Contester's Rate Sheet for November 30, 2005
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 30 November 2005 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver N0AX SUMMARY o The Single-Band Month Starts With the ARRL 160-Meter and 10-Meter Contests o Try Out That Sound Card - North American Meteor Scatter Contest o Got the Time? Try W1NR's New NTP Time Server o Sweepstakes and Miles Per Watt Calculators o Spotting Summaries For CQ WW by JG1VGX o Web Sites on Ferrites and Rope and Things That Go Bang o Log Converters Utilities o Turning the Crank BULLETINS o The New Mexico QSO Party is a late-breaking addition to the contest calendar. BUSTED QSOS o None reported! ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICES FOR 30 NOVEMBER TO 13 DECEMBER 2005 UPCOMING LOG DUE DATES November 30, 2005 JARTS WW RTTY Contest, no email, diskettes, or paper logs, upload logs only at: http://www.kiznax.com/p/jarts/submit_form.html. Find rules at: http://www.edsoftz.com/JARTS/2005/rules2005.html November 30, 2005 W/VE Islands QSO Party, email logs to: wa4ja@arrl.net, paper logs and diskettes to: John Almon WA4JA, 105 Flintlock Drive, Franklin, TN 37064-2351, USA Find rules at: http://www.eng.mu.edu/usislands/usvetest.html December 1, 2005 CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB, email logs to: ssb@cqww.com, paper logs and diskettes to: CQWW SSB, CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Road, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA. Find rules at: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/WW%20Rules%208102005.pdf December 1, 2005 OK/OM DX Contest, CW, email logs to: okomdx@crk.cz, paper logs and diskettes to: OK-OM DX Contest, CRK, PO Box 69, 113 27 Praha 1, Czech Republic. Find rules at: http://okomdx.crk.cz/g.html December 1, 2005 CQ-WE Contest, submit logs according to the rules at: http://cqwe.cboh.org/rules.html. December 3, 2005 YO International PSK31 Contest, email logs to: yo5crq@qsl.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Radioclubul YO5KAD, PO Box 220, RO-430281 Baia Mare, Romania. Find rules at: http://www.qsl.net/yo5crq/PSKrul05en.html December 5, 2005 RSGB 2nd 1.8 MHz Contest, CW, email logs to: 2nd160.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB-G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England. Find rules at: http://www.contesting.co.uk/hfcc/rules/r18mhz.shtml December 6, 2005 Ukrainian DX Contest, email logs to: urdx@ham.kiev.ua, paper logs and diskettes to: Ukrainian Contest Club HQ, PO Box 4850, Zaporozhye 69118, Ukraine. Find rules at: http://www.ucc.zp.ua/urdxc2005rules_eng.htm December 6, 2005 DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest (Nov), email logs to: df5bx@darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: Werner Ludwig DF5BX, PO Box 1270, 49110 Georgsmarienhuette, Germany. Find rules at: http://www.darc.de/referate/ukw-funksport/sonder/tei-digi.htm December 7, 2005 ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW, email logs to: SSCW@arrl.org, paper logs and diskettes to: November SS CW, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA. Find rules at: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/novss.html December 7, 2005 NA Collegiate ARC Championship, CW, email log summary to: wm5r@arrl.net. Find rules at: http://www.collegiatechampionship.org/ccrules.html UPCOMING CONTESTS 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 160-Meter Contest--CW, from 2200Z Dec 2 - 1600Z Dec 4. Work US/VE only, no DX-to-DX QSOs, and reserve 1.830 - 1.835 MHz for intercontinental QSOs. Categories: SO-QRP/LP/HP, MS. Exchange: RST and ARRL/RAC section or ITU region for maritime mobiles (DX sends RST only). QSO Points: US/VE - 2 pts, DX - 5 pts. Score: QSO points x ARRL/RAC sections + DXCC entities. For more information: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/160-Meters.html. Logs due Jan 3, 2006 to 160meter@arrl.org or 160-Meter Contest, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Top Band Sprint--CW/SSB, sponsored by QRP ARCI, from 0000Z - 0600Z Dec 1. Frequencies: 160-meters only. SO-CW, SO-SSB, SO Mixed-Mode categories. Exchange: RST, S/P/C and power or QRP ARCI number--work stations once per mode. QSO Points: members--5 pts, non-members/different continent--4 pts, non-members/same cont--2 pts. Score: QSO points x total S/P/C x power multiplier (see Web site). Portable using battery and temp antenna add 5000 pts. For more information: http://www.qrparci.org/. Logs due 30 days after contest to contest@qrparci.org or ARCI Fall QSO Party, c/o Jeff Hetherington VA3JFF, 139 Elizabeth St W, Welland, Ontario, Canada L3C 4M3. TARA RTTY Mêlée--sponsored by the Troy Amateur Radio Assn, from 0000Z - 2400Z Dec 3. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters, operate 16 hours max. Categories: SOAB-HP (>150 W), SOAB-LP (<150 W), MOAB, SWL, 10 min band change rule for MO. Exchange: RS + State/Province or serial number for DX. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x S/P/C counted once only (US and VE only count as S/P). For more information: http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_melee_rules.html. Summary sheets (no logs) due 31 Dec via on-line submission form at http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_melee_score.html. New Mexico QSO Party--CW/SSB, sponsored by the ARRL New Mexico Section, from 0000Z - 2359Z Dec 3. Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters. Categories: SOAB (QRP <5W, LP, HP >150W). Exchange: RST and NM county or S/P/C. QSO Points: SSB-1 pt, CW-2 pts. Score: QSO Points x NM counties (NM stations use states) counted once only. Logs due Jan 15, 2006 to n5kev@msn.com or Kevin Carr N5KEV, 5319 Ridge Rock Ave NW,Albuquerque, NM 87114-4130. TOPS Activity Contest--CW, sponsored by TOPS, from 1800Z Dec 3 - 1800Z Dec 4. Frequencies: 80 meters only. Categories: SO, SO-QRP, MO. Exchange: RST, serial number (+ TOPS number, if member). QSO Points: own entity--1 pt, own continent--2 pts, different cont--6 pts, with /MM--6 pts, with TOPS member--2 pts, between TOPS members, 6 points, with GB6AQ--10 points. Score: QSO Points x WPX prefixes worked. Logs due Jan 31 to helmut.klein@chello.at or Helmut Klein OE1TKW, Nauseagasse 24/26, A-1160 Wien, Austria. Holiday Spirits Homebrew CW Sprint--sponsored by the QRP ARCI, from 2000Z - 2400Z Dec 4. Frequencies (MHz)--1.810, 3.560, 7.040, 14.060, 21.060, 28.060 kHz. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, SO20-10, SO160-40, MOAB, DX stations are SOAB only. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and Power or QRP ARCI number. QSO Points: members--5 pts, non-members/different continent--4 pts, non-members/same cont.--2 pts. Score: QSO points x S/P/C (counted once per band) x Power multiplier (<250mW x 15, 250mW--1W x 10, 1--5W x7, >5W x 1) + Bonus Points (2000 for homebrew (HB) xmtr, 3000 HB rcvr, 5000 HB xcvr). For more information: http://www.qrparci.org/. Logs due 30 days after contest to contest@qrparci.org or ARCI Fall QSO Party, c/o Jeff Hetherington VA3JFF, 139 Elizabeth St W, Welland, Ontario, Canada L3C 4M3. Wake Up! QRP Sprint--CW, sponsored by the RU QRP Club, from 0400 - 0600Z Dec 3 in four ½-hour periods. Frequencies: 40, 20 meters. Categories: SO QRP only. Exchange: RST, serial number, suffix of previous station ('QRP' for 1st QSO). QSO Points: 1 pt/km, calc. by contest mgr. Total Score: QSO Points x unique stations contacted. For more information: http://ruqrp.narod.ru/index_e.html. Logs due 7 days after the contest to master72@lipetsk.ru or RU-QRP Club, PO Box 229, Lipetsk, 398043 Russia. ARRL 10-Meter Contest--0000Z Dec 10 - 2400Z Dec 11, operate 36 hours max. Categories: SO-QRP/LP/HP in Mixed Mode/CW/SSB, MS (includes SO stations using any spotting assistance). Exchange: W/VE (incl. KH6 and KL7) send RST and state or province, DX sends RST and serial number, maritime mobile send RST and ITU region (1 - 3). Novices and Technicians add '/N' or '/T' to their calls on CW for QSOs to score extra points. QSO Points: SSB-2 pts, CW-4 pts, CW with /N or /T-8 pts. Score: QSO points x S/P/C + ITU regions. Note that District of Columbia (DC) counts as a separate multiplier. For more information: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/10-meters.html. Logs due Jan 11, 2006 to 10meter@arrl.org or 10-Meter Contest, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Great Colorado Snowshoe Run--CW, sponsored by the Colorado QRP Club from 0200Z - 0359Z Dec 10. Frequencies: 40 meters only. Categories: SO-QRP (Antenna classes of Wires, Verticals, or Beam) Exchange: RST + S/P/C + Antenna Class + CQC no. or Power. The same station may be worked up to three times, with 30 minutes between QSOs. QSO Points: 1st QSO with station--3 pts, 2nd QSO--2 pts, 3rd QSO--1 pt. Score: QSO Points x S/P/C x CQC members. For more information: http://www.cqc.org/contests/snow2005.htm. Logs due 17 Jan to contest@cqc.org (ASCII only) or Colorado QRP Club, PO Box 17174, Golden, CO 80402. VHF+ CONTESTS North American Meteor Scatter Contest--any mode, sponsored by the WSJTGROUP from 0000Z Dec 10 - 0700Z Dec 18 (the Geminids meteor shower). Frequencies (MHz): 50, 144, 222, 432, via meteor scatter. Categories: SOSB, SOAB, (HP, LP < 200W), Assisted or Unassisted. No QSOs with your own or adjacent grid squares, QSOs are counted as Scheduled or Random. Exchange: full call signs, grid square and QSOs must be acknowledged. QSO Points, Assisted / Unassisted: 50--1 / 3 pt, 144--1 / 3 pts, 222--3 / 9 pts, 432--10 / 30 pts. Score: QSO Points x grid squares counted once per band. For more information: http://www.ykc.com/wa5ufh/Rally/NAHSMS.htm. Logs due 19 Jan to mph@swcp.com or Mike Hasselbeck, 3209 Cagua Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. NEWS & PRESS RELEASES While this newsletter was on autopilot during the editor's absence, the VHF+ contesting community lost a long-time leader in Bill Seabreeze W3IY. Bill was an enthusiastic contester and a mentor to many budding VHF+ operators. His rover station was the stuff of legend. In recognition of Bill's many contributions to the sport, the Mt. Airy Packrats have established the W3IY Rover Recognition Award. On the other side of the globe, a regular voice from Zone 23, Baatar Sambuu JT1BG, fell silent in mid-November. Baatar was a contesting and DXing leader in Mongolia, handing out double multipliers by the page full and racking up a number of awards. We will miss both of these gentlemen. We can honor their contributions by taking the time to act as mentors and leaders ourselves. Jason W6SN and Trevor KG6MDW have started an on-line ham radio encyclopedia Web site at http://www.hamwiki.info/. It is similar to the popular Wikipedia. Jason and Trevor encourage you to edit or add your article. Bill W4ZV's presentation from the South East DX and Contesting Convention (SEDCO) about hearing weak DX on the low bands at is available on-line at http://users.vnet.net/btippett/sedco.htm. The link to download the presentation is at the bottom of the page. You must have MS PowerPoint installed to open the file. Most slides should be self-explanatory. Mike W1NR has installed a Stratum-2 NTP (Network Time Protocol) time server at timelord.w1nr.net (Note - this is not a Web site, it's a time server) open to the ham radio community. If you are running Windows XP, enter the link on the "Internet Time" page, click on "Apply" and then "Update Now". Note that you have to click on "Apply" first due to a quirk in XP. For other versions of Windows, try Tardis 2000 at http://www.kaska.demon.co.uk/. Linux users will generally have to add "server timelord.w1nr.net" in /etc/ntp.conf and enable the NTP service. This should keep your PC clock synchronized to within a few milliseconds of WWV. Pete N9SSA has updated his Miles Per Watt Calculator, MPWcalc. The program also links to Google Maps to show each end of the path. Take a browse to http://www.hoffswell.com/n9ssa/mpwcalc.html and check it out. There's also a link to a grey line map. I love this stuff! Another handy contest-related spreadsheet-based calculator has been published by Roger K0MPH. It breaks down a Sweepstakes log in Cabrillo format and provides a complete report. Output items include QSO-by-band, class and section distributions as well as analysis of your rate during the contest. There are several sample reports to give you an idea of what it does. Check it out at http://home.comcast.net/~k0mph/SSSummary/SSSummary.htm. (Thanks, Tom K1KI) Lynn N7CFO is encouraging members of the Pacific NW VHF Society to polish their CW skills by sponsoring a VHF+ Straight Key Night on New Year's Eve. Why not suggest the same for your local general-purpose or VHF+ club? Along with the traditional operation on the HF bands, be sure to publish frequencies above 30 MHz so that Technicians working towards HF privileges can join the fun. We mine the rich veins of the Radio Amateur's Conversation Guide by OH2BR and OH2BAD to bring you some more useful Portuguese phrases. You should all be popular in Brazil by now! Since it's the holiday season, how about some family information? Are you married? Voce e casado? Yes, I am married -or- No, I am single. Sim, eu sou casado -or- Nao, eu sou solteiro. How many children do you have? Quantos filhos voce tem? I have two children, a son and a daughter. Eu tenho dois filhos, um garoto e uma garota. RESULTS AND RECORDS The log, photos, and contest story for PJ2T, CQWW SSB 2005 are posted http://asgard.kent.edu/ccc. Click on the link for "CQWW SSB 2005" from either the approximate middle of the main page or from the "Contents" panel at the left. Then look for the Photo Album link. (Thanks, Geoff W0CG) Want to know how many times you (or your rivals) were spotted during CQ WW? Rin JG1VGX has compiled a spotting summary for this year's WW contests. The summaries are found at http://www.jg1vgx.net/en/index.php?Contesting. While you're there, surf through the other interesting articles on Rin's home page http://www.jg1vgx.net/en. Results for the 2004 TOPS Activity Contest are posted at http://members.chello.at/oe1tkw. (Thanks, Helmut OE1TKW) TECHNICAL Ken WM5R reports that, "There's now a transverter article on Wikipedia. It could certainly use a photo (I'm imagining one with the cover off, showing the main PCB) and maybe some additional text. If anyone has something to contribute, you can pass it on to me at wm5r@arrl.net, or even better edit the page yourself at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transverter." What could be more fun than radio, antennas, and things that go bang? This site just gets better and better: http://www.qsl.net/wb6zqz/antlaunching.html (Thanks, Rick KT7G) Powder coating on enclosures has become popular in recent years since it is more durable than paint and has an attractive texture. You can "do it yourself" as reported by Paul NN0C, Garey K4OAH and Eric KE6US. Sears (http://www.sears.com/) and the Eastwood Co. (http://www.eastwood.com/) and Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/) have coating "gun" systems that requires a small compressed air source and an oven to bake and cure the finish. The Eastwood system offers quite a few powder colors, including a gray "wrinkle finish." Jim K9YC recently finished and published three years worth of practical research on the use of ferrites for eliminating RFI from audio gear. The paper (http://audiosystemsgroup.com/SAC0305Ferrites.pdf) should be quite helpful to RFI detectives everywhere. He also has created a presentation geared to hams trying to eliminate RFI in and around their stations - http://audiosystemsgroup.com/Ferrites-Ham.pdf. Thanks, Jim! Spreadsheets are often pressed into service for logging chores, but converting the resulting files to ADIF for submitting them to a contest sponsor or importing into a "real" logging program is a pain. Luckily there are well-documented procedures for making the conversion at http://www.g6csy.net/ham/adif.html and http://www.storm.ca/~ve3iay/spreadsh.html. As long as we're on the subject, the Web page at http://www.qsl.net/dxkeeper/conversion.htm lists quite a number of log conversion programs. (Thanks, Steve KE8LS) Analog electronics designers will enjoy the latest edition of the "Bob Pease Show" at http://www.national.com/nationaltv/index.html. The topic is Low-Noise Amplifier Design and Analysis. Bob is always entertaining - a great way to learn something new. With all the surplus induction motors around, isn't there some way to "turn them around" and make a generator out of them, instead? Yes, there is, and the Web site at http://www.qsl.net/ns8o/Induction_Generator.html is full of good ideas for doing so. If you are a cyclist, some pulley-and-belt work might also create a human-powered energy source for Field Day. (Thanks, Doug AH6B) Not to string you along or anything, but there's a good article on rope to be downloaded at http://www.mapability.com/ei8ic/contest/rope.html. It's called "All about Rope" and is written by Dr.Barry L. Ornitz WA4VZQ. (Thanks, Tim EI8IC) CONVERSATION Turning the Crank Well, we can't all be on the sunny shores of a Zone 9 QTH pumping out QSOs by the bushels over a salt water horizon, can we? It's a dirty job, but somebody has to stay home and populate the pileups! When the solar flux is well up in the triple digits and the "livin' is easy" it's easy to get motivated for big contests. However, as confirmed yet again this past weekend, we are firmly at the bottom of the current solar cycle. This means a lot of tough sledding for contesters in the middle of the pack (and even for some at the top). How is it that those familiar calls are in there every year, through thick and thin? What keeps them motivated even when conditions aren't suitable for them to "win"? Kirk Pickering K4RO posted a nice ramble on this and related subjects on the cq-contest reflector last week (http://lists.contesting.com/pipermail/cq-contest/2005-November/064938.html). It captured several epiphanies that all long-term contesters must eventually have if they are to stay in the game through solar cycle after cycle. Kirk writes, "It took me a while to understand that I enjoyed the operating immensely regardless of the outcome. I learned to choose my battles carefully. I now have a better understanding of what is possible from my station. I'm a lot less frustrated and disappointed as a result. I've even found a contest or two that I can win from home. I've traveled for contest DXpeditions and tasted the thrill of world-class competing as a team. I'm hooked on contesting for life now." Everybody hits the Wall of Frustration at some point: Why can't I crack the 1000-QSO barrier? How come my accuracy isn't improving? How can I possibly hold a frequency on [pick your band]? Why does [pick your rival] keep beating me? You eventually have to decide that you're going to "climb and scratch" your very own personal way to better performance. There's no easy way. As Jeff N5TJ replied to a "what's the trick?" question, "There's no magic" implying that you just have to keep turning the crank in order to get better. Once you understand that improvement will come from within yourself, the small successes that come from practice have so much more meaning. Take care of your own business and the Top Ten box will take care of itself. Kirk continues, "I wonder if there is a way to describe the contesting scene to newcomers so that they don't wind up early on with a "what's the point" attitude? Ultimately I guess it comes down to finding satisfaction in the pursuit itself, regardless of the score. The point is, we get out of this game exactly what we put into it." That may be the most important insight any mentor can pass on down the line to the Little Pistols struggling to play this game called contesting. Amen, brother, amen! 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
