Contester's Rate Sheet for December 18, 2002

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Contester's Rate Sheet
18 December 2002
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Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX

Not to get "soggy with nostalgia" as Tom Lehrer might say, but it has
been a great year with WRTC2002 and all. Some not-so-great moments,
too, with our buddies like KL7Y, W1CW, WA9TPQ and others, passing from
the scene. Yet how wonderfully rare it is to have an instant and
global community of friends with which to enjoy the magic of radio! 
To all of the readers in radio land - whether you're celebrating the
year's end in the midsummer heat of Zone 32, 13, or 38, or watching a
Norman Rockwell snowfall blanket the black and sleeping branches of
your favorite antenna support - a very 73 this holiday season from the
staff at Rate Sheet World HQ. (i.e. -- Me)

SUMMARY
o Russian and Stew Perry 160-meter contests back to back 
o Two new books (and a partridge in a pear tree)
o 8th International CCF Contest/DX Meeting
o NAQP, Sprint, and NEQP results now available on-line
o The Four Deadly Sins of Tower Climbing
o To Sked or Not to Sked

BULLETINS
o If you sent a 10-Meter contest log to the ARRL contest email robot
on Sunday night or early Monday morning, you may have received a
message in reply stating that your club's name wasn't recognized. This
has been fixed and all logs will receive proper credit for ARRL club
totals -- there is no need to resubmit your log. (Thanks, N1ND)

BUSTED QSOS
o AT LAST we have returned to having had a Golden Issue last time!

ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 18 DECEMBER TO 31 DECEMBER 2002

Logs are due for the following contests:
 
o December 18, 2002 - ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB - email to:
SSPhone@arrl.org, paper logs to: November SS Phone, ARRL, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111, USA  

o December 18, 2002 - NA Collegiate ARC Championship, SSB - email to:
wm5r@arrl.net, paper summaries to: Collegiate Championship, c/o Ken
Harker, WM5R, 927 East 46th Street, Apt 102, Austin, TX 78751, USA  

o December 24, 2002 - ARRL International EME Competition - email to:
EMEcontest@arrl.org, paper logs to: EME Contest, ARRL, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111, USA  

o December 31, 2002 - IPA Contest, CW/SSB - email to: dl8kcg@darc.de,
paper logs to: Uwe Greggersen, DL8KCG, Hurststr 9, D-51645
Gummersbach, Germany  

o December 31, 2002 - Japan International DX Contest, Phone - email
to: jidx-ph@ne.nal.go.jp, paper logs to: JIDX Phone Contest, c/o
Five-Nine Magazine, PO Box 59, Kamata, Tokyo 144, Japan  

o December 31, 2002 - All Austrian 160-Meter Contest - email to:
hf-contest@oevsv.at, paper logs to: OEVSV-HQ, HF-Contest Manager,
Eisvogelgasse 4/1, A-1060 Vienna, Austria  

o December 31, 2002 - QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint - email
to: rfoltz@turbonet.com, paper logs to: Randy Foltz, K7TQ, Attn:
Holiday Spirits Sprint, 809 Leith St, Moscow, ID 83843, USA  

o December 31, 2002 - TARA RTTY Sprint - email to: rtty@n2ty.org,
paper logs to: William J. Eddy, NY2U, 2404-22nd Street, Troy, NY
12180-1901, 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

OK DX RTTY Contest - sponsored by the Czech Radio Club, 0000Z - 2400Z
Dec 21. SOAB, SOSB, MOAB, SWL categories. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters
according to IARU band plan. Exchange: RS and CQ Zone. QSO Points: 80
& 40 - 3 pts on same continent, 6 pts different cont., 20-10 - 1 pt
same cont., 2 pts different cont. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities +
OK stations (counted once per band). For information -
http://www.crk.cz/eng/DXCONTE.HTM. Logs due 15 Jan to milos@testcom.cz
or Czech Radio Club, OK DX RTTY Contest, PO Box 69, 113 27 Praha 1,
Czech Republic.

AGB Activity Party - CW/phone, sponsored by Activity Group Belarus,
2100Z - 2300Z Dec 20. Categories: SO-QRP & HP -CW, -SSB, -Mixed, MS
Mixed Mode, SWL. Frequencies:  CW 3510 - 3555, SSB 3700 - 3750 kHz,
calling frequencies: CW - 3540, SSB - 3720 kHz. No time limit, station
may be worked once per 15 min. segment starting at 2100Z. AGB members
exchange RST + Serial number + AGB number, non-members  RST + serial
number. QSO Points: same continent - 1 pt, different cont - 3 pts, AGB
members - 5 pts. Score: QSO points x AGB members + DXCC entities. For
more information - http://www.qsl.net/eu1eu/. Logs due 11 Jan to
eu1eu@qsl.net or Igor Getmann, EU1EU, PO Box 143, Minsk 220005,
Belarus.

Russian 160-Meter Contest -- CW/SSB -- sponsored by Radio Magazine,
from 2100 -- 2300Z Dec 20 in two independent one hour competitions
from 21-22Z and 22-23Z. Categories: SO, MO, SO and MO 18 years and
younger, Mixed Mode only. Exchange: RST, serial number, and square ID
(see http://www.radio.ru/cq/contest/rule/map-2.gif for a map showing
the squares) QSO Points: own square -- 1 pt, adjacent sq -- 2 pts, 1
add'l pt each add'l square distant. Score: total QSO points from both
hours. For more information -- http://www.radio.ru/cq/contest/rule
(Cyrillic only). Logs to contest@radio.ru, or "Radio" Magazine,
Seliverstov per. 10, Moscow 107045, Russia.

Dec 21 - Jan 5

Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party - all modes, sponsored by the
Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, 0000Z Dec 21 - 2400Z Jan 5, 2002.
Frequencies: CW - 1.830, 3.530, 7.030, 14.030, 21.030, 28.030 MHz, SSB
- 1.970, 3.970, 7.270, 14.270, 21.370, 28.370 MHz. Exchange: year
first licensed or ARLS member number or ARLS Lighthouse number + name
+ SPC. QSO Points: ARLS member - 2 pts, ARLS Lighthouse -  3 pts, 1 pt
otherwise. Score is QSO Points. For more information -
http://www.arlhs.com/xmas-guide.html. Logs due 31 Jan to Dave Ruch,
NF0J, PO Box 20696, Bloomington, MN 55420-0696, USA.

Dec 26

DARC Christmas Contest - CW/SSB, sponsored by the Deutscher Amateur
Radio Club, 0830Z - 1100Z Dec 26. Frequencies: CW - 3510 - 3560 kHz,
7010 - 7040 kHz, SSB - 3610 - 3650 and 3700 - 3775 kHz, 7040 kHz.
Categories: SO-Mixed, SO-CW. Exchange: RS(T) + DOK or Special Station
code. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. The station calling CQ must QSY after
making a QSO. Score: QSO Points x DOK codes + WPX prefixes. For more
information -  http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/fedcx.htm. Logs due 3
weeks after the contest to xmas@darc.de or Markus van Bergerem,
Brandenberg 5, D-47533 Kleve, Germany.

Dec 28 - 29

RAC Winter Contest - CW/Phone, sponsored by the Radio Amateurs of
Canada, 0000Z - 2359Z Dec 28. Frequencies: CW - 25 kHz up from the
band edge (check on the half hour), Phone - 1850, 3775, 7075, 7225,
14175, 21250, 28500 kHz, 50 and 144 MHz for both modes. SOAB-LP,
SOAB-HP, SOAB-QRP, SOSB, MO categories. VE stations exchange RST +
Province, VE0 and non-VE stations exchange RST + serial number. QSO
Points: Outside Canada - 2 pts, VE/VE0 stations - 10 pts, RAC stations
- 20 pts. Score: QSO points x VE provinces + territories (counted once
per band and mode). For information - http://www.rac.ca/CANWIN.htm.
Logs due 31 Jan to ve7cfd@rac.ca or Radio Amateurs of Canada, 720
Belfast Road, Suite 217, Ottawa, ON Canada, K1G 0Z5.

Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge - CW, sponsored by the Boring
Amateur Radio Club, 1500Z Dec 28 - 1500Z Dec 29. Categories: SO and
MS. Operate 14 hours max. Exchange: grid only. QSO Points: 1 pt + 1 pt
for every 500 km distance calculated between grid centers (see Web
page for calculation information), QSOs with QRP stations that submit
a log count double QSO points. Score: QSO points x Power mult (<5W x
4, 5 - 100W x 2, >100W x 1). For more information - 
http://jzap.com/k7rat/stew.rules.txt. Note - the RAC contest runs from
0000 to 2359Z on December 28th. As before, the VEs will be happy to
trade QSOs - they need RST and a serial number. Logs due 31 Jan
(Cabrillo format only) to tbdc@contesting.com or Boring Amateur Radio
Club, 15125 SE Bartell Rd, Boring, OR 97009 USA.

Original QRP Contest - CW, sponsored by the QRP Contest Community,
1500Z Dec 28 - 1500Z Dec 29. Frequencies: 80 - 20 meters. Categories:
SOAB - VLP (<1W), QRP (<5W), or MP (<20W). Operate 15 hours max. with
up to 2 off periods. Exchange: RST + serial number + category. QSO
Points: 4 pts if other station submits log, 1 pt otherwise.
Multipliers: 2 pts for DXCC entities from submitted logs, 1 pt
otherwise. Score will be computed by the log checkers. Logs due 31
January to Dr. Hartmut Weber, DJ7ST, Schlesierweg 13, D-38228,
Salzgitter, Germany.

31 Dec - 1 Jan

ARRL Straight-Key Night -- 0000 -- 2400Z Jan 1. Like Field Day, it's
"not a contest", but many of us enjoy dragging out the old J-38 and
pretending we're Morse champ Ted MacElroy. The object of this friendly
event is to enjoy some good, old-fashioned QSO fun, using straight
keys. The emphasis is on rag-chewing rather than on fast contest-type
exchanges. Instead of sending RST before sending the signal report,
send the letters SKN, to indicate your participation and to clue in
passersby who may be listening that SKN is going strong. Send the ARRL
Contest Branch a list of stations worked, plus your vote for the best
fist you heard (it doesn't have to be one you worked). Also, include
your vote for the most interesting QSO you had or monitored, as well
as any interesting comments you have for the Feedback section of the
SKN 2002 write-up. Entries are due 31 Jan to StraightKey@arrl.org or
to SKN, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. 

NEWS & PRESS RELEASES

November Sweepstakes cups and pins orders continue to come in -- get
your cup and pin ordered because last year they sold out! (Anybody
want to trade for a 2001 Sweep cup?) -- Thanks, Dan N1ND.

For users of N3FJP's Contest Log software -- Scott N3FJP writes, "I
have received several requests from visually impaired hams who report
that the labels identifying the fields are above the text boxes,
preventing their screen readers from identifying the field that
currently has the focus. I have added code so that as each data entry
field receives the focus, a WAV file of the voice of my lovely XYL,
Kimberly KA3SEQ will identify the field. To enable this function, the
WAV files will have to be downloaded from my Web site
(http://www.n3fjp.com) or copied from my CD to the program's working
directory. These enhancements are free to registered users."

Wes, WZ7I contributes a couple of book reviews -- "Wirebook IV", by
Press Jones N8UG, is a new edition of his book on coax, antenna wire,
balanced line, grounding, and baluns. It is available from Marshall
Emm at http://www.morsex.com/books/ (that URL stands for Morse Express
- don't let your imagination get the best of you!) or from the author
at http://www.thewireman.com/wirebook.html. "DXing 101X", by Rod
Dinkins AC6V, would make a great gift to the library of the fairly new
ham. It's available from HRO at http://www.hamradio.com/.

CQ WW notes - If you are submitting club scores in CQ WW, club
activity managers can send their club eligibility lists to
club-list@cqww.com. You can also contribute photos and comments from
the contest by sending them to photos@cqww.com (indicate SSB or CW).
They will be posted on the CQ WW Web site at http://www.cqww.com.
Email log submissions are really growing in popularity -- 3600 SSB
logs have been received via the Internet. "Please send us your log no
matter how small. We on the CQ WW Contest  Committee realize that the
great majority of entrants in the CQ WW contests are "Little Guns". It
is your participation that makes the contest fun for
everyone...including the "Big Guns". If you have not sent your log
yet, please do. If you don't know how to send a Cabrillo log, we will
help you. You can send a message to questions@cqww.com. We have helped
over 500 people figure out how to submit a Cabrillo log. You could be
next."  (Thanks, Bob K3EST)

WA9TPQ -- SK. In another unpleasant bit of news, Bill WA9TPQ passed
away on 10 Dec. Bill was a frequent entry in many logs. Cedrick K9YO
writes of Bill, "Thanks for teaching me most everything I know about
contesting today. You gave me the chance to enjoy and experience new
modes in Ham Radio. Tell your Elmer 'Thanks' before it's too late,
because you never know."

The 8th International CCF Contest/DX Meeting in Finland will be held
from 17 -- 19 Jan in Vantaa, Finland. Featured programs include "CQ WW
CW 2002 at EA8ZS" by OH2XX, "Serious RTTY Contesting" by OH2BP,
"WRTC2002 Analysis" by K3NA, "ZA1B CQ WW CW" by OH5BM, and "Logistics
Behind a Contest Expedition -- C53M/C56R" by OH9MM. There is also a
Contest Dinner at which the WRTC2002 video by W6AQ and 9V1YC will make
its debut. Check out the Web site at http://www.qsl.net/ccf.
Registration is required by 31 Dec. (Thanks to the hard-working
Contest Club Finland board.)

Lee, KM4YY alerts us to the NK0E Palm Serial Sender Kit. It interfaces
a PDA running GoLog with your transceiver and automatically provides
contest logging, memory keyer, and dupe QSO checking. Information can
be found at http://www.njqrp.org/palmserialsender/index.html.

To help get more folks on the air for VHF/UHF contests, the K8GP group
is making available very high quality RF cables at a VERY low cost.
These are commercial cables at prices less than you often pay for hand
made cables at hamfests. These are all 50-ohm cables and most function
well above 10GHz. See http://www.k8gp.net/cables for pictures,
quantities available and prices. Contact Gene W3ZZ at
ezimmerm@erols.com for orders and questions. Orders of $200 or more
get a 10% discount. Shipping is extra. (Thanks, Gene W3ZZ)

RESULTS AND RECORDS

"The results for the 2002 New England QSO Party have been posted to
the NEQP web site at http://www.neqp.org/. We had a great first year
with logs from 260 people. Special congratulations to N4PN for working
all 67 counties!  Hope you'll join in for the 2003 event - May 3-4,
2003." (Thanks, Tom K1KI)

Claimed scores for the 2002 North American Collegiate ARC Championship
(these are not official scores) are posted at
http://www.collegiatechampionship.org/. (Thanks, Ken WM5R)

The 2002 CQ VHF Contest results are scheduled to run in the June 2003
issue of CQ. (Thanks, Rich W2VU)

The following NCJ contest results are now available on the NCJ Web
site, http://www.ncjweb.com: Jan 2002 NAQP CW, Sep 2002 SSB Sprint,
and Sep 2002 CW Sprint. The NAQP results are in PDF format on the NAQP
Results page. The Sprint results are in the gray-shaded NCJ Results
Database area at the top of the NA Sprint Results page. PDF files will
be added as soon as they are available. The full results of all three
contests will be in the Jan/Feb 2003 issue of NCJ. (Thanks Carl,
K9LA)

The results of the 46th CQ-M International DX Contest are available at
the CQ-M contest home page - http://www.mai.ru/~crc/cq-m/cqmain_e.htm.
(Thanks Dmitri, RW3FO)

TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE

Chuck, N4NM points out the Four Deadly Sins of Tower-Climbing in a
post on the Towertalk reflector. To wit -- climbing while Tired,
Complacent, Irritated, and Hurried. This time of year, if we're up on
the tower, we are probably in violation of at least two or three. You
might add "Cold" (and for readers in the Southern Hemisphere, add
"Hot"). Mark N5OT pointed out that the best thing is to have a
procedure that you go through EVERY TIME you tie off or clip on. That
way, when one of the sins gets the upper hand, the habit will be there
when you really need it. We've had quite enough SKs in the past couple
of months -- take a break fellas. Safety first.

Got clicks?  Modifications for the FT1000D, MP, Mark V, and Field
keying circuits are described on the Web site of W8JI --
http://www.w8ji.com/keyclick.htm. International Radio
(http://www.qth.com/inrad/) also supplies the components for a simple
modifiation to these radios. You might also browse the extensive
discussions on key clicks on the CQ-Contest and Topband reflector
archives -- at http://www.contesting.com, enter "cq-contest click" or
"topband click". (Note -- this is a general technique for finding
messages on a topic in the list archives.)

Not all contest logging software is Windows or MS-DOS-based. For those
of you running Linux, TRF, a TR-like console based logging program,
(http://home.iae.nl/users/reinc/TLF-0.2.html) by Rein Couperus
(PA0RCT) is actively being developed. CX, a CT-like console based
logging program, (http://cx.dk8lv.net) was written by the Bavarian
Contest Club. Screen shots are available at
http://cx.dk8lv.net/screens.html. This program may not be under active
development. These site links were contributed by Pat N8VW.

In the "Accidental Discovery of Radioactivity Department", Ford N0FP
reports that using at SteppIR tribander on top of a shunt-fed tower
allows you to "tune" the top hat. Changing the frequency to which the
SteppIR is set changes the lengths of the elements and thus the
effective diameter of the tower's top-hat. Ford reports being able to
shift the resonant frequency 60 kHz using this technique. "Well don't
that beat all?" -- Andy Devine.

CONVERSATION

To Sked or Not to Sked?

In the one or two weeks preceding a big VHF contest, it's not uncommon
to receive an email that looks like this:

"You are invited to contact our multi-op effort from the top of atop
Mt. Atlantis in grid XY99. Our goal is to set a new record and we need
your contact. We will be using the call N0AX and be active on 50 MHz
through light. If you're interested in EME, HSMS, AEIOU, or Smoke
Signals, contact N0AX@arrl.net to make a schedule, etc."

On HF, pre-contest schedules are uncommon and while not specifically
forbidden, are certainly frowned upon. Information about calls and
bands are of marginal use, since any seriously active effort will be
heard worldwide on several bands. Schedules made during the contest on
bands other than the ones being used in the contest, via packet or
nets, or by non-amateur means are verboten, of course, in both HF and
VHF contests. However, if pre-contest scheduling is the norm for VHF
and UHF contests, why is it accepted there and not on HF?  Not having
enough of a background above 30 MHz to have a worthy opinion, I asked
Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZ, QST's "Above 50 MHz" editor and a grizzled
veteran of the mountaintop battles.

"Especially when operating from out of the way places, it behooves the
VHF+ operator(s) to advertise as much as possible. One major reason is
the sharp antennas that everyone uses. If you are not in the direction
of what passes for a major population area, no one will point at you
and thus you will be 40 dB below the peak of the receiving antenna
pattern. With a good signal at 400 miles having a 10 dB
signal-to-noise ratio if you're lucky, you can see where this is
leading. 

"Most of the 'advertising' is by an email reflector but if you know
the 'locals' it is not considered bad form to contact them directly.
This is a win-win situation -- they point at you because they may need
you as a DX station -- you get their QSO's as a portable.

"In fact, given that one of the goals of VHF+ contesting is pushing
the distances one's station can cover, there are those who advocate a
more controversial approach - eliminating the ban on making schedules
by any means in real time during a VHF contest. The reasoning is that
stations at the other end of an unusual (and often short-lived)
propagation path may be unaware of its existence. The purpose is not
to create contacts just for your own station but to generate activity
for anyone included in the unusual propagation. More activity, more
interesting contacts, more fun for everyone."

I can understand and accept this line of reasoning. VHF+ contesting is
quite a different beast, particularly on the more unusual modes like
EME and Meteor Scatter where schedules and not random CQs are the
norm. I suppose that if 200-foot boom Yagis were common on the HF
bands and propagation as marginal as it can be on VHF, then schedules
and advertising would probably be OK there, too.

Don't forget the upcoming January VHF Sweepstakes on 18 -- 20 Jan! 
Many of us now have rigs with 6-meters, 2-meters, and even 70 cm CW
and SSB, so there's no reason not to give the bands a try. If you
don't have a good set of antennas up at home, try mobiling out to a
lesser-populated grid or a high spot. Remember that most activity is
with horizontally-polarized antennas. Dipoles work great on 6-meters
and quads and yagis are pretty easy to homebrew for the higher bands.
They don't have to be 800 feet high to work, either!

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/

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