Contester's Rate Sheet for August 28, 2002
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 28 August 2002 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX SUMMARY o Where's the fire? NA CW Sprint, Michigan QRP Sprint, and QRP ARCI PSK31 Sprints o Certificates and Plaque updates galore o N3FJP's NAQP logging software and Array Solutions' 80/75 vertical announced o Using 75-ohm CATV hardline - why not? BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue BUSTED QSOS o There has been some confusion about the web site for the New Jersey QSO Party, held on the 17th and 18th of August. AD1C directs us to the official site, http://www.qsl.net/w2rj/. (Thanks, AD1C) ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 28 AUGUST TO 10 SEPTEMBER 2002 Logs are due for the following contests: o August 30, 2002 - CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: Goldrush, c/o CQC, PO Box 371883, Denver, CO 80237-1883, USA o August 31, 2002 - Portugal Day Contest - paper logs only to: REP Award/Contest Manager, PO Box 2483, 1112 Lisboa Codex, Portugal o August 31, 2002 - Venezuelan Ind. Day Contest, SSB - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: Radio Club Venezolano, Concurso Independencia de Venezuela, PO Box 2285, Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela o August 31, 2002 - Colombian Independence Day Contest - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados Concurso Independencia de Colombia, PO Box 584, Santafe de Bogota, Colombia, South America o August 31, 2002 - AGCW QRP Summer Contest - email to: [email protected],, paper logs to: Lutz Noack, DL4DRA, Hochschulstrasse 30/702, D-01069 Dresden, Germany o August 31, 2002 - W/VE Islands Contest - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: Ray Phelps, AD4LX, 1440 SW 53rd Terrace, Cape Coral, FL 33914, USA o August 31, 2002 - European HF Championship - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: Slovenia Contest Club, Saveljska 50, 1113 Ljubljana, Slovenia o September 1, 2002 - ANARTS WW RTTY Contest - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: Contest Manager ANARTS, PO Box 93, Toongabbie, NSW 2146, Australia o September 1, 2002 - CQ Worldwide VHF Contest - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: CQ VHF Contest, 25 Newbridge Road, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA o September 1, 2002 - Russian RTTY WW Contest - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: Russian RTTY WW Contest Manager, Yuri Katyutin, UA4LCQ, PO Box 1200, Ulyanovsk 432035, Russia o September 1, 2002 - IOTA Contest - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: RSGB IOTA Contest, PO Box 9, Potters Bar, Herts EN6 3RH, England o September 3, 2002 - North American QSO Party, CW - email to: [email protected] , paper logs to: Bob Selbrede, K6ZZ, 6200 Natoma Ave, Mojave, CA 93501, USA o September 3, 2002 - ARRL UHF Contest - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: August UHF Contest, ARRL Contest Branch, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111, USA o September 8, 2002 - SARL HF CW Contest - email to: [email protected], paper logs to: The Contest Committee, PO Box 21762, Bluff 4036, South Africa The following contests are scheduled: MI QRP Labor Day CW Sprint, sponsored by the Michigan QRP Club, 2300Z Sep 2--0300Z Sep 3. Frequencies: 160 through 6-meter bands, SOAB, entry classes A (<250 mW), B (<1 W), C (<5 W), D (>5W). Exchange RST, SPC, and MI-QRP number or power output. QSO Points: MI-QRP members--5 pts, non-member W/VE--2 pts, DX--4 pts. Score: QSO points x SPC (counted once per band, US/VE do not count as entities). If homebrew RX or TX, multiply by 1.25. If both RX and TX are homebrew, multiply by 1.5. For information - http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub. Logs to [email protected] or L. T. Switzer, N8CQA; 427 Jeffrey Ave.; Royal Oak, MI 48073-2521, USA All-Asian DX Contest--Phone, sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League, 0000Z Sep 7--2400Z Sep 8. Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters, incl. 10-min. band change rule. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, MO, Low Power (Asian stations only), Junior (JA stations <20 years), Senior (JA stations >70 years). Exchange: RS and a two-digit number denoting the operator's age. YL stations may send 00. QSO Points for non-Asian stations: 40 - 15 meters--1 pt, 80 and 10 meters--2 pts, 160 meters--3 pts. Score: QSO pts � Asian prefixes (WPX rules). For more information and Asian station QSO points - http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-3_Contests/2002AA_Rule.htm. Logs due Oct 30 to [email protected] or JARL, All Asian DX Contest, 170-8073, Japan. IARU Region 1 Field Day--SSB, sponsored by IARU Societies, 1300Z Sep 7--1300Z Sep 8. Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters. Categories: SOAB (LP and QRP), MS (HP, LP). Exchange: RS and serial number. QSO Points: 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 (NA hams to RAC or ARRL). North American Sprint--CW, sponsored by the National Contest Journal, 0000Z--0400Z Sep 8. Frequencies - 3.530-550, 7.030-050, 14.030-050 MHz, work stations once per band. North American stations work everyone; others work NA stations only. Exchange: Other station's call, your call, serial number, name, SPC. QSY rule: Stations calling CQ, QRZ, etc, may only work one station in response to that call; they must then move at least 1 kHz before working another station or 5 kHz before soliciting another call. Once you are required to QSY, you may not make a new QSO on the previous frequency until you have made a contact at least 1 or 5 kHz away (as required). Score: QSOs x SPC (counted only once). For more information and team registration - http://www.ncjweb.com. Logs must be emailed or postmarked within 30 days to [email protected] or to Boring Amateur Radio Club, 15125 Bartell Road, Boring, OR 97009, USA DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest--Digital Modes--sponsored by the Deutsche Amateur Radio Committee, 1100Z--1700Z Sep 8. Frequencies: 28050--28150 kHz on RTTY, Pactor PSK31, Amtor, Clover. Categories: SO, SWL. Stations may be worked on each mode, but count for multipliers only once. Exchange: RST + serial number. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO Points x WAE countries + DXCC entities + W/VE/JA districts. For more information--http://www.darc.de/referate/hf/contest/. Logs due 4 weeks after the contest to [email protected] or Werner Ludwig, DF5BX, PO Box 1270, D-49110 Georgsmarienhuette, Germany QRP ARCI End of Summer PSK31 Sprint, sponsored by QRP ARCI, 2000Z--2400Z Sep 8. 20-meters only, 14,070.15 kHz suggested frequency. Categories: SO, MS, DX. Exchange RST, and power or QRP ARCI number. QSO Points: members--5 pts, non-members same cont.--2 pts, non-members diff. cont.--4 points. Score: QSO points x SPC x Power Mult (<250mW x 15, 250mW-1W x 10, 1-5W x7, >5W x 1). For more information - http://personal.palouse.net/rfoltz/arci. Logs due 30 days after the contest to [email protected] or Randy Foltz, K7TQ, 809 Leith St, Moscow, ID 83843, USA. YO-DX Contest--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Romanian Amateur Radio Federation (RARF), 0001Z--2000Z Sep 1. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, MS. Exchange: RST and serial number, YO stations send county abbreviation. QSO Points: diff. country same cont.--2 pts, diff. cont.--4 pts, YO stations--8 pts. Score: QSO points x YO counties and DXCC entities counted once per band. For more information - http://www.qsl.net/yo3kaa/contests/yodx_eng.htm. Logs due 10 days after the contest to [email protected] or YO DX HF Contest, PO Box 22-50, 71100 Bucharest, Romania. NEWS & PRESS RELEASES The results for the 2002 Wisconsin QSO Party held March 10, 2002, are now available at http://www.warac.org. (Thanks, K9KR) From the ARRL Contest Desk-- The 2002 Field Day Logs Received Web page is available at http://www.arrl.org/contests/claimed/. Log Checking Reports (LCRs) are now up and available for 10 and 160. Final 2001 SS Plaques, DX Phone contest replacement certificates and specialty plaques, and the certificates for the January VHF and 10 GHz contests have all been shipped. Certificates for the 2001 EME contest will be shipped the week of August 26. (Thanks, N1ND) As long as we're on the subject of trophies, here's a status update on CQ WW awards. All CQ WW 2000 plaques have been produced and shipped. If you haven't received yours, you will shortly. All requested replacement awards have also been shipped. If you have not received an old award, now would be a great time to let K1AR know. Plaques for the 2001 WW SSB have already been ordered and should be available for shipment in about 30 days. (Thanks to K8DX for his assistance.) The CW awards are right behind. If you are interested in duplicate awards, usually plaques for each operator in a multi-op or a guest op wishing to give an award to his host, the cost for each award is $50. Send your request and payment to: John Dorr, K1AR, 2 Mitchell Pond Road, Windham, NH 03087. The engraver is processing nearly 200 plaques, so the lead-time will be about 60 days. Thanks for your patience. (Thanks, K1AR) While you are wrangling your August NAQP logs, Scott N3FJP has released North American QSO Party Log 1.0. Designed for the NCJ NAQP contests and Windows-based computers, it's a full-featured contest logger, including a CW and voice keyer. Available for download at http://www.n3fjp.com/, it's free to try and fully functional. Permanent registration is only $6. Start now so you'll be ready to go for the January NAQPs. (Thanks, AA1GW) If you're considering a truly studly 80-meter vertical for the upcoming low-band season, Jay Terleski WX0B of Array Solutions has a new, full-size, 1/4-wavelength 80/75-meter vertical. The AS80-FS consists of a free-standing 70-foot (approximate) aluminum radiating element that's attached to a plated-steel fold-over base. A predrilled radial plate is included. It can be mounted in as little as one cubic yard of concrete, and the wind rating is 110 mph. 160-meter operation is possible with a tuner. For additional information contact Array Solutions, 350 Gloria Rd, Sunnyvale, TX 75182; 972-203-2008, fax 972-203-8811; [email protected] or http://www.arraysolutions.com. Sometimes a vertical is just a vertical, fellas. (Thanks AA1GW and WX0B) TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE The subject of using surplus 75-ohm CATV hardline comes up regularly in various discussion groups. This is high-quality, low-loss feedline, but its 75-ohm characteristic impedance sometimes puts off potential users. Fear not--consider the following. First, if you are using the feedline for a single band, such as a 2-meter beam, use an SWR analyzer to cut the line to an integral number of electrical half-wavelengths. Feedlines repeat the terminating impedance every half-wavelength, so if your antenna presents a 50-ohm load, that's what the impedance will be any number of half-wavelengths away (ignoring the effects of attenuation), regardless of the line's characteristic impedance. Second, the VSWR on a 75-ohm line terminated in 50-ohms is only 1.5:1. Unless your application is quite demanding, it is unlikely that this low VSWR will result in excessive loss. For example, at 144 MHz, a 250-foot run of 1/2-inch, 75-ohm hardline only has 0.20 dB additional loss over 50-ohm hardline with an input VSWR of 1.25:1. Check in the ARRL Antenna Book or at http://fermi.la.asu.edu/w9cf/tran/ for a nifty VSWR calculator. For those of you that would like to give the NA Sprints a try (see listing above), but haven't done one before, a great "how-to" article written by Tree, N6TR, is available at http://www.contesting.com/articles/198. Sprint can be pretty intimidating to a first-timer, but once you've joined in, they're four hours of pure fun. CONVERSATION Related to the last issue's discussion on electronic log submissions, numerous emails continue to be handled regarding entries for the. ARRL Contest Branch staff have handled over 150 problem electronic logs for entrants in the 2002 IARU HF Championship - which accounts for approximately 10% of all electronic entries received. So even emailed logs don't guarantee less trouble. Following up on a reader's question - if a contest claims to accept Cabrillo logs and the contest name is not on the list at http://www.kkn.net/~trey/cabrillo/spec.html, then they have not contacted Trey Garlough N5KO, who maintains the list and numerous log-handling robot programs. (WAE is on the list to add.) If you are creating your own Cabrillo-format logs, you need to use one of the recognized contest names to have your log accepted by Cabrillo readers. If you would like to convert a log or manipulate a Cabrillo-format file, the WT4I Contest Tools is a fine software package--see http://www.cabrillotools.com/ for more information. Done with all my band floggin' I hustled to get my big log in. The results made me holler. My score was much smaller And the LCR scrambled my noggin! 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/
