Contester's Rate Sheet for March 27, 2002
*********************** ARRL Contest Rate Sheet 27 March 2002 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX SUMMARY o The inevitable errata section makes its debut o Yaesu introduces new transceiver with special price through 31 March o W5MYA -- Silent Key o "Dancing with the Robot" by N6TR Thanks for the feedback and encouragement! This issue's Tip of the Week and our Conversation feature were contributed by your fellow readers. Keep 'em coming! BULLETINS The SP DX Test (April 6 & 7) rules arrived too late for publication in QST's "Contest Calendar". See the text below for complete rules or check the ARRL Contest Calendar at http://www.arrl.org/contests. BUSTED QSOS It was going to happen sooner or later! With warm crow tastier than cold, let's put the errata right up front, shall we? In the first issue I neglected to acknowledge a valuable information source that I use regularly -- Bruce Horn WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page. If you haven't put http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/ on your list of favorite sites, you should. A tip of the cap to Bruce! Other great contest calendar sites include the ARRL Contest page (http://www.arrl.org/contests/) and Jan SM3CER's Web site (http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/). What's your favorite contest calendar URL? ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 27 MARCH TO 9 APRIL Logs are due for the following contests: o March 19 - ARRL Inter. DX Contest (CW) - email to DXCW@arrl.org, paper logs to: DX CW Contest ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 USA o March 24 - SARL Field Day Contest -- no email, paper logs to: SARL HF Field Day Contest Committee, c/o Dennis Green, ZS4BS, PO Box 12104, Brandhof 9330, Republic of South Africa o March 26 - UBA DX Contest (CW) - email to berger@cyc.ucl.ac.be, paper logs to: Michel Le Bon, ON4GO, UBA HF Contest Manager, Chee de Wavre 1349, 1160 Bruxelles, Belgium o March 26 - CQC Winter QSO Party - email to contest@cqc.org, paper logs to: CQC Contest, POB 371883, Denver, CO 80237-1883 USA o March 31 - New Hampshire QSO Party - email to NH-QSO@nhradio.org, paper logs to: NH-ARRL QSO Party, PO Box 119, Goffstown, NH 03045-0119 USA o March 31 - Dutch PACC Contest - email to j.vantilborg@chello.nl, paper logs to: Ad van Tilborg, PA0ADT, Schepenenveld 141, 7327 DB Apeldoorn, Netherlands o March 31 - CQ 160-Meter Contest (SSB) - email to cq160@kkn.net, no paper logs, CQ has asked that all logs be e-mailed o March 31 - UBA Spring Contest (CW) - email to on6kl@qsl.net, paper logs to: Lode Kenens, ON6KL, Oudestraat 8, B-3560 Lummen, Belgium o April 1 - North Carolina QSO Party - email to n4vhk@summitschool.com, paper logs to: NC QSO Party, c/o N4VHK, 934 Franklin St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA o April 1 - AGCW VHF/UHF Contest - email to vhf-uhf@agcw.de, paper logs to: Manfred Busch, DK7ZH, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Weg 6, D-63069 Offenbach/Main, Germany o April 2 - ARRL Inter. DX Contest (SSB) - email to DXPhone@arrl.org, paper logs to DX Phone Contest at ARRL HQ (see above address) o April 3 - Open Ukraine RTTY Championship- email to krs@krs.poltava.ua, paper logs to: George Ignatov, UT1HT, P.O. Box 87, Kremenchug-21 39621, Ukraine o April 7 - High Speed Club CW Contest- no email, paper logs to: Contest Manager Lutz Schroer, Am Niederfeld 6, D-35066 Frankenberg, Germany o April 8 - RSGB Commonwealth Contest (CW) - email to hf.contests@rsgb.org.uk, paper logs to: RSGB-G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England o April 8 - North American Sprint (RTTY) - email to rttysprint@ncjweb.com, paper logs to: Wayne Matlock, K7WM, Rt 2, Box 102, Cibola, AZ 85328, USA The following contests are scheduled: CQ WW SSB WPX Contest, SSB, sponsored by CQ Magazine, from 0000Z Mar 30 to 2400Z Mar 31 (CW is May 26-27). Frequencies: all HF bands, work stations once/band. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, SO-Assisted, -HP, LP, and --QRP, MS (10-min rule), MM, SO-Rookie, SO-Tribander-and-Single-Wire, SO-Band-Restricted. SO operate 36 hours max with off times at least 60 min. Exchange: RS(T) + serial number. QSO Points: w/different continents 3pts (14-28 MHz) and 6 pts (1.8-7 MHz); w/North America 2 pts (14-28 MHz) and 4 pts (1.8-7 MHz); w/own country 1 pt. Multipliers: prefixes worked (ie, N8, KA1, HG73, JD1) counted only once. Score: QSO points x multiplier. For more information and instructions on paper logs - http://home.woh.rr.com/wpx/. Logs must be emailed by May 10 (CW, Jul 10) to wpxssb@kkn.net (wpxcw@kkn.net). Spring Lites QSO Party -- all modes -- sponsored by the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society from 0001Z Mar 29 through 2359Z Apr 7. Frequencies: CW - 1830, 3530, 7030, 14.030, 18.070, 21.030, 28.030 MHz; SSB - 1970, 3970, 7270, 14.270, 18.145, 21.370, 28.370 MHz. Exchange: ARLHS member/lighthouse number or year first licensed, name, and SPC. Score: 1 pt/QSO except - 2 pts for ARLHS member, 3 pts for ARLHS lighthouse. For more information - http://www.waterw.com/~weidner/arlhs/index.html. Logs must be mailed by Apr 30 to Lee Graves, WA7OBH, 4341 SE Satinleaf Place, Stuart, FL 34997 144 MHz VHF Spring Sprint -- CW/SSB -- sponsored by the Eastern Tennessee DX Association from 7-11 PM local time, 1 Apr; 222 MHz -- 7-11 PM Apr 9. Fixed and Rover categories. Exchange is Grid Square only, count 1 pt per QSO. Score is QSO Points x Grid Squares, score each sprint separately. Rovers and Microwave sprints total all points and all grids worked from each grid. For more information - http://www.etdxa.org/vhf.htm. Logs must be emailed or postmarked within 4 weeks of the contest to springsprints@etdxa.org or Jeff J Baker, 8218 Foxworth Trail, Powell, TN 37849 USA. Missouri QSO Party -- CW/SSB -- sponsored by the Boeing Employees Amateur Radio Society of St. Louis (BEARS) from 1800Z Apr 6 to 0500Z Apr 7, and 1800Z Apr 7 to 2400Z Apr 7. Frequencies: CW - 40 kHz from band edge and 1810 kHz; Phone - 1850, 3980, 7280, 14280, 21380, 28310 kHz, work MO stations once per band and mode. Categories: Fixed and MO mobile/portable. Exchange: RST, serial number, and MO county or ARRL/RAC Section. QSO Points: CW -- 2 pts, Phone 1 pt. Score: MO stations -- QSO Points x Sections + MO counties + MO zones; non-MO stations -- QSO Points x MO counties + MO zones. Multipliers count once only, see web site for MO zone info. QSOs with W0MA count add'l 100 points. For more information -- http://www.qsl.net/w0ma. Logs must be emailed or postmarked by May 4 to n0aj@worldnet.att.net or James L Kinser N0AJ, 2147 Encino Drive, Florissant, MO 63031-7627. MARAC County Hunters Contest -- SSB - sponsored by The Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club from 0000Z Apr 6 to 2400Z April 7. Frequencies: 3880, 7240, 14275, 21340, 28340 kHz, work fixed stations once/band and mobiles once for each county and band. Exchange: RST and county or SPC. County line QSOs count as one QSO but separate multipliers. QSO Points: Fixed stations in NA -- 1 point, Mobile/Portable -- 15 points, DX -- 5 pts, one station must be in a U.S. county. Score is QSO Points x U.S. counties (count only once). Mobile/Portables sum score from each state. For more information - http://www.countyhunter.com. Logs must be postmarked by 10 May to (U.S. Logs) Duane Traver, WV2B, 99 Oregon Hill Rd, Lisle, NY 13797-1002 or (Non U.S. Logs) Scott Nichols, VE1OP, 387 Rudderham Rd., Point Edward, NS B2A 4V6, Canada. EA RTTY Contest -- sponsored by the Union de Radioaficianados Espanoles (U.R.E.) from 1600Z Apr 6 to 1600Z Apr 7. Frequencies: 10, 15, 20, 40 and 80 meters, according to IARU band plan; SOAB, SOSB, MOAB, SWL categories. Exchange: RST and serial number or EA Province. QSO Points: 10-20 meters: own continent -- 1 pt, diff. cont. -- 2 pts.; 40-80 meters: own cont. -- 3 pts, diff cont. -- 6 pts. Score is QSO points x (DXCC entities + EA provinces + W/VE/JA/VK call areas) counted once per band. If operating portable, sign /call area. Logs must be emailed as ASCII text or Cabrillo format or postmarked by May 10 to ea1mv@retemail.es or Antonio Alcolado EA1MV, P.O.Box 240, E-09400 Aranda de Duero, (Burgos) Spain 46th Annual QCWA QSO Party -- CW/Digital/SSB -- sponsored by the Quarter Century Wireless Association from 1900Z Apr 6 through 1900Z April 7. Frequencies: CW - 1.910, 3.540, 7.035, 14.040, 21.050, 28.050 MHz; Phone - 1.910, 3.890, 7.244, 14.262, 21.365, 28.325 MHz plus all VHF/UHF bands, no crossband or repeater QSOs. 15 QSOs with each station maximum and only one QSO with stations in home QCWA chapter. Exchange: Last two digits of year licensed and QCWA chapter or SPC. QSO Points: Phone -- 1 pt., CW/Digital -- 2 pts. Score: QSO Points x QCWA chapters + SPC counted once per band. W2MM counts as a 3-point multiplier on each band. For information and log sheets, send SASE to QCWA HQ, 159 East 16th Ave., Eugene OR 97401-4017. Send logs to W0HXL, Dick Newsome, 2924 North 48th Street, OMAHA NE 68104-3726, U.S.A. SP DX Contest - CW/SSB - sponsored by the PZK Polish Amateur Radio Union and the SP DX Club from 1500Z, April 6 to 1500Z April 7. Frequencies: 1.8 to 28 MHz, according to the IARU Region I band plan, no crossmode QSOs. Categories: SOAB and SOSB (CW, SSB, or Mixed), MS Mixed (incl. nets, packet, Internet), SWL Mixed. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number or Polish province letter abbreviation. QSO Points: 3 pts for each Polish contact, Polish stations count 3 pts outside EU, 1 pt for EU (no pts for SP-SP QSOs). Score is QSO points x provinces (counted once per band and mode) or DXCC entities (for Polish stations). For more information - http://www.sp5zcc.waw.pl/spdxc/index.html or sp6cik@op.onet.pl. Logs must be emailed (Cabrillo format preferred) or postmarked by 30 April to spdxc-logs@pzk.org.pl or to Polski Zwiazek Krotkofalowcow, SPDX Contest Committee, PO Box 320, 00-950 Warszawa, POLAND. NEWS & PRESS RELEASES Possibly taking the record for the longest name ever of a ham radio, Yaesu has introduced the (take a deep breath) Mark-V FT-1000MP Field and is offering a special price through the end of the month. Check with your favorite dealer for the details. This is a 100-watt version of the popular Mark-V version. There is no truth to the rumour that a waterproof version called the "Field & Stream" will be introduced later. KA8OKH has written up a set of .CRT and .MLT files for using NA contest logging software in this summer's Kentucky QSO Party. Download KYQSO.ZIP from - http://home1.gte.net/web22jfw/kyqso.htm. (Thanks - Rich Dailey, KA8OKH) For TR-LOG users, Jim N9JF has put together a set of .CFG and .DOM for the upcoming Missouri QSO Party (April 6 - 7). Jim can be reached via email at jfunk@adams.net. (Thanks, Jim N9JF) Well-known contester and North Texas Contest Club member Mike Badolato, W5MYA, passed away on Sunday, March 17, 2002, at age 62 from pneumonia following an operation and radiation treatments for cancer. Mike was certainly a fixture in your editor's log and will be missed. (Thanks, Conrad N5CR) TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE Tip of the Week -- (Contributed by Tom, W4BQF) If you are running QRP in a major contest, do your best to zero beat the station that you're calling. Most 'running' stations are using a 500 Hz bandwidth or less. If your signal is outside that narrow receiver bandwidth, most likely the CQing station is not going to tune to copy a very weak signal. Most 'run' operators can hear everything within their bandwidth and will answer you, but seldom will they tune 400-800 Hz outside their bandwidth to do so. (It is also a good idea to adjust a kit or homebrew rig's transmit offset to be sure that it places your signal at the right frequency for the receiving station. -- Ed.) CONVERSATION "Dancing with the Robot" by Tree N6TR, tree@kkn.net Today is an exciting time for those of us involved with log checking and the generation of contest results. The Cabrillo log submission standard has finally reached critical mass and has enabled the development of automated processes to handle electronic contest logs. These new processes promise to improve the quality and timeliness of the results by greatly reducing human error. They enable instant feedback on any problems with your entry instead of months of waiting. Trey Garlough, N5KO, developed one of the first log submission "robots" and they are now being used for all of the ARRL contests, the NCJ Sprint, some RTTY contests and a few others. This short article will explain a little about how the robot works and what to expect when you "dance with the robot". When you e-mail your log, the robot will wake up and do a quick check of your log's format and descriptive information. If your entry is formatted correctly, the robot will send you a brief message confirming your entry and assigning your log a tracking number. To receive a response indicating no errors, your log must conform to the Cabrillo format. Most logging programs will generate a Cabrillo-formatted log. The only other thing you need to do is to put your callsign in the subject of the message. ("N6TR CW Sweepstakes Log") The log is then stored and is only a mouse click away from being transferred to the computer that will be used for log checking. If you resubmit a log, it will overwrite the previous log. The power of the robot becomes obvious if something is wrong with your log. You will receive an instant e-mail response with a summary of what the robot found wrong with your log. You can then make whatever changes are necessary. You may resubmit the log as many times as it takes to get the robot to find your log in order. Some people have to dance with the robot 3 or 4 times before they have a clean entry. The robot will check the following items: - Callsign must be present in the subject field - CONTEST: statement in the Cabrillo header must match the contest for that particular robot. - CATEGORY: information must match legal entry categories for the contest. - QSO: the exchange information appears to have the correct formats and values - QSO: the times and dates are during the contest period. Having these items verified to be correctly formatted greatly reduces the amount of effort required to start the log checking process. Also, standardizing on the Cabrillo format is making it much easier to extract information such as guest operators and clubs from the logs. By reducing the amount of "human glue" required to process the logs, the opportunity for mistakes is greatly reduced. Note that the robot does not perform any log checking or verify the correctness of any logged information. So - a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have willingly danced with the robot and kept with it until the robot was happy. As the kinks get worked out with the logging program authors, this new process will become something we do without even thinking about how it used to be done in the old days. Even TR-Log had problems with some of the recent contests, so your feedback and forbearance are very important. While dancing with the robot, if you have a problem you can't resolve, there is an e-mail address of a human you can contact to work on the issue. Please feel free to use this if you get frustrated. Not all of the robots have been perfected yet. Over the next year or two, we will be working hard to perfect them - so your feedback is important.
