The SSB League has long been one of my favorite shortwave contests. Last year, I participated in 11 out of 12 rounds. I try to use it to test new innovations or improve my operating skills. So, if possible, you’ll find me operating on 80m SSB on the first Saturday morning of every month.
Dočítate sa:
Innovators and YL Stations in the SSB League
OM3CPF
Dušan, OM3CPF, showcases innovative operating styles. First, listen to his signal from the December OM Activity Contest:
And from the January SSB League:
This mode of operation is called "voicing." The operator records in advance not only entire phrases but also individual numbers and spellings. The software then transmits whatever the operator types. It requires good reception and the ability to log contacts accurately, but it offers the advantage of quiet operation.
I have also experimented with voicing in N1MM. An alternative to your own recordings is to use HamRacer by OK1FIG, which uses a synthetic voice.
OM4AIM
OM4AIM Mia
Mia OM4AIM is the daughter of Tibor OM5NU and Marta OM5YL. It’s no surprise, then, that a passion for amateur radio runs in the family. Mia (Mirka) obtained her license in 2024. We had to piece the contact together a bit, but we managed it:
OM7AXL
Another female operator participating in contests such as the SSB League is Silvia OM7AXL. She’s a skilled contester with an excellent signal. Thanks to her, the Žiar nad Hronom district is always easy to reach:
OK7MU
The duo OK7VU and OK7MU is another example of an amateur radio family. They take turns at the microphone—and anyone who has tried this will confirm that it’s challenging. They both deserve recognition! They represent the Tábor district:
January SSB League 2025
Before the SSB League begins, I fine-tune the power amplifier and check to see if anyone is on the frequency. No one is. After another transmission, Peter OM6TX comes on the air—he apparently didn’t hear me. I yield the frequency to him and try tuning up higher. That’s no problem. After a few minutes, what appears to be a Romanian station comes on the air and decides to use the “elbow-room” tactic. This is when a station pretends not to hear someone else and continues transmitting on the same frequency. Either it becomes a battle of nerves, or one of us tunes out of the frequency. I choose the latter.
This does slow down the operation, but I’m not participating in the SSB League to win. Thanks to the SDR spectrum in N1MM+, I’m able to detect an open frequency. It’s precisely because of this that I later find an open section on 3753 kHz. This, in turn, speeds up my operations.
In the end, I made 98 contacts, which I’m satisfied with for one hour of operating. This is how I recorded the SSB League in MP3 format.