Contester's Rate Sheet for November 3, 2004
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 3 November 2004 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver N0AX SUMMARY o CW Sweepstakes Takes To the Airwaves - Look For W1AW/90 o 50th Anniversary WAE RTTY, Ukraine, and OK/OM Contests o Distributed Loaded Monopole Presentation o Making 75-ohm Hardline Work For You o Installing Cable Grips Correctly o Playing With Time and Moving Megaliths o Comic Relief - 160-Meter Sunrise BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue. BUSTED QSOS o Jon N0JK pointed out that I omitted to list the 50 MHz Fall Sprint in the last issue. It had been mentioned with the previous sprints, but I forgot - sorry about that! ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICES FOR 3 NOVEMBER TO 16 NOVEMBER 2004 Logs are due for the following contests: November 3 - 432 MHz Fall Sprint, email to: w4kxy@arrl.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Jim Worsham W4KXY, 1915 Oak Wind Lane, Buford, GA 30519-6766, USA November 7 - Oceania DX Contest, Phone, email to: ph@oceaniadxconteStcom, paper logs and diskettes to: Oceania DX Contest, c/o Wellington Amateur Radio Club Inc., PO Box 6464, Wellington 6030, New Zealand November 7 - Oceania DX Contest, CW, email to: cw@oceaniadxconteStcom, paper logs and diskettes to: Oceania DX Contest, c/o Wellington Amateur Radio Club Inc., PO Box 6464, Wellington 6030, New Zealand November 7 - UBA ON Contest, 2m, email to: on5wl@pandora.be, paper logs and diskettes to: Leon Welters, ON5WL, Borgstraat 80, B-2580 Beerzel, Belgium November 8 - FISTS Fall Sprint, email to: W8PIG@yahoo.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Dan Shepherd, N8IE, 1900 Pittsfield St, Kettering, OH 45420, USA November 13 - YLRL Anniversary Party, SSB, email to: wx4mm@tm-moore.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Mary Moore WX4MM, 1593 Lee Road 375, Valley, AL 36854, USA November 13 - Microwave Fall Sprint, email to: Rover@wireco.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Greg Robinson KB4NVD, 208 Dogwood Acres Rd, Hampton, TN 37658-3348, USA November 15 - California QSO Party, email to: cqp@contesting.com, paper logs and diskettes to: NCCC, c/o Al Maenchen, AD6E, 3330 Farthing Way, San Jose, CA 95132-1908, USA November 15 - RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest, SSB, email to: 2128ssb.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB-G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England November 15 - Pennsylvania QSO Party, email to: paqsolog@nittany-arc.net, paper logs and diskettes to: PA QSO Party 2004, c/o NARC, PO Box 614, State College, PA 16804-0614, USA November 15 - RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest, CW, email to: 2128cw.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB-G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England November 15 - Illinois QSO Party, email to: jfunk@fossnorthamerica.com, paper logs and diskettes to: RAMS, c/o John Matz, KB9II, 7079 West Ave., Honover Park, IL 60103, USA November 15 - 10-10 Int. Fall Contest, CW, email to: tentencontest@alltel.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Steve Rasmussen, N0WY, 312 N. 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048, USA The following contests are scheduled: Note that the following abbreviations are used to condense the contest rules summaries: SO - Single-Op; M2 - Multi-Op - 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 ARRL November Sweepstakes - CW, 2100Z Nov 6 to 0300Z Nov 8. Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters, work stations only once. Categories: SOAB-LP (A), HP (B), QRP (Q), SO-Unlimited (U), MS (M), School Club (S). Exchange: Serial number, Category (precedence), Call, Check (last two digits of first year licensed), and ARRL section. QSO Points: 2 pts/QSO. Score: QSO points x sections (counted only once). For more information: http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms. Logs due 8 Dec to sscw@arrl.org or to November SS CW, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. North American Collegiate ARC Championship - CW (Phone, Nov 20-22). This is a competition based on Sweepstakes results between club stations at institutions of higher education beyond the high school level. Clubs enter Sweepstakes in any of the valid entry categories. Separate champions will be determined for CW, Phone and Combined scores. For more information: http://www.collegiatechampionship.org/. High Speed Club CW Contest, sponsored by the Radio Telegraphy High Speed Club (HSC) from 0900Z-1100Z and 1500Z-1700Z Nov 7. Frequencies: 80-10 meters, 10-30 kHz above band edge. Categories: SOAB-LP (<150W), SOAB-QRP (<5W), SWL. Exchange: RST + HSC member number or "NM". QSO Points: HSC member - 5 pts, non-member - 1 pt. Score: QSO points. For more information: http://www.dl3bzz.de/. Logs due 6 weeks after the contest to hsc-contest@dl3bzz.de or Lutz Schröer, DL3BZZ, HSC Contest-Manager, Am Niederfeld 6, 35066 Frankenberg / Eder, Germany. IPA Contest - Phone/CW, sponsored by The International Police Association Radio Club. CW from 0600Z-1000Z and 1400Z-1800Z Nov 6, Phone from 0600Z-1000Z and 1400Z-1800Z Nov 7. Frequencies: 80-10 meters with 15-minute band change rule. Categories: SOAB, MS, MM and SWL. Exchange RST + serial number (IPARC members send "IPA" + state if US). QSO Points: IPARC members - 5 pts, non-member - 1 pt. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities + US states counted once per band. Multipliers are only counted for QSOs with IPARC members. For more information: http://www.ipa-rc.de/. Logs due Dec 31 to dl8kcg@darc.de or Uwe Greggersen, DL8KCG, Hurststr 9, D-51645 Gummersbach, Germany Ukranian DX Contest - CW/SSB/RTTY, sponsored by the Ukrainian Amateur Radio League and the Ukrainian Contest Club from 1200Z Nov 6 to 1200Z Nov 7. Frequencies: 160-10 meters, with 10-minute band change rule. Categories: SOAB, SOAB-QRP (<5W), SOAB-RTTY, SOSB, MS, MM, SWL. Exchange: RST + serial number (+ Ukranian region). QSO Points: same country - 1 pt, same continent - 2 pts, different cont - 3 pts, Ukranian station - 10 pts. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities + WAE countries + Ukranian regions. For more information: http://www.ucc.zp.ua/. Logs due 30 days after the contest to urdx@ham.kiev.ua or to Ukrainian Contest Club HQ, PO Box 4850, Zaporizhzhe, 69118, Ukraine. DARC 10-Meter Digital "Corona" - RTTY/AMTOR/PACTOR/PSK31/Clover, sponsored by Deutscher Amateur Radio Club from 1100Z-1700Z Nov 7. Frequencies (MHz): 28.050-28.150, work stations once per mode. Categories: SO, SWL. Exchange: RST + serial number. QSO Points: 1pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities + WAE countries + JA/VE/W call districts (all counted only once). For more information: http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/cqdlcont/fgdcc.htm. Logs due 4 weeks after the contest to dl9gs@darc.de or A.Schlendermann DL9GS, Postfach 102201, D-44807 Bochum Germany. Radio Club of America QSO Party, SSB/AM, from 2100Z Nov 6-0100Z Nov 7 on 14.280 MHz and 0100Z - 0500Z Nov7 on 3.910 MHz . Exchange: RST, QTH, name, equipment used. RCA members sign their calls "/RCA". For more information: http://www.radio-club-of-america.org/. Logs to mraide@rochester.rr.com or Mike Raide W2ZE, 21 Canandaiqua Street, Shortsville, NY 14548. Japan International DX Contest - Phone, from 0700Z Nov 13 to 1300Z Nov 14. Frequencies: 80 -- 10 meters. Categories: SOAB and SOSB (HP >100W, LP), MO, Maritime Mobile. Exchange: RST + JA prefecture number or CQ Zone. QSO Points: 80 or 10-meters--2 pts, otherwise 1 pt. Score: QSO Points x JA prefectures + JD1 provinces (JA stations use DXCC entities). For more information: http://jidx.org/jidxrule-e.html. Logs due Dec 31 to jidx-ph@jidx.org or JIDX "PHONE/CW" Contest, c/o Five-Nine Magazine, PO Box 59, Kamata, Tokyo, 144-8691 Japan. 50th Anniversary European DX Contest (WAEDC) - RTTY, from 0000Z Nov 13 to 2359Z Nov 14. Same rules as WAEDC Phone and CW, except everyone works everyone. Frequencies: 80-10 meters according to Region I band plan. Categories: SOHP, SOLP, MS, SWL. Packet or spotting nets allowed (SO stations not using spotting assistance will be noted). SO operate 36 hrs max., up to three off periods of 1 hour min. Non-EU work EU only except RTTY, where everyone works everyone except own country. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number. Score 1 pt/QSO and 1 pt/QTC. Final score is QSOs + QTCs x weighted multipliers. Multipliers: non-EU use WAE countries, EU use WAE countries + DXCC entities. Mults on 80m count x4, on 40m x3, otherwise x2. A QTC is a report sent of QSOs that took place earlier in the contest. QTC can be exchanged between any continents in WAE RTTY. A QTC contains the time, call sign, and QSO number of the station being reported (e.g. 1307/DL1AA/346). A QSO may only be reported once and not back to the originating station. A maximum of 10 QTCs can be sent to a single station. The same station can be worked several times to complete this quota, but only the original QSO has QSO point value. Keep a list of QTCs sent. For example, QTC 3/7 would indicate that this is the third series of QTCs sent, and seven QSOs are reported. For more information: http://www.waedc.de/. The WAEDC Super Bowl is new this year at http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/xedcws.htm. Logs due by Dec 15 to waedc@dxhf.darc.de or to WAEDC Contest Manager, Bernhard Buettner DL6RAI, Schmidweg 17, 85609 Dornach, Germany. OK/OM DX Contest - CW, sponsored by the Czech Radio Club (CRC) from 1200Z Nov 13-1200Z Nov 14. Frequencies: 160-10-meters. Categories: SOAB-HP (>100W), SOSB-HP, SOAB-LP, SOSB-LP, SOAB-QRP (<5W), MS, SWL, packet spotting allowed for all categories. Exchange: RST plus serial number or OK/OM district. QSO Points: EU to OK/OM - 1 pt, non-EU to OK/OM - 3 pts. Score: QSO points x OK/OM districts (OK/OM stations use WPX prefixes) counted once per band. For more information: http://okomdx.radioamater.cz/. Logs due Dec 1 to okomdx@crk.cz or OK-OM DX Contest, CRK, PO Box 69, 113 27 Praha 1, Czech Republic. VHF CONTESTS No VHF contests are scheduled. NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES The Web writeups for ARRL Field Day and June VHF Web articles were finalized and opened to ARRL members. 2004 DX Contest certificates are starting to be mailed. Checked results for the 2004 September VHF QSO party were received and a small error detected. The log checker corrected the coding problem and the results are being reviewed. (Thanks, Dan N1ND) Have you participated in the ARRL Holiday Toy Drive for Homeless Florida Children? The announcement can be found on the ARRL's main Web page, http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/10/18/2/?nc=1. Response is excellent so far! The BBC ran a nice story about Morse being alive and well. You can access it at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3759672.stm. (Thanks, Jeff K8ND) The nice folks at the North Texas Microwave Society have put the presentations from the recent Microwave Update (MUD) on their web site at: http://www.ntms.org/. There is a ton of great information in there. As Lynn N7CFO says, "You can kill an entire evening on this..." The 2005 MUD will be hosted by the San Bernardino Microwave Society in Cerritos, CA. Randy K5ZD wants your log files in Cabrillo format for input into his Super Check Partial database. As you submit your logs to the contest sponsor, please send a copy to k5zd@contesting.com to help with creation of the SCP database files. The current database is constructed from 1,514 logs containing 2,465,600 QSOs. Look for another update 7-10 days before CQ WW CW. For more information, log on to http://www.k5zd.com/scp/. Just remember that even the latest SCP database doesn't relieve you of the requirement to copy what you hear! Kevin W9GKA has published an extensive article on the large swings of VHF contest log entries. Items discussed include: information on general participation levels; the impact from various rules modifications over the years; the involvement of the solar cycle (along with simple linear regression analysis); local weather and band conditions; moral persuasion; and contest administration. The "Other Impacts" article can be found on the Society of Midwest Contesters (SMC) VHF web-page at: http://www.w9smc.com/SMC%20VHF/OtherImpactsarticle.pdf. Kevin has also written an historical review of VHF contest and operating activities in the US. That article is found at http://www.w9smc.com/SMC%20VHF/Consolidated%20history.pdf. The Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC) Web (http://www.pvrc.org/) site has recently undergone a facelift. In the process, the World Contest Station Database moved to the Reference menu on the main page. The site is continually being updated. (Thanks, Pete N4ZR) The Central Texas DX and Contest Club (CTDXCC) has posted a FB introduction to contesting and DXing on their web site at http://www.ctdxcc.org/summerfest/2004/Summerfest%20DX-Contesting%20Primer%20Website_files/frame.htm. It was presented at their summer hamfest and is aimed at non-hams and non-contester hams who might wish to learn more about radio sporting. It was authored by K5DU, WB0YEA, and W5ZL. Check it out! (Thanks, Jim N3BB) This issue's amusing and thought-provoking Web site is called "Playing with Time" - http://playingwithtime.org/index.html. You can watch things that are speeded up or slowed way, way down. Fascinating and especially fun for kids. RESULTS AND RECORDS A list of the 2004 RAC Canada Day Contest logs that have been received and the entry class and category is now posted at http://www.rac.ca/downloads/canaday2004logs.pdf. Please review your entry and respond via e-mail if there are any errors. In the event you did not indicate your power class in the entry, you will have been assigned a category of HIGH POWER, per the rules. (Thanks, Bart VE5CPU) California QSO Party logs are due on the 15th and perhaps you're not sure you've got all the county abbreviations correct? The county ADIF converter from Jim AD1C, http://www.ad1c.com/dx4win/, will quickly tell you the ones that are wrong. The official county abbreviations are at http://www.cqp.org/Counties-Abbreviations.html. The logs received page is at http://www.cqp.org/results/2004/claimed_6.htm. (Thanks, KR N6RCE) Logs received for the WA State Salmon Run and QSO Party are also posted at http://www.wwdxc.org/salmonrun/2004logsreceived.htm. (Thanks, Jack WA0RJY) TECHNICAL I'm sure you've heard about the new Distributed Loaded Monopole (DLM) antenna design patented by ARRL RI Technical Coordinator, K1DFT. He has published his Boxboro presentation at http://www.uri.edu/news/vincent/boxboro_files/frame.htm. You can build one and use it, but need permission to build more than one and a license would be needed for commercial applications. It looks to me like he has found a good way to improve the current distribution on a loaded monopole, but it's not cold fusion. What's best to stuff in the end of your cable conduits? The consensus seems to be that bronze and stainless-steel wool (both available at marine supply stores) keep the critters out without rusting. Gene K2QWD, an electrician, says another easy way to seal conduits with cables installed is to buy a brick of duct seal. It's moldable like putty and easy to remove when one wants to add another cable run. If you're contemplating using surplus 75-ohm hardline in your station and are concerned about the resulting impedance mismatch, you have several options. 50:75-ohm transformers designed by W2FMI are sold by Amidon and other vendors. You can use 1/12th wavelength transmission line transformers. Cutting your hardline to an integral number of ½-wavelengths will replicate the antenna impedance at the shack end of the line, regardless of line impedance. There was a good article on the subject, "Matching 75-Ohm CATV Hardline to 50-Ohm Systems" in the Sep 1978 issue of Ham Radio by K1XX. Have at it! A portable L/C/R tester is a handy thing for troubleshooting or checking out components from that dusty bin at the hamfest. The "Atlas LCR40 Passive Component Analyzer" (http://www.anatekcorp.com/testequipment/atlaslcr.htm ) is a compact unit, a little smaller than size of a pack of cigarettes. Connect the two leads to a resistor, capacitor, or inductor, and the device tells you the R, L, or C in a few seconds. (Thanks, Steve AA8AF) If you like to build things out of PVC, furniture grade PVC is more resistant to UV light than regular schedule 40 or 80 so it doesn't discolor or become brittle quickly. This grade also may be a little stronger than regular plumbing-grade PVC pipe. The material is available from Patios To Go (http://www.patiostogo.com/) and they will ship to you. (Thanks, Lee N4MVL) Get a grip! So how DO you put on a cable grip, anyway? "The cable is pulled taut, then starting at the thimble end the "big grip" is wound over the cable doing one turn on each side at a time. The "Big Grips" used on Phillystrand do the first 3 turns on one side, then the three on the other. After that it's one turn on each side at a time. Think of the grip acting similar to a Chinese Handcuff." They normally come with instructions. If you don't have one, ask your grip supplier for one. Here's a Web site with directions, as well: http://www.preformed.com/Content/ProductFamilyDownload.aspx?Industry=3&Group=4&Category=0&Series=63&Family=251 (Thanks, Roger K8RI and Ron AD7L) Sherwood Engineering has a new report out on receiver performance measurements. (http://www.sherweng.com/images/MeasurementAccuracy&SampleVariation.pdf) This is always good reading! (Thanks, Bill W4ZV) I wasn't sure whether this was News or Technical, but maybe it's both. For those of us that have tried to move Big Stuff by ourselves, this is a very interesting concept - http://www.theforgottentechnology.com/. A descriptive article can be read from the Detroit Free Press at http://www.freep.com/money/tech/mwendland4e_20041004.htm. Could this really be the way Stonehenge and the Pyramids were built? (Thanks, Rick KU0W) A winter or so ago I reported on finding the Atlas gloves with the rubber-coated palms and fabric mesh back and wrists. This year, I'm pleased to report that Atlas also makes an insulated version - the "Therma Fit". Just the thing for that cold/wet weather tower work. They seem to be available at most hardware and home improvement stores. Analog Devices has just made available a new "Ask the Engineer" about wideband CMOS switches - the kind of thing routing signals around modern RF gear. Fascinating reading at http://www.analog.com/library/analogdialogue/archives/38-10/wideband_switch.html. CONVERSATION How about a little comic relief after Election Day? See you in the Sweepstakes from W1AW! 160-Meter Sunrise Swiped from the Eagles' "Tequila Sunrise" It's a one-sixty-meter sunrise Slidin' slowly up the sky The sun says hi. He was always on the band Lookin' for new zones, he just needs five The dawn slips by. Ev'ry night when the sun goes down Like every other op in town He's out there tunin' round. He couldn't log the expeditions And he had to turn his old amp on. The path's so long. Oh, and it's a hollow feelin' when They fade out workin' friends It never ends. Take a walk to check the Beverage Wonder why the op'nings never come. His ears get numb. It's a one-sixty-meter sunrise This old band still sounds the same The DX game.... 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
