🇬🇧 My hardest contest ever

On Easter Monday I wanted to participate in “For the Easter Egg Contest”, in Polish “O Pisankę Wielkanocną”.

Unfortunately, the whole 80 meter band was a hiss. I switched to 30 and 40 meters hoping to make some contacts.

🖼️ A modified version of certificate for last year DARC Ostercontest.

One hour before the Polish contest was about to start, N1MM bandmap exploded with German callsigns on the 40

meters band. Is that a contest? I did a quick QSY and yes, it was a contest.

I opened a contest calendar from Bruce, WA7BNM and found that I am listening to the DARC Easter Contest. I have

read all the rules and set up N1MM for the contest. Unfortunately, N1MM was not showing any suggestions for DOK

numbers for exchange... No big deal.

🖼️ Map of German Districts, first letter of DOK number (https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/wag-contest/en/service/districtsdoks/)

Just about ten minutes after the contest started I was ready. My ears were not warmed up enough for contest

speeds, so I typed down the callsign of the running station and at the next exchange made sure that I typed it

down correctly. I was just about to give my callsign to the running station, but I have noticed that the running

station has changed. What?

I typed the callsign again and waited some more. Yes, the runner changed again after a while. And again. Is that

a sprint? I opened the rules again and found a sentence: “The station calling CQ must QSY after the QSO, leaving

the frequency to the station which answered his or her call”. Yes, this is a sprint. My first sprint ever!

🖼️ Twitter, @petulantmonkey

Sprints are different. Most of the contest tricks don’t apply. For example, RBN bandmap will not show accurate

callsigns. You can use it to find “channels”, frequencies, where stations are exchanging information, but that’s

all. Regular N1MM macros do not work well either, as you want to call CQ just after you worked running station.

I have never thought about it.

And it is a challenge, a real exam for the operator. I also think that high power does not give as much advantage

to the station as in regular contests as you have to leave the frequency after making up to two contacts. And

you turn the dial all the time. Your old habits may be wrong, too! If you hear station you worked before you

don't necessarily have to QSY. It may be worth listening to who is he working with and stay.

🖼️ My claimed score is 5340 points. How much will be deduced?

I worked 60 stations in less than 2 hours gaining 5340 point. It was hard, yet possible, to get a response for CQ

as I am not a German station. Hope not to be the worst station outside DL!

To wrap it up, I think that sprints are more challenging, thus more enjoyable contests. As I mentioned before, I

think that sprints are also more fair for low power stations.

I wish we have more sprints in Poland!

You should know that English is not my primary language. Please excuse mistakes and poor language.

However, if you spot any mistakes please let me know.