Contester's Rate Sheet for May 18, 2005
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 18 May 2005 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver N0AX SUMMARY o CQ WPX CW and A Pair of QRP Sprints o Samuel Morse Sending versus Short Messaging Service o The Big D - Nope, Not in Texas This Weekend - Dayton Hamvention Extra o WRTC-Style Team Challenge and WRTC2006 Fundraising o On-Line Active Filter Design Program o Falling Derricks o Free Ham in Dayton BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue BUSTED QSOS o Roman RZ3AA and Vlad UA0AGI wrote in to note that the last issue omitted the annual CQ-M Contest (http://www.cq-m.andys.ru/) on 14-15 May - it's always the 2nd weekend of May. Vlad UA0AGI ([email protected]) is the CQ-M contest manager. o Scott W5WZ points out that the Louisiana QSO Party results just released are for the 2005 contest, held in February. Pretty fast turnaround, guys! ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICES FOR 18 MAY TO 1 JUNE 2005 Logs are due for the following contests: May 18 - 432 MHz Spring Sprint, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: 432 MHz Spring Sprint, ETDXA/WU4O, Jeff J Baker, 2012 Hinds Creek Road, Heiskell, Tennessee 37754, USA May 20 - ES Open HF Championship, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Toomas Soomets, ES5RY, PO Box 177, Tartu 50002, Estonia May 23 - 10-10 Int. Spring Contest, CW, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Steve Rasmussen, N0WY, 312 N. 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048, USA May 24 - SP DX RTTY Contest, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: SPDX RTTY Contest Manager, Christopher Ulatowski, Box 253, 81 - 963 Gdynia 1, Poland May 24 - Florida QSO Party, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Florida QSO Party, c/o Ron Wetjen, WD4AHZ, 5362 Castleman Dr, Sarasota, FL 34232, USA May 25 - Helvetia Contest, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Dominik Bugmann, HB9CZF, Zurichstrasse 104a, CH-8123 Ebmatingen, Switzerland May 31 - AGCW QRP/QRP Party, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Werner Hennig, DF5DD, Am Cappeler Freistuhl 33, D-59556 Lippstadt, Germany May 31 - EUCW/FISTS QRS Party, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: R.P. Kimpton, M5AGL, 15a Buckden Road, Brampton, Huntingdon PE28 4PR, England May 31 - Portuguese Navy Day Contest, CW/SSB, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Ncleo de Radioamadores da Armada, PO Box 226 - E. C. Alfeite, 2811-501 Almada, Portugal May 31 - JIDX CW Contest, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: JIDX CW Contest, c/o Five-Nine Magazine, PO Box 59, Kamata, Tokyo 144-8691, Japan May 31 - Holyland DX Contest, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Contest Manager 4Z4KX, Israel Amateur Radio Club, Box 17600, Tel Aviv 61176, Israel May 31 - Nebraska QSO Party, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Nebraska QSO Party, c/o Steve Rasmussen N0WY, 312 N 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048-1302, USA May 31 - Ontario QSO Party, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: Ontario QSO Party, Ontario DX Association, 155 Main Street North, Unit 313, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 8C2, Canada May 31 - SBMS 2 GHz and Up WW Club Contest, email to: (none), paper logs and diskettes to: SBMS Contest Committee, Pat Coker, N6RMJ, 40916 179th Street, Lancaster CA 93535, USA June 1 - Nevada QSO Party, email to: [email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: NK7C, Pat Hess, 759 Fairway Drive, Boulder City, NV 89005, USA The following contests are scheduled: 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; LP - Low Power; Entity - DXCC Entity HF CONTESTS 40th Annual Baltic Contest - CW/SSB, sponsored by the Lithuanian Radio Sports Federation from 2100Z May 21 - 0200Z May 22. Frequencies (MHz): CW 3.510-3.600, SSB 3.600-3.650 and 3.700-3.750. Categories: SO-CW/SSB/Mixed, MS, SWL. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number. QSO Points: Baltic (YL/ES/LY) stations count EU - 1 pt and non-EU - 2 pts, EU stations count Baltic - 10 pts, non-Baltic - 1 pt; non-EU stations count Baltic - 20 pts, non-Baltic - 1 pt. Score: total QSO points. For more information: http://www.lrsf.lt/bcontest. Logs due Jul 1 to [email protected] or PO Box 210, LT-3000 Kaunas, Lithuania. His Majesty King of Spain Contest - CW, sponsored by the Union de Radioaficionados Espa�oles (URE) from 1800Z May 21 - 1800Z May 22 (SSB is June 25-26). Frequencies: 160-10 meters using IARU Region 1 band plan. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, and MS. Exchange: RST and serial number or EA province. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x EA provinces counted once per band. For more information, send email to ure@ure.es. Logs due 22 Jun (SSB by 25 Jul) to concursoshf@ure.es or URE HF Contests, PO Box 220, 28080 Madrid, Spain. US Counties QSO Party - SSB, sponsored by The Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club from 0000Z May 21 - 2400Z May 22. Frequencies (MHz): 3.880, 7.240, 14.275, 21.340, 28.340. Work fixed stations once/band and mobiles once for each county and band. Categories: Mobile, Fixed. Exchange: RST and county or S/P/C. County line QSOs count as one QSO but separate multipliers. QSO Points: US fixed stations - 1 point, US mobile - 15 points, all others - 5 pts, one station must be in a US county. Score is QSO Points � US counties (counted only once). Mobiles sum score from each state. For more information: http://www.stpaulisland.net/countycontest.html. Logs due Jun 18 to (US logs) [email protected] or Duane Traver, WV2B, 99 Oregon Hill Rd, Lisle, NY 13797-1002, non-US logs to [email protected] or Scott Nichols, VE1OP, 387 Rudderham Rd, Point Edward, NS B2A 4V6, Canada. Portuguese Navy Day - PSK31, sponsored by the Portuguese Navy Radio Amateurs from 1300Z May 21 - 1300Z May 22. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters according to the IARU band plan. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number. QSO Points: see Web site for table. Score: QSO points x multipliers. For more information: http://www.qsl.net/cq5mgp. Logs due May 31 to [email protected] or N�cleo de Radioamadores da Armada, PO Box 226 - E. C. Alfeite, 2811-501 Almada, Portugal. CQ WW WPX Contest - CW, sponsored by CQ Magazine from 0000Z May 28 - 2400Z May 29. Frequencies: 160 -- 10 meters. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, SO-Assisted, -HP, LP, and --QRP, MS (10-min rule), M/2, MM, SO-Rookie, SO-Tribander-and-Single-Wire, SO-Band-Restricted. SO operate 36 hours max with off times at least 60 min. Exchange: RS(T) + serial number. QSO Points: different continents - 3pts (14-28 MHz) and 6 pts (1.8-7 MHz), with North America - 2 pts (14-28 MHz) and 4 pts (1.8-7 MHz), with own country - 1 pt. Score: QSO points x prefixes worked (ie, N8, KA1, HG73, JD1) counted only once. For more information: http://www.cqwpx.com/. Logs due July 1 [email protected]. QRP ARCI Hootowl Sprint - CW, sponsored by the QRP ARC International from 2000 - 2400 local May 29. Frequencies (MHz) - 1.810, 3.560, 7.040, 14.060, 21.060, 28.060 kHz. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, SO20-10, SO160-40, MOAB, DX stations are SOAB only. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and Power or QRP ARCI number. QSO Points: members - 5 pts, non-members/different continent - 4 pts, non-members/same cont. - 2 pts. Score: QSO points x S/P/C (counted once per band) x Power multiplier (<250mW x 15, 250mW - 1W x 10, 1 - 5W x7, >5W x 1) + Bonus Points (2000 for homebrew (HB) xmtr, 3000 HB rcvr, 5000 HB xcvr). For more information: http://www.qrparci.org/contest.htm. Submit entry form via contest Web site. Logs due 30 days after contest to [email protected] or QRP ARCI Contest Manager, Jeff Hetherington VA3JFF, 139 Elizabeth St W, Welland, Ontario, Canada L3C 4M3 MI QRP Memorial Day CW Sprint - sponsored by the MI QRP Club from 2300Z May 29 - 0300Z May 30. Frequencies: 160 - 6-meters. Categories: SOAB with classes A (<250 mW), B (<1 W), C (<5 W), D (>5W). Exchange: RST, S/P/C, 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 S/P/C counted once per band. 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 VHF+ CONTESTS No VHF+ contests are scheduled. NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES It was the ham radio equivalent of John Henry versus the Steam-Powered Drill, except this time, steam lost! On Friday, May 13th, NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" pitted two world-champions of sending Short Messaging Service (SMS) text via mobile phones against two ham radio CW champs - Chip K7JA and Ken K6CTW. The object - send a short text message as quickly as possible. The result - old man Morse delivered a slobberknocker to the thumbs of the SMS champs! Scott KA9FOX has placed video versions of the show's sending segment on his Web site at http://home.qth.com/. Information about the SMS champs can be found at http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=204808. All this SMS vs. CW stuff got started in Australia and the original competition is described at http://www.160characters.org/news.php?action=view&nid=1541. Chip and Ken were coasting at around 30 wpm, so maybe you'd something a little faster? Try watching Emil YO8RJV take on the RUFZ CW simulator program at something like 147 wpm in the video http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/photos/hst2004/rufz_attempt_yo8rjv.mpg. Several Potomac Valley Radio Club members have suggested it would be a good idea to send QSL cards to the Tonight Show at the following address: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 3000 W. Alameda Avenue Burbank, CA 91523 Look for Chip "John Henry" K7JA running around at the Dayton Hamvention in his telegrapher's costume! - - - - - - - -DAYTON HAMVENTION EXTRA - - - - - - - - - - - - Array Solutions (http://www.arraysolutions.com/) is rolling out the new PowerMaster Power/VSWR meter and the Optibeam OB11-5 beam at the Dayton Hamvention. The OB11-5 has 17 elements and covers 5 bands. The PowerMaster has more functions than any standalone meter on the market plus software features via an RS232 port that supports real-time data transfer to a PC. With the large Vacuum Fluorescent display (VFD), separate RF sensor, several modes of operation, and alarm functions, the PowerMaster sets a new standard for digital VSWR and power measurement. The PowerMaster is FCC and CE certified, as well. The 3 kW version's introductory price is $350. Kanga US will be introducing a new Digital Power Meter kit designed by Roger Hayward KA7EXM. It measures from approximately -75dbm (30 picowatts) to +7dbm (5 mw) from 1 - 500 MHz. An external tap can be built that will allow measurements of higher power. More info is available at: http://www.bright.net/~kanga/kanga where there are a number of neat kits and products. For the first time you will be able to have your QSL cards checked for several of the popular JA awards sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League at the Dayton Hamvention! Masa Ebisawa, JA1DM, will be present at the ARRL booth to represent JARL and check cards for the Asian DX Award (ADXA), The ADXA-Half Award, the famous All Japan Districts Award (AJD), the Worked All Japan Prefectures Award (WAJA), the Japan Century Cities (JCC) Award and the Satellite Fuji Award. (see the JARL Award Rules Web site http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award.htm. The fee for each award is $14, or 12 IRCs. Masa will have the certificates with him at Dayton and will issue them directly to the applicant. (Thanks, Bob W2CE) Make sure you stop by the Elecraft booth at Dayton for a non-QRP surprise! There was also a great profile on Elecraft in the "Santa Cruz Sentinel", in the Sunday, May 15th issue. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/May/15/biz/stories/01biz.htm. There's lots of good info and a nice promotion of ham radio! (Thanks, Rich KI6EH) SGC will be featuring their new miniature, single-band 500-watt "Mini-Lini" at Dayton. Get an advance preview at http://www.sgcworld.com/500watt.html. While you're out there wandering around, stop by and say hello! I'll be at the ARRL Author's table on Friday 12 - 1, and Saturday 10 - 11. Also look for my smiling face at the Radio Bookstore on Friday 1 - 2 and Saturday 9 - 10. All times plus or minus the time it takes to get back and forth in the arena. The ARRL Author's table will have numerous familiar names looking to meet their readers! For those of you driving to Dayton, or flying in and out of Cinncinnati, the Voice of America station will be open for tours by the WC8VOA club on both Saturday & Sunday. The Veterans Voice of America Fund is holding their Annual Pancake Breakfast Saturday from 8 AM until Noon. Sunday hours will probably be from 9 AM until people quit coming. Talk-in to WC8VOA will be available on the FARA 145.39 (-600) repeater, which may be accessible from the Hamvention with high power. Look for the VOA Museum's booth at Hamvention (booth 195) in the commercial area. The station is located about 20 miles south of Dayton, 5/8th mile east of I-75 at 8070 Tylersville Road (exit 22), about 1 mile east of I-75. A map to the station is available at http://www.wc8voa.org/ - click on the link in the June 2005 meeting notice. (Thanks, Gary K8DEV) Dayton is also the home of numerous pioneering aviation enterprises, including, of course, the Wright Brothers. If you have an interest in early aviation, take in some of the sights on the Aviation Trail - http://aviationtrailinc.org/. The National Air Force Museum is also a must-see. You can find out more about this excellent facility at http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The WRTC-Style Team Challenge will again be featured as a "contest-within-a-contest" during the 2005 IARU HF Championship. Sponsored by your editor and mimicking the WRTC team format, the competition encourages two-operator teams to practice using WRTC rules. There will be two changes this year: - high power is allowed (both low and high power will be noted in the results) - a special category for all family, siblings, parent-child, or spouses (dedicated to OK1QM and his father OK1NR) Rules will be posted on the Western Washington DX Club's Web site, http://www.wwdxc.org/. Grab a friend and enjoy the contests! Tom K8CX has posted 154 streaming Real Audio DX clips at http://hamgallery.com/dx2004. They cover all the major DXpeditions, several long-path openings, and rare and semi-rare DX. If you can't hear 'em on the air, you can at least remember 'em. (Thanks to the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin, edited by KB8NW, sysop of the BARF-80 BBS) To go with the DX sound clips, Ken WM5R has posted a short article at http://www.contesting.com/articles/647 discussing the log submissions each year for the past ten years in each of the ARRL-sponsored contests. One chart shows the HF contests (including Field Day) and the other the VHF+ contests. The trends in the VHF chart are very different from the trends in the HF chart - very interesting material. Attention WPX-ers - from May 17 to June 6 (Norway) and June 7 (Sweden), Norwegian and Swedish stations are allowed to use special prefixes to mark the Centenary of the Peaceful Dissolution of the Swedish-Norwegian Union in 1905. Accordingly, stations in Norway (except stations on Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen, Bjornoya, Bouvet, Peter I) may use the prefixes LI and LJ. Swedish stations may use the prefixes SE, SF, SJ and SG. (Thanks, Hans LA2MOA) Jeff K1ZM will be at the Dayton Hamvention doing some fundraising for WRTC2006 - the Olympics of Amateur Radio" which will be held in July 2006 in Southern Brazil, including: - Accepting donations/contributions - Selling raffle chances for a complete WRTC 2006 travel package to the games - one winner, R/T coach travel, hotel, WRTC 2006 ticket pass and vouchers for WRTC public meals, value $2000 approx US - Chances are available for $10 apiece, drawing at the Contest Dinner at Dayton on Saturday night. - Selling raffle chances on a NEW ACOM 1010 suitcase amp - Chances are available for $10 apiece. Drawing also at the contest dinner on Saturday night. - Selling WRTC 2006 Official Teeshirts will be available - sizes L, XL and 2XL - for $20 each - Selling WRTC 2006 Buttons - $2.00 apiece - These say "I Support WRTC 2006" and bear the colors of the official Brazilian flag - canary yellow and royal blue. At WRTC2006, we'll be driving around Florianopolis, confusedly trying to find our way and generally creating a hazard for innocent pedestrians. From the Lonely Planet Western Europe phrase book, this issue's Portuguese lesson is on traffic signs. Detour - Desvio No Entry - Proibido A Entrada No Parking - Proibido Estacionar One Way - Sentido Unico Yield - Dar Prioridade RESULTS AND RECORDS The Web results for the ARRL RTTY Roundup were finalized and opened to the membership. The remaining 2004 November Sweepstakes certificates have been mailed, as well. (Thanks, Dan N1ND) Marc ON7SS - UBA HF Contest Manager - writes that the results of the UBA SSB CONTEST 2005 are available on the UBA Web site http://www.uba.be/hf_contests/results/2005/uba_2005_ssb.html. TECHNICAL If you're a builder, you eventually need to construct an active filters. If you can't remember where you put that filter design book, try the National Semiconductor Active Filter WEBENCH on-line design resource at http://amplifiers.national.com/. Click on "Active Filter Design" in the Design box (there are other choices, including amplifier circuits). From there, you input the specifications, choose a filter response type, pick one of the recommended part types (there are quite a few suitable parts for most designs), and a design appears. Most ham circuits aren't fussy, so you can just go with any of the parts and get circuit values that will be "close enough." Or, if you're the inquisitive sort, you can play with the parameters, specs, and parts for hours! The "Falling Derrick" method of tower erection has nothing to do with using AA5BT as a counterweight. Rick N6BK uses this method to erect his 50-foot, 18-inch face Glen Martin Hazer tower and has been kind enough to describe the method at http://www.n6rk.com/falling_derrick_gme/falling_derrick_gme.html. Is typing technical? I guess for computer logging, it can be. Find out how good your hunt-and-peck technique stacks up against the next guy's at http://www.TypingTest.com/. Oh, those flying fickle fingers! Jim VE7FO suggests one additional fastener Web site - http://www.fastenal.com/. Click on Resources, click on Resource Document Library, then click on Fastenal Technical Reference Guide. A treasure trove of information! John W0UN came up with one more site, as well. "Here is an excellent source of information on metal specifications, shapes, and regularly produced sizes: http://www.metalreference.com/. On the home page just pick what type of metal you are interested in, aluminum, cold rolled steel, copper alloys, stainless steel, etc). Pick the shape you want and click INFO to get a table of all of the commonly available dimensions." John also recommends for those of us that enjoy watching buildings get "blowed up good" - http://www.implosionworld.com/natgeo.htm. CONVERSATION Free Ham In Dayton This issue's conversation piece turns to the hemisphere's (if not the world's) largest hamfest, the Dayton Hamvention, coming up this very weekend at Hara Arena and other associated venues. This batch of innocent lyrics was pilfered from Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in Paris" and is dedicated to all the hard-working contest volunteers out there that put in many hours of work so that we can have our fun. See you at Hara! The way I see it, he said, you just can't win it Everybody's running with maxed out gain You can't work them all There's always somebody crowdin' you out I do my best and I do good business There's a lot of people callin' all the time They're trying to get ahead They're trying to beat a top score of mine I was a free ham in Dayton I felt unfiltered and alive There were no more phone calls from the neighbors About obnoxious TVI You know I'd be in there this weekend But for the work I've taken on Stokin' the score checkin' machinery Behind competitive logs I deal in cheaters and rubber clock squeezers Lately I wonder what I do it for If I had my way, I'd just head out of doors And wander down the paths and driveways Checkin' tables along the way Thinkin how I'd feel when I find That very first rig of mine I was a free ham in Dayton I felt unfiltered and alive There were no more phone calls from the neighbors About obnoxious TVI You know I'd be in there this weekend But for the work I've taken on Stokin' the score checkin' machinery Behind competitive logs 73, Ward N0AX 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
