Contester's Rate Sheet for April 19, 2006
******************************************** CONTESTER'S RATE SHEET 19 April 2006 Edited by Ward Silver N0AX Published by the American Radio Relay League Free to ARRL members! (Subscription info at the end of newsletter) ******************************************** SUMMARY o Florida, Nebraska, Alabama State QSO Parties Blooming o 2 GHz and Up Contest, North American Spring Meteor Scatter Rally o NCJ News by K9LA & WRTC News o CQP Records and New England QSO Party Results o Converting a 40-2CD to 30 Meters o Terminal and Cross-Reference Web Sites o Peer Review BULLETINS o The DXColombia International Contest, usually held on the fourth weekend of April, is cancelled for 2006. BUSTED QSOS o The question of whether the readership is paying attention has been answered. The magic date and time printed in the last issue repeats every 100 years, not once per millenium. And even on different calendar dates depending on date notation. Thanks to all that responded. Jim VE7FO also pointed out that the proper year for the W3NQN QST articles on filters is 1998. -oo --- -o - -- oo ooo ooo -o-- --- oo- o-o LOG DUE DATES - 19 APRIL TO 2 MAY 2006 o-oo --- --o -oo o o- -oo o-oo oo -o o ooo April 20 - SARL 80m QSO Party, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Durban Amateur Radio Club, 17 Brownlee Place, Bluff, Durban, 4052, South Africa. Find rules at: http://www.sarl.org.za/public/contests/SARL_Contest_Manual.pdf. April 23 - CLARA and Family HF Contest, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Paulette Schouten, VE7VPE, c/o VECTOR, 3301 East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V5K 5J3, Canada. Find rules at: http://www.clara.comm.sfu.ca/contest.html. April 23 - EU Spring Sprint, CW, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Dave Lawley, G4BUO, Carramore, Coldharbour Road, Penshurst, Kent TN11 8EX, England. Find rules at: http://www.eusprint.com/index.php?page=140&lang=g. April 24 - Run for the Bacon QRP Contest, email logs to: [email protected], Upload log at: http://partsandkits.com/fp/autolog.asp, mail logs and diskettes to: Larry Makoski, W2LJ, 327 Clinton Place, South Plainfield, NJ 07080, USA. Find rules at: http://www.fpqrp.com/fpqrprun.html. April 24 - SARL Hamnet 40m Simulated Emergency Contest, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Hamnet Eastern Cape, Al Akers, ZS2U, 53 Clarence Street, Westering, Port Elizabeth 6025, South Africa. Find rules at: http://www.sarl.org.za/public/contests/SARL_Contest_Manual.pdf. April 25 - Spring QRP Homebrewer Sprint, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Ken Newman, N2CQ, 81 Holly Drive, Woodbury, NJ 08096, USA. Find rules at: http://www.njqrp.org/data/qrphomebrewersprint.html. April 30 - CZEBRIS Contest, email logs to: UK Logs: [email protected] Other Logs: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: UK Logs: G3XJS, Peter Barville, 40 Watchet Lane, Holmer Green, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP15 6UG, United Kingdom. Other Logs: OK1AIJ, Karel Behounek, Na sancich 1181, 537 05 Chrudim IV, Czech Republic. Find rules at: http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/czebris2005.txt. April 30 - Oklahoma QSO Party, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Oklahoma QSO Party, OK DX Association, PO Box 2591, Claremore, OK 74018-2591, USA. Find rules at: http://okdxa.org/web/html/okqprulz.htm. April 30 - SP DX Contest, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Polski Zwiazek Krotkofalowcow, SPDX Contest Committee, P.O. Box 320, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland. Find rules at: http://www.contest.spdxc.org.pl/reg/reg_g.html. April 30 - EU Spring Sprint, SSB, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Hrvoje Horvat, 9A6XX, 25 Rujan 4, HR-52000 Pazin, Croatia. Find rules at: http://www.eusprint.com/index.php?page=140&lang=g. April 30 - UBA Spring Contest, SSB, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: Lode Kenens ON6KL, Oudestraat 8, B-3560 Lummen, Belgium. Find rules at: http://www.uba.be/hf_contests/rules/uba_spring_en_2006.rtf. May 1 - CQ WW WPX Contest, SSB, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: SSB WPX Contest, CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Rd, Suite 405, Hicksville NY 11801, USA. Find rules at: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/WPX%20Contest%20Rules0612705.pdf. May 1 - BARTG Spring RTTY Contest, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: (none). Find rules at: http://www.bartg.demon.co.uk/Contests/06_rules.htm May 1 - Kids Roundup, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: AARC Jr, 7901 Pepperbox Lane, Pasadena, MD 21122-6328, USA. Find rules at: http://ki3ds.org/2006-KR-Rules.htm. May 2 - QCWA Spring QSO Party, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: W2OD, Robert Buus, 8 Donner Street, Holmdel, NJ 07733-2004, USA. Find rules at: http://www.qcwa.org/2006-qso-party-rules.htm. May 2 - Missouri QSO Party, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: N0AJ, James L Kinser, 2147 Encino Drive, Florissant, MO 63031-7627, USA. Find rules at: http://www.qsl.net/w0ma/mo_qso_party/mo_qso_party_rules.pdf. May 2 - 144 MHz Spring Sprint, email logs to: [email protected], mail logs and diskettes to: 144 MHz Spring Sprint, ETDXA/WU4O, Jeff J Baker, 2012 Hinds Creek Road, Heiskell, Tennessee 37754, USA. Find rules at: http://www.etdxa.org/2006_spring_sprint%20rules.htm -o-o - o- - o ooo - -o-o - o- - o ooo - CONTESTS - 19 APRIL TO 2 MAY 2006 -o-o - o- - o ooo - -o-o - o- - o ooo - 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 (>100 W); LP - Low Power; QRP (5W or less) HF CONTESTS Florida QSO Party, sponsored by the Florida Contest Group from 1600Z Apr 22 - 0159Z Apr 23 and 1200Z - 2159Z Apr 23, 20 hours max, work FL stations. Frequencies (MHz): CW--35 kHz from band edges, Phone--7.260, 14.260, 21.335, and 28.485, no 160 or 80 meters, VHF/UHF. Categories: SO, MS, MM (one signal per band), Mobile (SO and SO+driver), School Club, SWL, all categories HP (<150W), LP, or QRP and Mixed Mode/CW/SSB (except MM and SWL). Exchange: RST and FL county or S/P/C. QSO Points: CW--2 pts, SSB--1 pt. Score: FL stations--QSO points x S/P/C (W/VE/KH6/KL7 do not count as DXCC entities) x power multiplier; non-FL stations--QSO points x FL counties x power multiplier. All multipliers count once per mode. Power multiplier--HP x 1, LP x 2, QRP x 3. For more information: http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/. Logs due 23 May via the Web log entry page at http://www.b4h.net/cabforms/flqp_cab.php or to [email protected] (ASCII text or Cabrillo format) or Florida QSO Party, c/o Ron Wetjen, WD4AHZ, 5362 Castleman Dr, Sarasota, FL 34232. Nebraska QSO Party--CW/SSB/Digital, sponsored by the Heartland DX Association 1700Z Apr 22 - 1700Z Apr 23. Frequencies (MHz): 160 - 2 meters; CW--1.805 and 35 kHz above band edge, Novices/Technicians--10 kHz above band edge; Phone--1.915, 3.865, 7.265, 14.265, 21.365, 28.465, 146.460. Categories: SO, MS, NE Mobile. Work stations once per band/mode. Work NE mobile stations again in each county. County lines count as one QSO with each county. Exchange: RST and NE county or S/P/C. QSO Points: CW/Digital--2 pts, Phone--1 pt. Score: QSO Points x S/P/C for NE stations or NE counties (multipliers count once only) x Power Multiplier (QRP x 3, LP x 2, HP x 1). For additional information: http://www.qsl.net/hdxa. Logs due no later than May 31 to [email protected] or Nebraska QSO Party, c/o Steve Rasmussen N0WY, 312 N 6th Street, Plattsmouth NE 68048-1302. SP DX RTTY Contest--sponsored by Polish Radiovideography Club from 1200Z Apr 22 - 1200Z Apr 23. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: SOAB, MO, SWL. Exchange: RST + serial number + SP province. QSO Points: own country--2 pts, same continent--5 pts, diff cont--10 pts. Score: QSO Points x DXCC entities + SP provinces (counted once per band) + up to 6 continents. For more information: http://www.pkrvg.org/zbior.html. Logs due May 23 to [email protected] or SPDX RTTY Contest Manager, Christopher Ulatowski, Box 253, 81 - 963 Gdynia 1, Poland. Helvetia Contest---CW/SSB/Digital, sponsored by Union of Swiss Short Wave Amateurs (USKA) from 1300Z Apr 29 -- 1259Z Apr 30. Frequencies: 160 -- 10 meters. Categories: SO-Mixed, SO-QRP-Mixed, SO-Digital, MO-Mixed, MO-Digital, SWL. Exchange: RST and serial number (Swiss stations add canton abbreviation). QSO Points: 3 pts/QSO. Score: QSO points x Swiss cantons (Swiss stations also count DXCC entities). For more information: http://www.uska.ch/e_index.htm. Logs due 31 days after the contest to [email protected] or paper logs with less than 100 QSOs to Dominik Bugmann HB9CZF, Im Geeren 27a, 8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland. Alabama QSO Party--CW/Phone, from 1700Z Apr 29 - 0500Z Apr 30. Operate 10 hours max. Frequencies: 160-10 meters. Categories: Team, SOAB, Multi-Single, Mobile, and HP, LP (<150W), QRP. Exchange: RST and AL county or state or S/P/C. Work mobile stations in each AL county. QSO Points: CW--2 pts, SSB--1pt. CW QSOs count two points. Score: QSO Points x AL counties (AL station count S/P/C once only). For more information: http://www.alabamaqsoparty.org/. Logs due 30 days after contest in Cabrillo format to [email protected] or Jim Johnson KC4HW, 6274 South CR 49, Slocomb, AL 36375. VHF+ CONTESTS 2GHz and Up World Wide Club Contest, sponsored by the San Bernardino Microwave Society, from 6 AM local Apr 29 - 12 midnight Apr 30, operate 24 hours max. Frequencies: all bands at 2.4 GHz and higher. Categories: Small, Medium, Large Clubs. Exchange: 6-character grid locator. QSO Points: 100 pts for each unique call sign per band. Distance Points: 1 pt/km. Score: QSO + Distance points x Pwr multiplier (<500 mW x 3, 500 mW - 5 W x 2, >5 W x 1) calculated per band, sum scores from all bands. For more information: http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms. Logs due 30 days after the contest to SBMS Contest Committee, Pat Coker N6RMJ, 40916 179th Street, Lancaster CA 93535. North American Spring Meteor Scatter Rally--sponsored by the WSJT Group during the annual Eta Acquarids meteor shower from 0000Z Apr 29 and ends 0700Z May 7. Please note that the annual Eta Acquarids is a morning shower, the radiant being in a good position from about 0500 to 1200 local time. For more information about operating meteor scatter as well as contest information: http://www.ykc.com/wa5ufh/Rally/NAHSMS.htm. --o- ooo - --o- ooo - --o- ooo - -oo o NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST - oooo o o-o o- - o ooo oooo o o - -o- National Contest Journal News by NCJ Editor Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA The forthcoming May/June 2006 NCJ is a special issue about mobile contesting. The features cover a wide range of mobile contesting activities - from software to multi-op efforts to operating tips. These features were contributed by K8MR, NO5W, W1NN, NF4A, N0IJ, and N0FP. Additional articles include a piece from K3MD about his IC-7800, an informative article by K3NA telling us how to adjust our transmit audio for better quality, annual Field Day Records compiled by W4DC, the results for the October 2005 RTTY Sprint (W4OX), and results for the February 2006 Phone Sprint (K4MA). Rounding out the issue are the following columns: NCJ Profiles, Software for Contesters, Workshop Chronicles, RTTY Contesting, Propagation, Contest Calendar, DX Contest Activity Announcements, and Contest Tips, Tricks & Techniques. Finally, a general summary of the recent NCJ Readers Survey is given in the Editorial. I hope to see many of you at Dayton - I will be in the ARRL area from 12:30 to 1:30 on Saturday, and then I will give a brief NCJ Update in the Contest Forum. National Contest Journal - http://www.ncjweb.com/ - - - - - WRTC News A pair of raffles to support WRTC2006 is being hosted by Jeff K1ZM and the winner will be announced at the Dayton Contest Dinner. The prizes are - a free trip to WRTC2006 for one person and an ACOM 1010 amplifier (donated by Krassy K1LZ). A ticket for either raffle costs $10 (you can buy more than one ticket). For more information, contact Jeff at [email protected]. You can also support WRTC2006 with a laugh! Check out the dextrous and ever-surprising Bob N6TV's displays of manualism - http://rawilson.googlepages.com/. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to WRTC2006 through 1 June. You'll never rub your hands together again without thinking, "I wonder if I could do that..." This is sweet vindication for all of us that got in trouble for doing this in grade school. The WRTC2006 Web site (http://www.wrtc2006.com/) has been recently updated and reorganized. Take a peek if you haven't lately. In particular, the list of competitors is now completely updated. Multi-Single, Multi-National teams will be announced in early May. - - - - - Continuing the trend towards "open logs," Fabian DJ1YFK has created http://dl0tud.tu-dresden.de/~dj1yfk/cqww.html where the log checking results for CQ WW contests may be viewed. Contribute your own reports by adding your passwords to the UBN files. New Generation IOTA Software, coming shortly, will permit the use of confirmed IOTA contest contacts for IOTA credits, making it even easier to gain IOTA awards. Watch the IOTA Web site - http://www.rsgbiota.org/ - for more information and announcements. (Thanks, Don G3XTT) For Field Day this year, AO-51 will be setup in dual FM repeater mode, creating two usable FM repeaters from the satellite. The FM repeater on 435.300 MHz (Uplink 145.920 MHz) will be open to all users. The FM repeater on 435.150 MHz (Uplink 145.880 MHz) will be for QRP stations only, defined as up to 10 watts transmitter output into low-gain antennas. Both repeaters require a 67 Hz CTCSS tone. See http://www.amsat.org/ for more information. Does "RAMAC" mean anything to you? This is the 50th anniversary of the hard disk drive, introduced by IBM in September 1956. It stored 5M 7-bit characters and leased for $35,000 per year. It was a pretty amazing device. You can read all about it in EDN Magazine's on-line version at http://www.edn.com/article/CA6317063. More history - I've just been listening to this BBC Radio 4 programme about the history of the phonetic alphabet: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/pip/dho56/ (Thanks, Leon G1HSM) CW isn't history, but this Army CW Training Manual sure is! Tree N6TR has made the PDF version available on his Web site at http://www.kkn.net/~tree/ArmyStudentsManual.pdf. And when they say to copy the characters, you WILL copy the characters! RUFZxp 1.0.0 was released last week. It's freeware and can be found at http://www.rufzxp.net/. There is a new callsign database and many of the calls are more difficult to copy than in the DOS version (mobiles, /QRP, etc.) A new Toplist will be posted at the site sometime this week. (Thanks, Barry W2UP) Maybe you're heard about the new "Soft Rock" radios based on computer sound cards? (http://www.amqrp.org/kits/softrock40/index.html) Here are some places on the Web to find basic information about the Soft Rock radios and the flex-radio software. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/softrock40/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soft_radio/ Winrad and SDRadio: http://weaksignals.com/ Rocky: http://www.dxatlas.com/Rocky/ PowerSDR: http://www.flex-radio.com/downloads.htm (Thanks, Tod K0TO) For those of you with a penchant for sky-watching, the pieces of disintegrating comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (catchy name...just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?) are making a high-speed pass by the Earth between May 12 and 14. Since the comet is breaking up, there is a lot of dust and it should be fairly bright - easily visible with binoculars. For more information see the Spaceweather Web site at http://spaceweather.com/. While cleaning out some of my old papers, I stumbled upon this contest palindrome a lazy afternoon produced - Dennis, sign it! Set "No contesting is sin," Ned! I had so much fun with the the on-line Babel Fish translator at Alta Vista (http://babelfish.altavista.com/) that I return to its fertile window this issue: My partner snores a lot - Meu s�cio ressona muito Where is the nearest electronics store? - Onde est� a loja a mais pr�xima da eletr�nica? May I take off my shirt to operate? - Posso eu retirar minha camisa para operar-se? Our referee is asleep! - Nosso referee est� adormecido! I smell something burning - Eu cheiro algo que queima-se URL OF THE WEEK - Is this device (http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/loewe.html) the first integrated circuit? This interesting item is contributed by Steve AI7W. oo-o oo -o -oo -o-- --- oo- -o- RESULTS AND RECORDS -o-o o- o-oo o-oo oooo o o-o o ARRL CONTEST RESULTS NEWS Numerous writeups and scores are being processed after the busy contest season. Look for the on-line version of the ARRL 160 Meter Contest to be available shortly. The combined list of electronic and paper logs received for the 2006 ARRL International DX Phone Contest has also been posted at the ARRL Contest Web site: http://www.arrl.org/contests/claimed. If you find an error in your listing or do not appear, please contact N1ND at ARRL HQ. If you submitted electronically, please have your receipt number available. Clean Sweep Mugs for the 2005 ARRL November Sweepstakes and plaques for the 2005 June VHF QSO Party are shipped or shipping. Dan Henderson, N1ND - - - - - Results of the April Low Power Sprint are now available at http://pvrc.org/lpsprint_2006/results_06.html. (Thanks, Howie N4AF) The updated records page for the California QSO Party are out - http://www.cqp.org/results/Records/records_05.pdf. Only six records were set in 2005 as the sunspots (or lack there-of) took their toll. There are still some "low" records out there, maybe not "easy pickings" but available for the contesting stalwarts. (Thanks, Marc, W6ZZZ) Results from the 2005 New England QSO Party are now posted on the NEQP web site:http://www.neqp.org/. Plaques, certificates and printed results were mailed in the last few days. (Thanks, Tom K1KI) The Received Logs list for Japan International DX Contest is now available at http://jidx.org/2006cw-loglist.html. More logs are added nearly everyday. (Thanks, Tack JE1CKA) oo oo-o oo - ooo -o --- - -ooo o-o --- -o- o TECHNICAL TIPS AND INFORMATION -o-- --- oo- o-o o -o --- - - o-o -o-- oo -o --o Holy smokes - terminals and terminals and more terminals, plus how-to pages and all sorts of information! This page won't put a crimp in your style - http://terminaltown.com/ (Thanks, Jim VE7FO) Chuck W1HIS has written a 42-page article full of amazing detail on Common Mode chokes available in WORD or PDF versions. http://www.yccc.org/Articles/articles.htm. (Thanks, Tim K3LR) Microwave and wireless data mavens should look into the article "Low-Cost 2.4 GHz Spectrum Analyzer" in the April 2006 issue of Circuit Cellar Ink (a terrific magazine, by the way). It's available on-line at http://www.circuitcellar.com/. Joe W1JR reports on successfully converting the 40-2CD to 30-meters: "I am using a modified 30 meter beam with parts from a 40-2CD. Basically, the top hat rods (36" elements after the inductor) are removed. Next, the spacing is reduced to 140". The boom could be lengthened (with little performance increase) but I just used a simple 12-foot boom. Then the overall length of the reflector is reduced to 215" and the driven element to 212". I used a toroid balun at the feed but a few turns of RG8 coax (similar to 40-2 CD) should work fine. The VSWR is about 1.5:1 but that is no problem. My 30 meter 2 element shortened beam works great and F/B is over 12 dB." If the best protection is detection, Larry K8UT contributes his favorite Web resource for determining the proximity of real-time lightning activity - time to turn off the rig, disconnect the antennas and unplug the computers! http://www.weatherusa.net/lightningnet/ MIT scientists have harnessed the construction talents of tiny viruses to build ultra-small "nanowire" structures for use in very thin lithium-ion batteries. Sneak a peek at http://tinyurl.com/hj45l. Just the thing for your next QRP rig - makes an Altoids tin look like the Superdome! TECHNICAL URL OF THE WEEK - Here is the Mother of All Cross-Reference Web sites - http://www.sourceresearch.com/cross-reference.cfm. -o-o --- -- o --- -o o ooo --o o - oooo o o-o o CONVERSATION ooo o- o-oo o- o-o -o-o -o-- -o-o o-oo o oo--- oooo- Peer Review Most prevalent at the bottom of the sunspot cycles, these are the times when "them that's got are the ones that get" all around the globe. The low MUFs accentuate geographic inequities to the point where frustration makes it hard to stay with the sport. While we can't change the solar cycle (yet), we can do something about the consequences. There is no way to write a comprehensive set of rules that will equalize the reality of HF propagation. If you like tax codes, you would love the results! Similarly, by the time we get all of the distinct types of operation recognized, everyone will be in a category of one! Let's look past the yearning for rule changes and categories to the reason for it - recognition. It's natural and constructive, wanting to be recognized for one's accomplishments. That's what drives us to improve our operating skills and our stations, build antennas, write software, and develop Web sites. The contest community would be a pallid place without recognition. In fact, contesting is defined by recognition. The challenge for the sponsors and administrators is to maximize recognition within the limited resources available. We all know about the Black Hole, the inequities of latitude, population advantages and so forth. For any given contest, it's normal to have a favored group. The sponsors really don't have any choice but to extend their primary recognition to the top scorers, who are likely to be in that group. Yet the success of contests and contesting in general relies on the enthusiastic participation of all contesters, including those that are unlikely to see their calls in the overall Top Ten or on a piece of walnut. This is where all of us come in. Who knows the ins and outs of contesting from your region better than you and the other operators in your club? Who recognizes the significance of that extra effort from the local up-and-coming contester? Who appreciates the year-in-year-out participation of those familiar calls that fill out the log? Nobody knows like you - their peers! It's the recognition and appreciation of peers that motivates them while the national or international spotlight is focused on the Big Guns. There are numerous ways to provide that recognition and motivate your fellow contesters... - publicize the local or regional results in your club newsletter - volunteer your regional analysis to the sponsor for their Web site - sponsor intra-regional or inter-club competitions with awards - maintain a detailed database of local and regional records - reward consistent participation over time - create a cumulative competition for the entire year Publicize, volunteer, sponsor, maintain, reward, create - I can hear the wheels turning already! When you get right down to it, the biggest thrills come from the guys and gals that share your meetings, help with the tower projects, fill out the Field Day schedule, and come up to say, "Nice job!" By providing mutual recognition, we can avoid the "one operator, one basement" syndrome and keep our ranks full and vibrant. 73, Ward N0AX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION The Contester's Rate Sheet wishes to acknowledge information from the following sources: WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page - http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal SM3CER's Web site - http://www.sk3bg.se/contest ARRL members may subscribe at no cost by editing their Member Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet. Excel and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation