 October 15, 2008 Editor: Ward Silver, NØAX | ||||||
IN THIS ISSUE
NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO Not only new operators to HF, but experienced hands alike so tune around the bands during the School Club Roundup. Young operators of all ages will be looking for your contact as they enjoy the fall version of this entry-level contest. BULLETINS There are no bulletins in this issue. BUSTED QSOS
CONTEST SUMMARY Rules follow Commentary section October 18-19
October 25-26
NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST Congratulations to Francesco Cozzi, IZ7KHR who was selected for the Young Hams Contest Program 2008, to take part in the CQ WW SSB contest from the 6Y1V contest superstation -- all expenses paid! Francesco will certainly have a great time in the pileups! Lots of stuff is cooking in the realm of ARRL Sweepstakes according to Sean KX9X, ARRL Contest Branch Manager. "First off, the 2007 Sweepstakes plaques are being shipped. A big thanks to Icom America for being the principal sponsor of the ARRL November Sweepstakes and helping defray the costs of the unsponsored plaques and the certificates. They've been on board since 2005 and their efforts make a big difference. Second, I need to issue a correction. The special Clean Sweep mugs for this year are actually not lead crystal, but are a mighty fine etched glass mug. The Sweepstakes pins will be available again this year (as always) for submitting a log with 100 QSOs from either weekend and Sweepstakes theme magnets will be free to any station that submits a log with 75 sections worked. Lastly, "Clean Sweep" whisk brooms will be given away for free to any station that submits a log and works all 80 sections this year during a single Sweepstakes weekend, Phone or CW."
In the last issue, a call was issued for operators in rare sections planning on entering either Sweepstake mode to let us know about it. Since then the K2NNY team has announced that they'll be on during both weekends and it looks like the VE8RCS station will be active. That leaves VE1-VE9-VY2 (MAR), VE2 (QC), VE4 (MB), VE5 (SK), VO1-VO2 (NL), NE, ND, SD, and WY. If you're planning on operating in Sweepstakes from one of these sought-after locations, why not spread the word! Sean KX9X also made a trip West to visit the Pacific NW VHF Conference in Moses Lake, accompanied by your editor. (Look for a conference report in the Conversations section of this newsletter.) He also gave a presentation on Friday, October 13 to some of our newly-elected Section Managers that came to ARRL as part of their orientation. He was able to show the value of contesting as a training ground for on-air and technical skills, which are important to all operators, especially those interested in EmComm. The Year of the State QSO Party was also well-received by the League's new SM's. FlexRadio Systems is pleased to announce two new Software Defined Radios scheduled for delivery in early 2009, the FLEX-3000 and FLEX-1500. Additionally, FlexRadio is running a Fall Special on the FLEX-5000 series radios. The FLEX-3000 is a scaled down SDR in the lineage of the FLEX-5000, with a built-in tuner included at no additional cost.The FLEX-1500 is a QRP SDR in a compact package that connects to your computer via a single USB cable. Both radios cover 160 to 6 m. Some rule change proposals for 2009 have been announced on the CQ WPX Web site. Please take a look and provide any feedback you may have. (Thanks, CQ WPX Manager--Randy, K5ZD) Tom K1KI sent a link to a New York Times article discussing a 1993 study that suggested cheating dropped in schools that encouraged a culture of integrity--either by formally instituting an honor code or by stressing at every turn the importance of honesty and integrity. Could this have implications for radiosport? The Country (CTY) files used by contest logging software were updated on 01 October 2008. Please follow the Installation link to find instructions for your particular software. (Thanks, Jim AD1C) Contest University--UK was held at the RSGB HF Convention. Turnout exceeded expectations with nearly 150 attending at least one session. Contesting appears to be high on ham's agendas in the UK! Look for a larger scale Contest University next year. (Thanks, Mark M0DXR and Tim K3LR) If arthritis or some other pain-inducing condition makes sending CW a literal pain in the wrist, you could try removable semi-cast wrist supports, available at pharmacies that will restrict painful motion. These use hook-and-loop fabric fasteners for the best fit. Bowling gloves and wrist supports could also do the job. (Thanks, Herb KV4FZ) It's never a bad time to check your homeowner's or renter's insurance for coverage of "auxiliary" or "external" structures as it applies to ham radio towers and antennas. After the storm is a bad time to find out that there is an exclusion for such things. Automobile insurance may have restrictions on mobile antennas and radio's, too. With policies being frequently updated, it's not a bad idea to check your coverage. The ARRL administers an "all risk" ham equipment insurance program for just these reasons.
An extraordinarily unwelcome piece of bad news, I have the unpleasant task of telling my readers that Paolo I2UIY died 12 Oct 2008 following a cerebral hemorrhage in September. Paolo was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame at Dayton just this year. Manager of the EU Sprint contest and a one-man QSL bureau for all of Italy, Paolo was well known the world-over for his contesting skill and good humor. One of the first WRTC competitors in 1990, his hosts Danny K7SS and Diane NH6HE wrote, "...we quickly learned the important things in life for Paolo were Humor, Contesting, his Mama, and Great Pasta...not necessarily in that order. That is a great recipe. Ciao Paolo." He was "a good one" and will be greatly missed in this coming and future contest seasons. For the time being, EU Sprint Logs may still be sent to Paolo's published address. (Thanks, Rusty W6OAT) Web Site of the Week - We know him best as the guy with the antenna articles on his Web site, but he must live a double life! Rudy Severn N6LF is featured on the cover of the latest Power Electronics magazine as being awarded a Lifetime Achievement award for his work with switching power supply design. Well done, Rudy! WORD TO THE WISE Golden Log - these are logs without any confirmed errors (not all errors can be positively confirmed) and as the numbers of QSOs mount, achieving this standard becomes exponentially more difficult. Having a golden log is a great goal! In the last issue, I referred to the ARRL Sweepstakes banning the "octopus" outright. I must have been in the "way back" machine because that rule changed years ago to better wording for the Multi-operator category. (Thanks, Gene W3ZZ) SIGHTS AND SOUNDS The drive to make a "clean sweep" is a great source of inspiration during the ARRL Sweepstakes, especially this year with the special broom awards. No section is tougher than the VY1-VE8 nemeses of the north, but here's one station that has the source of some contesting noise from the boreal boys. (Thanks, Rich KL7RA)
Looking at the sun is bad for you, right? No way! The various telescopes and satellites trained on our favorite source of ionospheric ionization often capture some beautiful photos, such as the Astronomy Picture of the Day that captured this beautiful solar prominence. Maybe it will capture some beautiful sunspots soon, too! Wouldn't you like to DXpedition to this most-wanted entity? You'd better pack those red woolen long-johns, even if they are a bit scratchy! David K1TTT hosted a couple of new contesters during the recent CQ WW RTTY contest. Read what they have to say on the his and hers blog reports. It's great to feel the enthusiasm! RESULTS AND RECORDS Who has added a third CQ WW title in 2007? Now that the 2007 CQWW SSB and CW results are on-line, Jose CT1BOH has updated the history of CQ WW Single-Op All-Band competition. Earlier this month, the Korean Amateur Radio League hosted the Amateur Radio Direction-Finding ARDF World Championships. For the sixth time, Team USA made the trip with members ranging in age from 23 to 66 and representing seven states. Team members earned their positions at the 2007 USA Championships near South Lake Tahoe, California and the 2008 USA Championships near Bastrop, Texas. On-foot hidden transmitter hunting is an international sport with many names such as foxtailing, foxhunting, and radio-orienteering. (From the ARRL Letter for 3 Oct 2008) OPERATING TIP Why have one tip when you can have thirty? Take a look through K9JY's thirty contesting tips. Even if you've seen it before, with CQ WW SSB almost here, it's worth taking another look. More tips are on-line from CQ's Contest editor, John K1AR. The Central Texas DX and Contest Club chimes in with their own collection, too. As Franki ON5ZO reminds us, though-- enjoy reading but there's no learning like "on the air" learning! (Thanks, David K2DBK and others) TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION The low spark of the high beam boys gets a test as a team of experienced operators conducts the "Science Experiment - Beach Verticals vs. High Beams" from Honduras in this year's CQ WW SSB. "The plan is to operate from two hotels, located a block and a half or so apart. They are easily within the radius specified by the rules. The hotel on the beach, Hotel Veromar, will use the beach verticals. The one up on the hill, Hotel Maya Vista, will have the beams at 150+ feet high. A view of the beach hotel from the hill hotel gives some idea of the terrain. This should allow an interesting comparison between beach verticals and high beams. We should be able to look for multipliers from one hotel while running from the other." (Thanks, Dick N6AA) A good source for RF stuff is, well, RF Stuff. Run by Kathy N7AYR and Art KC7GF, RF Stuff appears at hamfests and shows around the Southwest. They also stock Powerpole connector-related items and audio items.
The RadCom article 'Getting Started on Amateur Radio Satellites' by John Heath G7HIA can be downloaded from the AMSAT-UK Web site. It is an excellent introduction to use of amateur satellites, something well within reach of most radiosport practitioners. (Thanks, Trevor M5AKA) I wasn't quite sure to which section of the newsletter this item belonged, but because of its careful methodology and test protocol, I've decided that it goes here. Those of you for which these items are used as a means of motivation will appreciate the thoughtful approach to the problem. The Getscores live scoreboard at is now set up for many major contests between now and the end of December. If you decide to participate in sharing your real-time score, please be sure to test and troubleshoot your logging software well before the contest. There are links there for information on posting scores from N1MM Logger, Writelog, and Win-Test. Any software authors interested in adding real-time scoreboard support should contact W1VE at support@getscores.org. (Thanks, David K1TTT) Technical Web Site of the Week - Rob N3FT contributes news of circuit simulator that has been developed called QUCS (Quite Universal Circuit Simulator), recently built from the ground up. It does transient analysis, ac analysis, dc analysis, limited harmonic balance analysis, and RF network and large signal RF simulation. A schematic editor and large library is included. It can display data in Smith Chart formats, too. QUCS will run on almost any type of operating system--Windows XP,Vista, Linux, Unix (FreeBSD and the other BSD's), and the Mac. CONVERSATION Your editor and ARRL Contest Branch Manager, Sean KX9X, made a trip over the Cascade Mountains from Seattle to the Pacific NW VHF Society Conference in Moses Lake, WA last weekend. We had a great time and the conference, hosted by the Pacific NW VHF Society, was a big success. Sean met with over 100 VHF+ operators and discussed all sorts of contest-related topics on his first trip to the upper-left corner of the contiguous 48. There were lots of good reasons to attend. Tours of Eric KB7DQH's Extremely Unlimited Rover, the "Enterprise II" are mind-expanding. An update from Joe Taylor K1JT on new developments in software for digital modes shows a lot of promise in store for the capabilities of these modes and for amateurs developing state-of-the-art communications expertise. Lyle KK7P presented an overview of the state of Software-Defined-Radio (SDR), an architecture that is challenging the vaunted superheterodyne for supremacy on all fronts. Elecraft was represented by founder Eric WA6HHQ and it's clear that Elecraft is well into the big-leagues of radio design and manufacturing. An then there is that gigantic Friday night pizza feed where no pepperoni is left unsavored! The Pacific NW is a rather isolated place from a VHF+ point of view. If sporadic-E doesn't develop on 6 meters, you might never know these guys are even on the air from down in California or across the Rockies. Meteor scatter lets a little activity ping through and, of course, EME takes the long way across, but the comparatively frantic activity levels experienced elsewhere are but a dream for the regional community.
Does that slow them down? Are you kidding? Longtime Washington VHFer Paul K7CW was one of the developers of the exciting new W5FF Fred Fish Award for contacting all of the US grid squares. Taking a look at the map of rare grids, "thar's gold in them thar hills!" Grid-peditions are an obvious source of interest and activity. With all the mountainous terrain and logging roads and fire lookouts, the rugged terrain is just as beautiful to the ear as it is to the eye. Bruce KI7JA has earned yeoman status as he activates the most difficult of grids. NW Division VHF-UHF Advisory Committee representative Gabor VE7DXG roves and mobiles with the best of them, putting the VE7 grid family on the bands. Yet it can be tough to stay motivated in a national contest when the geography and recognition is so regionally segregated. That's why particular interest was paid by the attendees to a proposal put forward by Sean upgrade the June VHF QSO Party's plaque program. Currently, June VHF plaques are awarded for 1st through 10th place, regardless of geography. With VHF+ contests so severely affected by regional propagation, it makes sense to award VHF+ Contest plaques based on Division, just like all of the other ARRL Contest plaque programs. Certainly, we "play radio" for fun. How do you make a small fortune? To paraphrase the old saw, start with a large one and get into serious ham radio contesting! But we also play for recognition by our peers--the guys and gals we see at club meetings and at the hamfests and on the air. Very few will ever make the national writeups, particularly in VHF+ contesting. That's why it's so important to make sure your contest club gives notice where notice is due--not only to the achiever but to the potential achiever. If your club or even just a friendly group has a Web site where contest results are reported, why not send me the URL at the email address published in this newsletter? I'd be glad to include it in the Results and Records section of the Contest Update. If we publish the links, they will come. There is only so much space in QST and far more activity than can be covered, but the Web is effectively infinite. Share the wealth and spread the notice around. Other clubs might take the hint and start writing up their own contest adventures. Recognition is the key--both to maintaining interest and getting the word out about what exciting adventures can be found on contest weekends over the mountains. 73, Ward N0AX CONTESTS 15 October through 28 October 2008 An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral in PDF format is available. Check the sponsor's Web site for information on operating time restrictions and other instructions. HF CONTESTS Great Pumpkin Sprint--Digital, from 18 Oct 8 PM to 19 Oct 2 AM. Bands (MHz):1.8 Exchange: RST and S/P/C. Logs due: 18 Nov. Rules FOC Bill Windle QSO Party--CW, from 18 Oct 0000Z to 18 Oct 2359Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28, 50,144 Exchange: RST, name, and FOC number if member. Logs due: 7 days. Rules JARTS WW RTTY Contest--Digital, from 18 Oct 0000Z to 19 Oct 2400Z. Bands (MHz):3.5-28 Exchange: RST and age (YL may send '00'). Logs due: 28 Nov. Rules QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party--CW, from 18 Oct 1200Z to 19 Oct 2400Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28 1.810, 3.560, 3.710, 7.040, 14.060, 21.060, 28.060. Exchange: RS(T), S/P/C, QRP ARCI number or pwr. Logs due: 19 Nov. Rules Stew Perry Warmup Contest--CW, from 18 Oct 1500Z to 19 Oct 1500Z. Bands (MHz):1.8 Exchange: Grid square. Logs due: 18 Nov. Rules Worked All Germany--Phone,CW, from 18 Oct 1500Z to 19 Oct 1459Z. Bands (MHz):3.5-28 Exchange: RS(T) and serial or DOK code. Logs due: 18 Nov. Rules W/VE Islands QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from 18 Oct 1600Z to 19 Oct 2359Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28, 50 Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or island designator. Logs due: 30 Nov. Rules Feld-Hell Spooky Sprint--Digital, from 18 Oct 2200Z to 18 Oct 2400Z. Bands (MHz):1.8,3.5,7,21,28 Submit score via Web site. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, name, Feld-Hell nr or age. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules Asia-Pacific Sprint--CW, from 19 Oct 0000Z to 19 Oct 0200Z. Bands (MHz):14-21 Exchange: RST and serial. Logs due: 7 days. Rules Illinois QSO Party--Phone,CW, from 19 Oct 1700Z to 20 Oct 0100Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28, 50,144 CW - 50 kHz above band edge, Phone - 3.890, 7.290, 14.290, 21.390, 28.390. Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or county. Logs due: 19 Nov. Rules School Club Roundup--Phone,CW,Digital, from 20 Oct 1300Z to 24 Oct 2400Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28, 50+ see Web site. Exchange: RST, class, S/P/C. Logs due: 30 days. Rules SKCC Straight Key Sprint--CW, from 22 Oct 0000Z to 22 Oct 0200Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28 3.550, 7.055, 7.120, 14.050, 21.050, 28.050. Exchange: S/P/C, SKCC number or power. Rules CQ WW SSB Contest--Phone, from 25 Oct 0000Z to 26 Oct 2359Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28 Exchange: RS and CQ zone. Logs due: 1 Dec. Rules 10-10 Fall CW QSO Party--CW, from 25 Oct 0001Z to 10 Oct 2359Z. Bands (MHz):28 Exchange: Call, name, 10-10 number, S/P/C. Logs due: 10 Nov. Rules 10-10 Fall Digital QSO Party--Digital, from 25 Oct 0001Z to 10 Oct 2359Z. Bands (MHz):28 Exchange: Call, name, 10-10 number, S/P/C. Logs due: 10 Nov. Rules VHF+ CONTESTS ARRL EME Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from 18 Oct 0000Z to 19 Oct 2359Z. Bands (MHz):50-1296 Exchange: Both call signs, signal report. Logs due: 14 Dec. Rules Fall VHF Sprints--Phone,CW,Digital, from 18 Oct 2300Z to 19 Oct 0300Z. Bands (MHz):50 Exchange: Grid square. Logs due: 4 weeks. Rules FOC Bill Windle QSO Party--CW, from 18 Oct 0000Z to 18 Oct 2359Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28, 50,144 Exchange: RST, name, and FOC number if member. Logs due: 7 days. Rules W/VE Islands QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from 18 Oct 1600Z to 19 Oct 2359Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28, 50 Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or island designator. Logs due: 30 Nov. Rules Illinois QSO Party--Phone,CW, from 19 Oct 1700Z to 20 Oct 0100Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28, 50,144 CW - 50 kHz above band edge, Phone - 3.890, 7.290, 14.290, 21.390, 28.390. Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or county. Logs due: 19 Nov. Rules School Club Roundup--Phone,CW,Digital, from 20 Oct 1300Z to 24 Oct 2400Z. Bands (MHz):1.8-28, 50+ see Web site. Exchange: RST, class, S/P/C. Logs due: 30 days. Rules Fall VHF Sprints--Phone,CW,Digital, from 25 Oct 6 AM to 25 Oct 12 PM. Bands (MHz):902+ Exchange: Grid square. Logs due: 4 weeks. Rules LOG DUE DATES 15 October through 28 October 2008 October 15 - WAE DX Contest, SSB, email logs to: waessb@dxhf.darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: (none). Rules October 16 - RSGB 80m Club Sprint, CW, email logs to: cwsprint.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, upload log at: http://www.vhfcc.org/cgi-bin/hfcover.pl, paper logs and diskettes to: (none). Rules October 18 - North American Sprint, RTTY, email logs to: (see rules, web upload preferred), upload log at: http://www.ncjweb.com/sprintlogsubmit.php, paper logs and diskettes to: Ed Muns, W0YK, P.O. Box 1877, Los Gatos, CA 95031-1877, USA. Rules October 18 - South Carolina QSO Party, email logs to: SCQP@kf4ghc.net, paper logs and diskettes to: CARC - SC QSO Party Entry, PO Box 595, Columbia, SC 29202-0595, USA. Rules October 19 - EU Autumn Sprint, SSB, email logs to: eusprint@kkn.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Paolo Cortese, I2UIY, P.O. Box 14, 27043 Broni(PV), Italy. Rules October 19 - UBA ON Contest, CW, email logs to: ubaon@uba.be, paper logs and diskettes to: Leon Welters, ON5WL, Borgstraat 80, B-2580 Beerzel, Belgium. Rules October 19 - International HELL-Contest, email logs to: dl9gs@darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: A.Schlendermann, DL9GS, Postfach 102201, D-44807 Bochum, Germany. Rules October 19 - SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, post log summary at: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/wes/sf.html, paper logs and diskettes to: (none). Rules October 20 - YLRL Howdy Days, email logs to: annettewood@oh.rr.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Annette Wood, KC8SQM, 6167 Oakwood Circle, North Ridgeville, OH 44039, USA. Rules October 20 - RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest, email logs to: 2128.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB-G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England. Rules October 20 - Colorado QSO Party, email logs to: coqplogs@ppraa.org, paper logs and diskettes to: Colorado QSO Party, PO Box 16521, Colorado Springs, CO 80935-6521, USA. Rules October 20 - QRP Afield, email logs to: k1cl@arrl.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Chuck Ludinsky, K1CL, 6 Pracing Rd., Chelmsford, MA 01824-1922, USA. Rules October 20 - 144 MHz Fall Sprint, email logs to: ottf@wbia.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Ottmar Fiebel W4WSR, PO Box 957, Hayesville, NC 28904, USA. Rules October 21 - QCWA Fall QSO Party, email logs to: w2od@aol.com, paper logs and diskettes to: W2OD, Robert Buus, 8 Donner Street, HOLMDEL N.J. 07733-2004, USA. Rules October 21 - ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, email logs to: 10GHZ@arrl.org, paper logs and diskettes to: 10 GHz Contest, ARRL Contest Branch, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA. Rules October 21 - ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, email logs to: 10GHZ@arrl.org, paper logs and diskettes to: 10 GHz Contest, ARRL Contest Branch, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA. Rules October 21 - CIS DX RTTY Contest, email logs to: ut7fp@srars.org, paper logs and diskettes to: CIS DX Contest Committee, P.O. Box 7469, Glasgow, G42 0YD, Scotland, UK. Rules October 25 - 10-10 Int. 10-10 Day Sprint, email logs to: (none), paper logs and diskettes to: Dan Morris, KZ3T #41015, 131 Valencia Lane, Statsville, NC 28625, USA. Rules October 26 - EU Autumn Sprint, CW, email logs to: eusprint@kkn.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Karel Karmasin, OK2FD, Gen. Svobody 636, 674 01 Trebic, Czech Republic. Rules October 26 - CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY, email logs to: rtty@cqww.com, paper logs and diskettes to: (none). Rules October 26 - UBA ON Contest, 6m, email logs to: ubaon@uba.be, paper logs and diskettes to: Leon Welters, ON5WL, Borgstraat 80, B-2580 Beerzel, Belgium. Rules October 28 - 222 MHz Fall Sprint, email logs to: w4zst@windstream.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Bob Lear W4ZST, PO Box 1269, Dahlonega, GA 30533, USA. Rules ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's Contest Calendar and SM3CER's Contest Calendar. | ||||||
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