Contester's Rate Sheet for September 11, 2002
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 11 September 2002 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX SUMMARY o NA SSB Sprint and WAE SSB Contests o September ARRL VHF QSO Party o TN and WA QSO Parties o More contest logging software released by N3FJP o W8JI and N6LF on radials for low-band verticals BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue. BUSTED QSOS o Flash! Busted Busted-QSO Checker Busted! "As N6TR posted (on CQ-Contest) last week, an error was found in the original reporting of the ARRL International DX CW results. The error was not as widespread as originally thought and in fact affected only a total of eight station's scores: AA1K, K0EJ, K1AR, K3ANS, K8CC, K9NW, N2RM and W4ZV. The scores for those stations have been recalculated and will be accurately shown in the results pages on the ARRL Web when they are opened (once the corrections are made to the various files involved.) Thank you for your patience as we addressed this problem We apologize for the problem. Thanks also to the quick eyes of W4ZV who brought the problem to our attention, and thanks to N6TR for quickly identifying the problem and correcting it." (Thanks, N1ND) ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 11 SEPTEMBER TO 24 SEPTEMBER 2002 Logs are due for the following contests: o September 11, 2002 -YO DX HF Contest - email to: yodx_contest@romstar.com, paper logs to: YO DX HF Contest, PO Box 22-50, R-71100 Bucharest, Romania o September 14, 2002 - New Jersey QSO Party - email to: (none), paper logs to: Englewood ARA, PO Box 528, Englewood, NJ 07631-0528, USA o September 15, 2002 - Venezuelan Ind. Day Contest, CW - email to: haroldojr@cantv.net, paper logs to: Radio Club Venezolano, Concurso Independencia de Venezuela, PO Box 2285, Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela o September 15, 2002 - WAE DX Contest, CW - email to: waedc@darc.de, paper logs to: AEDC Contest Manager, Bernhard Buettner, DL6RAI, Schmidweg 17, D-85609 Dornach, Germany o September 15, 2002 - SCC RTTY Championship - email to: rtty@hamradio.si, paper logs to: Slovenia Contest Club, Saveljska 50, 1113 Ljubljana, Slovenia o September 17, 2002 - North American QSO Party, SSB - email to: sbnaqp@ncjweb.com, paper logs to: Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, 4225 Farmdale Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604, USA o September 20, 2002 Maryland-DC QSO Party - email to: wa3eop@arrl.net, paper logs to: Antietam Radio Association, PO Box 52, Hagerstown, MD 21741-0052, USA o September 24, 2002 - TOEC WW Grid Contest, CW - email to: TOEC.Contest@pobox.com, paper logs to: TOEC, Box 178, S-831 22 Ostersund, Sweden o September 24, 2002 - Ohio QSO Party - email to: oqplogs@mrrc.net, paper logs to: Elmer L. Steingass, W8AV, 1690 N. Honeytown Road, Wooster, OH 44691-9511, USA o September 24, 2002 - CQC Summer QSO Party - email to: contest@cqc.org, paper logs to: Contest, Colorado QRP Club, PO Box 371883, Denver, CO 80237-1883, USA o September 24, 2002 IARU Region 1 Field Day, SSB - email to: (see your national society rules), paper logs to: Your national society The following contests are scheduled: Note that the following abbreviations are used to condense the contest rules summaries: SO--Single-Op; M2--Multiop--2 Transmitters; MO--Multi-Op; MS--Multi-Op, Single Transmitter; MM--Multi-Op, Multiple Transmitters; AB--All Band; SB--Single Band; S/P/C--State/Province/DXCC Entity; HP--High Power; LP--Low Power; Entity--DXCC Entity YLRL Howdy Days--CW/SSB, sponsored by the YL Radio League, 1400Z Sep 11 to 0200Z Sep 13, work 24 out of the 36 hour period. Exchange: YLRL Member or not. QSO Points: non-YLRL member--1 pt, YLRL members--2 pts. Score is total points. For more information--http://www.qsl.net/~ylrl. Logs due 30 days after the contest to Cleo Bracket, K0JFO, 810 Towne Square Dr, Fremont, NE 68025, USA. WAE DX Contest--SSB, sponsored by the Deutscher ARC, 0000Z Sep 14 to 2400Z Sep 15. Frequencies: 80--10-meters according to Region I band plan. Categories: SOHP, SOLP, MS, SWL. Packet or spotting nets allowed (SO stations not using spotting assistance will be noted). SO operate 36 hrs max., up to three off periods of 1 hour min. Non-EU work EU only except RTTY, where everyone works and everyone except own country. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number. Score 1 pt/QSO and 1 pt/QTC. Final score is QSOs + QTCs x weighted multipliers. Multipliers: non-EU use WAE countries, EU use DXCC entities plus call districts in W, VE, VK, ZL, ZS, JA, PY and RA8/9/0. (RTTY use WAE + DXCC.) Mults on 80-m count x4, on 40-m x3, otherwise x2. A QTC is a report sent from a non-EU station back to an EU station of confirmed QSOs that took place earlier in the contest. A QTC contains the time, call sign, and QSO number of the station being reported (e.g. 1307/DL1AA/346). A QSO may only be reported once and not back to the originating station. A maximum of 10 QTCs can be sent to a single station. The same station can be worked several times to complete this quota, but only the original QSO has QSO point value. Keep a list of QTCs sent. For example, QTC 3/7 would indicate that this is the third series of QTCs sent, and seven QSOs are reported. For more information - http://www.waedc.de. Logs due by Oct 15 to waedc@darc.de or to WAEDC Contest Manager, Bernhard Buettner DL6RAI, Schmidweg 17, 85609 Dornach, Germany. ARRL September VHF QSO Party, from 1800Z Sep 14 to 0300Z Sep 16. Frequencies: all bands above 50 MHz. Categories: SOHP, SOLP, SO-Portable, Rover, MO, Limited MO. Exchange: Grid Locator. QSO Points: 50 and 144 MHz--1 pt, 222 and 440 MHz--2 pts, 902 and 1296 MHz--3 pts, 2.3 GHz and higher--4 pts. Score: QSO points x Grids counted once per band. For more information-- http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2002/VHFQSO.pdf. Logs due Oct 16 to septembervhf@arrl.org or Sep VHF QSO Party, ARRL Contest Branch, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111, USA. North American Sprint--SSB, 0000Z to 0400Z Sep 15 (See the 28 August edition of the Rate Sheet or http://www.ncjweb.com) Tennessee QSO Party--CW/Phone, sponsored by the Tennessee Contest Group, from 1800Z Sep 15 to 0100Z Sep 16. Frequencies: CW--1815, 3540, 7040, 14040, 21040, 28040 kHz; SSB--1855, 3900, 7240, 14280, 21390, 28390 kHz; Novice/Tech--3700, 7130, 21140, 28140, 28390 kHz; VHF/UHF--50.195, 144.195, 146.55, 223.5, 446.0 MHz. Exchange: RS(T) and TN county or SPC. QSO Points: HF Phone--2 pts, HF CW--3pts, VHF Phone--4 pts, VHF CW--6pts. Score: QSO points x TN counties (TN stations add SPC) counted only once. TN stations claim one additional multiplier for every five QSOs with the same TN county. Bonus points: 100 points for each QSO with K4TCG and TN mobiles add 500 points for each TN county activated. For more information-- http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/tqp/tqp02.html. Logs due Nov 12 to w9wi@bellsouth.net or TN QSO Party c/o Doug Smith, W9WI 1385 Old Clarksville Pike Pleasant View, TN 37146-8098, USA. Second-Class Operators Club (SOC) Marathon Sprint--CW, from 1800Z to 2400Z Sep 14. (Most sprints run four hours, but since we're Second Class Op's, we need more time!) Frequencies: 160--6-meters. Categories: SOAB. Exchange: RST + SPC + SOC number or Power Output. QSO Points: SOC member--5 pts, non-member same continent--2 pts, different cont--4 pts. Score: QSO points x SPC counted once per band x Power Multiplier (<250 mW x 15, <1 W x 10, <5 W x 7, >5 W x 1). Multiply by 1.5 if using a homebrew paddle. Logs due 30 days after the contest to n4bp@arrl.net or Bob Patten, N4BP, 2841 NW 112 Terrace Plantation, FL 33323, USA. ARRL 10 GHz Cumulative Contest from 0600 local Sep 21 to 2400 local Sep 22, operate 24 hours max. Frequencies: 10 GHz through light. Categories: 10 GHz only and Multi-band. Exchange: 6-character Maidenhead locator. QSO points: 100 points per unique callsign + distance in km. Score: QSO points. For more information-- http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2002/10GHzandUp.pdf. Logs due Oct 22 to 10ghz@arrl.org or 10 GHz Contest, ARRL Contest Branch, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111, USA. Scandinavian Activity Contest--CW, sponsored by Experimenterende Danske Radioamatører (EDR), 1200Z Sep 21 to 1200Z Sep 22 (Phone, 1200Z Sep 21 to 1200Z Sep 22). Frequencies: 80--10-meters. Categories: SOAB (QRP <5W, LP <100W, HP), MS, SWL. Exchange: RS(T) + serial number. QSO Points: EU stations--1 pt, Non-EU--1 pt on 20--10, 3 pts on 80--40. Finals score is QSO pts × Scandinavian call areas counted once per band. For more information--http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/text/sacnsc.txt. Logs due Oct 31 to sac@contesting.com or EDR HF Contest Manager, Peter Vestergaard OZ5WQ, Vestervej 74, DK-4960 Holeby, Denmark Washington State Salmon Run--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Western Washington DX Club, from 1600Z Sep 21 to 0700Z Sep 22 and 1600Z to 2400Z Sep 22. Frequencies: 160--6-meters. Categories: SO (CW, SSB or Mixed Mode, QRP <5W, LP <200W, HP), MS, Washington Club Station, Mobile, Washington County DXpedition, SWL. Exchange: RS(T) and SPC or county (for WA stations). QSO Points: SSB--2 pts, CW--4 pts. Work Portables and Mobiles from each county, log county line QSOs as 2 separate QSOs. Score: QSO points x WA counties (WA stations use SPC + WA counties) counted once only. QSO W7DX to add 500 bonus points for each mode--total 1000 points. For more information--http://www.wwdxc.org. Logs due Oct 31 to salmonrun@wwdxc.org or Western Washington DX Club, PO Box 395, Mercer Island, WA 98040, USA. Panama Anniversary Contest--Phone, sponsored by the Panama Radio Club from 1200Z to 2359Z Sep 22. Frequencies: 20, 40 meters. Exchange: RS. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO, with HP1RCP--5 pts. Score: QSO Points x DXCC entities. For more information--http://eventosrcp.hypermart.net/stats/index.html. Logs due 25 November to hp1rcp@hotmail.com or Radio Club of Panama, Contest, PO Box 10745, Panama 4, Republic of Panama Fall QRP Homebrewer Sprint--CW/PSK31--sponsored by New Jersey QRP Club from 0000Z to 0400Z Sep 23. Frequencies: QRP CW and PSK31 frequencies on 80 - 10 meters, CW and PSK31 are considered separate bands. Exchange: RST + SPC + Output Power. QSO Points: Commercial Equipment--2 pts, Homebrew Xmtr or Rcvr--3pts, Homebrew Xmtr and Rcvr--4 pts, Homebrew PSK31 station--5 pts.Kits ok as homebrew. Power Multiplier: 0>250 mW = x 15, 250 mW>1W = x10, 1-5W = x7, >5W = x1. Score: QSO Points x SPC (counted once per band) x power multiplier. For more information--http://www.njqrp.org/data/qrphomebrewersprint.html. Logs due 30 days from the contest to n2cq@arrl.net (text format) or Ken Newman, N2CQ, 81 Holly Drive, Woodbury, NJ 08096. The Classic Exchange--CW/Phone, from 1900Z Sep 22 to 0500Z Sep 23. Frequencies: CW--1810, 3545, 7045, 14,045, 21,135, 28,180 kHz; Novice/Tech Plus--3695, 7120, 21,135, 28,180 kHz; Phone--1890, 3880, 7290, 14,280, 21,380, 28,320, 29,000 kHz. Exchange: Name, RST, SPC, Rcvr and Xmtr type. OK to change equipment and work stations again on each band and mode. Count the total number of receivers (Rx) and Transmitters (Tx) Score: QSO's x (Rx + Tx + SPC counted on each band and mode) x CX Mult. The CX Multiplier is the total of the ages of all equipment used for 3 QSOs or more. Transceivers count x2. Homebrew age is min. 25 years, unless documented as older. For more information--http://qsl.asti.com/CX. Send logs to WQ8U@arrl.net or "Mac" MacAulay, 6235 Wooden Shoe Lane, Centerville, OH 45459-1557 QRP Afield--CW/Phone/Digital, sponsored by the New England QRP Club from 1500Z Sep 21 to 0300Z Sep 22, submit a log for the best 6 hr period of the contest. Frequencies: 160--10-meter QRP calling frequencies, work stations once per band and mode. Categories: SO and MS. Exchange: RS(T), SPC, and NE-QRP number or power. QSO Points: HP (>5W) fixed station - 1 pt, HP mobile or portable - 2 pts, QRP fixed - 5 pts, QRP mobile or portable - 10 pts. QSOs with WQ1RP score triple points. Score: QSO points x SPC (counted once only). For more information-- http://www.qsl.net/wq1rp/main.htm. Logs due Oct 15 to k1cl@arrl.net or Chuck Ludinsky, K1CL, 6 Pracing Rd, Chelmsford, MA 01824-1922. Collegiate QSO Party--CW/SSB/Digital, sponsored by the Collegiate Amateur Radio Association from 1200Z Sep 21 to 0400Z Sep 22. Frequencies: 160--10-meters. Categories: SO, MS, MM, packet spotting is allowed for all categories. Exchange: serial number and name of institution (for clubs) or operator (SO). QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO, see web site for bonuses. Score: QSO points x clubs worked, counted once per band and mode. For more information--http://www.qth.com/collegiate/qsoparty.htm. Logs due October 31, 2002 in Cabrillo format to qsoparty@collegiatehams.com or CARA, PO Box 150232, Alexandria, Virginia 22315-0232, USA. NEWS & PRESS RELEASES A total of 2,108 Field Day logs have been received at HQ which sets a new total number of entries received. Seven logs have been received from non W-VE participants in six Central and South American countries -- LU, PY, CE, CO, HP, and YV. A total of 423 entries have been received from groups that included a GOTA station as part of their operation. This is more than double the number of Novice/Tech stations reported for the 2001 Field Day (208) and almost equals the number of Novice/Tech stations reported in 1999, before restructuring (432). Good news for future contesters! (Thanks Dan, N1ND and the Contest Desk staff) A direct link to the ARRL Log Checking Reports (LCRs) is http://www.arrl.org/members-only/contests/lcr.html. (Thanks, Bill W4ZV) Also from Bill, W4ZV, "CQ just published the World and USA All-Time Records for both CW and SSB current through the 2001 contests at http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/WW%20DX%20All-Time%20Records2.html. These are the pages normally published in CQ Magazine and are not the records by US Call Area and by Country which are at the old http://www.cqww.com site. Hopefully those will be updated soon." Thanks, Bill. Contest QSLs threatening to snow you under? "OfficeMax currently sells a plastic 6-drawer IRIS "Mega Chest" with drawers that are 5 1/2" high and 13" wide, just enough for two rows of QSLs. Each drawer holds almost as many QSLs as a two drawer file-type cabinet which is much more expensive. To complete this system, I use red or orange 4"x6" file cards (two cards per divider, to give some strength to the divider) between each country and sometimes within the same country, if there are a lot of cards, e.g. DL, UA, F, EA, JA, I, etc. OfficeMax also has somestick on label tabs that I put on top of the divider cards. It seems to work fine." If you are looking for pre-printed QSL dividers, check out W7NN's Ham Stuff at http://www.hamstuff.com/. (Thanks, Dennis, K2SX) Scott, N3FJP, has been a busy boy. In the last issue we announced the release of his software for NAQP contests. In the last two weeks, he has also released contest loggers for NA Sprint--version 1.0 (the Phone Sprint is this coming weekend), the 10-10 Contest--version 1.3, and VHF Contests--version 1.5. The software is free to try, fully funcitional and costs $6 to register. You can visit http://www.n3fjp.com/ to download the program. (Thanks, Scott N3FJP) And in case you didn't have enough to do this month, Steve KF2TI passes along the DXCC reminder that the September 30 deadline to submit items for the next DXCC Annual List is rapidly approaching. For more information, contact the ARRL DXCC Desk at dxcc@arrl.org or 860-594-0234. TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE In September, a contester starts to get a little itchy about whether his antenna farm is really up to snuff, particularly on the low bands. Most of us are using verticals of one sort or another on those bands and there are hardly ever "enough" radials. Therefore, one common cure for the "dB Itch" is to go out and put some more radials on the vertical. But why bust your budget over radial wire? Do you need #8 oxygen-free copper to get that last 0.01 dB? Not really, here's some advice from two guys that should know--thanks Tom, W8JI and Rudy, N6LF. "(A) comprehensive RCA funded study's conclusion was that adding a screen does nothing for efficiency if the installation has even a modest radial ground system. You can find measured comparisons in the famous study "Ground Systems as a Factor in Efficiency", but the conclusions were that a screen or radial system has to be at least 1/8th wl or so in radius to become reasonably efficient, and small screens don't do much either by themselves or when used in conjunction with even a modest radial system. The idea that a few wide strips used for radials are better than even very fine wires covering the same footprint of area is not correct. The distance out is important, and the distance between wires is important. The individual conductor thickness or surface area is almost entirely meaningless once the radial becomes so thick or wide it is mechanically reliable. Other then life of the system, you'd never know the difference between 50 #24 gauge copper wires or 50 six-inch-wide strips on 160 meters...as long as they were the same length. I wouldn't think twice about using #20 or smaller wire, if it was a temporary system. I would never even consider using anything larger than #10 wire for myself, let alone strap or flashing for radials, unless it was somehow cheaper. Broadcast stations almost always use ground screens near towers, but the primary reason is for physical installation reasons rather than actual efficiency. It is easier to work around the antenna and to ground all the equipment near the towers if a screen is used near the towers. It would take a huge screen (certainly over 1/8th wl in radius) to equal or improve on a system with thirty 1/4 wl radials. Use a screen if it is easier to install or cheaper, not to make things "better" or to replace or augment a reasonable size radial system. 73, Tom W8JI" "If you want to see where this all comes from, check out the article in QST for July 2000, pages 38-44. You can take the equations in the appendix, drop them into a spreadsheet and see for yourself how the performance of a buried radial system behaves as you change things. There is also a long list of references where all this comes from. George Brown in his 1933 Ph.D. thesis pointed out that the size of the wire had negligible effect! Radial wire size is a mechanical issue. 73, Rudy N6LF" CONVERSATION As you are painfully aware, this issue of the Rate Sheet appears in your email on a somber anniversary. Other editors are far more eloquent than I at addressing the events of one year ago and the changes since. However, they aren't fellow contesters and ham radio enthusiasts--the people I call friends and companions. So I will take a very little space to say that I'm glad to be a part of this hobby with you, from which we derive such satisfaction. A hobby that has much to offer in a world that sometimes seems sorely in need of communicators. As we engage each other this coming contest season, skipping our signals across the high layers of the sky and listening to this blue, watery ball spinning its way through night and day, I hope there will be a moment to marvel at the magic of what we do and how easily we slip past the various barriers of life to light our sparks across the many kilometers. It's a wonderful thing in a world that needs wonderful things. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Contester's Rate Sheet wishes to acknowledge information from the following sources: WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page - http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/ ARRL Contest page - http://www.arrl.org/contests/ SM3CER's Web site - http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/
