Contester's Rate Sheet for June 18, 2003

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Contester's Rate Sheet
18 June 2003
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Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX

SUMMARY
o Get those kids away from the TV and into the shack, Kid's Day is
here!
o Field Day, June 28th and 29th, has a new Class F category for EOC
stations
o N8SM -- Silent Key
o Listen for AH2G in Field Day
o World's Longest Garage Sale
o Holding Down Those Pesky Radials
o Making the Developer's Brains Hurt

BULLETINS
o Because of the new Field Day category, it would be a REALLY good
idea to have your Field Day chairman be sure that the logging software
has been updated to accept "F" as a valid entry.

BUSTED QSOS
o The LABRE WW South American CW contest date was mis-reported in the
last issue as 7-8 Jun. In reality it was this past weekend, 14-15 Jun
- http://www.labre.org/updatedrules.html. Sorry about that. (Thanks,
Bob W2SR)

ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 18 JUNE TO 1 JULY 2003

Logs are due for the following contests:

June 18 - US Counties QSO Party, SSB, email to: (US logs)
d.e.travers@worldnet.att.net, (Non-US logs) snichols@mvosprey.com,
paper logs to: (US logs only) Duane Travers, WV2B, 99 Oregon Hill Rd.,
Lisle, NY 13797-1002, USA

June 19 - Anatolian RTTY WW Contest, email to: ta9j@qsl.net, paper
logs to: TA9J Ismail Cakmak, P.O. Box 34, 36000 Kars, Turkey
 
June 20 - VK-ZL Trans-Tasman Contest, Phone, email to:
vktasman@hotmail.com, paper logs to: VK/ Trans-Tasman Contest, 28
Crampton Crescent, Rosanna, VIC 3084, Australia

June 24 - QRP ARCI Hootowl Sprint, email to: rfoltz@turbonet.com,
paper logs to: Randy Foltz, K7TQ, Attn: Hootowl Sprint, 809 Leith St.,
Moscow, ID 83843, USA
 
June 25 - His Maj. King of Spain Contest, CW, email to:
concursoshf@ure.es, paper logs to: URE HF Contests, P.O. Box 220,
28080 Madrid, Spain
 
June 25 - MI QRP Memorial Day CW Sprint, email to: n8cqa@att.net,
paper logs to: L.T. Switzer, N8CQA, 427 Jeffrey Avenue, Royal Oak, MI
48073-2521, USA
 
June 30 - Manchester Mineira CW Contest, email to: (none), paper logs
to: CWJF Contest Committee, P.O. Box 410, Juiz de Fora - MG 36001-970,
Brazil
 
June 30 - Six Club WW Contest, email to: contests@6mt.com, paper logs
to: Wayne Lewis, W4WRL, 3338 South Cashua Drive, Florence, SC
29501-6306, USA
 
June 30 - IARU Region 1 Field Day, CW, email submission depends on the
national society rules, paper logs to your national society
 
July 1 - CQ-M International DX Contest, email to: cqm@srr.ru, paper
logs to: CQ-M Contest Committee, Krenkel Central Radio Club of Russia,
P.O. Box 88, Moscow 123459, Russia
 
July 1 - Baltic Contest, email to: lrsf@lrsf.lt, paper logs to: Baltic
Contest, P.O. Box 210, LT3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
 
July 1 - CQWW WPX Contest, CW, email to: wpxcw@kkn.net, paper logs to:
CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Rd., Suite 405, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA
 
July 1 - Great Lakes QSO Party, email to: bripaw@yahoo.com, paper logs
to: Brian Pawloski, W8BRI, PO Box 140012, Grand Rapids, MI 49514-0012,
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

HF CONTESTS

Kid's Day Operating Event--SSB - sponsored by the Boring Amateur Radio
Club (BARC) from 1800 to 2400Z Jun 21. Frequencies (MHz):
14.270-14.300, 21.380-21.400, 28.350-28.400 and 2-meter repeater
frequencies with permission from your area repeater sponsor. Exchange:
Name, age, location and favorite color. Work stations again if the
operator changes...or needs changing. For more
information--http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html. No logs
need to be submitted by all participants may obtain a certificate by
sending a 9x12 SASE to: Boring Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 1357;
Boring, OR 97009.

All-Asian DX Contest - CW - sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio
League from 0000Z Jun 21 to 2400Z Jun 22. (SSB - Sep 6 - 7).
Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters, incl. 10-min. band change rule.
Categories: SOAB, SOSB, MO, Low Power (Asian stations only), Junior
(JA stations <20 years), Senior (JA stations >70 years). Exchange:
RS(T) and a two digit number denoting the operator's age. YL stations
may send 00. QSO Points for non-Asian stations: 40 - 15 meters - 1 pt,
80 and 10 meters - 2 pts, 160 meters - 3 pts. Score: QSO pts × Asian
prefixes (WPX rules). For more information and Asian station QSO
points--http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-3_Contests/2003AA_Rule.htm.
Logs due Jul 31 (Oct 30 for phone) to aacw@jarl.or.jp (SSB logs to
aaph@jarl.or.jp) or JARL, All Asian DX Contest, 170-8073, Japan.

His Majesty King of Spain Contest--SSB -  sponsored by the Union de
Radioaficionados Españoles (URE) from 1800Z Jun 21 - 1800Z Jun 22.
Frequencies: 160-10 meters using IARU Region 1 band plan. Categories:
SOAB, SOSB, and MS. Exchange: RST and serial number or EA province.
QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x EA provinces counted once
per band. For more information, send email to ure@ure.es. Logs due 30
July to ure@ure.es or ea5al@ure.es or Vocalia Concursos URE, Apartado
Postal 87, 12200 Onda, Castellon, Spain.

ARRL Field Day - 1800Z Jun 28 - 2100Z Jun 29. Frequencies: All amateur
bands except 30, 17, and 12-meters. Exchange: operating category and
ARRL/RAC section. QSO Points: SSB--1 pt, CW and digital--2 pts. See
Web site--http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2003/rules-fd-2003.html
for complete info on categories and scoring. New Class F (EOC station)
category this year. Entries due Jul 29 to FieldDay@arrl.org or Field
Day Entry, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington,  CT 06111.

QRP ARCI Milliwatt Field Day - Follows ARRL Field Day rules, see
http://personal.palouse.net/rfoltz/arci/mwfd.htm for more
information.

Marconi Memorial HF Contest--CW--sponsored by ARI from 1400Z Jun 28 --
1400Z Jun 29. Frequencies: 160 -- 10 meters, according to IARU band
plan. Categories: SO -LP (<100W) and --QRP (<5W), and MO. Exchange:
RST + serial number. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x DXCC
entities counted once per band. For more
information--http://www.qsl.net/ik6ptj/marconi.htm. Logs due 30 days
after the contest to ik6ptj@qsl.net or ARI sez. di Fano, PO Box 35,
I-61032 FANO (PS), Italy.

VHF CONTESTS

SMIRK QSO Party - sponsored by the Six Meter International Radio Klub,
0000Z Jun 21 - 2400Z Jun 22. Frequencies: phone QSOs within the lower
48 states and Canada above 50.150 MHz; only DX QSO's between 50.100
and 50.150 MHz. SO category only. No repeater QSOs. Exchange: SMIRK
number and grid square. QSO Points: SMIRK member - 2 pts, non-member -
1 pt. Score: QSO points x grid squares. For more
information--http://www.smirk.org. Logs due Aug 1 to contest@smirk.org
or Dale Richardson, AA5XE , 219 US 377 South, Junction, TX,
76849-5234.

NEWS & PRESS RELEASES

Contest stalwart Steve Miller N8SM suffered a fatal fall while
performing tower work this past Sunday...Father's Day. Memorial
services are scheduled for June 19th. Your editor was also clambering
around the high iron this weekend. Be safe, y'all, in the zeal to do
tower work. (Thanks, Bob W2CE and others)

Problems that prevented some early ARRL VHF QSO Party logs from being
accepted by the contest robot have been corrected. (Thanks, Tree
N6TR)

The New Jersey QRP Club and the NorCal QRP Club are merging to form
the American QRP Club. Both organizations are very active in promoting
QRP contesting and are hotbeds of great homebrew and kit equipment. A
club magazine, Homebrewer, will also be published. More can be learned
at http://www.amqrp.org. (Thanks, George N2APB)

While you are putting in time at the club Field Day effort, keep your
ears open for AH2G (and the other KH6 club stations out west). The
Marianas Amateur Radio Club on Guam will be operating on 80 - 10
meters. Part of the PAC section, they are as far away from the
continental US as you can get and still be a FD participant. A special
certificate will be available to those who contact AH2G during FD. QSL
via Marianas Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 445, Agana, Guam 96932-0445.
(Thanks, Carolyn KF6JVF and Duncan KF6ILA)

Last issue, I mentioned G3SXW's new book, "Up Two". This week, I'm
pleased to report that Idiom Press (http://www.idiompress.com) has
released the long-anticipated 3rd edition of Bob Locher W9KNI's "The
Complete DX-er". I'm about half-way done with it and even as a pretty
experienced DX-er, I find it engaging and informative. Highly
recommended. At the Dayton Hamvention, Bob's other company, Bencher
(http://www.bencher.com), was showing off a buttery smooth new CW
paddle with magnetic tension adjustment. I'm a big fan of light-action
paddles and this one felt as good as my Brown Brothers paddle.

Here's an item that I stumbled upon at the Hamvention -- "The World's
Longest Yard Sale and Amateur Radio Special Event". As if Dayton isn't
big enough, U.S. 127 will be lined with the finest pre-owned stuff
from Ohio to Alabama. Gotta be some radio treasures in there somewhere
-- http://worldslongestyardsalespecialevent.com.

Also new at Dayton is the W9XT Unified Microsystems
(http://qth.com/w9xt)  VK-64 Combination Voice/CW Keyer. This powerful
little box contains both a voice and CW keyer (four messages for each
mode) with a full computer interface.

New Communications Solutions, LLC (http://www.ncsradio.com) has some
interesting audio accessories for those of us with lots of radios, but
only two ears and one mouth. The Multi-Patch NCS-2400 is a 10-by-5
patch panel, the Multi-Rx NCS-3230 an interesting receiver audio
combiner the features the ability to "position" the received audio
between left and right ears, and Multi-Switcher NCS-3240 a master
console for routing operator interface signals (audio, key, PTT, etc.)
between four radios.

N3FJP has released another batch of upgrades to his suite of
contesting software. These include changes in the user interface and a
number of new state QSO parties. For more information, see
http://www.n3fjp.com/.

RESULTS AND RECORDS

The Web version of the 2003 RTTY Roundup results is now open to ARRL
members. 2003 ARRL DX Contest pins arrived and have been shipped to
the Deserving. 2002 November CW Sweepstakes Certificates have also
been printed and mailed. (Thanks, Dan N1ND)

The Spring CW European Sprint Contest results are available at
http://www.qsl.net/eusprint. Congrats to Dave G4BUO who wins for the
third time and for the Golden Logs from OM5NA and RA3XO. (Thanks,
Paolo I2UIY)

TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE

If you are looking for filter design software (either active or
passive), http://www.qfilter.com/filter.html has numerous links to
shareware, demo, and beta test versions.

Putting down some radials under the vertical in anticipation of what
should be steadily improving low-band conditions this fall?  What is
the best way to hold them down until the grass can grow over 'em? 
Denizens of the TowerTalk reflector
(http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk) responded
with their customary gusto, suggesting numerous methods such as:
Landscaping or irrigation "staples" for holding down cloth or hose
wire coat hangars cut into short pieces
"U's" of galvanized fence or other cheap wire
large nails or gutter spikes, wrap wire around nail once (also works
in rocky soil)
large bobby pins ("available at YL Improvement Centers" -- K4OJ)
aluminum chain-link fence ties
No one mentioned a plastic owl. (Thanks, Towertalkians)

New at the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR -- http://www.tapr.org)
Hamvention booth were two new development kits for DSP and SDR
(Software-Defined Radio). The KK7P DSPx module and KDSP10 Interface
are excellent resources for the ham radio developer. It was nice to
see Jan ZS6NW manning the booth, too!

Lowbanders are well aware of the K9AY family of filters and preamps.
AY Technologies (http://www.aytechnologies.com) has two new goodies --
the RIP-1 Receiver Isolator/Protector (nice model number, eh?) to ride
herd on those fancy receiver inputs and the RAS-8x2. The RAS-8x2 is an
8-input, 2-output receive antenna switching system that includes an AM
BC filter and and optional preamp. You can also phase more than one
antenna. The devices are available through Array Solutions
(http://www.arraysolutions.com).

If you're into APRS, point your browser at http://www.byonics.com for
some really neat little kits and gadgetry from Byonics. The list
includes an APRS tracker kit (TinyTrak3), a weather encoder (WXTrak),
and a GPS format converter (GST-1) among other interesting things.

CONVERSATION

Making the Developer's Brains Hurt

Bob W2SR sent me an interesting question that I couldn't answer. "What
is the etiquette of exchanging or inquiring about information for
multiple contests during a single QSO? For example, exchanging a FISTS
number in the 10-10 contest? I have a great respect for not doing
something that will slow the other participant down, and this is
clearly out-of bounds in major contests."  With multiple contests
running every weekend, I'm surprised this hasn't come up before.

Maybe we need an Q-signal signifying, "Here comes some info for
another contest"  For instance, "QAC QRP 3692 PWR?" might mean, "My
alternate contest info for the QRP contest, number 3692, what's your
power?". A simple question mark added as in "QAC QRP?" would mean,
"Will you accept info for the QRP contest?" (This leads to the obvious
phone usage of "Quack QRP 3692.")

I have in the past answered someone else's "CQ Contest" and after I
get their exchange I send back the proper exchange followed quickly by
"and for the QRP contest, my number is 3692, what's your power". That
usually works and I'm sure that most of the participants don't even
write it down, but it satisfies my need for an exchange if I get the
necessary info back. A simple "No" will suffice as a reply in either
case.

On weekends without a major contest going, the same adrenaline rush
(or maybe that's just terror resulting from personal incompetence) can
be obtained by working as many of the contests going as you can.
Instead of just SO2R, you can be SO2R6C for single-op, two radios, six
contests!  

To do this right you would have to have several copies of your logging
software running in different screen windows out of different
directories on your hard drive. As you tuned in stations on different
radios, you would have to use the Alt-keys to switch between windows
and enter the correct information.

Can you imagine running two pileups at once on different radios with
different exchanges for each one?  What if you moved one participant
from radio one to radio two and mixed him in with the pileup from the
other contest. What if he was in the other contest and you didn't
realize it?  What if he then crossed the International Date Line?  How
would you call CQ?  "CQ Transylvania QSO Party, Atlantis Activity Day,
and Hunting Fondue Forks in the Air, bye for your calls."

Imagine the consternation of the casual operator who calls in as you
shake him down for a smorgasboard of information. "OK, Bob, thanks for
Podunk County, now what's your output power in milliwatts?  Your
sister's year of birth?  That's OK, double zero will do, now how about
your zip code and postal district?  Thanks, now your Irish county of
ancestry or favorite Scot plaid. OK, I'll just enter 'no kilt', and
what about the number of tubes in your first rig?  Bob?  Still
there?"

I posed such a question to Tree, N6TR a couple of years ago, asking if
he could set up the SO2R mode of TR-LOG so that you could have
different contests on the different radios. He stopped and stared at
the ceiling for a while, then said, "My brain hurts," and walked off.
There's your answer, Bob.

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/