Contester's Rate Sheet for May 31, 2006
******************************************** CONTESTER'S RATE SHEET 31 May 2006 Edited by Ward Silver N0AX Published by the American Radio Relay League Free to ARRL members! (Subscription info at the end of newsletter) ******************************************** SUMMARY o Rovers, Start Your Engines - ARRL VHF QSO Party o K3LR and W4AN (SK) Enter CQ Contest Hall of Fame o AO-51 in Kid-Friendly Mode During Kids Day o Don Wallace W6AM's Rhombic Farm Photos o WRTC Raffle Winners W0MU and G3LZQ o W4PA Looking for ARRL DX CW Stories o Antenna Work and Gamma Tuning Tips o Kid Power BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue BUSTED QSOS o The Very Large Array of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, while photogenic, is not associated with NASA's Deep Space Network (http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn). It is for radio astronomy only. (Thanks, Bruce WW1M) CONTEST SUMMARY So as not to completely relegate contest listing to the back of the Rate Sheet, a summary will remain "up front." Thanks to Leroy N7EIE for sparking the idea. Jun 3-4 QRP TAC Sprint SEANET Contest IARU Region 1 Field Day -- CW Look Around In the Field Contest Jun 10-12 ARRL June VHF QSO Party ANARTS WW RTTY Asia-Pacific Sprint -- SSB Portugal Day -- SSB GACW WWSA CW DX Bill Windle QSO Party --o- ooo - --o- ooo - --o- ooo - -oo o NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST - oooo o o-o o- - o ooo oooo o o - -o- ARRL CONTEST NEWS After polling the EME community, the dates for the 2006 ARRL EME contest will be: September 9--10, ARRL EME 2304 MHz and Above October 14-15, ARRL EME 50 MHz through 1296 MHz November 11-12, ARRL EME 50 MHz through 1296 MHz We realize that the EME microwave weekend is also the same weekend as the ARRL September VHF QSO party. Before finalizing that date, we polled the EME community a second time pointing that out to them. After their discussions the majority of EMEers that responded still selected that weekend. (Thanks, Dan N1ND) - - - - - Congratulations to Tim K3LR for his selection to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. Inducted at Dayton's 2006 Contest Dinner along with the late Bill W4AN, this was an overdue and welcome selection -- I'm sorry not to have been in attendance to see it! Always looking for new ways of bringing contesters into the sport, Tim also reports that, "I am in initial discussions with the PVRC to bring their highly successful Contest University program to Dayton for 2007. It would have beginner and intermediate tracks and would be taught by experienced members of the PVRC and other contest clubs. If you are interested in attending, please send me an email ASAP. We have already received 20 applications from interested contesters who want to attend The Dayton Contest University 2007. You can visit http://www.contestuniversity.com/. I will soon post the application there for you to email back to k3lr@k3lr.com." Ticket sales for the 2007 Contest dinner will be completely on-line for next year. Thanks to Craig K1QX and the Radio Bookstore for handling tickets so well for the past years. Down East Microwave (http://downeastmicrowave.com/) is again supporting the Fall Sprints (sponsored by the Southeast VHF Society) by sponsoring two participation award drawings. The drawings will be made at the SVHFS Conference from the stations that turn in logs showing contacts in the 222 MHz Sprint and/or the Microwave Sprint. The two drawing winners will receive $100 gift certificates for DEMI products. You do not have to be present to win. The awards are being sponsored to encourage amateurs to get active on 222 MHz and the Microwave bands. (Thanks, Bruce WD4JQV - Fall Sprint Chairman) Relayed from the AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletin (http://www.amsat.org/) -- During the Kids Day event (http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html) AO-51 will be configured in the easy-to-use voice mode on the normal AO-51 uplink frequency. Remember the PL tone will be turned ON. Uplink: 145.920 mhz FM voice 67 Hz PL Tone Downlink: 435.300 mhz FM voice The digital transponder on 435.150 will be turned off during the event. How cool would it be for a kid to make a contact through a ham satellite? Plus, it's a great Field Day warm-up for your younger operators! Have you heard about the new auto-tune, solid-state amps developed by Elecraft? Most known for their excellent line of QRP rigs, Elecraft has entered the top-of-the-line amplifier market with a pair of Serious Amplifiers. They're available both as kits and as finished products. Watch the Elecraft Web site (http://www.elecraft.com/) for details. We all KNOW we're supposed to do it, but while the spirit may be willing, the flesh is often weak. Thus, this welcome news from Jim AD1C -- "I learned of two new on-line backup services in the past couple of days at http://www.mozy.com/ and http://www.carbonite.com/. Both services install a small utility that runs in the background to back up your files. Mozy.com provides 2GB of backup space FREE. Carbonite.com provides UNLIMITED backup space for $5/month ($60/year). I have been looking into these services for the last year and that's the best deal around." That removes our last excuse! The rhombic occupies an almost mythical place in ham radio mythology, inspiring the diamond-shaped outline of the ARRL logo and that of other national radio societies. At the recent urging of a few SCCCers, Dennis NE6I posted pictures on his Web site (http://www.qsl.net/ne6i/w6am) from a 1986 tour of the legendary Don Wallace W6AM super station. There were 14 rhombics on Don's antenna farm at the time. Can you imagine that? If not, the photos will help. Jim WX3B, Potomac Valley Radio Club President announces that, "You are cordially invited to join PVRC in our 60th anniversary on-the-air-reunion on June 3rd and 4th. In addition to certificates to highest scoring stations, PVRC is offering a PVRC-60 award that begins with our reunion on June 3 - and runs thru the end of our 2007 reunion." See http://www.pvrc.org/ for more details. Don W7WLL contributed a link to some fascinating reading on the history of radio in the ELF and VLF regions. The article can be found at http://www.borderlands.com/newstuff/research/ground-myst.htm. At the other end of the spectrum, but equally fascinating, Tree N6TR finds that he is "rather awed by the performance of the two Voyager Spacecraft. They were launched in 1977 and are still ticking. Getting signals to and from these little specks in the sky is a very challenging task. I found this article that talks a little about how it is done: http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/news/profiles_dsn.html." While Logbook Of the World is the electronic method-of-choice for contact confirmation, there are millions of paper QSLs out there still to be checked. In advertising that card checking will be available at the BRATS Maryland Hamfest in August (http://www.bratsatv.org/hamfest.html), Neil W3ZQI reminds me to point you to the ARRL Hamfest Calendar in QST and on the Web at http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html. Plan ahead and take advantage of the card checking services provided by local DXCC Field Checkers and the occasional visit by ARRL HQ card checkers, too. The ARI (Italian national radio society) section in Perugia is honoring recent Silent Key, the well-known Francesco I0FLY, with the special call IQ0PG during the upcoming IARU Region I CW Field Day, June 3rd and 4th. (Thanks, Andy IK0EFR) WRTC News - The WRTC 2006 Organizing Committee is very pleased to announce the grand prize winners of the WRTC 2006 raffles. W0MU, Mike Fatchett won the ACOM 1010 HF amplifier donated by ACOM USA and K1LZ, Krassy Petkov, President. G3LZQ, John Dunnington was drawn as the winner of the grand prize for the Free Trip to WRTC 2006 in Florianopolis, Brazil July 7-10 - . Congratulations! (Thanks, Jeff K1ZM) This is the last issue in which the Babel Fish Translator from Alta Vista (http://babelfish.altavista.com/) will appear. The next two issues that precede WRTC will review important contest Portuguese (hand gestures not included): What happened to the frequency? - Que aconteceu à freqüência? That is a good operator! - Aquele é um operador bom! Thank you for the snack! - Obrigado para o snack! I think we can repair it. - Eu penso que nós podemos o reparar. Why did we bring this? - Por que nós trouxemos este? URL OF THE WEEK -- If you're interested in giving WSJT software a spin during this summer's VHF+ contests and E-skip season, there's an excellent Yahoo Group dedicated to WSJT moderated by software author K1JT and several very knowledgeable others. Everything to do with WSJT is discussed. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and search for "wsjtgroup." (Thanks, Ken VE3HLS) oo-o oo -o -oo -o-- --- oo- -o- RESULTS AND RECORDS -o-o o- o-oo o-oo oooo o o-o o ARRL CONTEST RESULTS NEWS Scott W4PA writes that, "I am writing the summary article for ARRL DX CW 2006 for August QST and the ARRL Web. I am asking for your contest anecdotes or stories. If you'd be interested in writing a few hundred words on your ARRL CW experience as a sidebar to the article, please let me know. While I am always interested in hearing from category Top Ten finishers, some of the most interesting tales often come from those who have not spent all weekend sitting in the chair - do not hesitate to speak up! This would also be a good time to submit photos. Email them to w4pa@yahoo.com." Similarly, your obt. editor is also writing up the 2006 ARRL DX Phone results and will happily forward your stories and photos to the appropriate writer for the ever-popular regional analyses. - - - - - The final scores for the April 2006 Georgia QSO Party have been posted on http://gqp.contesting.com/Rules.htm. Special congratulations are in order to NE4S, who using scoring software he developed, has completed the scoring and posted to the Web site less than two weeks after the cut off date for log submission. (Thanks, Tom W4BQF) The results of the UBA Contest 2006 SSB are available at the UBA Web site: http://www.uba.be/hf_contests/results/2006/uba_2006_ssb.html along with a link to the rules for 2007. Cabrillo logs will be accepted for the 2007 contest. (Thanks, Marc ON7SS & OO9O) oo oo-o oo - ooo -o --- - -ooo o-o --- -o- o TECHNICAL TIPS AND INFORMATION -o-- --- oo- o-o o -o --- - - o-o -o-- oo -o --o During this year's antenna-fixin' season, many skyhooks will be given a good cleaning. While steel wool and elbow grease are the traditional "solvents", it has been pointed out by many that Scotch-Brite(tm) pads do the job better than steel wool and leave no tiny steel slivers in the antenna or your skin to rust or itch, respectively. When you put it all back together, don't forget to use the anti-oxidation compound! Another antenna tip -- if you have two nested sections of tubing that are not coming apart easily, squirt a little penetrating oil (such as Liquid Wrench or Kroil) into any slots or screw holes. Then try to get the inner section turning in one direction. Keep turning it in the same direction as you pull it out. The burrs or obstructions that are binding will wear down or flatten if the direction of turning is consistent. If you need to grip the section with pliers or other mechanical device, insert a wooden dowel first to keep the tube from being deformed. I have not heard of this problem before. It sounds like DX4WIN might be stealing focus when spots come in. I don't have this problem, but I'm using a PowerToy from Microsoft called TweakUI. I have it set up so that whatever window the mouse pointer is in has focus. You can download TweakUI from: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx Thanks, Jim AD1C Brett VR2BG contributes a simple assemble-and-test method for constructing gamma matches: 1) Strip sheath & shield off length of RG-8 (start longer than predicted at approximately 20 pF/ft) 2) Shove into gamma tube - tube ID should be very close to OD of insulation. 3) Gradually trim the length. 4) Waterproof both ends of the tubing. For calculating the expected length, try the calculator program at http://www.ve3sqb.com/. (Scroll down to the "for the experimenter" section or do an in-page search for the word "gamma.") The calculator provides spacing, gamma tube length, tap point on the driven element, and insertion length. The app suggests that the gamma tube (outer tube) be 1/4 the driven element size. Tom W8JI has also published info about the gamma match and how length and diameter affect the network. http://www.w8ji.com/omega_and_gama_matching.htm. (Thanks, Aaron NN6O) Everybody uses them, but not many know about the genesis of the ubiquitous SWR meters found in shacks worldwide. For the original article, download and enjoy Warren Bruene's original article, "An Inside Picture of Directional Wattmeters" from April 1959 QST. It is on the ARRL Web site at http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/5904024.pdf. (Thanks, Larry N8LP) TECHNICAL URL OF THE WEEK -- D-STAR technology is often mis-identified as "just digital voice" but the standard has a lot more to offer, particularly for high-speed data transmission. The Texas Interconnect Team (http://www.k5tit.org/) is working on some advanced D-STAR applications that may surprise you! -o-o --- -- o --- -o o ooo --o o - oooo o o-o o CONVERSATION ooo o- o-oo o- o-o -o-o -o-- -o-o o-oo o oo--- oooo- Kid Power On Thursdays, I am one of three hams (including K6AJT and KE7HCA) that oversee a collective bundle of energy and enthusiasm known as the Technology Club. It's held at our local middle school, hosted by science teacher (and probable ham) Evan Justin, and is open to kids from 5th through 10th grades. During its first quarter, the topic was software and programming, hosted by N7LKL and K6AJT. In this final quarter of the year, the focus is on electronics and radio. I am pleased to report that kids are just as enthusiastic and nuts about Doing Something as they ever were! In a nutshell, all twenty kids (boys AND girls) ordered a learn-to-solder kit that includes their very own soldering iron and a simple flashing siren kit. After practicing their soldering (they got pretty good at it, too) on a practice board, they launched into the kit. Quickly, every single person had a working board that Did Something and was just the right amount of flashy and annoying for everyone to have fun. A roomful of these things is a sight and sound to behold... Working around the year-end exams and supported by the PTSA, the kids also ordered more simple kits from a list and continued to build. Some chose a "voice changer" and others a 1-watt stereo amplifier or LED dice kit. Each Thursday, they boil in after school, ready to open their 3-lb coffee can that serves as a locker and get to work. After everyone is present, there is a short presentation by one of the hams on some aspect of radio or electronics. K6AJT has presented Ohm's Law and made sure that everybody understood the relationship between volts, amps, and ohms, even though algebra is a year or more off for some of the students. I have been explaining how radio works and getting them to prowl the AM bands at night for distant stations. (Many kids have never had the opportunity to really tune an AM radio with all the snazzy digital technology that makes radio so reliable now.) Then it's back to building and the noise level goes way, way up. The more experienced kids are tasked with Elmering the others to get everybody's kits working. Did I mention that we all learned not to grab for a soldering iron that's falling off the table? Just a week ago, Principal Allison came in for a visit. The air bore the sweet scent of melted polyethylene parts bag that became intimate with a hot iron. One kid was showing another how to put a wet paper towel on a small soldering iron burn -- "It won't hurt in a minute...look at mine!" Yet another, intoxicated with the success of his voice changer kit, was marching around the room yelling into the microphone and waving the speaker around. Two brothers were hassling each other about who was the better builder and who was going to get done first. In short, it was technology at its best. We may grow up and get better tools, but it doesn't get any better than that chaotic room. Needless to say, a blanket invitation to participate in Field Day has been extended and we are planning a full-blown effort next fall for a licensing program. The goal is to create not only a radio club, but give the students an opportunity to become "Radio Officers" for the school during emergencies when the teachers and staff will all be busy. Some will become hams and others will just play around before heading off in whatever direction they prefer. We obviously have no shortage of enthusiasm! Those of you that are parents out there might want to explore having your own PTSA or PTA support a Technology Club. It doesn't take much -- the total outlay per student was $50, including the learn-to-solder kit (available in several versions from various vendors) and two "fun" kits. It needn't be too ham-centric. Just light the spark that makes kids want to "open the hood" and find out what makes things go! 73, Ward N0AX -o-o --o- - o ooo - -o-o --o- - o ooo - CONTESTS -- 31 MAY TO 14 JUNE 2006 -o-o --o- - o ooo - -o-o --o- - o ooo - 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 (>100 W); LP - Low Power; QRP (5W or less) HF CONTESTS QRP TAC Sprint Contest--CW, sponsored by EPA QRP Club, from 1800 - 2359Z Jun 3. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: QRP, QRPp (<1 W), Tactical (portable with temporary antennas), Homebrew, Classic (pre-1985 radios). Exchange: RST, name, and telephone area code (TAC), DX send area code or prefix. PA stations send X after the area code. QSO Points: 4 pts/QSO. For more information: http://www.n3epa.org/. Logs due Jul 12 to tac@n3epa.org or EPA QRP Club, c/o Ron Polityka, 3050 Elm Road, Reading, PA 19605-2343. SEANET Contest--CW/SSB/Digital, sponsored by the SEANET Convention, 1200Z Jun 3 - 1200Z Jun 4. Frequencies (MHz): CW -- 160m, 3.525, 7.025, 14.025, 21.025, 28.025, SSB -- 7.090, 14.320, 21.320, 28.320. Categories: SO, MS, AB, SB, Mixed and Single Mode combinations. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number. QSO Points: SEANET-SEANET--10 pts (5 pts if same country), SEANET--World -- 10pts. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities for SEANET entrants, QSO points x SEANET entities for non-SEANET entrants, counted once per band and mode. For more information and list of SEANET countries: http://www.qsl.net/seanet2006/contest.htm. Logs due Jun 30 to tzn2@aol.com or SEANET CONTEST 2006, Tetsuo Yamamoto JA3PYC, 3-2-39-1414 Yasunaka-cho, Yao, Osaka, 581-0085, Japan. IARU Region 1 Field Day--CW, sponsored by IARU Societies, from 1500Z Jun 3 - 1459Z Jun 4 (SSB--Sep 2 - 3). Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters. Categories: SOAB (LP, QRP), MS (HP, LP). Exchange: RST and serial number. QSO Points: EU to EU fixed stations - 2 pts, non-EU to EU - 3 pts, with portable EU stations - 4 pts. Score: QSO points x DXCC and WAE entities counted once/band. See IARU Region 1 society Web sites for more information. Send logs to the appropriate national societies - not ARRL. NA hams to nfd.logs@rsgbhfcc.org or RSGB G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England. Look Around In the Field Contest--CW & SSB, managed by NJ2OM from 1600Z Jun 3 - 2200Z Jun 3. Frequencies: 160-10 meters. Categories: Home QRP, Home QRO, Field QRP, Field QRO. Exchange: Call + RS(T) + S/P/C + Op name + wildlife name. QSO Points: CW -- 2 pts, SSB -- 1 pt. Score: QSO points × wildlife sent or received (see Web site) x S/P/C x category multiplier + bonus points. For more information: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7v384/nj2om/index.html. Logs due Jun 17 to mikekopacki@verizon.net. ANARTS WW RTTY / Digital Contest--sponsored by Australian National Amateur Radio Teleprinter Society (ANARTS), from 0000Z Jun 10 - 2400Z Jun 11. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters. Categories: SO, MS, and SWL, SO and SWL only operate 30 hours. Exchange RST, CQ zone and Time (UTC). QSO Points are determined by an exchange table available from ANARTS. Score is QSO points x DXCC entities + VK, JA, VE, and W call districts + continents (counted only once, not incl. Antarctica). For more information: http://www.users.bigpond.com/ctdavies. Logs due Sep 1 to ctdavies@bigpond.net.au or Contest Manager-Colin Davies VK2CTD, PO Box 93, Toongabbie, NSW 2146, Australia. Asia-Pacific Sprint--SSB, sponsored by the AP Sprint Contest Committee from 1100Z to 1300Z Jun 10. Frequencies: 20 and 15 meters only, NA stations work Asia-Pacific countries only. Categories: SO only, 150 watts max. Exchange: RST and serial number. Score: total QSOs x WPX prefixes (counted once). For more information: http://jsfc.org/apsprint/aprule.txt. Logs due 7 days after the contest to apsprint@kkn.net (no paper logs). Portugal Day Contest--SSB, sponsored by Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (REP), from 0000Z -- 2400Z Jun 11. Frequencies: 80 -- 10 meters. Categories: SOAB only. Exchange: RS + serial number or CT district abbreviation. QSO Points: different country--3 pts, CT stations--6 pts. Score: QSO points x CT districts counted once per band. For more information: http://www.rep.pt/concursos.htm. Logs due 1 Sep to REP - Rede dos Emissores Portugueses, Award/Contest Manager, Rua D. Pedro V, Nº.7 - 4º, 1250-092 Lisboa, Portugal. GACW WWSA CW DX Contest --sponsored by Grupo Argentino de Radiotelegrafia (GACW), from 1500Z Jun 10 - 1500Z Jun 11. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters. Categories: SOAB and SOSB (QRP, LP, HP), MS, MM. Exchange: RST and CQ Zone. QSO Points: own country--0 pt (mult credit only), different country--1 pts, diff. continent--3 pts, non-SA to SA--5 pts. Score is QSO points x zone + countries from DXCC/WAE/GACW lists. For more information: http://gacw.no-ip.org/. Logs due 15 Jul to auranito@speedy.com.ar or GACW DX Contest, PO Box 9, B1875ZAA Wilde, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bill Windle QSO Party--CW, sponsored by the First-Class Operators Club from 0000Z -- 2359Z Jun 10. Frequencies: 160-10 meters, between 15 and 40 kHz from the bottom of the band. Exchange: RST and name (FOC members will also send their membership number). For more information: http://firstclasscw.org/. There are no points or awards, but email your log to KZ5D@aol.com by June 17 - . VHF+ CONTESTS ARRL June VHF QSO Party--from 1800Z Jun 10 - 0300Z Jun 12. Frequencies: all bands 50 MHz and higher. Categories: SO-LP, SO-HP, SO-Portable, Rover, MO, Limited-MO. Exchange: 4-digit grid square locator. QSO Points: 50 & 144 MHz -- 1 pt, 222 & 432 MHz -- 2 pts, 906 & 1296 MHz -- 3 pts, 2.3 GHz and higher -- 4 pts. Total score: QSO Points x grid squares (counted once per band). For Rovers: QSO Points x unique grid squares + grids activated with at least one QSO. For more information - http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/june-vhf.html. Logs due 12 Jul to JuneVHF@arrl.org (Cabrillo format only) or June VHF, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Amateur Television Quarterly is again sponsoring the summer-long ATV Contest from 1 Jun through 1 Sep. For complete details, see http://www.hampubs.com/. -oo --- -o - -- oo ooo ooo -o-- --- oo- o-o LOG DUE DATES - 31 MAY TO 14 JUNE 2006 o-oo --- --o -oo o o- -oo o-oo oo -o o ooo May 31 - ARLHS Annual Spring Lites QSO Party, email logs to: (none), paper logs and diskettes to: Dave Ruch, NF0J, PO Box 20696, Bloomington, MN 55420-0696, USA. Find rules at: http://arlhs.com/SL-2006-guidelines.html. May 31 - Montana QSO Party, email logs to: normsclassicradio@yahoo.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Norm Palin K7NCR, 68 Silver Leaf Drive, Kalispell, MT 59901, USA. Find rules at: http://www.fvarc.org/Events/events.htm. May 31 - JIDX CW Contest, email logs to: cw@jidx.org, paper logs and diskettes to: JIDX CW Contest, c/o Five-Nine Magazine, PO Box 59, Kamata, Tokyo 144-8691, Japan. Find rules at: http://www.jidx.org/jidxrule-e.html. May 31 - Ontario QSO Party, email logs to: ve3agc@rac.ca, paper logs and diskettes to: Ontario QSO Party, Ontario DX Association, 155 Main Street North, Unit 313, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 8C2, Canada. Find rules at: http://cco.ve3xd.com/oqp/oqprules.htm. May 31 - Helvetia Contest, email logs to: contest@uska.ch, paper logs and diskettes to: Dominik Bugmann, HB9CZF, Im Geeren 27a, 8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland. Find rules at: http://www.uska.ch/contest/hf/reglement_2005_e.pdf May 31 - AGCW QRP/QRP Party, email logs to: qrp-party@agcw.de, paper logs and diskettes to: Manager, Werner Hennig, DF5DD, Am Cappeler Freistuhl 33, D-59556 Lippstadt, Germany. Find rules at: http://www.agcw.de/english/contest/agcw-dl_e.htm. May 31 - Holyland DX Contest, email logs to: 4Z4KX@iarc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: Contest Manager 4Z4KX, Israel Amateur Radio Club, Box 17600, Tel Aviv 61176, Israel. Find rules at: http://hamradio.iarc.org/contests/holy2006rules.html. May 31 - Nebraska QSO Party, email logs to: nqp@alltel.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Nebraska QSO Party, c/o Steve Rasmussen N0WY, 312 N 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048-1302, USA. Find rules at: http://www.qsl.net/hdxa/neqso/neqso.htm. June 3 - Microwave Spring Sprint, email logs to: springsprints@etdxa.org, paper logs and diskettes to: Microwave Spring Sprint, ETDXA/WU4O, Jeff J Baker, 2012 Hinds Creek Road, Heiskell, Tennessee 37754, USA. Find rules at: http://www.etdxa.org/2006_spring_sprint%20rules.htm. June 6 - ARI International DX Contest, email logs to: aricontest@ari.it, paper logs and diskettes to: ARI DX Contest, c/o ARI, Via Scarlatti 31, 20124 Milano, Italy. Find rules at: http://www.ari.it/hf/contests/ari/DX_rul_ing_new.html. June 6 - New England QSO Party, email logs to: logs@neqp.org, paper logs and diskettes to: NEQP, PO Box 3005, Framingham, MA 01705-3005, USA. Find rules at: http://www.neqp.org/rules.html. June 7 - VK/Trans-Tasman 80m Contest, Phone, email logs to: vktasman@hotmail.com, paper logs and diskettes to: VK/trans-Tasman Contest, 28 Crampton Crescent, Rosanna, VIC 3084, Australia. Find rules at: http://home.iprimus.com.au/vktasman/RULES.HTM. June 8 - QRP Minimal Art Session, email logs to: dj7st@darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: DJ7ST, Dr. Hartmut Weber, Schlesierweg 13, D-38228 SALZGITTER, Germany. Find rules at: http://www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/mas/qrpmasr-e.html. June 9 - MARAC County Hunter Contest, CW, email logs to: aa8r@aol.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Randy Hatt, AA8R, 7878 W. County Line Rd., Howard City, MI 49239, USA. Find rules at: http://marac.org/2006cwcontest.htm. June 10 - 50 MHz Spring Sprint, email logs to: springsprints@etdxa.org, paper logs and diskettes to: 50 MHz Spring Sprint, ETDXA/WU4O, Jeff J Baker, 2012 Hinds Creek Road, Heiskell, Tennessee 37754, USA. Find rules at: http://www.etdxa.org/2006_spring_sprint%20rules.htm. June 10 - 7th Call Area QSO Party, email logs to: 7qplogs@codxc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: 7th Call Area QSO Party, c/o CODXC, 61255 Ferguson Rd, Bend, OR 97702, USA. Find rules at: http://www.codxc.org/new/Page.asp?Content=DRYLAND7S&Page=2. June 11 - NA High Speed Meteor Scatter Spring Rally, email logs to: mph@swcp.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Mike, WB2FKO, 3209 Cagua Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110, USA. Find rules at: http://www.sportscliche.com/wb2fko/s06/rules_s06.html. June 12 - FISTS Spring Sprint, email logs to: W8PIG@yahoo.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Dan Shepherd, N8IE, 1900 Pittsfield St., Kettering, Oh 45420, USA. Find rules at: http://www.fists.org/sprints.html. June 13 - Mid-Atlantic QSO Party, email logs to: logs@maqp.info, paper logs and diskettes to: Mid-Atlantic QSO Party (MAQP), PO Box 4922, Clinton, NJ 08809, USA. Find rules at: http://www.maqp.info/rules.htm ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION The Contester's Rate Sheet wishes to acknowledge information from the following sources: WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page - http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal SM3CER's Web site - http://www.sk3bg.se/contest ARRL members may subscribe at no cost by editing their Member Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet. Excel and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation