 April 25, 2012 Editor: Ward Silver, NØAX | |||||||
IN THIS ISSUE
NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO There are several "targeted" contests coming up that are excellent opportunities for new HF operators. In the DX arena you'll find the Helvetia (Swiss), SP DX RTTY (Polish), and ARI International (Italian) contests. Here in the US you can operate in two regional (New England and 7th District) and two state (Nebraska and Florida) QSO parties. Get your logging software configured and have fun! BULLETINS The ARRL Programs and Services Committee has approved a rule change for ARRL VHF+ contests effective beginning in 2013 (not this year) to create a Single-Op FM-only category (100 W max, 50/144/222/440 MHz) and a three-band Single-Op category (100 W PEP on 50 and 144 MHz, 50 W PEP on 432 MHz). These changes will apply to the January, June, and September contests - again, beginning with the 2013 January VHF Sweepstakes. BUSTED QSOS Info on the 7QP came from K4XU/N7XU which your editor comingulated to K7XU. The proprietor of RF Technology International is K9AY, not K9AG. But do check out the magazine, regardless! (Thanks, Pete N4ZR and Tom K1KI) CONTEST SUMMARY Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section April 28-29
May 5-6
A reminder - check out the online contest calendars of WA7BNM and SM3CER. They often have additional contests to those listed here, including links to the sponsoring websites. WRTC 2014, Inc., host of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship, is pleased to announce the first two tent sponsors from Europe - the Contest Club of Finland (sponsor of WRTC 2002) and Contest University (CTU) Italy 2012. WRTC 2014 provides each of the 59 teams a complete operating location including tent, tower, antenna, generator, etc. Tent sponsorships of $1,000 from clubs and other groups help to provide the funding for this equipment. Here in the US, the Northern California Contest Club, Potomac Valley Radio Club, Society of Midwest Contesters, and Yankee Clipper Contest Club have each sponsored two or more tents.
Dave W9ZRX is making his first and LAST call for VHF Contest Logs for the 2012 Super Check Partial (SCP) Database. Due to some upcoming surgery, the June release will be the only release in 2012. Please do continue to send Dave your 2012 Contest logs for the remainder of the year - they will be archived for the 2013 release. Ed WA3WSJ has released a new Kindle book "Amateur Radio and the Great Outdoors" on the joys of operating "out and about." 300 pages long, it covers all sorts of topics associated with portable operation - antennas, power sources, hiking, safety, and more. This is a companion to Ed's "Amateur Radio Pedestrian Mobile" book. European Sprint Manager, Dave G4BUO writes, "Unfortunately we have had a number of problems with the European Sprint and a new email address for logs was not ready in time. If you get a bounce message from the published address for logs please email your log directly to me at sprint@g4buo.com. I want to give thanks publicly to Dima, RW3FO who has been working very hard to keep the EU Sprint show on the road, including spending many hours processing the logs from the autumn contest, after our new checking software became unavailable." Dick K6KAL has created a Frequency Display add-on for N1MM that shows main VFO and secondary VFO frequencies in a variable window and font size, variable font size, type, and color to make the information easier to see. (Thanks, Larry N6NC) AMSAT is closing in on the $6500 needed to purchase the special high-efficiency, space-rated solar panels for its new Fox-1 Cube-Sat that will act as a temporary replacement for AO-51, lost to battery failure. Five additional Cube-Sats from Japan, Vietnam, and the United States are in final preparation for launch to the ISS in July in a Japanese re-supply mission. If your Field Day group is planning on obtaining the bonus points for a satellite QSO, not having AO-51 means a lot of congestion on the FM-only AO-27 and ISS space-borne repeaters. Check out the AMSAT Field Day operational rules before making your final plans - you might want to try the birds featuring linear transponders that can handle more signals on CW and SSB. The DXCoffee website has published an interview on DX operating with contester and DXpeditioner, Bill N7OU. Bill traded a home station for 100% expeditioning some years again and is thoroughly enjoying himself. (Thanks, Christian IX1CKN)
Technical papers are being solicited for presentation at the 31st Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference on September 21-23, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. Please send papers to: Maty Weinberg, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 or via e-mail to: maty@arrl.org. Web Site of the Week - Along with remembering the Titanic in this centennial year of its sinking, there is an elevated interest in early radio. The IEEE Spectrum discusses the Titanic's role in radio reform and Doug K1DG tips us to the Communications Act of 1912 that led Amateur Radio into the "200 meters and down" wilderness (see Section 15) with all that came next. Imagine what a shock it must have been in those days to discover that the short waves were open during the day! If that paragraph had been absent, so would have modern ham radio. A BBC Titanic "special broadcast" converts the wireless telegraphy to voice, including losing the signal as the ship sunk. Tim K3LR recommends the portions from 4:43 - 23:00 and after 26:28 as the best parts of the nearly hour-long program. WORD TO THE WISE Brag tape - a pre-programmed message describing a station's equipment and accomplishments. The word "tape" recalls the long-gone days when RTTY teleprinters used punched paper tape to store messages. This looks like the ultimate transmitter - don't you think everyone should have one? (Thanks, Jim K7WA)
Photos from the Visalia International DX Convention have been published by Bob N6TV and Hector XE2K. You'll recognize a lot of the call signs - and there are lots of smiling faces, too. Top-scoring Rookie Roundup participant Ashley K6NAA was captured on video making a couple of contacts by station host and contest Elmer, Bob N6TV. Expanded results for the 2011 ARRL Phone and CW Sweepstakes, including excellent in-depth articles by Steve London N2IC and Kelly Taylor VE4XT, results databases and Log-Checking reports, are now online. Also on-line as of today is the extended version of Gary K9AY's 160 Meter Contest report. Results for the April 15th Rookie Roundup have been released today, too. (Thanks, ARRL Contest Branch Manager, Sean KX9X)
Looking for the line scores of ARRL contests? "Full line scores for all ARRL contests are already available on-line. Select your favorite contest, and select "Printable Line Scores". (Thanks, Steve N2IC) WRTC-2014 standings have been updated to include the official results from CQ WPX CW, All Asia DX CW and SSB, WAE CW and SSB, and ARRL Sweepstakes CW. Team Selection Direction, Dan K1TO is getting excited - "22 down, 33 to go! Once again, the standings show a number of new leaders in their Selection Areas. CQ WPX CW next month is the 35th qualifying event out of the 55 total events so there are still 21 events left to operate!" The CQ WPX Contest's "official" high claimed scores just went online. The 5,264 logs submitted so far is a new record for the contest. Scores are calculated by the log checking software and before any reductions. (Logs submitted as check logs are not included in the claimed scores.) Please check that your log has been placed in the correct category. Any feedback or corrections should be made to k5zd@cqwpx.com. Even though 10 meters didn't open as much as everyone had hoped, we still had a number of record scores and stations across the US are seen in the Top Ten. (Thanks, CQ WPX Director, Randy K5ZD)
Barry W5GN reports that direct mailing of the US, Canadian, and Mexican certificates for the CQ WPX 2011 CW Contest was completed on Saturday. 43 envelopes were found to have been mis-addressed and have been re-mailed - it is not necessary to return or re-mail the certificates. The 2011 Florida QSO Party results are complete and have been posted! (Thanks, Ron WD4AHZ) OPERATING TIP During the recent April ARRL Rookie Roundup there was a bit of confusion about call signs and identification requirements. A Technician call sign cannot be used on the HF phone bands (other than 10 meters) without adding the control operator's call. For example, a Technician such as KE7VDA working 20 meter phone at her station with control operator K6UFO would have to sign KE7VDA/K6UFO to show that the control operator is authorized for those frequencies, or simply use the control operator's call sign. (See FCC ยง97.119) For non-Rookie operators, should you encounter an operator identifying with a call sign not authorized for that frequency, politely inform them of the problem, make sure there isn't some mistake, and then suggest the correct procedure as you would like to be informed of a problem with your operating - no need to get upset as we all make mistakes. If you are putting in a tower base that will place significant tension on the anchor bolts, follow US Tower's lead and use a large, straight bolt with two nuts on the concrete end. With the two nuts on the bolt, spoil the threads below the lower nut (smash them with a hammer and chisel, for example) to prevent the nuts from working loose before the concrete sets. (Thanks, Steve K7LXC and Hank KR7X) John K6MM provided a great overview of log analysis tools in his Visalia International DX Convention presentation, "Post-Contest Log Analyzers". You can learn a lot about your log and use that information for doing better in the next contest! "Does Anyone Repair Electronics Any More?" Electronic Design magazine answered that question in a blog entry of the same name by Lou Frenzel. What's the deal on Arduino? Howduino! But you can find out in this Make magazine online introduction to the growing family of Arduino microprocessor development boards.
Portable contest operators - such as for Field Day, roving, and run-and-gun adventures - will find a lot of good information on the use and care of telescoping poles about half way down the page. (Thanks, Steve NU7T) The May edition of the Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC) newsletter has a good article by Tom K3AJ on raising small towers with a tow truck. There is also a good article on Samuel Morse by John K3TN. Contesters drill through walls quite a bit - hanging plaques and certificates, no doubt. Make cleanup a little easier with this idea for using coffee filters from Make magazine's online tip collection. Technical Web Site of the Week - Have you ever wondered where the digital mode character codes come from? Wonder no more after reading Tom Jennings' history of character codes unearthed by Bob N7RDP. The WPS website is full of fascinating articles and information. To See Things for Yourself I continue to find many parallels between the amateur astronomy community and Amateur Radio. Perhaps it is because we both use sensitive instruments to discern the signals from distant and wonderful places? As such, a special premium is often awarded for using one's own senses to perform as much of the detection and understanding as possible. The "Focal Point" column by Thomas Watson in the May issue of Sky & Telescope discussed why this is so through the eyes of an astronomer. The question for his community of stargazers revolves around the use of astroimaging technology - once film cameras and now CCD detectors - as opposed to peering through the eyepiece yourself. Initially, he states, "The best picture postcard of the Grand Canyon will never replace standing on the rim and gazing into it with your own eyes." I do love visiting the Astronomy Picture of the Day web site and often follow the links describing the picture and the technology used to acquire it. Similarly, I thrill to see deep-space objects imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope and other magnificent instruments. I'll never confuse those views, however, with lining up my own dim and wavering view of a Messier object through my small reflector - astronomy's DXCC. Later in the column Watson arrives at the crux, writing, "The depth and beauty of the universe gain a new level of meaning when you take the time to see things for yourself." Replace "see" with "hear" and you can easily understand the parallels between those of us who experience the universe through our radios and those who use telescopes. Those two are very much the same - collectors and concentrators of photons - although of quite different wavelengths. Not explicitly stated in Part 97.1's Basis and Purpose but underlying it all the same, the ability to experience the natural world one-on-one through the magic of radio is Amateur Radio's great reservoir of strength. Some may prefer to copy CW like free climbers gripping a granite face with fingers and toes and rosin. Other may prefer to pull signals swimming deep in and ocean of noise to the surface through coding wizardry. Yet we all share the same fundamental spirit of adventure and discovery, educing beauty in the diminutive and ephemeral electromagnetic vibrations of space and time--to see it for ourselves. 25 April through 8 May 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 Ten-Ten Spring Digital Contest--Digital, from Apr 28, 0001Z to Apr 29, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 28. Exchange: Call, name, county & S/P/C, 10-10 number. Logs due: 15 days. Rules Nebraska QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Apr 28, 1100Z to Apr 29, 1700Z . Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, 144, Frequencies: CW: 1.805 and 35 kHz above band edge,Nov/Tech--10 kHz above band edge; Phone--1.915, 3.865, 7.265, 14.265, 21.365, 28.465, 146.460. Exchange: RS(T), NE county or S/P/C. Logs due: May 31. Rules SP DX RTTY Contest--Digital, from Apr 28, 1200Z to Apr 29, 1200Z . Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, serial, SP province. Logs due: May 24. Rules Helvetia Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from Apr 28, 1300Z to Apr 29, 1259Z . Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T), serial or Swiss canton. Logs due: 15 days. Rules QRP To The Field--CW, from Apr 28, 1500Z to Apr 29, 0300Z. Bands (MHz): 7-28. Exchange: RST, S/P/C. Logs due: Jun 1. Rules Florida QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Apr 28, 1600Z to Apr 29, 0159Z and Apr 29, 1200Z to Apr 29, 2159Z . Multiple operating periods. Bands (MHz): 7-28. Frequencies: see website. Exchange: RS(T), FL county or S/P/C. Logs due: 30 days. Rules BARTG 75 Sprint--Digital, from Apr 29, 1700Z to Apr 29, 2100Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: Serial. Logs due: Jun 1. Rules Ten-Ten Spring CW Contest--CW, from May 5, 0001Z to May 6, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 28. Exchange: Call sign, name, 10-10 number, state. Logs due: 15 days. Rules 7th Area QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 5, 1300Z to May 6, 0700Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, 144, Frequencies: CW--40 kHz above band edge; SSB--1.845, 3.855, 7.235, 14.255, 21.355, 28.455. Exchange: RS(T)+S/P or 7th-area county code. Logs due: Jun 2. Rules Indiana QSO Party--Phone,CW, from May 5, 1600Z to May 6, 0400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Frequencies: CW--1.805 and 40 kHz above the band edge on 80-10 meters, SSB--1.845, 3.820, 7.190, 14.250, 21.300, 28.400. Exchange: RS(T) + S/P or IN county, DX RS(T) only. Logs due: Jun 15. Rules Radio Club of America QSO Party--Phone, from May 5, 1700Z to May 6, 0459Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-21. Exchange: RS, QTH, name, equipment. Rules ARI International DX Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 5, 2000Z to May 6, 1959Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T), serial or Italian province. Logs due: 30 days. Rules New England QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 5, 2000Z to May 6, 0500Z and May 6, 1300Z to May 6, 2400Z. Multiple operating periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Frequencies: CW--3.540, 7.035, 14.040, 21.040, 28.040; SSB--3.850, 7.180/280, 14.280, 21.380, 28.380. Exchange: RS(T) and S/P or New England county. Logs due: 30 days. Rules ARS Spartan Sprint--CW, from May 8, 0200Z to May 8, 0400Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Frequencies: Monthly on the first Monday evening local time. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and power. Logs due: 2 days. Rules OK1WC Memorial Contest--Phone,CW, from May 8, 1600Z to May 8, 1659Z, first through fourth Monday of each month. Bands (MHz): 3.5, 50, 144, Frequencies: see website for bands. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. Logs due: 7 days. Rules VHF+ CONTESTS VHF Spring Sprints--Phone,CW,Digital, from Apr 25, 7 PM to Apr 25, 11 PM. Bands (MHz): 432. Exchange: Grid square (6-character preferred). Logs due: 14 days. Rules Worldwide EME Contest--Phone,CW, from Apr 28, 0000Z to Apr 29, 2400Z. Bands (MHz): 2.3G. Exchange: TMO/RS(T) and "R". Logs due: Jun 25. Rules Nebraska QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Apr 28, 1100Z to Apr 29, 1700Z . Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, 144, Frequencies: CW: 1.805 and 35 kHz above band edge,Nov/Tech--10 kHz above band edge; Phone--1.915, 3.865, 7.265, 14.265, 21.365, 28.465, 146.460. Exchange: RS(T), NE county or S/P/C. Logs due: May 31. Rules 2 GHz and Up World Wide Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 5, 6 AM to May 6, 8 PM. Bands (MHz): 2.3G+. Exchange: 6-char grid locator. Logs due: 60 days. Rules Microwave Spring Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 5, 6 AM to May 5, 1 PM. Bands (MHz): 902+. Exchange: Grid square (6-character preferred). Logs due: 14 days. Rules 7th Area QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 5, 1300Z to May 6, 0700Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, 144, Frequencies: CW--40 kHz above band edge; SSB--1.845, 3.855, 7.235, 14.255, 21.355, 28.455. Exchange: RS(T)+S/P or 7th-area county code. Logs due: Jun 2. Rules Indiana QSO Party--Phone,CW, from May 5, 1600Z to May 6, 0400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Frequencies: CW--1.805 and 40 kHz above the band edge on 80-10 meters, SSB--1.845, 3.820, 7.190, 14.250, 21.300, 28.400. Exchange: RS(T) + S/P or IN county, DX RS(T) only. Logs due: Jun 15. Rules LOG DUE DATES 25 April through 8 May
ARRL Information Click here to advertise in this newsletter. Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month. Subscribe to NCJ - the National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties. Subscribe to QEX - A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals. Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to The ARRL Letter (weekly digest of news and information), the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), Division and Section news -- and much more! ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio. Visit the site often for new publications, specials and sales. Donate to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member dues! Reprint permission can be obtained by sending email to permission@arrl.org with a description of the material and the reprint publication. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's Contest Calendar and SM3CER's Contest Calendar. | |||||||
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