Contester's Rate Sheet for October 9, 2002
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 9 October 2002 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX SUMMARY o ARRL announces VHF/UHF Contest and Awards Survey o Link to Don Miller W9WNV historical Web site o AP Sprint - With the rapidly improving fall conditions, North American contesters have their best opportunity of the year to participate in this regional sprint and check propagation to Asia. (see Oct 20th contest announcement) o QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party - the biggest QRP contest of the year o Changes to CQ 160-Meter Contest announced. o Stew Perry, IN QSO Party, and Phone NAQP results available BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue. BUSTED QSOS o Your editor managed to omit the address of the Web site for the CQ WW contests from the October QST "Contest Corral". It is http://www.cqww.com and there is a lot of great information about the largest DX contest of all. o Upon reading the crossword puzzle clue "British entity in SW England" in the Sep/Oct issue of NCJ, Dave Lawley G4BUO, points out that "Wales and England are separate, distinct places. Wales is not in England. It is in Britain, or Great Britain, or the UK, or the British Isles. British Isles includes EI and there is actually no term which defines all the G countries i.e. G GM GW GI GD GJ GU." I'm on the lookout for unhappy Welshmen. o Shelby K4WW points out that the correct email address for submitting CQ WW RTTY logs is rtty@cqww.com. Logs are due 31 Oct. ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 9 OCTOBER TO 22 OCTOBER 2002 Logs are due for the following contests: o October 10, 2002 - SARTG WW RTTY Contest - email to: sm7bhm@svessa.se, paper logs to: SARTG Contest Manager,Ewe Hakansson, SM7BHM, Pilspetsvagen 4, SE-29166 Kristianstad, Sweden o October 11, 2002 - AGB NEMIGA Contest, email to: eu1eu@qsl.net, paper logs to: Igor Getmann, EU1EU, PO Box 143, Minsk 220005, Belarus o October 14, 2002 - YLRL Howdy Days, email to: (none), paper logs to: Jeanie Parker, WA6UVF, 28400 Vista del Valle, Hemet, CA 92544, USA o October 15, 2002 - WAE DX Contest, SSB, email to: waedc@darc.de, paper logs to: WAEDC Contest Manager, Bernhard Buettner, DL6RAI, Schmidweg 17, D-85609 Dornach, Germany o October 15, 2002 - North American Sprint, SSB, email to: ssbsprint@ncjweb.com, paper logs to: Jim Stevens, K4MA, 6609 Vardon Ct., Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526, USA o October 15, 2002 - QRP Afield, email to: k1cl@arrl.net, paper logs to: Chuck Ludinsky, K1CL, 6 Pracing Rd., Chelmsford, MA 01824-1922, USA o October 16, 2002 - ARRL September VHF QSO Party, email to: SeptemberVHF@arrl.org, paper logs to: September VHF QSO Party, ARRL Contest Branch, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA o October 17, 2002 - SARL 80-Meter QSO Party, email to: mally@eastcoast.co.za, paper logs to: The Contest Committee, PO Box 21762, Bluff 4036, South Africa o October 20, 2002 - EU Autumn Sprint, SSB, email to: eusprint@kkn.net, paper logs to: Paolo Cortese, I2UIY, PO Box 14, 27043 Broni (PV), Italy o October 22, 2002 - ARRL 10 GHz Cumulative Contest, email to: 10GHZ@arrl.org, paper logs to: 10 GHz Contest, ARRL Contest Branch, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA o October 22, 2002 - Fall QRP Homebrewer Sprint, email to: n2cq@arrl.net, paper logs to: Ken Newman, N2CQ, 81 Holly Drive, Woodbury, NJ 08096, USA 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 Anniversary Party - CW, sponsored by the YLRL, 1400Z Oct 9 - 0200Z Oct 11. (phone Oct 16- Oct 18) Frequencies: 160-10 meters. Exchange: serial number, RS(T), and ARRL section/VE province/country. QSO Points: US or VE YL's - 1 pt, DX YLs - 2 pts. Score: QSO points x SPC. For more information - http://www.qsl.net/ylrl/ylcontests.html. Logs due 30 days after the contest to wa6uvf@pe.net or to Jeanie Parker, WA6UVF, 8400 Vista del Valle, Hemet, CA 92544, USA. 10-10 Day Sprint - Phone/CW/Digital, sponsored by Ten-Ten, International, 0001Z - 2400Z, Oct 10. One QSO per station, regardless of mode. 10 meters only. Exchange call/name/state and 10-10 number (if available). QSO Points: nonmembers -- 1 pt, members -- 2 pts. Score is total points. For more information - http://www.ten-ten.org. Logs due Oct 28 to Steve Rasmussen N0WY, 312 N 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048-1302. Oceania DX Contest - CW, 0800Z Oct 12 - 0800Z Oct 13. Frequencies: 160-10 meters, work VK/ZL/Oceania stations only. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, MS, MM, SWL. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number. QSO Points: 160 - 20 pts, 80 - 10 pts, 40 - 5 pts, 20 - 1 pt, 15 - 2 pts, 10 - 3 pts. Score: QSO points × WPX prefixes counted once per band. For more information - http://www.nzart.org.nz/nzart/update/contests/oceania/. Logs due Nov 25 in Cabrillo format to cwoctest@nzart.org.nz or Oceania DX Contest, c/o Wellington Amateur Radio Club Inc., PO Box 6464, Wellington 6030, New Zealand EU Autumn Sprint - CW, 1500Z - 1859Z Oct 12. Frequencies: 80-20 meters, work EU stations only. SOAB category only. Exchange: your call, serial number, name, other station's call. Special QSY rule - see Web site. Score is number of QSOs. For more information - http://loja.kkn.net/~i2uiy/. Logs due 15 days after the contest to eusprint@kkn.net or Karel Karmasin, OK2FD, Gen Svobody 636, CZ-674 01 Trebic, Czech Republic. Pennsylvania QSO Party - CW/Phone, sponsored by the Nittany ARC, 1600Z Oct 12 - 0500Z Oct 13 and 1300Z - 2200Z Oct 13. Frequencies: CW 1.810 MHz and 40 kHz above band edge; Phone - 1.850 3.980 7.280 14.280 21.380 28.310 MHz; Novice/Tech - 10 kHz above edge of segment; mobiles 5 kHz below the listed frequencies. Work mobiles in each county. County lines count for 1 QSO but both counties. Categories: SO (HP >150W, LP, or QRP <5W), MS, MM, SO or MS Portable, Novice/Tech/TechPlus, Mobile, Rover. Exchange: serial number and ARRL/RAC section (PA stations send PA county). QSO Points: CW - 2 pts on 160 and 80, 1.5 pts on other bands; Phone - 1 pt. Score: QSO points x PA counties (PA stations use PA counties + ARRL/RAC sections + 1 for a DX QSO) x 2 if QRP or x 3 if Novice/Tech. Add 200 points to final score for each QSO with W3FRC. PA mobiles and rovers add 500 points for each county with 10 or more QSOs. For more information - http://www.nittany-arc.org/paqso.html. Logs due by Nov 15 to PA QSO Party, PO Box 614, State College, PA 16804, USA. FISTS Fall Sprint - CW, sponsored by FISTS International CW Club, 1700Z - 2100Z Oct 12. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters, work US/VE stations, once per band. Categories -- SOAB-QRP (<5W), SOAB-QRO and Club. Exchange name, RST, state/province/DXCC country; members send FISTS number, nonmembers send power output. QSO Points: FISTS members -- 5 pts, nonmembers - 2 pts. Score is QSO points × SPC (count each only once). For more information - http://www.FISTS.org. Send paper logs only within 30 days to Dan Shepherd, N8IE, 1900 Pittsfield St., Kettering, Oh 45420. Iberoamericano Contest - SSB, sponsored by the Union de Radioaficionados Espaņoles (URE), 2000Z Oct 12 - 2000Z Oct 13. Frequencies: 160-10 meters, IARU band plan. Categories: Iberoamericano (IB) and DX SO, MS, and EA Novice. Exchange: RS and serial number. QSO Points: DX - 1 pt with DX and 3 pts with IB, IB - 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x IB countries (IB stations count IB countries + DXCC entities and WAE countries) counted once per band. For more information - http://www.ure.es. IB countries are CE, CO, CP, CT, CX, C3, C9, EA, HC, HI, HK, HP, HR, KP4, LU, OA, PY, TG, TI, XE, YN, YS, YV, ZP, 3C. Logs due 30 Nov to ea5al@ure.es or to URE Contest Manager, Vicente Aguilella, EA5AL, PO Box 87, 12200 Onda, Castellon, Spain. North American Sprint - RTTY, sponsored by the National Contest Journal, 0000Z - 0400Z Oct 13. Frequencies 80, 40, 20-meters only. North American stations work everyone, others work NA stations only. Exchange: both callsigns, serial number, name, and SPC. The same station can be worked multiple times provided 3 contacts separate the contact in both logs, regardless of band. QSY rule: Stations calling CQ, QRZ, etc, may only work one station in response to that call; they must then move at least 1 kHz before working another station or 5 kHz before soliciting another call. Once you are required to QSY, you may not make a new QSO on the previous frequency until you have made a contact at least 1 or 5 kHz (as required) away. For more information - http://www.ncjweb.com/. Logs must be emailed or postmarked no later than 30 days after the end of the contest to rttysprint@ncjweb.com or Jay Townsend, WS7I, PO Box 644, Spokane, WA 99210, USA. YLRL Anniversary Party - SSB, 1400Z Oct 16 - 0200Z Oct 18 (see CW weekend rules above) Worked All Germany - CW/SSB, sponsored by The Deutscher Amateur Radio Club, 1500Z Oct 19 - 1459Z Oct 20. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters, work German stations only. Categories: SOAB (HP >100W , LP, QRP <5W) CW or Mixed Mode, MS, SWL, packet spotting allowed for all classes. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number or DOK code. QSO Points: 3 pts/QSO. Germans count DXCC/WAE countries per band. Score: QSO points x DOK codes (Germans use DXCC entities or WAE countries) counted once per band and mode. For more information - http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/fedcg.htm. Logs due Nov 20 to wag@darc.de or to Klaus Voigt DL1DTL, PO Box 12 09 37, D-01010 Dresden, Germany. JARTS WW RTTY Contest, sponsored by the Japanese Amateur Radio Teleprinter Society, 0000Z Oct 19 - 2400Z Oct 20. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters. Categories: SOAB, MO, SWL. Exchange: RST and age (Multiop sends 99, YL may send 00). QSO Points: own continent - 2 pts, diff cont - 3 pts per QSO. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities + JA, W, VE and VK call areas counted once per band. For more information - http://www.edsoftz.com/JARTS/2002/rules2002.html. Logs due Nov 30 to jarts@edsoftz.com (email logs only). QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party - CW, sponsored by QRP ARC International, 1200Z Oct 19 - 2400Z Oct 20, operate 24 hrs max. Frequencies: 1.810 3.560 3.710 7.040 7.110 14.060 21.060 21.110 28.060 28.110 50.128 MHz. Categories: SOAB, SO-High Band (20-6), SO-Low Band (160-40). QSO Points: member QSOs - 5 pts, non-member on same cont - 2 pts, non-members on diff cont - 4 pts. Score: QSO points x SPC x Power Multiplier (<250 mW ×15, <1 W ×10, <5 W output ×7, >5 W ×1). For more information - http://personal.palouse.net/rfoltz/arci/arcitst.htm. Logs due 30 days after contest to rfoltz@turbonet.com or QRP ARCI Contest Manager, Randy Foltz, K7TQ, 809 Leith St, Moscow, ID 83843. Asia-Pacific Sprint - CW, sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Sprint Contest Committee, 0000Z - 0200Z Oct 20. Frequencies: 14.030-14.050 and 21.030-21.050 MHz. Categories: SO <150W only. Work Asia-Pacific stations only. Exchange: RST and serial number. Special QSY rule. Score: QSOs x WPX prefixes counted once only. For more information and AP country list - http://jsfc.org/apsprint. Logs due 7 days after contest to apsprint@kkn.net (Cabrillo format encouraged, no paper logs accepted). RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest - CW, 0700Z - 1900Z Oct 20. Frequencies: 15 and 10 meters (see Web site for band plan). Categories: UK and DX SO or MS (Open, Restricted, QRP <10W) and SWL (Open and Restricted). Exchange: serial number and UK district. QSO Points: 3 pts/QSO. Score QSO points x UK districts (UK stations use DXCC entities plus JA, W, VE, VK, ZL and ZS call areas) counted once per band. For more information - http://www.rsgbhfcc.org. Logs due Nov 20 to hf.contests@rsgb.org.uk or to RSGB-G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England 40th Anniversary Illinois QSO Party - CW/Phone, sponsored by the Radio Amateur Megacycle Society (RAMS), 1800Z Oct 20 - 0200Z Oct 21. Frequencies: 160-2 meters, CW - 50 kHz above band edge, Phone - 3.890 7.290 14.290 21.390 28.390 MHz; Novice/Tech - 30 kHz above edge of segment. Categories: SO, MS, Mobile. Work stations in each county, county line contacts count for 1 QSO from each county. Exchange: RS(T) and SPC (IL stations send county). QSO Points: Phone - 1 pt/QSO, CW - 2 pts. Score: QSO points x IL counties (IL stations use states + IL counties + VE provinces + up to 5 DXCC entities). Count additional DX for points, but not multipliers. One bonus multiplier for each eight QSOs with the same IL county. For more information - http://my.core.com/~jematz/rams.html. Logs due Nov 18 to RAMS, c/o John Matz, KB9II, 7079 West Ave,Hanover Park, IL 60103. NEWS & PRESS RELEASES With the CQ WW SSB contest coming up at the end of the month and a new category - Multioperator - Two Transmitters come some questions about the rules. Stations in the M2 can only use two transmitters - additional listening stations are allowed, but are NOT allowed to transmit. See the official CQ WW Web site at http://www.cqww.com for complete information on the contest rules (as well as records and other interesting information). (Thanks - Wally LZ2CJ) As the result of a request from the ARRL Board to look into ways to increase participation in VHF and UHF contest the ARRL has developed a survey for contesters. The goal is to collect information that can be used to improve the participation and quality of both the various ARRL VHF/UHF contests and VHF/UHF awards programs. The information about the VHF/UHF Awards and Contest survey is on the ARRL Web site at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/10/07/1/?nc=1 and the survey itself is available as an Adobe Acrobat file at http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/vhf-survey.pdf=20. If you would like to fill out the survey (please do!!), responses are due back to the ARRL by October 31st. VHF/UHF contesting would seem to be a good area from which to recruit new contesters as well as a new area of excitement for the HF contester. (Thanks, Tom K1KI and Dan N1ND) As the result of a lot of work by John KD8MQ, statistics for the PA QSO Party have been pulled together and presented very effectively at http://www.qsl.net/kd8mq/paqso/paqso.htm. Dedicated Pennsylvania Party Animals have really enjoyed using this page and appreciate what John has done. Heck, he doesn't even live in Pennsylvania! Note as well that the correct Web page for the PAQP is http://www.nittany-arc.org/paqso.html. (Thanks, Kay WT3P) There are some changes to the CQ 160 Meter contests this season. o The contests go to a 48 hour format - 0000Z Sat to 2359Z Sun. o VY0 has been added as a new Canadian Multiplier. o The DX window has been dropped for both modes. For more information, check out the CQ WW Web site http://www.cqww.com. (Thanks, Dave K4JRB) The final Stew Perry results have been posted on the BARC home page at http://jzap.com/k7rat/stew.html. You will also find the rules for the next running - which is on December 28th/29th. (Thanks, Tree N6TR) The 2002 Indiana QSO Party results are now available at the new, improved Web site - http://www.hdxcc.org/inqp/scores.html. (This is a new address, too.) The organizers especially thank those that updated all those logging programs on short notice. (Thanks, Tim N9LF) The January NAQP Phone results are now on the NCJ web site at http://www.ncjweb.com. Click on "Contests" at the top of the home page, and then on "Results" under NAQP on the left. They are in the searchable menu area at the top of the page. The full write-up will be in the Nov/Dec NCJ. (Thanks to NCJ Editor, Carl K9LA) Scott N3FJP has released networked versions of his contest logging program designed from multioperator entries in the CQ WW, ARRL VHF Contest, and ARRL International DX Contests. A standalone version is now available for the CQ 160 Meter contest. For more information, see http://www.n3fjp.com. The latest Master DTA files (callsign databases) are available on the Web at http://members.buckeye-express.com/k9tm/dta.html. (Thanks, Tim K9TM) While not strictly a contesting video, the VP8GEO South Georgia 2002 video is now ready, completing "part 2" of this year's South Atlantic "Micro-Lite" DXpedition video series. As with previous titles this video is not just about an amateur radio DXpedition, but also covers South Georgia's history, wildlife, and people. There are also numerous pileup sequences and in-depth interviews with the team members discussing the rather unique philosophy behind the trip. This video is also available on DVD. For more information, contact http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~jamesb. A WRTC-2002 video is also in production for release later this year. (Thanks, James 9V1YC/N1YC) I stumbled onto a very useful resource about marine SSB. If you wonder about this service that also makes heavy use of HF SSB, ICOM has made a very useful tutorial available on the Web at http://www.icomamerica.com/marine/ssb_book.html. TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE This issue we'll have a potpourri of useful links and tips for that busy season known as the start of the contest season. You just poured the concrete for a new tower base and are wondering about whether it will have set in time for that new stack of 80-meter beams to get installed before CQ WW? Hank KR7X contributes a great Web reference that really gets down to the nitty-gritty on concrete: http://www.portcement.org/cb/concretebasics_concretebasics.asp. This site is a very good place to get a basic understanding of how concrete really works and how the components interact. Touch lamps - ugh. Another appliance that considers itself the only electronic device on the face of the earth and so cheerfully interferes with and receives interference from our busy contest stations. What to do? My personal opinion is that these things are best repaired with a 12-pound wood-splitting maul, but sometimes a more diplomatic approach is required. Common-mode chokes on the line cord of the offending lamp sometimes work to prevent outbound RFI, but several report successfully preventing inbound interference by installing chokes (a few mH) and resistors (a few kohms) in series with the touch-sensing input. The ARRL also has a good Web page on the subject at http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/touchlamp.html. Time to smoke out those little devils before 0000Z on Saturday rolls around. More on cleaning copper - "I have found that the product "Limeaway" does an excellent job of cleaning darkened braid and of course bare wire. I use a small brush to apply it to braid and a piece of saturated toweling for bare wire. A water, or soapy water rinse should follow the application. An absorbent towel followed by heat should take care of any moisture that has wicked into the braid under the insulation. Keeping the affected section vertical (with the exposed section down) helps prevent wicking. One needs to follow the safety directions on the container." (Thanks, Ink N4OO) CONVERSATION With all the hubbub amongst the old-timers over Don Miller ex-W9WNV being released from prison (for planning to murder his then-wife) recently, those among us with a little less time in the log might be asking, "Don who?" Don was widely considered to be one of the best CW operators of all time and his travels are the stuff of legend - some literally. Since I got into this crazy game just as Mr. Miller was exiting, I can't fill you in very well on all the details - but the following Web site makes good reading: http://www.geocities.com/k2cddx/miller.html. The story about his parole can be found at http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories/local/1027736792.shtml. One of the more interesting stories in ham radio, contesting, and DX-ing. Check out the Gus Browning links, as well. (Thanks, Tad K7VVV) This reminds me of a limerick written in response to the DXCC "Minimum Size Rule" (haven't heard much about that lately)... A captain when rescued by air Explained why his hull was a-tear. "If the rock don't comprise The minimum size Then, hell, it just isn't there!" 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/
