Contester's Rate Sheet for June 16, 2004
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 16 June 2004 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver N0AX SUMMARY o Time for contest recruitment - Kid's Day and Field Day are upon us! o Quebec VE2 QSO Party o 2004 KCDXC Pileup Competition results available o Joule Thieves and Screen Captures o Arc and Sparks Galore o How Do They Do It? BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue. BUSTED QSOS o I busted the WV QSO party dates - the correct dates are Jun 19-20. (Thanks to several who noticed) o Steve W3HF caught me in a prefix count error - because the US allocation of prefixes beginning with "A" doesn't include AM-AZ or the single-letter prefixes, there are only 930 prefixes available to US hams. ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICES FOR 16 JUNE TO 29 JUNE 2004 Logs are due for the following contests: June 18 - US Counties QSO Party, email to: (US logs) wv2b@juno.com and non-US logs to snichols@mvosprey.com, diskettes and paper logs to: (US logs) Duane Traver, WV2B, 99 Oregon Hill Rd, Lisle, NY 13797-1002 (non-US logs) to Scott Nichols, VE1OP, 387 Rudderham Rd, Point Edward, NS B2A 4V6, Canada June 25 - His Majesty King of Spain Contest, email to: concursoshf@ure.es, diskettes and paper logs: or URE HF Contests, PO Box 220, 28080 Madrid, Spain 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, from 1800 to 2400Z Jun 19. 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. All participants may obtain a certificate by sending a 9x12 SASE to: Boring Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 1357, Boring, OR 97009. West Virginia QSO Party - CW/SSB - sponsored by the West Virginia State Amateur Radio Council from 1600Z Jun 19 - 0200Z Jun 20. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters, CW - 35 kHz from band edge, Phone - 35 kHz from General Class band edge and Novice/Tech 10-meter segment. Categories: SO, MM and Mobile, all categories may be HP, LP (<100W), QRP (<5W), Phone, CW, or mixed mode. Work stations once per band/mode and WV stations from each county (WV mobiles keep separate log for each county). Exchange: RS(T) and WV county or S/P/C. QSO Points: Fixed stations: CW - 2 pts, SSB - 1 pt; Mobiles: CW - 3 pts, SSB - 2 pts; Bonus - 100 pts for QSOs with W8WVA once per band/mode, WV mobiles add 100 points per county activated with minimum of 1 QSO. Score: QSO points x WV counties (+ S/P/C for WV stations), add bonus to final score, multipliers count only once. For more information: http://www.qsl.net/wvarrl. Logs due Jul 19 to WA8WV@aol.com or Dave Ellis WA8WV, 610 Hillsdale Drive, Charleston, WV 25302. All-Asian DX Contest - CW - sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League from 0000Z Jun 19 to 2400Z Jun 20. (SSB is Sep 4 - 5). Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters (160 is CW only), 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/2004AA_Rule.htm. Logs due Jul 31 (Oct 31 for phone) to aacw@jarl.or.jp (SSB logs to aaph@jarl.or.jp) or JARL, All Asian DX Contest, 170-8073, Japan. Quebec QSO Party - CW/Digital/Voice - sponsored by the Radio Amateurs du Quebec from 1700Z Jun 19 - 0300Z Jun 20. Frequencies: 80 - 2 meters, no repeater contacts. Categories: SOAB (150 W max), MO, QRP, VHF (QRP and VHF are VE2 and NA stations only). Exchange: RS(T) and Quebec region or S/P/C, /MM send ITU zone. QSO Points: Voice - 1 pt, CW/Digital - 2 pts, VE2RIO - 10 pts. Score: QSO Points x VE2 regions and ITU Zones counted once per band and mode. For more information: http://www.raqi.ca/qqp. Logs due Aug 24 to qso-log@raqi.ca or Radio Amateur du Quebec (QQP), 4545 Av Pierre-de-Coubertin, CP 1000, Succursale M, Montreal QC, Canada H1V 3R2. ARRL Field Day - 1800Z Jun 26 to 2100Z Jun 27 Frequencies: All amateur bands except 60, 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/2004/rules-fd-2004.html for complete info on categories and scoring. Entries due Jul 27 to FieldDay@arrl.org or Field Day Entry, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111. And repeat after me - "Field Day is not a contest." QRP ARCI Milliwatt Field Day - Runs during Field Day and follows ARRL Field Day rules, see http://2hams.net/ARCI/mwfd.htm for more information. His Majesty King of Spain Contest--SSB - sponsored by the Union de Radioaficionados Españoles (URE) from 1800Z Jun 26 - 1800Z Jun 27. 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 concursoshf@ure.es or URE HF Contests, PO Box 220, 28080 Madrid, Spain. Marconi Memorial HF Contest--CW--sponsored by ARI from 1400Z Jun 26 -- 1400Z Jun 27. 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. UK DX Contest - SSB, sponsored by the Scottish-Russian ARS from 1200Z Jun 26 - 1200Z Jun 27. Frequencies: 160 - 10-meters. Categories: SOAB and SOSB (HP, LP <100 watts, QRP < 10 watts), MS, MM. Exchange: RST and serial number, UK stations send UK region code. QSO Points: Own DXCC entity - 1pt, same continent - 2 pts, different cont - 3 pts, UK stations - 5 pts. Score: QSO points X UK regions + DXCC entities on each band. For more information: http://www.srars.org/ukdxcruleseng.pdf. Logs due 30 days after the contest to ukdxssb@srars.org or Scottish-Russian ARS, PO Box 7469, Glasgow, G42 0YD, Scotland, U.K. VHF CONTESTS SMIRK QSO Party - sponsored by the Six Meter International Radio Klub, 0000Z Jun 19 - 2400Z Jun 20. 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 , 214 Palo Verde Dr., Kerrville, TX 78028 USA. NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES Thanks, I'm sure, to good word-of-mouth referrals from Rate Sheet readers, subscribers now exceed 11,000! Keep up the good work, folks! I find that a lot of the general-purpose clubs and non-contesters don't know of the newsletter or think there's nothing here for them. Please take the opportunity to point them in this direction and let's get the word out about the great product announcements and tech tips! Again, thank you. At a recent club meeting, Bob N7XY, demonstrated a very handy low-power antenna trimming and tune-up aid known as the Tenna-Dipper. There is more information available at http://www.4sqrp.com/. It comes as a kit (one cut-and-jumper is required) at a cost of $25 and is a great field replacement for the bulkier MFJ and AEA units. A reminder that the WRTC-Style Team Challenge is active once again this year during the IARU HF contest in July. Full details are available at http://www.wwdxc.org/. Teams that are registering will be added to this site so you can see who your competition will be. After you get your friends cranked up about contesting at Field Day, send them in this direction to get some more of that good contest fun! Other IARU HF News - the categories for the IARU HF have been expanded to include QRP, Low and High for the single op categories. Be sure your logging software gets updated to submit a log in the right category! Field Day summaries can now be sent via an on-line form at http://www.b4h.net/cabforms/ developed by Bruce WA7BNM. Save the paperwork and submit your entry electronically! If you file your Field Day summary on-line, you must still submit the support materials (dupe sheets or logs, proofs of bonus points, etc). This can be done by sending them as attached files to an email at fieldday@arrl.org or by sending them via snail-mail to Field Day, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. If you do submit the summary electronically, you do not have to also send the summary with your support documentation. There will be a list of electronic Field Day submissions received which will be automatically updated several time a day at www.arrl.org/contests/claimed This will allow your group to verify receipt of the summary sheet via the Web. With all that extra time you save, be sure to upload your stories and photos to the ARRL Field Day Soapbox page, too - http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/. RESULTS AND RECORDS WPX records, maintained by N8BJQ, can be found at http://home.woh.rr.com/wpx/. And congratulations to Steve N8BJQ on joining the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. (Thanks, Jim K1PX) The results of the 2004 Kansas City DX Club Dayton CW Pileup Contest are available at http://www.qsl.net/kcdxc/dayton2004.htm. There is also a link to K0VBU's page that tracks the results back to 1995. The audio files for the 1998 and 1999 competitions are available on-line at http://www.qsl.net/kcdxc/PileupFiles.htm. A tip of the cap to Tom N0SS who prepares such marvelous and devilish tests! TECHNICAL George K5KG offers some timely safety ideas when using any kind of a line-tethered "launcher". "(1) I never use the launcher without a leather glove on the left hand and a full face shield (kind used by woodworkers), and (2) I use a closed-face fishing reel which is much less prone to line snags." This is excellent advice, no matter how good you are in the use of such things, even the tried and true Armstrong Method. All it takes is one "oops" and whatever is tied to the end of the line makes a quick 180-degree turn and heads right back at whatever launched it. And that would be you. If you're as cheap, I mean frugal, as I am, you hate throwing away a battery that has even a smidgen of charge left in it. Surely there is some way to use up every last electron? Here's a good way to get some good out of those nearly-exhausted cells - http://www.emanator.demon.co.uk/bigclive/joule.htm. This little gadget is called a "joule thief." It reportedly works down to a battery voltage of 0.55 V. Even I will throw out a battery at that level of discharge. (Thanks, Chuck WB9KZY) When using a Windows-based application, you can capture a screen image to the Windows clipboard very easily using the Shift-Prt Sc or ALT-Prt Sc keys. It's discussed here: http://www.communicateusingtechnology.com/articles/how_to_use_screen_shots.htm. Paste the resulting image into a blank image for a graphics program, such as PAINT and you have a valuable free tool for image manipulation. Need a replacement 'scope probe? "You might check out Probemaster.com. I've got one of their probes and it works FB. Here's a link to their low-end probe (100 MHz): http://www.probemaster.com/oscilloscopeprobes.html." (Thanks, Lew N5ZE) Don't damage those sensitive components when soldering! Jack N7AM observes that some soldering irons have leakage from the 120 VAC power to the tip of the iron. In fact, he found three of four irons had AC leakage to the tip. Use a 3-wire iron with no leakage or you could do serious damage to a radio or other electronic device. Do you "light up" at the topic of tube radios? Do you miss that soft, yellow light that lit (and heated) the shack at night? This site may help you restore that missing element (so to speak) in your shack - http://www.pan-tex.net/usr/r/receivers/index.htm. (Thanks, George K5TR) And speaking of "lighting up", the videos on this Web page will give you an entirely new respect for the energy that lies on the other side of the circuit breaker panel. http://205.243.100.155/frames/longarc.htm#Blowup (Thanks, Dave KM3T) CONVERSATION How Do They Do It? - Trey Garlough, N5KO and Steve Bolia N8BJQ You may be wondering what it takes to get into the prestigious CQ Contest Hall of Fame. Well, sure, you have to be a pretty hot-shot contester, but there are lots of those operators not yet accepted. You have to not only excel, but give back to the sport. As a fine example, I am pleased to publish some of the reasons that the nominators chose this year's nominees for the HofF. N5KO's was a Latin-American multinational nomination by Arturo Gargarella LU6ETB of Radio Club Quilmes, Atilano Oms PY5EG of the Araucária DX Group and WRTC-2006, and Ramón Santoyo V - XE1KK. "A ham radio Internet pioneer, Trey was the creator of many Internet mailing lists, including CQ-Contest@Contesting.com and 3830@Contesting.com. He was also a founding member of the Contesting.com and eHam.net Web sites. Trey continues to provide Web hosting, Internet mailing list services and technical guidance to scores of amateur radio contesting and public service organizations. "He is a former Editor and CW Sprint Manager for the National Contest Journal, and was a Team World (1996) and Team USA (2002) selection to the World Radiosport Team Championship." Contesters know his call from home and away as a frequent presence in the Top Ten. "His overall victory in CQ WW CW 1999 was notable in the following respects: 1) world record, 2) only CW world champion from southern hemisphere in past 30+ years, 3) only CW world champion from Pacific Ocean in past 30+ years, 4) first single op to achieve 7000 QSOs in a 48-hour CW contest. "Trey unselfishly has given his time to some less notorious activities but that have an impact on the way we contest today as he was the leader of the collaboration between contest sponsors and logging program authors that resulted in the creation and adoption of the Cabrillo Format. N5KO also has been a key contributor in the conversion from paper log to electronic log processing numerous contests, including all ARRL and CQ events." Nominated by the Slovenian Contest Club, Steve N8BJQ has also made his mark on the contesting scene as "Mr. WPX." For many years, Steve was the chief cook and bottle washer for one of contesting's success stories, the CQ WPX CW and SSB contests. Every year, this contest just gets better and better, attracting more participants who are having more fun as a result. Until handing the reins this year to the capable hands of Steve Merchant K6AW, N8BJQ's radio time was largely consumed in making WPX one of contesting's "Big Six". Until you've worked on a contest committee - even a small contest - you have no idea how much work it is to mark them run smoothly. Imagine the amount of work required to manage WPX, especially since we all seem to do our best to confuse everyone with odd-ball prefixes! WPX pioneered the popular contest classes - Rookie and Tribander-and-Wires. These attempts to address some of the station and operator inequities have proven themselves to be winners, without diluting the competitiveness of the traditional categories. Innovation, fairness, and promotion all require a steady hand at the tiller. Now that Steve is retired, I hope he's going to redirect that enthusiasm and energy to the airwaves. Both of these gentlemen exemplify the unique blend of operating skill and selflessness that makes our hobby a great adventure. Please congratulate them (not during a 200+ hour, please) on their selection to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. And while you're at it, tip your caps to all of the contest committee members that make the sport so much fun to enjoy! 73, Ward N0AX 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 Windows is a trademark of the Microsoft Corporation
