 August 18, 2021 Editor: Paul Bourque, N1SFE | |
IN THIS ISSUE
Here we go! "Contest season" is about to take off. It's a good time to get the outdoor projects wrapped up, and make sure everything is ready. For SSB, try this weekend's North American QSO Party Phone contest. For digital, the SARTG WW RTTY Contest is a good choice, especially if you get ready for it with Thursday's NCCC RTTY Sprint practice. If you're newly licensed, try the ARRL Rookie Roundup, RTTY, on Sunday. The weekend of August 28, there are a number of QSO parties - Hawaii, Kansas, Ohio, and W/VE Islands. In 2021, the Hawaii QSO Party will allow grid squares to be exchanged for those modes that don't support the "normal" exchange of location, so you can use FT4/FT8, in addition to SSB and CW. For an exclusively FT4/FT8 contest, try the World-Wide Digi DX Contest (hint: FT4 completes contacts more quickly, however there's usually more activity on FT8, which is a pity during a contest). BUSTED QSOS Jim, KE0NRE, wrote asking about the weight of the Burst 2000A amplifier mentioned in the last Contest Update: "I'm confused. Does it weigh 14 pounds or 15 kg?" Well, Jim, I was the confused one, as the amplifier weight is mentioned on the manufacturer's website as 17 kg!
Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section 19 Aug - 1 Sep 2021 August 19 August 20 August 21
August 22 August 23 August 24 August 25 August 26 August 27 August 28
August 29 August 30 August 31 September 1
Following Earthquake in Haiti, Radio Amateurs Asked to Keep Frequencies Clear. Net-net: Please keep these frequencies clear in IARU Region 2: 3750 kHz, 7150 kHz and 14330 kHz. The Ohio QSO Party is on August 28, from noon to midnight ET. Please note that some sources may have provided a different date, however August 28 is the date for 2021, confirmed by Jim, K8MR, the OhQP Chairman. (Jim, K8MR) The Kansas QSO Party during the August 28 weekend has added a Rover category for 2021. Work special 1x1 stations to spell KANSAS, QSOPARTY, SUNFLOWER, and YELLOWBRICKROAD to earn antique US postage stamps with radio/electronic themes. Collect all nine of the original stamps, and you can earn a KSQP T-shirt. There are even special awards for the highest scoring Ohio and Hawaii log entries. As always, see the rules for details. When hunting down a pesky RFI noise source, remember that gear does not have to be on to generate RF noise. The switching power supplies that are part of today's electronics often continue to operate even when the device appears to be off. The only way to be reasonably sure a line-operated device's switching power supply is not operating is to unplug the device from the wall. Like ripples in a three-dimension space-pond, radio signals emanating from Earth since the inception of wireless broadcasting could have reached 75 other star systems, according to Discover Magazine. There are that many star systems within 100 light years of Earth. It's unclear whether aliens would be listening for signals using AM. Perhaps they switched to FT8 years ago. Frank Maynard, NF8M, recommended an article on Guitar Magazine's website about how the global shortage of chips and other resources is affecting the supply of electronic tube equipment. Frank comments: "Not news to most hams who have been buying new-old-stock tubes for years. Fortunately, most of us are good at hoarding these things!" Cycle 25 could be big, and early! According to Spaceweather.com, "Solar Cycle 25 is heating up faster than expected." The ARRL has a web page that will calculate RF exposure, per the new FCC rules. "Under the new FCC rules, some amateurs need to perform routine station evaluations to ensure that their stations comply with the RF exposure rules. This can be as simple as running an online calculator to determine the minimum safe distance between any part of your antenna and areas where people might be exposed to RF energy from your station. Although amateurs can make measurements of their stations, evaluations can also be done by calculation." Peter, DF1LX, has written a tool for N1MM Logger+ called n1mm_toolbox. It's a 64-bit Microsoft Windows application that provides the following functionality:
According to Joe Taylor, K1JT: "WSJT-X 2.5.0-rc4 has a bug that prevents normal use of messages that include compound or nonstandard call signs. For this reason we are making a public Release Candidate WSJT-X 2.5.0-rc5 after an unusually short interval. The RC5 release candidate is now ready for download by beta testers. On Windows the installation package also includes MAP65 3.0.0-rc5." QRP Labs' August 2021 Newsletter is available on their website. New products include the QCX-Mini, a refinement of their very popular QCX transceiver (over 15,000 shipped!), as well as upcoming new designs for their balloon transmitter. Gary, ZL2IFB, suggested a follow-up to the last issue's operating tip of knowing when to change frequencies: "It's worth taking a look at the DX Cluster before moving. In particular, if you are spotted, hold out for a few minutes longer to mop up anyone chasing your spot. The Info window in N1MM Logger+ prominently displays any DX spots for your call sign, including comments that can be worthwhile too (for example: skimmer reports and notes such as "long path," "only sig on band," or "raspy auroral"). Another thing to do before moving is check your contest notes. Did you plan to be on a specific band around this time for a short opening? As to where to move next, the choices include: Search and pounce or perhaps look for a better CQ frequency, on the same band. You might just find another multiplier or bonus as the band dies and propagation swings away - for example Western Europeans and those North Atlantic islands may still be workable after the central and Eastern Europeans have dropped out. Check the number of spotted QSOs and multipliers available on other bands for clues about where the points are. Normally we QSY one band LF or HF, but it may be worth moving two bands, especially towards the last third of the contest and around grayline when it is worth the investment of time and effort to chase multipliers. QSY to bed or take a comfort and coffee break to get your energy levels up for the next session. If you're tired and flagging, now might be a good time to hand over to a keen fresh op with a new strategy and bags of enthusiasm. Meteor Scatter A propagation mode that takes advantage of the ionization trails left by extraterrestrial debris burning up after entering the Earth's atmosphere. Every day, meteor scatter opportunities exist for contacts on 10 meters, 6 meters, and 2 meters at distances between 500 to 2300 kilometers, especially during the morning hours. During meteor showers, there may be hundreds of "pings" per hour. WSJT-X's MSK144 mode is typically used for meteor scatter communications, though the newer shorter-duration Q65-12A mode may see increasing use. To get started, try Parker Radio Association's Simple Guide to Meteor Scatter / MSK144. Bob, N6TV, posted to the Reverse Beacon Network email reflector: "In June the Spokane DX Association invited me to give a talk about the Reverse Beacon Network. It's the same talk I gave at Dayton Contest University a few times, so many of you may have already seen it. But at the end there was a live demo of the RBN beta website and the DJ1YFK site, which may be new to some of you. Here's the Standard RBN Presentation, and the Demo video." Mel, N7GCO, coordinates the varied presentations for the Spokane DX Association. Mike, W7VO, was the chair of the Contest Forum at the Willamette Valley DX Club's virtual Pacific Northwest DX Convention. Other panelists included Bill, AC0W, Bart, W9JJ, and Jim, KI7Y. The first topic discussed was the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee's recent activity. If you'd like to understand the reasoning and impetus for changes to future ARRL Contests, this is a must watch. EA3GRN tests an inexpensive balun kit from China in his YouTube video. Though it's in Spanish, it's possible for non-Spanish speakers (like me) to get the gist by turning on the translated closed captioning feature in YouTube. The results of the 2021 Georgia QSO Party results have been published according to Jeff, KU8E, Georgia QSO Party Director. The 2022 Georgia QSO Party will take place on April 9-10, 2022, the second full weekend in April. Have A Contest Operating Plan Be a "conscious contester" for bigger scores. If you're in it to do the best you can, make a plan for the times that you operate during the contest period. Make your plan in 30 minute or 1-hour intervals, taking into account past instances of this contest, the current sun spot cycle, and other factors such as past 3830scores.com reports (e.g. "took advantage of a late night opening to Asia on 20 meters") to help you decide what bands to be on, where to point your beam, and where to look for needed multipliers. Plan to gather more information during the contest to help you make decisions. Think of it this way: If you had to write down instructions for someone that was operating your station on how to operate in the contest, those directions would be the plan. Write the plan down. Consult it during the contest. Take notes as necessary to modify it for the next time. Plan to have fun. These look like a lot of fun: "Circuit Pattern Trading Cards" - Like flash cards for various types of popular circuits. From the description: "brush up on techniques and discover time-tested patterns...Each card has a schematic and short description of a common circuit pattern in electronics. Topics covered include digital, analog, and power electronics. There are 32 cards in total, all unique." Here's a project on Hackaday.IO: an emulation of an analog panel meter using an LED Display and modest CPU. The key part is that the "needle" drawing "moves like an analog needle with mass and spring oscillations." Could be just the thing to add some style to your next project that has a display, and data that could be displayed this way. Radiosonde launches can be observed and decoded using RTL-SDR hardware, and the radiosonde_auto_rx repository by projectthorus. Radiosonde data is used in weather forecasting, and shared among nations by international agreement. If your Microsoft Windows 10-based computer's drive failed and needed replacement, could you restore the OS quickly from your backups to the new drive? This article shows how to use the Windows media creation tool to make an ISO file that can be "burned" to a DVD, or put onto a USB stick, to restore your legally licensed Windows 10 to your machine. Gpsd is a system program found in many Linux distributions, in some phones, and as a component in some software packages. A bug has been identified that may cause an inadvertent jump in time for some version of gpsd in October, 2021, due to the way that leap seconds are handled. In this case, the issue arises because an anticipated leap-second did not occur. Here's the discussion about the issue; since gpsd is open source, derivative works of gpsd could contain this issue as well. Multi-Operator Techniques for the Single Operator "Multi-One and Multi-Two Contesting" by Craig, K9CT, and originally featured in November/December 2019 NCJ isn't just for multi-one and multi-two contesters! Much of the article's advice and insights can be used by operators in any category, and especially those operators that are contemplating trying single-operator, two radio (SO2R) operating. I heartily encourage you to read the article in its entirety. Every operator can benefit from knowing their contest goals: "Are you out to win it all, to win your area, zone, section or state? Do you want to set a personal best? Do you want to set a record? Who are your competitors and can you beat them?" The need to "assess your goals... and then build a station capable of achieving them" is valid for any operator. The same for needing to know how to win: "You must know the rules, have high ethics, and be capable of high rates and maximizing multipliers. It is extremely important that you know the propagation for your location, that (you) have the needed experience... and that you design your station to be as automated as possible with the best affordable technology." Successful station building is a universal need. Craig suggests being methodical about how to do it, starting with the big-ticket items, "Give some thought to the size of the property, arrangement of towers and antennas, feed line losses, and filters. Do a careful analysis, band by band" but eventually getting to the smallest of details that can make or break a station, such as operator comfort and station layout. Will all of the details combine, and then just fade into the background, as the operator is allowed to focus on the logging screen? Equipment selection is critical for multi-operator stations, where inter-operating-position interference will reduce scores. There's no reason to not take advantage of Craig's advice to choose radios that have "...low transmitted noise, produce a clean signal, and have a great CW waveform" -- he suggests to carefully read the Product Review articles in QST. In low-rate hours, Craig suggests that searching and pouncing may be more effective than trying to run, especially when multiple operating positions can do this simultaneously with a lockout. For single operators, learning how to tune a second VFO for new stations between calling CQ on the run frequency is more work than just calling CQ, but adds points. Practice makes it less difficult. And finally, Craig also mentions that for those that are not able to create their own station, it's entirely possible to use a service such as Remote Ham Radio or BeLoud.US to operate remotely using a station in a good or great location, with top-tier equipment. It was easy and effective in 2019 when the article was originally published, and with two more years of improvements in technology, in 2021 the remote experience is even better. That's all for this time. Remember to send contesting related stories, book reviews, tips, techniques, press releases, errata, schematics, club information, pictures, stories, blog links, and predictions to contest-update@arrl.org 73, Brian N9ADG 19 Aug - 1 Sep 2021 An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral is available as a PDF. Check the sponsors' website for information on operating time restrictions and other instructions. HF CONTESTS CWops Mini-CWT Test, Aug 19, 0300z to Aug 19, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10m; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: August 21. VHF+ CONTESTS
Also, see Keyman's Club of Japan Contest, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, SKCC Sprint, W/VE Islands QSO Party, Kansas QSO Party, 19 Aug - 1 Sep 2021 August 19, 2021 August 20, 2021 August 21, 2021 August 22, 2021
August 23, 2021 August 24, 2021 August 25, 2021 August 26, 2021 August 28, 2021 August 29, 2021 August 31, 2021 ARRL Information Click here to advertise in this newsletter, space subject to availability. Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information ARRL membership includes a choice of one print magazine: QST, the monthly membership journal, or On the Air, ARRL's new bimonthly publication for beginner and intermediate hams. All ARRL members can access all four ARRL magazines -- QST, On the Air, NCJ, and QEX - digitally. 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. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's Contest Calendar. | |
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