Contest Assistance W3SZ Roger Rehr

Goals of Assistance Maximize personal score: # QSO * # Multipliers Maximize number of contacts Make other stations aware of you Become aware of other stations Maximize number of grids Become aware of available multipliers that you have not worked Maximize club score Maximize contacts with other Pack Rats Keep track of and work all Pack Rats on all bands possible W3SZ Roger Rehr

Types of Contacts Different types of contacts may benefit from different types of assistance Fixed-Station Pack Rat to Fixed-Station Pack Rat Running all bands with another Pack Rat gives the club double points Fixed-Station Pack Rat to Fixed-Station non-Pack Rat Useful for increasing the grid count and thus multipliers Fixed-Station Pack Rat to Pack Rat Rover Fixed-Station Pack Rat to non-Pack Rat Rover Pack-Rat-Rover to Fixed-Station Pack Rat gives the club double points Pack-Rat-Rover to Pack-Rat-Rover gives the club double points Pack-Rat-Rover to non-Pack Rat Fixed-Station Pack-Rat-Rover to non-Pack Rat Rover W3SZ Roger Rehr

Types of Operation Calling CQ (running a frequency) Search and pounce operation Random (non-scheduled) Scheduled Optimal use of assistance may be different for these types of operation W3SZ Roger Rehr

Types of Assistance Text messaging / phone calls Pack Rats Members Only Chat Room PackRatFinder Pack Rats to Look For list ON4KST Chat N1MM+ Telnet/DX Cluster roverstatus.info aprs.fi Ping Jockey for terrestrial digital / EME W3SZ Roger Rehr

Text Messaging / Phone Calls MAKE SURE THAT “PACKRATS TO LOOK FOR” CONTAINS YOUR CORRECT PHONE NUMBER CELL PHONE NUMBER REQUIRED FOR TEXT MESSAGES Most direct form of assistance Useful for all types of contacts, as long as you have the necessary phone number I suggest giving only your cell phone number for the Pack Rats to Look For list, to minimize confusion W3SZ Roger Rehr

Text Messaging / Phone Calls https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/apps/verizon- messages/ W3SZ Roger Rehr

Text Messaging / Phone Calls https://www.google.com/voice https://hangouts.google.com/ W3SZ Roger Rehr

Pack Rats Members Only Chat Room URL is w3sz.com Password protected: must be registered W3SZ Roger Rehr

Pack Rats Members Only Chat Room Secure Pack Rats Only – no “noise” from non-Pack Rats The more it is used, the more valuable it will be W3SZ Roger Rehr

PackRatFinder Based on the “Pack Rats to Look For” List Gives you a visual indication of what Pack Rats you’ve worked on each band Gives you a visual indication of what Pack Rat contacts remain to be made for each band Tells you what frequencies each Pack Rat is on Tells you whether Rovers are on site or traveling and if on site, what grid they are in Integrated with N1MM Can also be used manually The links in the CheeseBits article are FAKE, for non- Pack Rats! Use: http://www.nitehawk.com/w3sz/PackRatFinder.html W3SZ Roger Rehr

PackRatFinder W3SZ Roger Rehr

PackRatFinder W3SZ Roger Rehr

PackRatFinder - Rovers W3SZ Roger Rehr

ON4KST Chat URL is: http://www.on4kst.org/chat/start.php Then select 144/432 MHz Region 2 chat You must register: Password protected Huge amount of traffic during a contest – may be 15- 20 messages a minute Hard to find useful messages among the clutter Useful for finding stations in distant grids and setting up QSOs W3SZ Roger Rehr

ON4KST Chat W3SZ Roger Rehr

N1MM+ Telnet / DX Cluster W3SZ Roger Rehr

#rvrstatus / roverstatus.info Provides a way for rovers to spot themselves into DX Cluster, aprs.fi via Twitter Spearheaded by Gerry Hull, W1VE Tweets are of format: #rvrstatus w3sz FN20ag 10368.100 QRV Now iPhone or Android Rover Status app can be used to automatically self-spot at a given interval Can also do “manual” Tweets (Either way, need to have a Twitter account to send spots) W3SZ Roger Rehr

#rvrstatus / roverstatus.info W3SZ Roger Rehr

Aprs.fi W3SZ Roger Rehr

Ping Jockey http://www.pingjockey.net/cgi-bin/pingtalk Useful for setting up terrestrial digital contacts MSK144 FSK441 is dead or dying...use MSK144 Make sure you download and get WSJT-X working BEFORE the Saturday of the contest! There is a separate page for both terrestrial and EME JT65 W3SZ Roger Rehr

W3SZ Roger Rehr

JT65 / JT4 Chat pages For terrestrial use: http://www.chris.org/cgi-bin/jt65talk For EME use: http://www.chris.org/cgi-bin/jt65emeA http://www.chris.org/cgi-bin/jt65emeB W3SZ Roger Rehr

W3SZ Roger Rehr

What to Use When Fixed Station calling CQ / running the frequency N1MM Telnet / DX Cluster and ON4KST to find rare grids Pack Rats Chat and ON4KST to occasionally advertise your call and frequency and grid PackRatFinder to keep track of Pack Rats worked And find out what frequencies they are currently using And get alerts for when Pack Rat Rovers are on site and ready Text Messaging / Cell phone to call Pack Rats / known DX stations that haven’t been worked Pack Rats Chat to find missing Pack Rats W3SZ Roger Rehr

What to Use When Fixed Station Search and Pounce N1MM Telnet/DX Cluster and ON4KST to find rare grids Pack Rats Chat to find fellow Pack Rats PackRatFinder to keep track of Pack Rats worked And find out what frequencies they are currently using And to keep track of Pack Rat Rovers Text Messaging / Cell phone to call Pack Rats / known DX stations that haven’t been worked W3SZ Roger Rehr

Fixed Station Looking for Rover Text Messaging / Cell phone probably best method of contact PackRatFinder to keep track of bands/grids worked for each rover And find out what frequencies they are currently using And find out whether they are on site and operating or traveling Telnet/DX Cluster and aprs.fi to see rover spots, if rover using #rvrstatus If rover has internet access then might also contact via Pack Rat Chat or ON4KST if rover using these W3SZ Roger Rehr

Rover Looking for Fixed Station Text Messaging / Cell phone probably best method of contact Using #rvrstatus to send out position reports and messages will get info into DX Cluster and aprs.fi PackRatFinder will allow rover to keep track of Pack Rat stations to work at each grid stop And find out what frequencies they are currently using Sending out advertisements on ON4KST and Pack Rats Chat should also be helpful W3SZ Roger Rehr

Rover Looking for Another Rover Text Messaging / Cell phone probably best method of contact PackRatFinder will allow rover to keep track of other Pack Rat rovers to work at each grid stop And find out what frequencies they are currently using And find out if they are on site and operating or roving Sending out advertisements on ON4KST and Pack Rats Chat may also be helpful Checking messages on ON4KST and Pack Rats Chat may also be helpful #rvrstatus W3SZ Roger Rehr

Skeds Distant stations: Primarily Digital Ping Jockey for MSK144 (and FSK441 for dinosaurs) Ping Jockey equivalents for JT65 and JT4 both EME and terrestrial Local stations (Pack Rats) Use Pack Rat Members Only Chat Room for skeds and for running the bands W3SZ Roger Rehr

Summary Lots of assistance modes Cell phone / text messaging / Google Voice N1MM Telnet / DX Cluster Pack Rats Chat Room ON4KST PackRatFinder #rvrstatus – roverstatus.info Pack Rats to Look For list aprs.fi PingJockey, etc. for digital modes What modes of assistance to use depends on type of operation W3SZ Roger Rehr

References December 2016 CheeseBits March 2016 CheeseBits Various W3SZ webpages roverstatus.info W3SZ Roger Rehr