IARU Strategy Ideas With W1RM

By Jamie Dupree NS3T 

Strategy for a 24 hour contest should be fairly simple and straightforward, but as we all know, one wrong decision and that can mean a major contest setback.

"With 24 hours, you don't get a second chance," says Peter Chamalian W1RM, who finished 9th in the world last year in single operator low power CW only.

"Unless I'm running at 120 per hour or better, I change bands at least three times every hour. I cycle through the bands, focusing on the higher bands during daylight and the lower bands at night."

Chamalian though says you have to check and double check every band. "I caught an opening for JA/UA0 late in the evening on 15 meters."

His concise advice: "Keep moving."

Many assume that if you are knocking out big numbers and winning single operator categories in big contests like the IARU, then you must be running at all times. But that's just not true, especially in the low power ranks.

"If I can run, then I do," says Chamalian. "If not, then S&P but always with an eye to moving bands."

Chamalian's line score from 2006 shows he made almost 1500 contacts, and found 215 mults along the way for over one million points from Connecticut in ITU Zone 8.

The money bands were 20 and 40 meters, as Chamalian worked over 500 contacts on both of those, as he worked a number of European HQ stations on five bands.

"The key for me was the opening we had to Europe on Saturday morning," said Chamalian. "That was a real morale boost and got my "engine" cranking."

Like many, Chamalian has a good "feel" for what should be happening in a contest based on experience.

"I don't use a second radio. I use my experience and knowledge of conditions instead. Do I miss an opening now and then? Sure."

What should operators look for in terms of propagation? Chamalian's basic strategy points can apply not only to the IARU, but other major DX contests as well.

• On 10-20 meters, look East at sunrise and also at sunset.

• Look west on the lower bands at sunrise.

• Don't forget skew path contacts, like JA over Europe

W1RM's effort in the 2006 IARU contest gave him a new low power CW record for the US and Canada.

It also helped that he had an amazingly low error rate. He claimed 1499 contacts and 216 mults. After log checking, Chamalian lost only 8 QSO's and 1 multiplier.