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RTTY NS

The Northern California Contest Club sponsors weekly sprint practices on CW and RTTY, named NS (NCCC Sprints). These practices are for all operators. Folks new to sprints can get familiar with the exchange format and QSY rule, experienced CW sprinters can learn to sprint in a new mode. RTTY contesters can try out the newly popular 2Tone decoder and optimize your station setup.

RTTY NS Rules
There are several differences between the NCCC Sprints (NS) and the NA Sprint: In NS, power is limited to 100w, and mults count on all bands. There are no dupes in NS CW (but are allowed in NS RTTY).

Day-Time
• RTTY NS practices are held each Thursday afternoon-evening.
• RTTY NS time is always 0145-0215 UTC = 45 minutes BEFORE the regular CW NS begins
• Maximum operating time = 30 minutes (i.e., 0145-0215 UTC)
• Those operators continuing immediately afterward with the CW NS session at 0230 UTC will have 15 minutes to set up for that session.

Bands & Frequencies (kHz)
For RTTY practice sessions, use 15, 20, 40, 80, and 160m; up 80-90 Khz. from the bottom of the band.

• 1805-1810
• 3583-3590
• 7083-7090
• 14083-14090
• 21083-21090

Exchange
• Serial Number
• Name
• QTH
• Note: Don't give your exchange until you've first established the contact. Both callsigns are required as part of the exchange.

Guidelines
These are the "nominal" NS rules; they may be modified on a weekly basis.  NS general rules are at: https://www.ncccsprint.com/rules.html These apply for the RTTY practice sprints. More information on RTTY contesting can be found at: http://rttycontesting.com

NCJ NA CW Sprint rules with the following modifications:

• Rules modified to NAQP rules:
  • NAQP Multipliers plus DC
  • Additional Countries considered by NS/NSL to be valid mults:
    1. Trinidad & Tobago (9Y, 9Z)
    2. Aruba (P4)
    3. Netherlands Antilles (PJ0-4 and PJ9)
  • Multipliers count once per band
  • Dupes on same band permitted after at least one intervening contact
  • 160 meter QSOs permitted
  • 100 watts or less power
  • Scoring is total QSOs times sum of multipliers on each band
• 30-minute contest period (see Time above)
  
• Use of Skimmer or Packet not permitted
• 1kHz QSY rule for both calling and answering CQs. When QSY is required in the NS (both CW and RTTY), the QSY must be at least 1 Khz, not 5 Khz as with the NCJ Sprints. There are occasional changes in format in NS, so check the weekly reflector announcements.
• If any station (“X”) solicits a contact (e.g., by sending “CQ,” “QRZ?”, “QSY up 1”, or any other means of soliciting a contact, including completion of a contact where the frequency was inherited by X), X is permitted to make only one contact in response to that solicitation.  X must thereafter move at least 1 KHz before calling another station, or at least 1 kHz before soliciting another contact.  Once X is required to QSY, X is not allowed to make another contact on the frequency that X just vacated until X makes at least one subsequent contact on a frequency other than the frequency that X just vacated. 
  

Reporting
Post to the 3830 reflector via the 3830 submittal web page for the NS RTTY Competition within 48 hours after the NS. Thanks to WA7BNM for providing the 3830 score reporting each week.

Software
In N1MM+ Logger, the contest module is: NSRTTYDUPE

References
See N6RO's short article "Secrets of RTTY Sprinting" is at:
http://www.rttycontesting.com/lagniappe/secrets-of-rtty-sprinting/

If you would like macros for sprints, please contact Ken (N6RO) at kenkeeler@jazznut.com

Writelog macros by AA5AU are his website: http://rttycontesting.com

RTTY Contest Forum - Dayton Hamvention 2013: http://w0yk.com/dayton_rtty.htm

Ed (W0YK) publishes a column on RTTY contesting in each issue of the NCJ. The May-June 2014 issue will feature a detailed article on how to do the RTTY Sprint and WHY we use the now-accepted message formats. Here is an advanced copy of that article:
RTTY-Contesting-NCJ-W0YK

Your Support
If you want the Sprint RTTY practices to continue, vote by showing up each Thursday.
Watch for weekly announcements, we may change the times/bands as the seasons change.

Questions?  Contact RTTY NS Director Ed Radlo, AJ6V