What Do We SaY about Ssb November Sweepstakes?

 

Around this time last year, I wrote a long overdue Blog regarding CW Sweepstakes ([CLICK HERE]
to read that).  As I check the station setup for the 2024 Sweepstakes phone (Ssb) contest on Friday evening, I am prompted to ask a similar question: "What Do We SaY about Ssb Sweepstakes?". 
While the information exchange is IDENTICAL for BoTH contests, the events themselves operate dramatically differently.

Now, it may surprise you to know that Ssb contests are actually my LEAST favorite event from the BiG Three (CW, SSB and RTTY); however, that's a ToPiC for a separate BLOG Post unto itself. 
For me personally, the Sweepstakes phone contest has a timeline of amazing operating events
dating back to the days when I held the WA6LKB and eventually KX6H callsigns.  One of those weekends got me bitten by a dog in Livermore and in the middle of a Sweepstakes event (back
in the day) found me laid up at St. George's hospital in Cincinatti with a potentially serious hand infection.

Last year, WQ6X took a surprising 1st-place running as unlimited-QRP.  In this year's CW GiG
(2 weekends prior), while I probably took the Southwest Division for QRP unlimited, the East Coast "Professionals" left me eating their E-Coast Dust.

My straight-forward Goals for Sweepstakes phone 2024 included:

• Assisting NX6T (Multi-Single LP) to an Overall 1st-place (altho it looks as if we took 4th)
• Reprising my accidental Unlimited-QRP win from last year (it looks like WQ6X took 3rd)
• Perfecting the Art of Stereo-SSB

For the CW Sweepstakes GiG, Stereo-Cw made an at-times unintelligible pile-up of callers actually quite manageable due to the (more-or-less) 180-degree audio spatial dimension.  With Stereo-Ssb, we can adjust the frequency knob of each QF-1A filter unit to create a more intelligible listening experience.  As high/low pitched QRM moves into the audio fringes of the left or right ear,
the frequency knob can be adjusted to "de-emphasize" the splatter individually for each ear.

Because the high[er] bands were littered with atmospheric noise, the aux. notch control for each
ear reduced the noise-grinding fatigue, way better than the K3's DNR facility ever could - sometimes analog audio shaping still surpasses digital signal processing (DSP).  Then again, it's easy to not remember that the aux. knobs on the QF-1A have altered the passband and I unconsciously settle
into that way of listening.  To reduce the possibility of complacency, it's useful to occasionally set
both notch knobs fully CCW and "start over" (when in doubt, "ReSeT" is my motto).

My BiGGest beef during this weekend was the OP's who speak WaY TOO FAST - with QRN & QSB, rapid voice speaking rapidly requires repeats of the report.  Before EVERY Ssb contest, I actually REHEARSE saying the exchange(s) properly and then load up the 4 DVK channels in the K3 radio. 
Speaking your callsign SLOWLY is important, because if I type the wrong callsign into the log,
YOU get dinged.

The OP's at NX6T turned in a not insignificant score again this year.  Unfortunately, missing section #85 (VE9) and 100+ QSOs relegated us to a 4th-place, while WQ6X took an overall 3rd place.  However, in BOTH cases, a Southwest Division win was secured.

Here is a random sampling of WEIRD things which happened throughout the November
Sweepstakes weekend:

• Out of carelessness, at the start of the Sweepstakes GiG, I failed to notice that the 3-El Stepp-IR antenna was still pointing 180-degrees from its azimuth heading.  Nevertheless, WQ6X was spotted by TI7W (Costa Rica) - unfortunately not allowed to participate in our domestic contest.
• It was discovered that my 21.358.58 run frequency was ALSO the National Tuneup Frequency (NTF).  Audio DSPs eliminate the tone(s) in my ears, but NoT the passband AGC-affects from the still IF-present carrier signal.
• My near-doppelganger WQ6Q was active during this Ssb contest, often confusing Billy-Bob and his brother Barney (NoT to mention Cousin Bozo).
• While SEARCHhing and POUNCing, on 7.153 I overheard a VA3 station working a VE3 station BOTH using Cw.
• A PULSE RaDaR station suddenly appeared on 14.172 - OBLITERATING 14.150 to ~14.230
• K1KP signed his callsign as Kilowatt 1 Kosher Pickle.
• When I ask for ONLY your Section and you send me all the information before it AGAIN, if signal fading is occurring, by the time you get around to saying "NFL", you will have faded out requiring me to say "AGAIN? AGAIN??".  Just give me ONLY what I ask for and we'll be done in less than 5-seconds.

One COOL thing about Ssb Sweepstakes is getting to HEAR the actual Voices of the OP's I worked earlier in the month on RTTY and CW.  While I always enjoy Ssb Sweepstakes, I am also glad it is OVER, so my ears don't have to listen to lower-pitched or higher-pitched splatter anymore.

DiD YOU work the 2024 November Sweepstakes?

IS WQ6X or NX6T in YOUR LoG?