K1USN SST OPEN     FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is there a new exchange for the SST OPEN?

NO. The SST Open exchange is exactly the same as the regular SST. One difference you will hear from stations calling CQ is CQ SSO (instead of CQ SST).

How is the score calculated ?

SAME AS THE SST with two changes

QSO’s with K1USN are worth 50 points on each band. If you work K1USN on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10M that’s 300 points. Search for K1USN and you will be rewarded !

At the end of the event you should upload your score to 3830scores.com using the SST OPEN submittal form. Your CW speed used during the event will be selected via a drop down. This will trigger a speed multiplier as follows: up to 20 wpm X 1,  up to 15 wpm  X 2 ,  up to 10 wpm  x 3.

There's an explanation about entering data into 3830 under “Using 3830 Scores” on the website

What is this speed multiplier ?

We request that all participants operate at 20 wpm or less. Going slower will be rewarded via the

3830scores.com SST OPEN submittal form. Scores will be recalculated as follows:  

up to 20 wpm X 1,  up to 15 wpm  X 2 ,  up to 10 wpm  x 3.  There is no penalty for speed above 20 wpm but we discourage going that fast. Remember the objective is Slow Speed.

Do I need to call CQ to generate QSO’s?

No. Tune around and find others calling CQ SSO at a comfortable speed and call that station. This is called S&P operating (Search and Pounce). Eventually you will get comfortable enough to call CQ yourself. Calling CQ and working many stations is called “Running”.

Do I need to use N1MM Logger +  to log contacts in the SST OPEN?

No it’s not required. Any logging program will work including paper. You need to record station callsigns and the State/Province or DXCC country for each band you operate on.  We recommend using N1MM Logger + because it automatically tracks all this information for you after installing the UDC file. The UDC file (User Defined Contest) can be found on the N1MM website at this address  https://n1mmwp.hamdocs.com/mmfiles/categories/userdefinedcontests/

Download the K1USNSSTOP.udc

NOTE: This is a new udc file specific to the SST OPEN contest. The regular SST udc stays on your computer too. When setting up N1MM Logger + for the SST OPEN contest the program finds the correct udc file automatically once it’s uploaded to the correct file folder.

How do I find the correct  folder on my computer for the UDC file?

There are several ways to find the UserDefinedContests folder. You can search your computer hard drive by looking for UserDefinedContests. 

If you have N1MM+ installed on your computer, start the program and click on Help at the top right side of the data entry window. A drop down menu will appear. Near the bottom of the list click on Open Explorer on Users Files Directory. The UserDefinedContests folder will appear (along with a bunch of other folders). Click on the UserDefinedContests folder to open it. You can drag and drop (or copy and paste) the UDC file into this folder. 

For your records you should make a note of the path to this folder starting with your hard drive identifier which is usually C:\ on most computers.

Do I need to send in a Cabrillo (.log) or .adif file to the K1USN Radio Club?

NO. Thanks to Bruce WA7BNM you can upload results to the 3830scores.com website. Select the K1USNSST  OPEN  submittal form and enter your log information. The scores for all entrants will be posted in a K1USN SST OPEN Summary also visible on 3830scores.com

Why was the second Friday in September chosen for the SST OPEN?

It’s the anniversary of the first K1USN SST on Friday September 11, 2020. This will be an annual event offering more operating time

Will call history work the same as the SST?

YES. The SST Call History file works for the SST OPEN too.  

Call history is one of many tools available to contest operators. However, for new CW operators we recommend becoming proficient at copying CW at slow speeds and entering data manually first.