. Spotting them to help others find them (in the Christmas spirit of course) is allowed but skeds with the bonus stations are not allowed.
NOTE: Only one contact per bonus station can be counted for bonus points and multipliers. Multiple band contacts with the same station are allowed for QSO points only (as outlined in the WES scoring rules below).
Example: you work ten bonus stations x 100 = 1000 points. Work one multiplier and you double the 1000 to 2000. Work both multipliers and you get to triple the 1000 points for 3000 points. If you manage to work ALL the bonus stations (15 of them), you can DOUBLE their value. So, if you work every bonus station they will be worth 200 points each AND you get both multipliers! By doing so, you can earn 9000 (which is the maximum) bonus points!
These very famous and rare (they are only around once a year) guest operators will be operating when they can so they may not be around all the time or all at once. They have a ton of work to do in preparation for Christmas but have very graciously agreed to participate in our Dec WES this year. There are no promises for next year so you better try to get them now. Since they are so busy, they are probably going to be extremely tired (and Rudolph is having a real hard time with his new Bug) so for this sprint, let's try to keep our speeds around 15 wpm. This will make it easier for them and it may encourage newer CW operators to jump in and enjoy the sprint too. If you have never participated in a SKCC WES, consider trying it. It really is great fun and SKCC OPs are all very patient and will QRS whenever needed. So please, give it a try. You may find that you like the sprints!
November is a special month. It marks the beginning of a very special time of year. That special time officially begins on the fourth Thursday of November and is called...you know it...The Holiday Season. The special day that marks the beginning of the Holiday Season is called Thanksgiving. Who didn’t know that?
Thanksgiving precedes “Black Friday” and is traditionally a holiday to give thanks for the food collected at the end of the harvest season. This month, we will give thanks for the food we harvest by doing one of our traditional Word Search Themes.
Using the letters in the call signs you work, you will try to spell the names of the foods we traditionally enjoy from our official Thanksgiving 2019 word list. You may use the letters in each call sign twice (NI9M would be worth two Ns, two Is and two Ms). For each of the words you spell, you get 100 bonus points. If you spell ALL of the words, you can DOUBLE your bonus points. If you spell the super special bonus word after you spell all of the other words, you get 500 super special additional bonus points (note that you must spell all of the other words first and use left over letters to spell the super special bonus word to claim it for additional bonus points).
Here is the official Thanksgiving 2019 word list (Ignore spaces):
TURKEY |
STUFFING |
CRANBERRIES |
CORN |
MASHED POTATOES |
GRAVY |
GREEN BEANS |
PUMPKIN PIE |
BREAD |
YAMS |
The Super Special Bonus Word Is: THANK YOU (I know, that’s two words but consider it one like you did with the words in the list).
If you spell all of the bonus words AND the Super Special Bonus Word, you will earn a total of 2500 bonus points.
NOTICE: I will need volunteers to be bonus stations for the December WES. If you would like to volunteer, please send me an email with the subject “BONUS STATION”. Please send it to wes-manager@skccgroup.com and I will send you the official “Bonus Station Guidelines”.
Thank You, Good Luck and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
If I were asked to describe the SKCC in one word, I would say, “Extraordinary”. If I were allowed to elaborate, I would say that, “The SKCC is a truly Extraordinary club comprised of Extraordinary members that has Extraordinary leaders (our BOD) that have formed the SKCC into an Extraordinarily special organization. There are no requirements that might exclude someone because they are not fast enough, experienced enough, old enough, young enough, wealthy enough or popular enough. Anyone with a love of Morse and simple sending devices may join. In fact, anyone is welcome join…period. It doesn’t matter if you are able to communicate with Morse, our Extraordinary members will help you learn to be an Extraordinary CW operator.
I just wanted to say that because I truly believe every word. We should thank our founders, leaders and fellow members for making the SKCC the friendliest, best and fastest growing CW club around.
The SKCC has experienced Extraordinary growth in the past couple of years. This month we welcome a new season and to celebrate the new season, we will welcome some of the Extraordinary new members. This month, anyone that has been a member for one year (approximately) is worth bonus points. The newer they are the more points they are worth. Here is how we will do it.
If their member number is 20000 or higher, they are worth 30 bonus points.
If their member number is 19000 to 19999, they are worth 20 bonus points.
If YOUR member number is 19000 or higher and you work someone with a number 19000 or higher, you get to claim the same bonus points. BUT…you also get a onetime 100-point bonus for participating in this month’s WES. If this is your FIRST WES, you get onetime 200 bonus points for participating.
The other usual rules apply. If you work the same station on multiple bands, you can claim the bonus for each band you work them on.
Finally, if you post soapbox comments AND a picture of your shack (with you in it if possible), you get 200 bonus points. If Ted, K8AQM (editor of our most awesome newsletter) likes and wants to use your comments and/or picture in the next Rag Chew, you will get to bank 200 bonus points for the January, 2020 WES. So, be sure to make your soap box comments interesting so they grab Ted’s attention. It could be worth points for next year. By the way, have I mentioned that starting next year, there will be prizes of some type for WES participation? More about that in January but you can work toward those prizes now by submitting your interesting soapbox comments and pictures.
REMEMBER!!! The SKC QSO Party is next month starting at 1800 UTC on Saturday, October 5th, 2019 and runs through Sunday, October 6th, 2019 at 1800. See the QSO Party page for more information.
This month we will be having a plain old WES. No bonus points to chase. (But there is an option for bonus points. Back to that in a bit). We will play like any other sprint. Find em, work em, log em. Since there will be no special bonus stations, nothing to look for, etc. you will be able to show off your sprint savvy. Standard rules apply and remember to keep the pace (wpm speed) relaxed so no one is excluded or intimidated.
Now, the bonus point options. There are two ways to add to your score.
If you submit meaningful and relevant soapbox comments*, you get 100 points. If you submit a picture with them, you get 200 points. If you are in the picture and it shows you and your station, you get 300 points. NOTE: To get your soapbox points AND your early submission points below, you might want to get your picture ready early.
a) | On the day the sprint ends: | 75 bonus points |
b) | Monday after the sprint: | 65 bonus points |
c) | Tuesday after the sprint: | 55 bonus points |
d) | Wednesday after the sprint: | 45 bonus points |
e) | Thursday after the sprint: | 35 bonus points |
f) | Friday after the sprint: | 25 bonus points |
g) | Saturday after the sprint: | 15 bonus points |
h) | Sunday after the sprint (The last day for submitting results): | 5 bonus points |
REMEMBER! To avoid confusion, USE YOUR TIME ZONE FOR SCORING THESE POINTS.
* I had an email asking if “Great Sprint” would count for bonus points. Meaningful and relevant means comments on your sprint experience(s). Make it a little interesting. More is better.
It's been hot, humid, hot, windy, hot, rainy, hot and sunny. Bottom line, it’s Summer and everyone is busy… and hot. I hope your air conditioner is ok.
I thought that since it has been so hot, we should have another Boat Anchor event (tubes and all) … JUST KIDDING!!
Since we have had all that hotness, we are going to have an easier sprint this month. We can call it Club Call month. There are a lot of members that have access to a club call that they could use in the SKCC events. If you are one of them and would like to use your club call in the August WES; apply for a SKCC number and you will become a Bonus Station this month. If your club already has a SKCC number, you are all set. Each QSO that someone has with you will be worth 10 bonus points to them. You can get the bonus points by working other members with club calls. To identify yourself as a club or if you are using a club call, just add the word “club” to the end of your exchange (599, IL, Dave, 15315S club). That should prevent any confusion with the C,T and S numbers. Look for the club calls to get your bonus points. Multiple bands can be counted multiple times. Good Luck!
If you can find time for some radio activity, please join the fun!!! (And please, submit your results. More submissions may encourage more participation).
Please pass on reminders about the WES so we can get more members involved. I would also welcome any thoughts and ideas you might have for a WES as well as reviews of a theme. Did you like it? Was it too difficult? I would really like to hear from you. Your input helps make the WESs more fun for everyone.
Oh…you can get an EXTRA 100 bonus points if you submit a picture of you, your shack or both PLUS you get my never-ending thanks and admiration.
The July WES aims to recognize the major players in the United States' Revolutionary War**; the 13 original colonies, plus the UK and France.
The original colonies include: GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, PA, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, and NH. For this event and this event only, either ME or MA count as MA. Likewise, VA and WV count as VA. Although it is not part of MD, Washington DC was born of a chunk of MD so for this event only, Washington, D.C. can be counted as MD.
This year, all QSOs with an SKCC member in one of the 13 colonies are worth 10 bonus points (The member must physically be in one of the 13 colonies to claim the bonus points. For example, let’s say you work Ron, AC2C but he is visiting his friend in OH and he sends OH in his exchange, he would not count for bonus points). Contact any member in the UK or France and you can claim 50 bonus points each. Sweep all 13 colonies, and you can multiply your colonies bonus by 2. Sweep the UK and France, and you can multiply the UK/France total by 2. Your bonus is the sum of your colony points and your UK/France points.
If you like to do word-based bonuses and you can spell the names (full names) of the original 13 colonies listed above, United Kingdom or France using call signs from the stations you work in those colonies, the UK or France; you can have 100 points for each colony name you spell out (ie Delaware, not DE). Note: As with QSO bonus points, only the call signs of stations physically located in one of the 13 colonies, UK or France can be used for spelling the names. The letters in each call sign can be used twice (i.e. AC2C is worth 2 letter As and 4 letter Cs).
Add a soapbox comment with a picture and claim 100 extra bonus points!
Praise Morse and let the RF fly!
Good luck and have fun.
** With a deep bow and sweep of the tri-corner hat to the Original 13 Colonies for the inspiration for this theme.
Once again, it's time for the annual Weekend Sprintathon Boat Anchor Regatta. If your rig has tubes, you are worth bonus points! Tubes, as in the sum of the tubes in your transceiver or transmitter-receiver pair, and power supply. And, if your transmitter's frequency is set by a crystal instead of a VFO, you're potentially worth mucho bonus points.
Here's how it works:
Count the number of tubes in the rigs you are operating and attach that number to your name during your WES exchanges. If you have five tubes, send YOURNAME/5. If you are operating using crystals, add an X to the number. Send YOURNAME/5X.
When the event ends, add the number of non-X points you've logged. That's a bonus subtotal.
Then calculate the points you've earned for working stations using crystals. You do this by **squaring** the number of tubes for each station you've worked that was using crystals: 2X is worth 4 bonus points, 3X is worth 9 points, and so on. This means that if a station sends 14X because the operator is using a 12-tube Hammerlund receiver and a 2-tube, crystal-controlled transmitter, that's 14x14, or 196 points for that QSO.
If both stations in a QSO are using boat anchors, each station in the QSO may claim the sum of both stations' tubes, scoring them as outlined above.
I can hear the question now: What if I have an old solid-state transmitter that is crystal controlled. Can I offer any bonus points for that? For which the answer is: 0 (no tubes) x 0 = 0.
Your bonus total is the sum of non-crystal bonus points and crystal-control bonus points.
NEW Bonus Opportunity!! If you post a picture and description of your boat anchor station in the Soapbox Comments, you can claim 100 extra bonus points. The picture must be accompanied by a description and short history to claim the points. If you are in the picture and sitting at the operating position with the equipment, give yourself an extra 50 points. If you are holding up anything that says “SKCC” on it and it is visible in the picture, 50 points one more time. Thant’s a total of 200 additional bonus points on the table here!
So, as you operate, be sure to hunt for the folks using crystal-controlled transmitters. You may need to listen to one or two exchanges to be sure. But the nice thing about that is that unless that station has a bucketful of crystals, it won't be QSYing any time soon. If you find one, spot it on the SKCC Sked Page. And if you are operating a crystal-controlled transmitter, it would be in your interest to advertise your presence via the SKCC Sked Page.
The May WES will be a plain old sprint with one difference. Less (as in power) is more (as in points). I know… you have already figured it out. It’s a QRP sprint, right? Well, not quite… For this WES, operating at 5 watts or less will get you additional points. You can change power if you like but you must compute your bonus points based on the highest power you used at any time during the event. Here is how the scoring works.
If you run 2-5 Watts for ALL QSOs, you get 25 bonus points per qso
If you run 1 Watt or less for ALL QSOs, you get 50 bonus points per qso
If you run over 5 watts at any time, you cannot claim any bonus points
Since we are going for less (or more?), lets include antennas too. If you are running QRP for the entire event AND use a wire antenna (dipole, long wire, EFHW, G5RV, random wire, random wire with unun, etc.) for ALL your WES QSOs, you can add 200 additional points to your score.
NOTE: For this WES, a ground mounted vertical is considered a wire antenna.
NOTE: One important point… You must use the highest power you used at any time during the WES to figure your bonus points. If you had 99 contacts at 5 Watts and one at over 5 Watts, you cannot claim the QRP bonus points.
I know that Easter is still a week away but we’re going to have a little Easter fun. It brings out the kid in all of us. This month we will have a good old-fashioned Easter Egg Hunt. We had one last year but this one is a little different. There will be a bunch of Easter Eggs hidden around the countryside. The Easter Bunny has hidden more eggs this year but has made them harder to find. The eggs may be hidden on any band or frequency. You may find two very close together or way at each end of the field. That Easter Bunny is a sneaky little thing. So, here's the way it goes. There will be several stations designated as Easter Eggs (EE). When they call CQ they may call CQ WES/EE or something similar…or they may not. You will know for sure that they are an EE when they send their exchange. They will send /EE after their SKCC number (ex: 599, IL, Dave, 15315S/EE). They can operate whenever they want on any band they want. There are no rules about where or when they operate. The only rule is that they can’t tell anyone where they are OR who they are until AFTER 20:00 UTC on Sunday. If you hear someone work an EE or you work an EE, you are free to spot them on the sked page for your fellow hunters. Remember though, the Bunny can re-hide them if he feels like it, but he does not have to. So, if you see one of them spotted by a fellow hunter, you might want to try to get to them just in case they get moved. If you work an EE, you get 100 bonus points for that QSO. You may only work each one of them one time per band for bonus points. Work them on multiple bands and you can count each QSO (once per band per EE) for bonus points. Scoring example: You work 8 of them on 40m = 800 points - You work 6 of them on 20m = 600 points - you work 3 of the on 80m = 300 points - Your total bonus is 800+600+300 or 1700 points. So, good luck and happy hunting! Here is a hint. If you work (and hunt) hard and get all of them on five bands, your bonus score will be 10,000 points.
The following stations will be our Easter Eggs this month…oh wait, I’m not going to tell you! Why you say? Well, have you ever been to an Easter Egg hunt where they told you where to find the eggs? I’ll bet not. I am pretty sure that the news about who the eggs are will spread quickly. It’s OK to help each other out but the EEs cannot tell you themselves. Remember, you will know for sure that they are an EE when they send their exchange. I will tell you how many there are though… about twice as many as last year. Please notice I said “about”. Sometimes an egg gets broken and can’t be used.
One last thing… No skeds are allowed but it is OK to put band (not frequency) requests on the sked page. If the Easter Bunny sees your band request, he may move some eggs to that band for you. An example would be, “Hey Mr. Bunny, how about a few eggs on 15M”. If he sees it, he will probably help you out.
One more last thing… The list of EEs will be posted here and/or on the email group reflector an hour or two before the WES ends so you can verify the ones you found. Also, the EEs will be allowed to spot themselves on the sked page AFTER 20:00 UTC on Sunday (four hours before the WES ends).
Finally, one more final last thing (a helpful hint)… Watch the sked page Sunday afternoon after 20:00 UTC if you need help finding EEs.
There is no special theme for the March WES and there are no bonus points to chase. However, if you can find time for some radio activity, please join the fun!!! (And please, submit your results. More submissions may encourage more participation).
Please pass on reminders about the WES so we can get more members involved. I would also welcome any thoughts and ideas you might have for a WES as well as reviews of a theme. Did you like it? Was it too difficult? I would really like to hear from you. Your input makes the WES more fun for everyone.
The March WES will be a plain old sprint with one difference. Less (as in power) is more (as in points). I know you have already figured it out. It’s a QRP sprint right? Well, not quite…
For this WES, the less power you use, the more bonus points you get. You can use almost any power level and still earn bonus points. You can change power if you like but you must compute you bonus points based on the highest power you used at any time during the event. Here is how it works. For every full 10 watts you go below 100 watts, you get 10 bonus points per QSO. This little guide will help you.
≥91 Watts | = | no bonus points |
81-90 Watts | = | 10 bonus points per qso |
71-80 Watts | = | 20 bonus points per qso |
61-70 Watts | = | 30 bonus points per qso |
51-60 Watts | = | 40 bonus points per qso |
41-50 Watts | = | 50 bonus points per qso |
31-40 Watts | = | 60 bonus points per qso |
21-30 Watts | = | 70 bonus points per qso |
11-20 Watts | = | 80 bonus points per qso |
6-10 Watts | = | 90 bonus points per qso |
2-5 Watts | = | 100 bonus points per qso |
≤1 Watt | = | 200 bonus points per qso |
Since we are going for less (or more?), lets include antennas too. If you use a gain antenna (a Yagi for example), no extra points because you already have an advantage. If you use a wire antenna (dipole, long wire, EFHW, G5RV, etc.) for ALL your WES QSOs, you can add 200 additional points to your score.
For definition: Some wire antennas can provide gain but for this WES, a wire antenna must be completely made of wire to claim the bonus. If it is directional or not made of wire, it is considered a gain antenna. Please use your best and honest judgement.
NOTE: One important point… You must use the highest power you used at any point during the WES to figure your bonus points. If you had 99 contacts at 5 Watts and one at 50 Watts, you MUST use the 50 Watt bonus for ALL of your QSOs when you calculate your bonus points.
As usual, our club Excel guru, Jerry, K6III has created an Excel Spreadsheet to help you calculate your bonus points. If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet, please email Jerry at: jerry.bliss@gmail.com and he will happily hook you up with one. We would like to thank Jerry for all the work he does to help with WES scoring. Thank you 20,000+ times my friend!
There is no special theme for the February WES and there are no bonus points to chase. However, if you can find time for some radio activity, please join the fun!!! (And please, submit your results. More submissions may encourage more participation).
Please pass on reminders about the WES so we can get more members involved. I would also welcome any thoughts and ideas you might have for a WES as well as reviews of a theme. Did you like it? Was it too difficult? I would really like to hear from you. Your input makes the WES more fun for everyone.
I will be looking for bonus stations for the April WES (not March). Give it some thought and if you think you may enjoy being a bonus station, please send me an email with “Bonus Station” on the subject line. It really is a lot of fun.
Well, it’s a new year… again. With every new year comes new members and new goals. This month we will welcome the new year, our new members and new WES participants.
For this sprint only, “New” members include any member that has joined the SKCC since January 1st (inclusive) 2018. That would include any member with a member number of 18057 or higher.
For this sprint only, “Re-Newed” members include ANY member not considered “New” (as described above), regardless of join date or member number that DID NOT participate in one of our WESs during 2018 (last time you participated was in 2017 or earlier) OR has NEVER participated in one of our WESs.
So, if you have a member number of 18057 or higher OR you have NEVER participated in a WES (and you are not considered “New”) OR you did not participate in any WES during 2018, this is your lucky month! Just for participating in this month’s WES, you get 20 bonus points for each QSO you complete during the sprint. If you work one of the other “New” or “Re-Newed” members, you also get to claim an additional 20 points per QSO with them. Multiple QSOs for bonus points are allowed for QSOs on a different band. Any “New” or “Re-Newed” member that makes 50 or more QSOs with 50 or more unique stations can claim 500 additional bonus points!
Example: A “New” or “Re-Newed” member has a QSO with another “New” or “Re-Newed” member, you each get 40 bonus points for that QSO.
For all members not considered “New” or “Re-Newed”, you get 20 points for each QSO with one of the “New” or “Re-Newed” members. Multi band QSOs for bonus points are allowed. If you are not considered a “New” or “Re-Newed” member and you make 50 or more QSOs with unique “New” or “Re-Newed” members, you can also claim 500 bonus points.
For ALL participants: Remember, only one QSO with the same station per band can be counted for bonus points. Multiple QSOs for bonus points are allowed for QSOs with the same station on a different band.
Remember to use the SKED page! Spotting is allowed (and encouraged) but NO ADVANCE SKEDS PLEASE. If you are not familiar with the SKCC Sked page, you should check it out at SKCC Sked Page. Look toward the right on the top banner and under the “Login” button, you should see a “Sign Up” link. You will find it to be a very useful resource. You can spot yourself there, announce where you are listening or calling, request a QSO with someone or chat with other members that are logged into the page. Be sure to post your frequency in the “Status” box if you are listening or CQing. It will show up next to your call so anyone looking at the page or using the skimmer can see where you are calling or listening.
Note: If you are a “Re-Newed” member (“Re-Newed” members include ANY member, regardless of join date or member number that has NEVER participated in one of our WES), you should identify yourself as a “Re-Newed” member by adding /r after your name when you send your exchange so that the members that work you can claim their 20 bonus points. You should also add the comment that you are a “Re-Newed” member or First Time Participant” in the comments section when you submit your score. “New” members should add /n to your name to help other stations identify you as “New”.
To ALL members: If you have NEVER participated in a WES, please consider trying it this month. Once you try it, you will realize how much fun you can have with dits and dahs (the original digital mode).
Did you know that there is an SKCC email group? Join the group and stay informed! The SKCC has an email reflector that we use to share ideas, ask questions, talk about Ham Radio in general, make announcements and share SKCC information. I'm pretty sure you will even hear a tale or two. It's free, it's easy, it's informative and it's fun. Please consider joining. You can get instructions for joining by using the link below. We would love to welcome you to our email group.
One last thing. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE post your score. It is important because everyone likes to see how you did and some may use the information to verify QSO information. Even if you only have one QSO, you participated, and you should be recognized. I am always available if you need help calculating your score. Please feel free to email me with any questions related to the monthly WES. If you prefer to talk, please email me and I will send you my phone number.
The December WES will be a little different. In preparation for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, we will have some very special operators out there just looking to fill your WES stocking with bonus points. This month, we will have Santa, Rudolph (his most important Reindeer) and some of his original elves operating as bonus stations. There will also be a couple of not so nice characters that are trying to be stingy with their bonus points. They never stay in one place very long. Since they are harder to get, they will really help build bonus points. So, the very special operators this month are:
* K0NIA / Mark | aka: | Santa |
* N9BIL / Tim | aka: | Rudolph |
* N1GKE / Myrt | aka: | Bushy Evergreen |
* OS0S / Leon | aka: | Shinny Upatree |
* K4UYQ / Don | aka: | Wunorse Openslae |
* KA5TJS / Allen | aka: | Pepper Minstix |
* K3ESE / Lloyd | aka: | Sugarplum Marty |
* F6EJN / Robert(Bob) | aka: | Père Noël |
* WB8YXF / Fr Richard | aka: | Elf Bernard |
* VE3RDE / Roger | aka: | Alabaster Snowball |
* WB0PYF / Ray | aka: | Snowflake |
* K3SEN / Dale | aka: | Frosty |
* W9DLN / Dan | aka: | Candy Kane |
* WB4DBO / Willis | aka: | Jack Frost |
* N9SE / Marty | aka: | Ebenezer Scrooge |
* W3NP / Dave | aka: | The Grinch |
>Santa - We all know who he is.
>Rudolph - The most famous reindeer of all.
>Bushy Evergreen - The inventor of the magic toy-making machine.
>Shinny Upatree - Santa's oldest friend and cofounder of his secret village.
>Wunorse Openslae - He designed Santa's sleigh and maintains it for top performance. He also cares for the reindeer.
>Pepper Minstix - The guardian of the secret of the location of Father Christmas's village.
>Sugarplum Marty - Head of the Sweet Treats and assistant to Santa's wife, Mrs Claus.
>Père Noël - Father Christmas
>Elf Bernard - Santa's head Elf
>Alabaster Snowball - A very important elf. He is the Administrator of the Naughty & Nice list.
>Snowflake - Alabaster's assistant
>Frosty - The only real live snowman in the world!
>Candy Kane - Santa's Head Decorator
>Jack Frost - We couldn't have Frosty without Jack.
>Ebenezer Scrooge - The meanest and stingiest guy around. (Multiplier)
>The Grinch - Selfish and as mean as can be. Green and funny looking too. (Multiplier)
Here's how it works. You get bonus points for each "Special Guest Operator" you work. All the bonus stations are worth 100 points. Here’s the good part. Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch are multipliers as well! Work one of them and you get to multiply your bonus points times two. Work them both and you get to multiply your total bonus points times three! Remember, they will be harder to find, and they will move around a lot. Spotting them to help others find them (in the Christmas spirit of course) is allowed but skeds with the bonus stations are not allowed.
NOTE: Only one contact per bonus station can be counted for bonus points and multipliers. Multiple band contacts with the same station are allowed for QSO points only (as outlined in the WES scoring rules below).
Example: you work ten bonus stations x 100 = 1000 points. Work one multiplier and you double the 1000 to 2000. Work both multipliers and you get to triple the 1000 points for 3000 points. If you manage to work ALL the bonus stations (16 of them), you can DOUBLE their value. So, if you work every bonus station they will be worth 200 points each AND you get both multipliers! By doing so, you can earn 9,600 (which is the maximum) bonus points!
These very famous and rare (they are only around once a year) guest operators will be operating when they can so they may not be around all the time or all at once. They have a ton of work to do in preparation for Christmas but have very graciously agreed to participate in our Dec WES this year. There are no promises for next year so you better try to get them now. Since they are so busy, they are probably going to be extremely tired (and Rudolph is having a real hard time with his new Bug) so for this sprint, let's try to keep our speeds around 15 wpm. This will make it easier for them and it may encourage newer CW operators to jump in and enjoy the sprint too. If you have never participated in a SKCC WES, consider trying it. It really is great fun and SKCC OPs are all very patient and will QRS whenever needed. So please, give it a try. You may find that you like the sprints!
This month, you will earn your bonus points BUT, it will be worth it. The WES this month is a simple one. You will be looking for all 10 call areas and any DX country (NOTE: For the purpose of this WES, and only this one, AK and HI are considered DX). For each call area you work, you get to claim 100 points. If you manage to work all 10 call areas between the left coast and the right coast, you can claim an extra 500 points. So, if you work all ten areas between the left coast and the right coast, you get a maximum of 1500 bonus points. Any DX country is worth 200 points. For example, if you work France, Germany, Belgium and Mexico (remember… For the purpose of this WES, and only this one, AK and HI are considered DX so they are worth 200 points each also) you have four DX points. Since each DX country is worth 200 points, you have 800 additional bonus points for a total of 2300 bonus points.
Now the fine print… Each of the stations you work must actually be in the call area you are claiming. So, if you work NI9M but he is not in IL, WI or IN, he doesn’t count for call area 9. The state they send in their exchange is the call area you can claim. If NI9M is in IA, you can claim call area 0 for that QSO. The same goes for AK and HI. They must actually be in AK or HI to claim them for DX points. Finally, you may not use the same call from multiple call areas. For example, if NI9M is running mobile and you work him in IA, you can claim call area 0 but if he then goes to IL, you cannot use him for call area 9.
Get your call area maps out folks, you may need them. You should also use the SKCC Sked Page to post the call area you are in. It will help others find you.
It-s here folks! The Fall season is in full swing. In the spirit of the season, this month's WES theme will be an Autumn Word Search using the call signs of the stations you work in the WES. This time, the numbers have value too!
Here's how it works. Use the letters in the call signs to spell out the words related to the Fall season. You can use any individual letter from a given call sign only once. For example: You contact KE1BE. You can use both Es and the B for Breezy and the K for Pumpkin, or spread the B, K, and Es out between multiple words like Bonfire, Harvest, and Thanksgiving. It doesn't matter where you use them but you can only use those letters from that call once even if you work the same station on multiple bands (you still get the QSO points on each band). Need another E? Wait for another call with an E in it.
This year, the numbers in the calls are worth points too.
The Fall Words are:
- PumpkinPie
- Halloween
- WeenieRoast
- Harvest
- Autumn
- Bonfire
- Cornucopia
- Leaves
- AppleCider
- Thanksgiving
Each completed Fall/Autumn related word from the list is worth 100 points; for a total of 1,000 bonus points. If the word consists of two words, they count as one word. For example: WeenieRoast is really two words but is considered one word. If you complete all 10 words, you can claim an additional 500 points for a sweep. Maximum possible bonus: 1,500 word points plus the points for the number bonus.
The number bonus is easy. Use the number from the calls you work to make your SKCC member number. If your SKCC number is 11111, you will need at least five QSOs from members with a “1” in their call. If your SKCC number is 19, well, it should be easy for you. Each time you can make your SKCC member number from the calls you work, it is worth 20 points. The number from a call can only be used one time regardless of how many times you work it. If you make your SKCC member number 10 times, that’s 200 bonus points.
Ham radio may be the only venue in which the word “Cootie” has a positive meaning. A cootie is typically a single-lever paddle that an operator uses, but not with an electronic keyer. Instead, the operator must form each dit and dah as the lever moves side to side against each of the cootie's two contacts. Think "bug" with no spring for repeat dits; you have to form those yourself, in addition to the dahs. So guess what! For September's Weekend Sprintathon, operators who use cooties will be worth bonus points.
For this event, we're going to bend the concept of cootie a tad. A cootie can be, well, a real cootie -- bought or homemade. If you lack one of those, you can rewire an iambic paddle so that you have to form the dits and dahs individually with your sideswiping action. Only sideswiping devices built or wired so that the operator must form each dit and dah individually, while manually controlling character spacing and weight, qualifies as a cootie for bonus purposes. If you do not have a cootie or paddles you can rewire, a home brew cootie is an easy project. If you have NEVER used a cootie and you home brew a fresh one for this event, give yourself a 100 point bonus.
If you are using a cootie, please indicate that as you give your name during the exchange (yourname/co), where /co means cootie operator.
You earn 15 bonus points for each contact you make with a cootie operator. When one cootie operator works another cootie operator, each of the operators in that QSO can claim 30 points for the exchange. Multiband contacts for bonus points are permissible.
This event runs from 1200 UTC September 8th to 23:59 UTC September 9th. Good luck! Oh, be sure to let people know you are a CO. It will mean more points for both of you! By the way, I am a CO!
This month, QRP stations are where bonus points are. Each contact with a QRP station (running between 1 and 5 watts output) is worth 50 bonus points. A contact with a station running less than 1 watt (QRPp) is worth 100 bonus points. These points accrue to the stations contacting the low-power stations. Multiband contacts with the same QRP/QRPp station also qualify for bonus points.
If you are running a QRP/QRPp station, for each contact with another QRP/QRPp station you may claim the sum of both stations' bonus values. For instance:
If you like to be outdoors in the beautiful August weather, set up a portable station. Portable QRP stations using temporary portable antennas where the complete station is outside are worth an extra 100 points. As an incentive to set up a portable station, you also get 100 extra bonus points for QSOs with other QRP or QRPp stations. So, for portable stations only, the points would be as follows:
Operators running QRP or QRPp should indicate their power class during the exchange by adding /QRP or /QRPp to the end of their names during an exchange. Operators running outdoor portable QRP stations should add /p to the end of their call as well as QRP or QRPp to the end of their names. Only portable QRP stations running 5w or less count for bonus points. Portable stations running over 5w do not count for any bonus points.
July's WES was a popular one last year so we will do it again this year with just a few changes. The July WES aims to recognize the major players in the United States' Revolutionary War**; the 13 original colonies, plus Britain and France.
The original colonies include: GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, PA, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, and NH. For this event and this event only, either ME or MA count as MA. Likewise, VA and WV count as VA. Although it is not part of MD, Washington DC was born of a chunk of MD so for this event only, Washington, D.C. can be counted as MD.
A QSO with an SKCC member in each of the 13 colonies is worth a one-time bonus of 25 points apiece. Contact any member in the UK (not just England) and France for a one-time bonus of 100 points each. Sweep all 13 colonies, and you can multiply your colonies bonus by 2. Sweep the UK and France, and you can multiply the UK/France total by 2. Your bonus is the sum of your colony points and your UK/France points. This represents a maximum possible bonus of 650 (colony sweep) + 400 (UK-France sweep) = 1050 for the colonies, UK/France. However...if you can spell the names (full names) of the original 13 colonies listed above, United Kingdom or France using call signs from the stations you work in those colonies, the UK or France; you can have 100 points for each colony name you spell out (ie Delaware, not DE). So, the maximum bonus you can claim for this sprint is 2550 points. Note: only the call signs of stations located in one of the 13 colonies, UK or France can be used for spelling the names. The letters in each call sign can be used twice (ie AC2C is worth 2 letter As and 4 letter Cs).
The event runs from 12:00 UTC July 7th, 2018 through 00:00 UTC July 8th, 2018.
Praise Morse and pass the RF!
** With a deep bow and sweep of the tricorner hat to the Original 13 Colonies Event for the inspiration for this theme.
One again, it's time for the annual Weekend Sprintathon Boat Anchor Regatta. If your rig has tubes, you're worth bonus points. Tubes, as in the sum of the tubes in your transceiver or transmitter-receiver pair, and power supply. And if your transmitter's frequency is set by a crystal instead of a VFO, you're potentially worth mucho bonus points.
Here's how it works:
Count up the number of tubes in the rigs you are operating and attach that number to your name during your WES exchanges. If you have five tubes, send YOURNAME/5. If you are operating using crystals, add an X to the number. Send YOURNAME/5X.
When the event ends, add the number of non-X points you've logged. That's a bonus subtotal.
Then calculate the points you've earned for working stations using crystals. You do this by **squaring** the number of tubes for each station you've worked that was using crystals: 2X is worth 4 bonus points, 3X is worth 9 points, and so on. This means that if a station sends 14X because the operator is using a 12-tube Hammerlund receiver and a 2-tube, crystal-controlled transmitter, that's 14x14, or 196 points for that QSO.
I can hear the question now: What if I have an old solid-state transmitter that is crystal controlled. Can I offer any bonus points for that? For which the answer is: 0 (no tubes) x 0 = 0.
Your bonus total is the sum of non-crystal bonus points and crystal-control bonus points.
If both stations in a QSO are using boat anchors, each station in the QSO may claim the sum of both stations' tubes, scoring them as outlined above.
So as you operate, be sure to hunt for the folks using crystal-controlled transmitters. You may need to listen to one or two exchanges to be sure. But the nice thing about that is that unless that station has a bucketful of crystals, it won't be QSYing any time soon. If you find one, spot it on the SKCC Sked Page. And if you are operating a crystal-controlled transmitter, it would be in your interest to advertise your presence via the SKCC Sked Page.
This month we will be awarding points to those that use a home brew key of any kind. The only requirements are that no part of it can be from a commercially made key and it must conform to the SKCC key guidelines (even if it doesn't look like a cootie, bug or straight key).
Scoring will be simple. Every QSO you make with the home brew key is worth 10 bonus points. To figure your score, multiply your total QSOs made with the home brew key times 10. If you have 75 QSOs with it, your bonus is 750 points. If you have 200 QSOs with it, your bonus is 2000 points.
If you use your non-dominate hand (the hand opposite the one you usually use) you get 15 bonus points per QSO made. (100 QSOs with your non-dominate hand gets you 1500 bonus points, etc.).Bonus bonus points.
If you submit a picture of your home brew key when you submit your results, you can claim 100 extra bonus points (or 200 if you are in the picture using it).
So, the scoring summary goes like this:b>
*Use a home brew key and get 10 bonus points per QSO made with it.
*Use a home brew key with your non-dominate hand; get 15 bonus points per QSO made (with your non-dominate hand).
*Submit a picture of your home brew contraption with your results gets you 100 bonus points. If you submit a picture with you using it (yes, someone else will have to take it), you get 200 bonus points (submit as many pictures as you like but only one picture bonus is allowed).
NOTE: Only one picture bonus is allowed so if you want the 200 points, submit one with you using the homebrew key.
So, grab a cold beverage and get to work on that special key. I can't wait to hear it.
I know that Easter is past but it's never too late to have a little Easter fun. It brings out the kid in all of us. This month we will have a good old fashioned Easter Egg Hunt. There will be several Easter Eggs hidden around the countryside. The unique thing about these eggs is that once found, the Easter Bunny hides them again. You know how those bunnies like to "Hop" around. They may be hidden on a different frequency on the same band or on a different band. That Easter Bunny is a sneaky little thing. So, here's the way it goes. There will be several stations designated as Easter Eggs (EE). When they call CQ they may call CQ WES/EE or something similar…or they may not. This is 2018 and they are an independent bunch so it is up to them. They can operate whenever they want on any band they want. There are no rules about where or when they operate. The only rule is that once found, they only have ten minutes and the Easter Bunny will hide them again and make them call CQ somewhere else. They don't have to wait ten minutes either. The Bunny can re-hide them after three minutes if he wants to so if you see them spotted, you better hurry before someone else gets to them first and uses up precious time. If you work an EE, you get 100 bonus points for that QSO. You may only work each one of them one time per band for bonus points. Work them on multiple bands and you can count each QSO (once per band per EE) for bonus points. The SKCC Skimmer and Sked pages will be your friends this month because every time they get moved, they are allowed to post their hiding place (one time per hiding place) when they are on frequency and ready to call…but they don't have to. It is totally up to them.
Scoring example: You work 8 of them on 40m = 800 points - You work 6 of them on 20m = 600 points - you work 3 of the on 80m = 300 points - Your total bonus is 800+600+300 or 1700 points. IF you work all ten of them (sweep) on any combination of bands you can claim an extra 500 points but you can only claim the sweep bonus one time. So, 1700 points plus the sweep bonus would give you 2200 bonus points. Since there are ten Easter Eggs and seven bands, you could earn a maximum of 7500 bonus points. So, good luck and happy hunting!
The following stations will be our Easter Eggs this month. Find them and get your bonus points! Oh, one more thing, use of the sked page and skimmer during the event are OK but no early skeds allowed!
N9EEN - Dave
W3NP - Dave
K4UYQ - Don
ON8WR - Ward
K0NIA - Mark
F6HKA - Bert
KD2E - Dave
N2BR - Bob
NM1W - Jim
AA9OM - Darrell
G0RDO - John
There is no special theme for the event this month and there are no bonus points to chase. However, if you can find time for some radio activity, please join the fun!!! (And please, submit your results. More submissions may encourage more participation).
Please pass on reminders about the WES so we can get more members involved. I would also welcome any thoughts and ideas you might have for a WES as well as reviews of a theme. Did you like it? Was it too difficult? I would really like to hear from you. Your input makes the WES more fun for everyone.
The SKCC recently had a milestone event. We hit 18000 members! That is an average of 125 new members every month for 12 years and an average of over 4 per DAY! That is an incredible growth rate. This month, let's say welcome to our newest members and Thank You to our original members. We are very happy you have joined us and hope that you will participate in and enjoy the many events sponsored by the SKCC.
This month's theme will also help our newest members start the year off with a taste of how great, how friendly and how helpful this club is. Hopefully it will encourage them to enjoy the camaraderie of this great club on a regular basis.
Here's how it works. Every QSO you have with a member whose member number is 16000 or higher will get you bonus points. A member number that starts with 16 (16xxx) is worth 30 bonus points. If their member number starts with 17 (17xxx), that gets you 40 bonus points and, if the member number starts with 18 (18xxx), you guessed it, you get 50 bonus points. QSOs between two members that both have numbers starting with 16 (16xxx), 17 (17xxx) or 18 (18xxx) get to count both numbers for bonus points. Multiband contacts are OK but you can count the bonus points only once per band.
We don't want to forget the members that built the foundation for the SKCC. Without the hard work and dedication of those members during the first year the club operated, we would not have the best club out there now. So, if you work a member with number 2545 or lower, you can claim 25 bonus points.
Members with number 2545 or lower: 25 bonus points each
Members with numbers starting with 16 (16xxx): 30 bonus points each.
Members with numbers starting with 17 (17xxx): 40 bonus points each
Members with numbers starting with 18 (18xxx): 50 bonus points each
For a little extra incentive, if you can spell "Welcome and Thank You" from the letters in the call signs you collect you can add 100 bonus points to your score. As usual, you can only use the letters from each individual call sign once no matter how many times you work them.
Finally, as a thank you to our newer members, if your member number is 16000 or higher, you get 100 bonus points just for participating and submitting your results.
So please, let's encourage all of our newer members to join us in this month's Weekend Sprintathon so we can show them how much fun SKCC events are (and help them get a jump start on earning some awards). Please remember that some of our newer members may still be working on their CW skills so don't forget to QSY for those that aren't as fast as you are.
If you know someone that has never participated (or hasn't participated recently) in a WES, please encourage them to try it. Finally, please be sure to submit your score. No logs are required and score submission is very easy. Even if you have only one QSO (or tried but didn't get any), please submit your results. It is very important to all of us.
Note: I always welcome comments and suggestions for themes. If you have an idea, please send it to me. We can work on it together and you can have the credit for the idea. Keeping the WES themes fresh will encourage participation.
Send your ideas to:wes-manager@skccgroup.comIt's hard to believe that 2017 is over. It sure has gone by fast. I hope everyone has enjoyed the many opportunities the SKCC offers to help us get on the air and have a good time. I know I enjoy them.
Since we are all tired from the busy holiday season, we will keep this month's theme a little simpler. As you know, we are celebrating the 12th anniversary of the SKCC this month. The K3Y event lasts all month so look for those K3Y stations. There are 19 total areas (K3Y/0 through K3Y/9 plus KH6, KL7, KP4 and six DX continents).
The theme this month will help us celebrate the SKCC 12th Anniversary. For each K3Y celebration station you work during the WES, you get 100 bonus points (each area only counts one time for K3Y area bonus points). If you are lucky enough to work all 19 areas, you can claim an extra 500 bonus points. The maximum bonus points you can claim for K3Y stations would then be 2400. For more information about the K3Y celebration stations, visit the K3Y Home Page here.
If you want to be a K3Y special event operator, you can contact one of the coordinators listed on the K3Y home page. Try it; it's a lot of fun!
NOTICE! Just released! Special Bonus opportunity!!!
If you can spell "Happy Twelfth Anniversary SKCC" from the call signs you work, give yourself another 100 points for each word completed. The letters from each call sign you work can only be used once. You won't need many K's or Y's so be sure to get the operators personal call for the word challenge. Multiple QSOs with K3Y stations in the same call area can be counted for QSO points IF IT IS A DIFFERENT OPERATOR so I recommend you log the operators call and make a note that it was a K3Y/x station for counting K3Y bonus points. If you can spell all four words (SKCC is a word for this challenge), give yourself a 100 point word sweep bonus (for 500 total word bonus points). The maximum total bonus points you can claim this month is 2900 points.
To help you track your points, Jerry, K6III has created a spreadsheet for the January WES. If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet, please email Jerry at Jerry.Bliss-at-gmail.com (be sure to replace the -at- with the @ sign). Thank you Jerry!! Your spreadsheets are a huge help for scoring bonus points.
Finally, I would like to thank the bonus station operators that helped make last month's WES successful. They took time out of their busy holiday schedule to make the sprint more fun for all of us and did a great job doing it. Thank you!!!!
Steve, KE4OH SKCC# 13651SThe December WES will be a little different. In preparation for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, we will have some very special operators out there just looking to fill your WES stocking with bonus points. This month, we will have Santa, Rudolph (his most important Reindeer) and his original elves operating as bonus stations. Some say there were six original elves, some say twelve and some say more. But, for the purpose of this WES, we will be using eight. So, the very special operators this month are:
>Santa - We all know who he is.
>Rudolph - The most famous reindeer of all.
>Elf Bernard - Santa's head Elf
>Bushy Evergreen - The inventor of the magic toy-making machine.
>Shinny Upatree - Santa's oldest friend and cofounder of his secret village.
>Wunorse Openslae - He designed Santa's sleigh and maintains it for top performance. He also cares for the reindeer.
>Pepper Minstix - The guardian of the secret of the location of Father Christmas's village.
>Sugarplum Mary - Head of the Sweet Treats, and assistant to Santa's wife, Mrs Claus.
>Alabaster Snowball - A very important elf. He is the Administrator of the Naughty & Nice list.
>Snowflake - Alabaster's assistant
* Santa - Steve, KE4OH
* Rudolph - Dave, W3NP
* Elf Bernard - Keith, W4AFB
* Bushy - Brian, KF6C
* Shinny - Duc, F5UQE
* Wunorse - Dave, NM5Z
* Pepper - Randy, N8KQ
* Sugarplum - Peter, NN9K
* Alabaster - Mark, K0NIA
* Snowflake - Randy, KB4QQJ
Here's how it works. You get bonus points for each "Special Guest Operator" you work. All of the bonus stations are worth 50 points. Together, that adds up to 500 bonus points. BUT, if you work all of them, you get 500 extra bonus points for a total of 1000 bonus points. It doesnt end there though...if you can spell their names (full names as listed) using letters from the all of the call signs you work in the WES (any call, not just the bonus stations), you can claim an extra 100 points each for a total possible bonus of 2000 points (you do not have to work bonus stations for the spelling points). Each letter of the call signs you work in the WES can be used twice so if you work KB1BE, you will have 2-Ks, 4-Bs and 2-Es to use toward spelling their names. For clarification, the names you have to spell are (ignore the spaces when spelling them):
Santa Claus
Rudolph
Elf Bernard
Bushy Evergreen
Shinny Upatree
Wunorse Openslae
Pepper Minstix
Sugarplum Mary
Alabaster Snowball
Snowflake
These very famous and rare (they are only around once a year) guest operators will be operating when they can so they may not be around all the time or all at once. They have a ton of work to do in preparation for Christmas but have very graciously agreed to participate in our Dec WES this year. There are no promises for next year so you better try to get them now. Since they are so busy, they are probably going to be extremely tired (and Rudolph is having a real hard time with his new Bug) so for this sprint, let's try to keep our speeds around 15 wpm. This will make it easier for them and it may encourage newer CW operators to jump in and enjoy the sprint too. If you have never participated in a SKCC WES, consider trying it. It really is great fun and SKCC OPs are all very patient and will QRS whenever needed. So please, give it a try. You may find that you like them!
Veterans Day, Nov. 11th is a day to honor those who have served in their countries' armed forces. Many countries around the world celebrate Veterans Day. This month's Weekend Sprintathon will do so as well.
Veterans, please add a /V to your names during the normal exchange. Then include the number of years you served. If you served four years, you would send /V4. All others are asked to send a /C for civilian.
For this event, a veteran is someone who has served in uniform: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard or its equivalent, as well as reservists or members of the National Guard. Because the day is recognized internationally, any SKCC member outside the United States who has served in his or her country's military also is invited to use the /V# designation.
Bonus points fall into two categories (and work differently than last year):
For non-veterans: You earn a bonus for each unique WES participant you work who is a veteran. Multiband contacts with the same vet count toward both your basic QSO total AND your bonus points (for example, if you work a veteran on 20m and he had four years of service and then you work him again on 40m, you get to count his four years of service again for a total of 8 bonus points, etc.) so, work em often. Your bonus is the sum of the years served for the veterans you contact. For example: If you contact two veterans, and their combined years of service equal 12, that's your bonus score. If you work the same two veterans on two bands, your bonus score is 24.
For veterans: Your bonus for a contact with another veteran is the combined years of service represented in the QSO -- yours and the other member's. If you served 5 years and the other member served for 11, you each get 16 bonus points for the contact. As with non-vets, multiple bands count again.
Since the WES is actually starting on Veterans Day this year, every QSO with a veteran (or another veteran) between 12:00z and 23:59z on Saturday the 11th is worth 5 extra bonus points. Work 50 veterans on Saturday between 12:00z and 23:59z, you score 250 extra bonus points. QSOs after 23:59z Saturday DO NOT get the 5 extra bonus points.
Finally, all participants can earn additional bonus points by using letters in the call signs from stations you work to spell out the last names of the lead signatories of the Treaty of Versailles:
* Wilson
* Lloyd George
* Clemenceau
* Sonnino
* Saionzi
* Muller b>
You get 50 points for each fully spelled name. Letters from a given call sign can be used only once. For instance, if you need two Ls and one call has two, you can use both from that call, but only once. If you need another L, you will need to contact another participant with an L in his or her call sign for the additional one.
Your bonus total = QSO bonus points + name-spelling points.
This month's theme is the "Change it up Challenge!" The idea is to work a station on as many bands as you can because each time you do, the bonus points grow. As usual, the SKCC Sked page and the SKCC Skimmer are permitted in the WES so use them and score big.
Here are the available bonus points:
* Work the same station on two bands = 50 bonus points
* Work the same station on three bands = 150 bonus points
* Work the same station on four bands = 500 bonus points
* Work the same station on five or more bands = 1000 bonus point
The idea is simple. Here's how it works... You work WE1BE, that's worth one QSO point. Work him on two bands, that's 50 bonus points. Work him on three bands, that's 150 bonus points. Work him on four bands, that's 500 bonus points. If you work him on five or more bands, you earn 1000 bonus points. Now, the bonus points are not cumulative so you only get to claim the bonus points for the highest level you achieved with that station (all other scoring rules still apply). It's not too early to plan your strategy or your skeds so get to work on those ideas. Most of all, have fun! If you know someone who hasn't participated in a sprint for a while (or ever), invite them to join us and have a good time. Please remember that not everyone can work as fast as you do so please, slow down to their speed so they can enjoy themselves too. We want every Ham that hears us to feel welcome to participate in our activities and join the club. It's good PR, good sportsmanship and good for the hobby.
Just a reminder - There may be some frequencies in use for emergency communications after the hurricanes and earthquakes of late. Most of the time they use the sideband frequencies but they could be in the CW portions of the bands. Be careful so we don't interfere with any emergency traffic.
The September Weekend Sprintathon runs from 12:00 UTC September 9 to 00:00 UTC September 11 - a total of 36 hours.
Even though it's not officially Fall yet, Labor Day marks the "Unofficial End of Summer" so it must be the "Unofficial Beginning of Fall"! In the spirit of the Fall season, this month's WES theme will be an Autumn Word Search using the call signs of the stations you work in the WES.
Here's how it works. Use the letters in the call signs to spell out the words related to the Fall season. You can use any individual letter from a given call sign only once. For example: You contact KE1BE. You can use both Es and the B for Breezy and the K for Pumpkin, or spread the B, K, and Es out between multiple words like Bonfire, Harvest, and Jacket. It doesn't matter where you use them but you can only use those letters from that call once even if you work the same station on multiple bands (you still get the QSO points on each band). Need another E? Wait for another call with an E in it.
The Fall Words are:
- Pumpkin
- Halloween
- WeenieRoast
- HarvestMoon
- Autumn
- Bonfire
- Cornucopia
- Frosty
- Breezy
- Thanksgiving
Each completed Fall/Autumn related word from the list is worth 100 points; for a total of 1,000 bonus points. If the word consists of two words, they count as one word. For example: WeenieRoast is really two words but is considered one word. If you complete all 10 words, you can claim an additional 500 points for a sweep. Maximum possible bonus: 1,500 points.
For August, the automatic theme generator is in for repairs so let's just keep it as simple and easy as we can.
There is no special theme for the event and there are no bonus points to chase. However, if you can break away from the beach, fun in the sun, or yard chores for some radio activity, have some fun !!!
The August Weekend Sprintathon runs from 12:00 UTC August 12 to 00:00 UTC August 14 - a total of 36 hours.
July's WES aims to recognize the major players in the United States' Revolutionary War**: the 13 original colonies, plus Britain and France.
The original colonies include: GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, PA, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, and NH. For this event and this event only, either ME or MA count as MA. Likewise, VA and WV count as VA.
A QSO with an SKCC member in each of the 13 colonies is worth a one-time bonus of 25 points apiece. Contact any member in the UK (not just England) and France for a one-time bonus of 100 points each. Sweep all 13 colonies, and you can multiply your colonies bonus by 2. Sweep the UK and France, and you can multiply the UK/France total by 2. Your bonus is the sum of your colony points and your UK/France points. This represents a maximum possible bonus of 650 (colony sweep) + 400 (UK-France sweep) = 1050.
The event runs from 12:00 UTC July 8 through 00:00 UTC July 10. Praise Morse and pass the RF!
** With a deep bow and sweep of the tricorner hat to the Original 13 Colonies Event for the inspiration for this theme.
One again, it's time for the annual Weekend Sprintathon Boat Anchor Regatta. If your rig has tubes, you're worth bonus points. Tubes, as in the sum of the tubes in your transceiver or transmitter-receiver pair, and power supply. And if your transmitter's frequency is set by a crystal instead of a VFO, you're potentially worth mucho bonus points.
Here's how it works:
Count up the number of tubes in the rigs you are operating and attach that number to your name during your WES exchanges. If you have five tubes, send YOURNAME/5. If you are operating using crystals, add an X to the number. Send YOURNAME/5X.
When the event ends, add the number of non-X points you've logged. That's a bonus subtotal.
Then calculate the points you've earned for working stations using crystals. You do this by **squaring** the number of tubes for each station you've worked that was using crystals: 2X is worth 4 bonus points, 3X is worth 9 points, and so on. This means that if a station sends 14X because the operator is using a 12-tube Hammerlund receiver and a 2-tube, crystal-controlled transmitter, that's 14x14, or 196 points for that QSO.
I can hear the question now: What if I have an old solid-state transmitter that is crystal controlled. Can I offer any bonus points for that? For which the answer is: 0 (no tubes) x 0 = 0.
Your bonus total is the sum of non-crystal bonus points and crystal-control bonus points.
If both stations in a QSO are using boat anchors, each station in the QSO may claim the sum of both stations' tubes, scoring them as outlined above.
So as you operate, be sure to hunt for the folks using crystal-controlled transmitters. You may need to listen to one or two exchanges to be sure. But the nice thing about that is that unless that station has a bucketful of crystals, it won't be QSYing any time soon. If you find one, spot it on the K3UK Sked Page. And if you are operating a crystal-controlled transmitter, it would be in your interest to advertise your presence via the SKCC Sked Page.
For May, let's just keep it as simple and easy as we can.
There is no special theme for the event and there are no bonus points to chase. However, if you can break away from Mother's Day festivities for some radio activity, have some fun !!!
The May Weekend Sprintathon runs from 12:00 UTC May 13 to 00:00 UTC May 15 - a total of 36 hours.
This month, QRP stations are where bonus points are. Each contact with a QRP station (running between 1 and 5 watts output) is worth 50 bonus points. A contact with a station running less than 1 watt (QRPp) is worth 100 bonus points. These points accrue to the stations contacting the low-power stations. Multiband contacts with the same QRP/QRPp station qualify for bonus points.
If you are running a QRP/QRPp station, for each contact with another QRP/QRPp station you may claim the sum of both stations' bonus values. For instance:
QRP - QRP is worth 100 points for each station in the QSO.
QRP - QRPp is worth 150 points to each station.
QRPp - QRPp is worth 200 points to each station.
Operators running QRP or QRPp should indicate their power class during the exchange by adding /QRP or /QRPp to the end of their names during an exchange.
Please note: The QRP Amateur Radio Club International is holding its Spring QSO Party at the same time the SKCC is holding its Weekend Sprintathon. Bonus points apply only to contacts between SKCC members. To help avoid confusion for folks from either group hunting contacts, please use SKCC when you exchange SKCC numbers, as in SKCC 4853S.
The Sprintathon runs from 12:00 UTC April 8 to 00:00 UTC April 10.
It's that time of year, when college basketball rules the sports scene. This month, you can earn bonus points by spelling the names of the mascots representing the universities whose men's and women's basketball teams made 2016's Elite Eight.
A twist: During your exchange, also send the name of your city or town, which is not usually part of a WES exchange. Draw the letters you need for the mascot names from the names of the cities you log. Each letter in a city or town name may be used only once from that name. If you need two Es and a town has two, use them both. If you need three, pull the third E from another city or town name. Each fully spelled mascot name is worth 50 bonus points.
If you work another WES participant whose city is a state capital, you can earn another 100 bonus points for that QSO, but only once during the event for that capital. For this event, state capital is defined as the city itself, plus any community within 40 miles of a capital. If you work another station from the same capital, you earn no additional bonus points. If each participant in a WES QSO is operating from a state capital, each can claim 200 points for that QSO. If you operate from one of these communities, please put a /c after your name in the exchange, as in Pete/c. Your total bonus is the total number of complete mascot names x 50 (up to 800 points), plus your state capital bonus.
Here is the list of mascots:
| Men's | Women's | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Jayhawks | Connecticut | Huskies |
| Maryland | Terrapins | Mississippi State | Bulldogs |
| Miami | Hurricanes | UCLA | Bruins |
| Villanova | Wildcats | Texas | Longhorns |
| North Carolina | Tar Heels | South Carolina | Gamecocks |
| Indiana | Hoosiers | Syracuse | Orange |
| Notre Dame | Fighting Irish | Ohio State | Buckeyes |
| Wisconsin | Badgers | Tennessee | Volunteers |
The event runs from 12:00 UTC March 11 to 00:00 UTC March 13.
As you may know, board has opted to adopt the K7MJG Sked page as the club's page (see the postings on Facebook and on the Yahoo group for a more fulsome explanation). To encourage folks to kick the site's tires, the bonus scheme for this month's Weekend Sprintathon will work thusly:
You can claim 100 points for every hour you spend using the new site, https://sked.skccgroup.com up to 10 hours (1,000 bonus points, max). Using both sites simultaneously is permitted, but to qualify for bonus points, use the new site as your primary posting site during the time you claim. You also may earn bonus points by using letters from the call signs of stations you work to spell out the following items related to winter-sports gear:
Auger (ice fishing)
Binding (skiing)
Blade (ice skates)
Crampons (ice climbing)
Runner (Luge)
Shovel (clearing your driveway ;-) )
Stays (ice sailing)
Stones (curling)
Twenty-two (biatholon)
Webbing (snowshoes)
You can use any letter in any call sign only once. If you need two Es and one call has two, you can use them both. Need three? Look for the third in another call sign. Each fully spelled item is worth 50 bonus points. The maximum possible bonus is 1,500 points if you use the new sked page for 10 hours and are able to gather the letters to spell all of the winter-sport-related items.
The event runs from 12:00 UTC Feb. 11 to 00:00 UTC Feb. 13.
This month, we're celebrating the club's 11th anniversary, so this month, the club's Weekend Sprintathon celebrates those who founded the club or joined it during its inaugural year, 2006. You can earn 25 bonus points for a QSO with any member whose number is 2545 or lower. These are the folks who kicked things off in 2006. If one inaugural-year member contacts another inaugural-year member, each can claim 50 bonus points for the QSO. You can claim bonus points for an inaugural-station contact once per band.
Contacts with K3Y stations count, but once a K3Y operator is off duty and operating under his or her original call, be careful of dupes. A contact with K2HUH on 20 meters after working K2HUH as K3Y/2 on 20 meters is a dupe. In keeping track, SKCC numbers are your friends.
Many thanks to those first 2,545 members who poured the foundation for SKCC! And many thanks to the volunteers this year serving as K3Y stations, herding those volunteers, or ensuring that K3Y runs smoothly!
January's Weekend Sprintathon runs from 12:00 UTC Jan. 7 to 00:00 UTC Jan. 9.
For earlier themes, please click here.