1. Contest Assistance
W3SZ Roger Rehr

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Text Messaging / Phone Calls
messages/
W3SZ Roger Rehr

8. Text Messaging / Phone Calls
W3SZ Roger Rehr

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

10. 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

11. 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:
W3SZ Roger Rehr

12. PackRatFinder
W3SZ Roger Rehr

13. PackRatFinder
W3SZ Roger Rehr

14. PackRatFinder - Rovers
W3SZ Roger Rehr

15. 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 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

16. ON4KST Chat
W3SZ Roger Rehr

17. N1MM+ Telnet / DX Cluster
W3SZ Roger Rehr

18. #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 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

19. #rvrstatus / roverstatus.info
W3SZ Roger Rehr

20. Aprs.fi
W3SZ Roger Rehr

21. 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

22. W3SZ Roger Rehr

23. JT65 / JT4 Chat pages For terrestrial use:
For EME use:
W3SZ Roger Rehr

24. W3SZ Roger Rehr

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

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