Contester's Rate Sheet for July 28, 2004
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 28 July 2004 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver N0AX SUMMARY o N0AX's Computer is Busted o Handy List of Web Resources o Yea and Verily BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue. BUSTED QSOS o To be determined ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICES FOR 28 JULY TO 10 AUGUST 2004 Logs are due for the following contests: July 30 - His Maj. King of Spain Contest, SSB, email to: concursoshf@ure.es, paper logs and diskettes to: URE HF Contests, PO Box 220, 28080 Madrid, Spain July 31 - VOLTA WW RTTY Contest, email to: log@contestvolta.it, paper logs and diskettes to: Francesco Di Michele, I2DMI, PO Box 55, 22063 Cantu, Italy July 31 - All Asian DX Contest, CW, email to: aacw@jarl.or.jp, paper logs and diskettes to: JARL, All Asian DX Contest, CW, 170-8073, Japan July 31 - RAC Canada Day Contest, email to: canadaday@rac.ca, paper logs and diskettes to: Radio Amateurs of Canada, 720 Belfast Road, Suite 217, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z5, Canada July 31 - Original QRP Contest, email to: oqrpc@qrpcc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: Dr. Hartmut Weber, DJ7ST, Schlesierweg 13, D-38228 Salzgitter, Germany July 31 - North American QSO Party, RTTY, email to: rttynaqp@ncjweb.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Wayne Matlock, K7WM, Rt 2 Box 102, Cibola, AZ 85328, USA August 1 - SMIRK Contest, email to: contest@smirk.org, paper logs and diskettes to: Dale Richardson, AA5XE, 214 Palo Verde Dr., Kerrville, TX 78028, USA August 3 - DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest, email to: df5bx@darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: Werner Ludwig, DF5BX, PO Box 1270, 49110 Georgsmarienhuette, Germany August 3 - RSGB Low Power Field Day, email to: lowpower.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England August 4 - MI QRP July 4th CW Sprint, email to: n8cqa@att.net, paper logs and diskettes to: L.T. Switzer, N8CQA, 427 Jeffrey Avenue, Royal Oak, MI 48073-2521, USA August 8 - ARS Flight of the Bumblebees, submit all logs via on-line form at http://www.arsqrp.com/ars/pages/pageone_material/autolog_idx.html. August 9 - FISTS Summer Sprint, email to: W8PIG@yahoo.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Dan Shepherd, N8IE, 1900 Pittsfield St., Kettering, OH 45420, USA August 10 - DL-DX RTTY Contest, email to: logs@dl-dx.de, paper logs and diskettes to: (none) August 10 - IARU HF World Championship, email to: IARUHF@iaru.org, paper logs and diskettes to: IARU HF Championship, IARU International Secretariat, Box 310905, Newington, CT 06111, USA August 10 - ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint, email to: wb5khc@2hams.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Tom Owens, WB5KHC, Attn: Summer Homebrew Sprint, 1916 Addington St., Irving, TX 75062-3505, USA August 10 - UK DX Contest, RTTY, email to: srars@srars.org, paper logs and diskettes to: UK DX Contest, RTTY, Scottish-Russian ARS, PO Box 7469, Glasgow G42 0YD, Scotland, UK 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 Summertime Blues HF Contest--SSB, sponsored by the Continuous Wave DARTV System from 2300Z Jul 24 - 0300Z Aug 3. Frequencies (MHz): 3.890, 7.290, 14.330, 21.440. Categories: SO. Exchange: RS and QTH. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Total Score: Total QSOs. For more information: http://www.w2ins.com/pages/1/index.htm. Send QSLs showing lat/long or grid square to W2INS, 477 Riverside Ter, Rutherford, NJ 07070. North American QSO Party--CW--sponsored by the National Contest Journal, 1800Z Aug 7 - 0600Z Aug 8. Frequencies: 160 - 10-meters. Categories: SOAB and M2, 100 W power limit, operate a maximum of 10 hours (off times must be at least 30 min and M2 entries may operate the entire contest). Exchange: Name and S/P/C. Score: QSOs X States + Province + NA DXCC entities (count each once per band). For information: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php. Logs due 14 days after the contest to cwnaqp@ncjweb.com or Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, 4225 Farmdale Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604. The same mailing address is used for both modes of this contest. SARL HF DX Contest--SSB--sponsored by the Bloemfontein Radio Amateur Club from 1330Z -- 1730Z Aug 8 (CW is Aug 29). Frequencies: 80 -- 20 meters. Categories: SOAB, MS. Exchange: RS(T) + serial number. QSO Points: SSB -- 1 pt, CW -- 2 pts. Total score: QSO points + ZS call areas and South African countries (see Web site). For more information: http://www.sarl.org.za/public/contests/contestrules.asp#HFCWPHONE. Logs due 14 days after the contest to admin@sarl.org.za or PO Box 1721, Strubensvallei 1735, Republic of South Africa. Ten-Ten International Summer Phone QSO Party -- sponsored by Ten-Ten, International, 0010Z Aug 7 - 2359Z Aug 8, 10-meters only. Exchange: call, name, state and 10-10 number (if available). QSO Points: nonmembers--1 pt, members--2 pts. Total score: sum of QSO points. For more information: http://www.ten-ten.org/. Logs due Aug 23 to tentencontest@alltel.net or Steve Rasmussen N0WY, 312 N 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048-1302. European HF Championship--CW/SSB--sponsored by the Slovenian Contest Club, from 1200Z - 2359Z Aug 7. EU to EU contacts only. Frequencies: 160-10 meters. Categories: SOAB only--CW, SSB, and Mixed Modes, HP and LP, and SWL. Exchange: RS(T) and last two digits of first year licensed. Score: QSOs x number of different years received, counted once per band. For more information: http://lea.hamradio.si/~scc/euhfcrules-04.htm. Logs due Aug 31 to euhfc@hamradio.si (Cabrillo format preferred) or Slovenia Contest Club, Saveljska 50, 1113 Ljubljana, Slovenia. TARA "Grid Dip" Contest--PSK and RTTY--sponsored by Troy ARA from 0000Z -- 2400Z Aug 7. Frequencies: 80-6 meters, work stations once per band, work Rovers again from new locators. Categories: SOAB only--QRP (<5W), LP (<20W or RTTY <100W), HP (100W max. or RTTY legal limit) Rover (50W max. or RTTY legal limit) operating from more than one Grid Locator, SWL. Exchange: Name and 4-digit grid locator. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Total score: QSO points x Grid Locators counted once per band. For more information: http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_grid_rules.html. Scores due 4 Sep via online submission form or grid-manager@n2ty.org or Antony Heatwole N3FX, 11301 Moxley Rd, Damascus MD 20872-1332. National Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend--all modes--sponsored by the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society from 0001Z Aug 7-2359Z Aug 8. Frequencies (MHz): CW -- 1.830, 3.530, 7.030, 14.030, 21.030, 28.030; SSB -- 1.970, 3.970, 7.270, 14.270, 21.370, 28.370. Exchange: Serial number or ARLHS member or lighthouse number, name, and S/P/C. For more information: http://arlhs.com/NLLW-2004-guidelines.html. Logs due 31 Aug to Dave Ruch, NF0J, PO Box 20696, Bloomington, MN 55420-0696. VHF CONTESTS ARRL UHF Contest, 1800Z Aug 7-1800Z Aug 8. Frequencies: all amateur bands above 222 MHz. Categories: SO-LP, SO-HP, Rover, MO. Exchange: Grid Square (signal report is optional). QSO Points: 222 and 432 MHz - 3 pts, 902 and 1296 MHz - 6 pts, 12 pts on all higher bands. Score: QSO Points x Grid Squares (total from all bands). Rovers add one additional multiplier for each grid square activated. For more information: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2004/uhf.html. Logs due Sep 7 by email to augustuhf@arrl.org or by mail to August UHFContest, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA. NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES RESULTS AND RECORDS TECHNICAL I apologize to my readers, but Murphy paid a visit to my Operating System and all the material I'll been stashing for this issue, such as NCJ News and other interesting bits, is currently in the process of being recovered. Unlike Humpty Dumpty, I anticipate having it all back together again for the next issue. In the meantime, I offer a list of useful Web references. Propagation, Solar, and Space Info Links W1AW Propagation Bulletin - http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop HFRadio.org - http://prop.hfradio.org/ Spaceweather - http://spaceweather.com/ IARU/NCDXF Beacons - http://www.ncdxf.org/beacons.html Satellite visibility and tracking - http://heavens-above.com/ Real-time Greyline - http://www.worldtime.com/cgi-bin/wt.cgi Contest Logging Software CT - http://k1ea.com/ NA - http://www.datomonline.com/ TR-Log - http://www.trlog.com/ Writelog - http://www.writelog.com/ VHFLOG32 - http://www.qsl.net/w3km N3FJP - http://www.n3fjp.com/ EI5DI Super Duper - http://www.ei5di.com/ VHFCONT - http://www.qsl.net/kc6teu N1MM - http://www.n1mm.com/ Training and Contest Simulation Software RUFZ - http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/xedtrsd.htm PED - http://je1cka.jzap.com/ped VPED - http://je1cka.jzap.com/contest HSTT - http://je1cka.jzap.com/contest Contest Station, Expedition and Licensing Sites ARRL Licensing Info - http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/io/#us K2KW's DX Holiday - http://www.dxholiday.com/ World Contest Station Database - http://www.pvrc.org/wcsd/wcsdsearch.htm CONVERSATION Yea and Verily The phone Did ring and ring again, apparently without ending like the stars of the firmament. And this the brow of the Chieftain of Hams did cause to furrow deeply since he was sore afraid of the Pestilence of Telemarketers, yet he Did answer the phone, not sure of what he was thinking, and spake. "H'lo?" A voice familiar Did answer unto the Chief. 'Twas Gerald, deposed patriarch of a small family of Hams, not seen for lo these many days and considered possibly lost for the ages. And the two made many pleasantries and talked wistfully of past epochs when their Boys were but hairless youths and did play together at Multi-Op in the Chief's Radio Tent. Only when they had tired and the receivers did smite uncomfortably their ears, did the One and True Nature of Gerald's reappearance be made known. "I have to clean out my garage," lamented Gerald. There was a great Raising of Hair on the back of the Chief's neck, since he knew with great foreboding what hath transpired and what must surely cometh next. Gerald did sweeten the Pot with the generous Honey of Donation to the Chief's tribe of the many wondrous Treasures his Garage did hold. Gerald did sing the praises of the HF yagi possessing nearly all its many pieces, and a multiband vertical so, too, nearly complete. He Did tell of a 450 MHz yagi of commercial quality tuned just above the band, colored gold like unto the desert sand, a rare and fabulous thing. Yea and there was a mountainous pile of cable, some quite good and seasoned with the finest connectors and some not quite so good. Tower sections he would give, with a pair of top sections and one rotator. A collection there was of aluminum pieces without number and probably useful for something. A venerable and worthy brace of radios from the Legion of Drake, still with their original shipping baskets and not a scratch on them, were the last of the Treasures and Gerald became still, awaiting judgement. The Chief did smile, not being entreated to help Clean the Garage of Holding, nor to bear the burden of carrying the Treasures across the trackless wastes past many hazards and over an infinitude of potholes. And the Chief did say unto Gerald in soothing and sympathetic voice, "Yea and verily, Gerald, I can take that stuff. Bring it on over." And it was done, arriving in disarray from its long journey and springing forth in a limitless cornucopia from the back of an SUV the size of a war elephant and weary of its heavy load. Sawhorses were brought forth and the Treasures were made to lay upon them, side by side. And Gerald and the Chief were pleased, one to have and one to have not. After a suitable feast and bidding Gerald a safe journey home, the Chief did call the Elders and spake to them of the Good Fortune with which they were smitten and what a Good Deal for the Tribe this would be. And the Elders did come and stroke their beards in Wonder for some of the Treasures were mystical, indeed. And lo, like a miracle, even more treasure had appeared silently in the night from Gregory of the North who was also cleaning his tent! A decent R-5 bearing its matching network, but also an ancient Halo for the Band of Magic, bearing much corrosion and rust and not being worth a doggone. Yet the Tribe did celebrate and blow upon their Horns of UHF and confer for the distribution of treasure among the multitude, all making tithe to the Tribal Coffers, with only a little haggling, in appreciation of these wondrous gifts. To the House of Bob went the Vertical of Gerald. Phil of the Large Truck bore away the many tower sections, forgetting only the rotator control box and returning immediately when summoned by the Horn of UHF. And one by one, the tribe came forth to receive their treasure, the Technicians Without Code and the Extras of Wisdom alike. They left the tent of the Chief laden with magnificent things not seen since the Spring Fest of Hams, leaving only the halo and the aluminum pieces in a sorry and lamentable pile. And when they had convinced their Matriarchs and Others of Significance that verily, this was a Good and Worthy Thing, the projects Did commence. The members Did smite the airwaves like locusts and Did make contacts without number and rejoiced, for new bands were now open unto them, carrying signals from far and distant lands. What then of the Chief? He praised and Did put away the sturdy sawhorses, rendered the halo into salvageable bits, and cleansed the yard of forgotten hardware. He spent a happy fortnight amongst the aluminum pieces, assembling unusual and difficult antennas not seen heretofore, discovering a 2-meter Ringo Ranger amongst the ruins and a perfectly useable vertical pipe mount, too. And he was Pleased because it was the Way of Hamdom. 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
