Contester's Rate Sheet for April 18, 2007

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          CONTESTER'S RATE SHEET
               18 April 2007

        Edited by Ward Silver N0AX

Published by the American Radio Relay League
 Free to ARRL members - tell your friends!
(Subscription info at the end of newsletter)
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SUMMARY
o State QSO Party Madness - FL, MI, NE, VE3
o For the Junior Operators - Kids Roundup
o Ham Atlas by SP6NVK
o Gadget Freak Archives
o Feld Hell Instructional Video
o Metrologists Gone Wild!
o Shades of Big Daddy Roth - Custom Decals
o QRP and SWL Homebrewers Site
o The Time Is Now

NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO
o If you've never operated in a state QSO party, the Florida QSO
Party is one of the biggest and the best.  Listen for mobile stations
and work them as they move from county to county!  And while you're
at it, the Nebraska, Ontario, and Michigan QSO parties will also be
attracting callers.  It's an excellent way to get rolling for your
Worked All States award!

BULLETINS
o No bulletins in this issue.

BUSTED QSOS
o A golden issue last time!

CONTEST SUMMARY (Rules follow Commentary section)

April 21-22
- YU DX Contest, CW
- Michigan QSO Party
- Ontario QSO Party
- Holyland DX Contest
- Kids Roundup
- ES Open HF Championship
- Motorola QSO Party
- EU Spring Sprint, SSB
- EA QRP Contest, CW
- TARA Skirmish, Digital
- EU EME Contest
- VHF Spring Sprint - 222 MHz (April 25)
April 28-29
- Florida QSO Party
- Nebraska QSO Party
- Helvetia Contest
- SP DX RTTY Contest
- Old-Old-Timers Club QSO Party
- DXColombia International Contest
- QRP To The Field - Run To The Border, CW

--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-

Bird squirters, take note! AMSAT will have many activities for the
Amateur Satellite enthusiast during the 2007 Dayton Hamvention. See
the AMSAT web site for additional information and directions:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamvention/Dayton2007.php 
Furthermore, John Heath G7HIA has written an excellent introduction
to satellite operation that the RSGB and G7HIA have generously posted
in PDF on the AMSAT UK Web site at http://www.uk.amsat.org/ Click on
"How Do I Start" on the left hand side of the home page then click on
"Getting Started on Amateur Satellites (RSGB article)" (from AMSAT
Weekly Bulletin ANS-098)

Darek SP6NVK invites us all to enjoy his new on-line Ham Radio Atlas
at http://www.hamatlas.eu/. It contains complete information on all
337 DXCC Entities, as well as over 3000 pictures and more than 1100
maps.  Thank you, Darek!

On a smaller scale, are you looking for a county map of any state? 
Check the Census Bureau Web site
(http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html) for maps and
statistics. (Thanks, Mike W0MU)

Ron K1TDY relays the official Daylight Saving Time Windows patch URL
- http://www.microsoft.com/windows/timezone/dst2007.mspx  "It has a
step by step process. Download tzedit.exe and follow the instructions
to change the daylight savings rules for your local time zone. They
don't cover Win 98 or ME but it may work for them as well. It comes
with help files that explain everything."

Most contest clubs are ARRL-Affiliated. Once a club is affiliated, it
remains affiliated, but to stay actively affiliated, a club leader
must complete and submit an Annual Report. A club's status will be
changed to inactive should two years go by without the submittal of
an Annual Report. A club can return to active status at any time by
simply completing and submitting an Annual Report
(http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/forms/fsd2/). If you are not
sure whether your information has been filed or if something
important has changed, please have your Secretary send in a new
report! (Thanks, Norm W3IZ)

Here's a new contest calendar that you can edit to add your own event
without emailing a calendar manager!  The interactive calendar at
http://www.zerobeat.net/cgi-bin/calendar/calendar.cgi is just getting
started.  Why not add your event and add to the growing listings? 
(Thanks, Thom K3HRN)

At three minutes and four seconds after 2 AM on the 6th of May this
year, the time and date will be 02:03:04 05/06/07. This won't happen
again for 1000 years!  How many sunspot cycles is that, anyway?
(Thanks, Phil W7PDZ)

URL of the Week - The Gadget Freak Files
(http://www.designnews.com/gfarchives) from Design News magazine are
full of interesting projects.  The latest is a sensitive vibration
detector based on a laser pointer.  Just browsing through the old
articles should give you plenty of ideas.

oooo  o  -o--     -o-- o- o-oo o-oo
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
o-- o- - -o-o oooo    - oooo oo ooo

Every ham needs a Robotic Beer Can Launcher (http://brkout.org/8h2)
don't you think?  Why, there are all sorts of useful purposes to
which something like this could be put. (Thanks, Trey N5KO)

The CN2WW video from the last ARRLDX CW contest is on line at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmxYm5_Khz4  There is also a full
contest report and more at http://cn2ww.blogspot.com/ (Thanks, Pat
CN2WW/CN5W)

Randy, K7AGE has done another one of his instructional videos, this
one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR-EmyEBVqA) is on the Feld Hell
Club Sprint Contest.  This is a good introduction to one of the more
interesting and oldest digital modes. (Thanks, Tim K6GEP)

Those of you that have suffered on either side of the computer user
customer support issue will enjoy this video - 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRBIVRwvUeE (Thanks, Trey N5KO)

oo-o oo -o -oo   -o-- --- oo- o-o
RESULTS AND RECORDS
-o-o o- o-oo o-oo    oooo o o-o o

EU HF Championship 2006 results are now available on the Slovenia 
Contest Club's Web page at
http://lea.hamradio.si/~scc/hfc/euhfc06.htm  All UBN reports are
public and open to all, accessible by clicking on the desired
callsign. (Thanks, Robert S57AW)

The Adventure Radio Society's Spartan Sprint results are published
quickly after every month's First-Monday contest at
http://www.ARSqrp.com/.  Are you in the Skinny or Tubby division?

oooo o -o--   -o-- --- oo-
OPERATING TIP
o-- o- -o- o      oo- o--o

One very valuable directive that I read long ago in a contest column
by a forgotten author (sorry!) was to take breaks when you're tired. 
Not long naps, just 5 to 10 minutes of walking around outside or
taking a shower.  Anything to get your brain refocused, "...even if
the whole band is calling!"  If you're slogging away, drowsy, nodding
off, then your accuracy is probably going to be terrible.  Do
yourself a favor and freshen up - you won't regret it!

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

Do you secretly yearn to be a metrologist? Tim K3HX relayed the URL
of an Agilent Web page
(http://metrologyforum.tm.agilent.com/download.shtml) crammed full of
technical software utilities for unit conversion, math formula
wrangling, mismatch and SWR calculation, and so forth.  Technical
professionals may find the measurement utilities useful, as well.

With electronics becoming ever more sensitive, sometimes the leakage
current from a soldering iron tip can prove more damaging than the
heat it delivers.  The video "Checking your Soldering Iron"
(http://www.pan-tex.net/usr/r/receivers/elrconstrknow.htm#before)
shows a simple method of checking your soldering equipment. (Thanks,
Sam KA5OAI)

In many areas, rocks or even bedrock make digging a hole for a tower
base mighty tough.  Joe WD0M shows us on his Web site
(http://home.centurytel.net/WD0M) how to turn lemons into lemonade
with a little drilling and epoxy. Click "Tower Project" in the "Ham
Radio" menu on the home page.

If trigonometry wasn't your favorite high school subject, you will be
pleased to learn the Victor KB4TCU has made some updates to his tower
guy wire length calculator at
http://www.georgiacapital.net/scantest/hamhelp.htm  This could
certainly help avoid some costly ordering errors.

If you have built a handy new project for the shack and would like to
label it with something a little more sophisticated than a marking
pen, you might consider decals as well.  Many of us have built
plastic models and applied water-transfer decals.  The Testors
company offers a custom decal kit
(http://www.testors.com/catalog_item.asp?itemNbr=2255) for you to
create your own labels.  The kit includes a spray can of decal sealer
and a CD with the creation software and designs. (Thanks, Walt KE8BQ)

Here's an interesting PowerPoint presentation by Steve K6OIK on
"Antenna Impedance Models".   It's downloadable in PDF format at
http://tinyurl.com/366nfn.  This pertains to free-space dipoles, but
that's the only reliable comparison environment. (Thanks, Kevin
N7WIM)

Here's another good meter/dial drawing program--GALVA from F5BU. It
can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/35qg5l. The ZIP file also has
wonderful examples of nomograms of great interest also formatted as
PDF files. (Thanks, Jon EA2SN)

Just right for reading by the fire on a rainy spring day between
antenna parties and contest openings--a good, detailed eham.net
article (http://www.eham.net/articles/16319) on ferrite cores by
W0IVJ.

TECHNICAL URL OF THE WEEK -- Kevin N7WIM also contributes this fine
Web site (http://www.qrp.pops.net/) for homebrewers and builders. 
Whether you build entire radios or gadgets and adapters, you'll find
lots of interesting ideas here.

o- -o-o -o-o oo- o-o o- -o-o -o--   oo ooo   o--- --- -ooo
CONVERSATION
--- -o o   oo -o   -o-o --- -o - o ooo - oo -o --o

The Time Is Now

A couple of years ago (in the 19 May 2004 issue to be exact) I
published a short essay on reaching out, the biggest challenge to
amateur radio and amateurs.  With Morse code having been removed as a
licensing requirement and the subsequent inrush of new and upgrading
hams, it is even more important to meet the challenge of outreach. 
Not only for contesting, but for amateur radio in general.

What is it that will turn a casually interested new ham into a
five-year, ten-year, lifetime ham?  What is it that about amateur
radio that will hold the Technician's interest and get them excited
about finding out what lies around each of ham radio's many corners
and curves?  What is it that takes ham radio from a means to an end
to being an end in itself?  Where that crackly hiss from the speaker
becomes an invitation instead of something to be muted?

There are so many paths from that first taste through the mysteries
to discovering the magic that waits behind every power switch.  And
there are so many new call signs popping up on the bands!  How will
they find a good path, a true path?  How will they gain the
confidence to take on those mysteries, just as we did, and make it
through to the other side?

Every reader of this newsletter can be a guide, a mentor, a teacher,
a friend.  These eager new faces are standing on the sidelines
waiting to be invited to a club meeting, the Saturday breakfast, a
hamfest, a multi-op contest. You can find them in the FCC database
with brand-new calls.  Many of them regularly log on to the ARRL Web,
QRZ.com, or eham.net.  In fact, I'll bet a lot of new hams check your
club's Web site to see what's there.

Take a look at that club Web site.  If a new ham found your club
using the ARRL Club Search page at
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/clubsearch.phtml, what would
they find?  Would there be a "Welcome, New Hams" button or link? 
Would a recent upgrade to General feel comfortable attending an
upcoming meeting?  Could they even *find* the meeting?

Once a new face works up the nerve to attend a meeting or informal
gathering, would they be welcomed into the group or would they be
left standing around on the periphery?  Too many groups let newcomers
just fend for themselves.  Is it any wonder a second visit just
doesn't happen?

Here's some suggestions to every club and group:
- Make sure a visitor will see a welcoming message
- Offer help and information in your group's specialty
- At gatherings, seek out and welcome new members
- Help new members break the ice with the cliques
None of this costs a nickel - just the expenditure of a little
goodwill and ham spirit.  

In the past thirty days, there are nearly 6000 new hams and more than
11,000 upgrades.  The Amateur Service has reversed its population
trend and is growing again.  This is good for contesting and good for
Amateur Radio.  Some are worried that this will change ham radio and
no doubt, it will!  Yet, if certain practices and attitudes are
important to ham radio, how will these newcomers find out about them?
 It is fairly unreasonable to expect that information to be magically
absorbed from the aether.  

It's up to us, not some nebulous 'them', to help this wave of new
hams and make them part of what ham radio is and should be. After
all, ham radio is you and me!  Take a moment to do your part and help
your organization do its part. There is no better time - the time is
now.

73, Ward N0AX

-o-o  --o-  - o ooo - -o-o  --o-  - o ooo -
CONTESTS -- 18 APRIL THROUGH 1 MAY 2007
-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

YU DX Contest--CW, sponsored by the Amateur Radio Union of Serbia
(SRS) from 2100Z Apr 21 - 0500Z Apr 22 and 0900Z - 1700Z Apr 22.
Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters. Categories: Lower Bands (1.8, 3.5, 7
MHz), Upper Bands (14, 21, 28 MHz), QRP/LP/HP for both. Exchange: ITU
zone only. QSO Points: same continent--2 pts, diff cont--4 pts.
Score: QSO Points x (ITU zones + YU/YT/YZ/4O/4N prefixes, all counted
per band).
For more information: http://yudx.net/. Logs due 30 days after the
contest to [email protected] or Savez radio-amatera Srbije, YU DX
Contest, PO Box 48, 11001 Beograd, Serbia.

Michigan QSO Party--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Mad River Radio Club,
from 
1600Z Apr 21 - 0400Z Apr 22. Bands: 80-10 meters. Frequencies: CW--45
kHz from band edge, Phone (MHz)--3.825, 7.200, 14.250, 21.300,
28.450. Work stations once per band and mode, MI-to-MI QSOs allowed,
mobiles and portables can be worked from each county. Categories: SO,
MS, MM, Mobile SO, Mobile MO. Exchange: serial number and MI county
or S/P/C. QSO Points: CW--2 pts, Phone--1 pt. Multipliers for MI
stations are states, provinces and MI counties; multipliers for
non-MI stations are MI counties. Multipliers count once per mode.
Score: QSO points x multipliers. For more information:
http://www.miqp.org/. Logs due 30 days after the contest to
[email protected] or Mad River Radio Club, c/o Dave Pruett, 2727 Harris
Rd Ypsilanti, MI 48198.

Ontario QSO Party--CW/Phone, sponsored by Contest Club Ontario and
the Ontario DX Association from 1800Z Apr 21 - 1800Z Apr 22.
Frequencies (MHz): SSB--1.870, 3.735, 3.860, 7.070, 7.260, 14.130,
14.265, 21.260, 28.360; CW--30 kHz above band edges; VHF-SSB: 50.130,
144.205, 432.105; VHF-FM 52.540, 146.550, 446.1, no repeater QSOs.
Categories: SOAB and SOSB (HP, LP <150W HF & 50W VHF, QRP) in CW,
Phone, and Mixed Modes, SO VHF FM QRP, MS, SWL, Mobile, Rover.
Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or Ontario QTH. QSO Points: HF SSB--1 pt,
HF CW--2 pts, VHF--5 pts (work stations once per VHF band), 10 pts
for each QSO with VA3CCO, VE3ODX and VA3RAC. No county line QSOs.
Score is QSO Points x Ontario QTHs (non-VE3 stations) or S/P/C +
Ontario QTHs (mults count once per band). For more information:
http://cco.ve3xd.com/oqp. Logs due May 31 to [email protected] or Ontario
QSO Party, Ontario DX Association, PO Box 161, Station "A",
Willowdale, Ontario, M2N 5S8 Canada.

Holyland DX Contest--CW/SSB/Digital, sponsored by the Israel Amateur
Radio Club from 0000Z - 2359Z Apr 21. Frequencies: 160 -- 10 meters
according to IARU Region I band plan, work Israeli stations once per
band and mode. Categories: SO (Mixed Mode, CW, SSB, Digital, QRP),
MS, MM, SWL. Exchange RST and serial number or Israel district. QSO
Points: 1.8 or 3.5 MHz--2 pts; other bands 1 pt. Score: QSO Points x
districts counted once per band. For more information:
http://www.iarc.org/. Logs due 31 May to [email protected] or Contest
Manager 4Z4KX, Israel Amateur Radio Club, Box 17600, Tel Aviv, 61176,
Israel.

Kids Roundup--Phone, sponsored by the Anne Arundel Radio Club, Jr,
from 1400Z Apr 21 - 2200Z Apr 22.  Frequencies: 80 meters-70 cm. See
Web site for categories and QSO Point rules. Exchange: Call sign,
QTH, category, first name. Contacts with amateur radio station KI3DS
count 25 points.  For more information: http://www.ki3ds.org/. Logs
due May 1 to [email protected] or AARC Jr, Attn: Bob Rose, 7901
Pepperbox Lane, Pasadena, MD 21122-6328.

ES Open HF Championship--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Estonian Radio
Amateurs Union from 0500Z - 0859Z Apr 22. Frequencies: 80 and 40
meters. Categories: SO (SSB, CW, Mixed), MS, SWL. Exchange: RST and
serial numbers, Duplicate QSOs allowed once per hour (see Web site).
QSO Points: SSB--1 pt, CW--2 pts. Score: QSO Points x ES prefixes
counted once per band and mode. For more information:
http://www.erau.ee/index.php?newlang=eng.  Logs due May 19 to
[email protected] or Toomas Soomets ES5RY, PO Box 177, Tartu, 50002
Estonia.

Motorola QSO Party--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Motorola Amateur Radio
Club - Illinois Section from 1700Z Apr 21 - 0300Z Apr 22. Frequencies
(MHz): 160 - 2 meters; Phone: 1.880, 3.880, 7.180, 14.280, 21.380,
28.380, 50.180. Categories: see Web site. Exchange: RS(T) + S/P/C
(Motorolans give office location code). QSO Points: Phone--1 pt/QSO,
CW--2 pts/QSO. Score: QSO points x Motorola office codes (Motorolans
also count S/P/C). For more information:
http://www.qsl.net/k9mot/motqp.htm. Logs due 31 May to
[email protected] or 2007 MOTQP, c/o Mike Swiatkowski, AA9VI, 225
Southgate Dr, Northbrook, IL  60062 USA.

EU Spring Sprint--SSB, managed by 9A6XX from 1600Z - 1959Z Apr 21.
Frequencies (MHz): SSB--3.730, 7.050, 14.250. SO category only
(results list LP with *), EU stations work everyone, non-EU stations
work EU only. Exchange: your call, the other station's call, serial
number starting at 001, your name--both stations must repeat both
callsigns. If any station initiates a call (CQ, QRZ, etc.) he is
permitted to work only one station on the same frequency and must
move at least 2 kHz before he may call another station or before he
may call CQ again. Score is the total QSOs (1 point/QSO). For more
information or contest software: http://www.eusprint.com/. Logs due 15
days after the contest to [email protected] (ASCII format) or Hrvoje
Horvat 9A6XX, 25 Rujan 4, HR-52000 Pazin, Croatia.

EA QRP Contest--CW, sponsored by the EA QRP Club. From 1700Z Apr 21 -
1300Z Apr 22 in four parts (see Web site). Frequencies: 80-10 meters.
Categories: QRP and QRPp (<1 W). Exchange: RST+"A" (QRP) or "B"
(QRPp) + M (Member EA QRP). QSO points: same country--1 pt, same
continent--2 pts, diff cont--4 pts, all QRPp--5 pts. For more
information: http://www.eaqrp.com/. Logs due 30 days after the contest
to [email protected] or Vocalia de Concursos (Concurso CW), PO Box
48021, E-28043, Madrid, Spain.

TARA Skirmish--Digital Prefix Contest--all Digital modes, sponsored
by Troy ARA, 0000z - 2400z Apr 21. Frequencies: 160 - 6 meters, work
stations once per band. Categories: High, Low (<100W), Great (<20W),
QRP (<5W), SWL. Exchange: Name and Prefix. Score: QSO's x WPX
prefixes x power multiplier. (High x0.5, Low x1, Great x2, QRP x3)
Multipliers count once per band. For more information:
http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_dpx_rules.html or
[email protected]. Scores due May 19 via contest entry form
at http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_dpx_score.html

Florida QSO Party, sponsored by the Florida Contest Group from 1600Z
Apr 28 - 0159Z Apr 29 and 1200Z - 2159Z Apr 29, 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, DC is a separate multiplier) 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 29 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 28 - 1700Z Apr 29. 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). For additional information: http://www.qsl.net/hdxa. Logs due
May 31 to [email protected] or Nebraska QSO Party, c/o Steve Rasmussen
N0WY, 312 N 6th St, Plattsmouth NE 68048-1302.

Helvetia Contest--CW/SSB/Digital, sponsored by Union of Swiss Short
Wave Amateurs (USKA) from 1300Z Apr 28 -- 1259Z Apr 29. 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.

SP DX RTTY Contest--sponsored by Polish Radiovideography Club from
1200Z Apr 28 - 1200Z Apr 29. 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 21 to [email protected]
or SPDX RTTY Contest Manager, Christopher Ulatowski, Box 253, 81 -
963 Gdynia 1, Poland.

Old-Old-Timers Club QSO Party--CW/SSB, from 0000Z Apr 28 - 2359Z Apr
29. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Exchange: RS(T) and member number or
state. Score: total number of QSOs, work stations once per band and
mode. For more information: http://www.ootc.us/party or. Report
scores by 30 days after the contest to [email protected] or OOTC QSO
Party, c/o Mark Titterington W1EOF, 74 Hornet Rd, North Kingstown, RI
02852

DXColombia International Contest--Phone/CW, sponsored by DX Colombia,
from 0000Z Apr 28 - 0000Z Apr 29.  Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters.
Categories: SOAB, SOSB, MS, MM. Exchanges: RS(T) + serial number. QSO
Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO Points x HK Call Areas counted once per
band. For more information: http://www.dxcolombia.com/conteSthtm.
Logs due Sep 23 to [email protected] or Transversal 56 #22-107,
Bosque, Cartagena, Colombia.

QRP To The Field--Run to the Border--CW, 1500Z Apr 28 to 0300Z Apr
29. Frequencies: 40-10 meters. Categories: SO, MO-QRP (Fixed, State
Line, Taco Bell). Exchange: RST + S/P/C or TB for Taco Bell stations.
For multiplier and scoring information: http://www.zianet.com/QRP.
Logs due 1 June to [email protected] or QRPTTF 2006, PO Box 1768, Socorro
NM 87801.

VHF+ CONTESTS

VHF & Up Spring Sprints--CW/SSB, sponsored by John Kalenowsky, K9JK,
and Steve Gilmore, W4SHG from 7-11 PM local time, Apr 25. Frequencies
(MHz): 432 MHz. Categories: Fixed and Rover. Exchange: Grid Square.
QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO Points x Grid Squares. For complete
information: http://www.sysadnet.com/vhfsprintrules.htm. Logs in
Cabrillo format (see Web site for due dates) via
http://b4h.net/cabforms, to [email protected] or Spring
Sprints, c/o Steve Gilmore W4SHG, 11 Ryan Way, Stafford, VA 22554.

EU EME Contest--CW/SSB, sponsored by DUBUS and REF from 0000Z Apr 21
- 2400Z Apr 22. Frequencies: 144 MHz, 2.3 & 3.4 GHz. Categories:
Single and Multi-band, QRP and QRO--based on EIRP, Pro, CW, Digital,
Mixed. Exchange: callsigns TMO/RST and "R". QSO Points: 144--100 pts
for random, 10 pts for scheduled QSO, 2.3 GHz and higher--100
pts/QSO. Multipliers are CQ WPX prefixes--see Web site for scoring
and more information: http://www.dubus.org/. Logs due Jun 19 for
CW/SSB to [email protected] or [email protected] or Patrick Magnin, F6HYE,
Marcorens, F-74140 Ballaison, France.

-oo  --- -o - -- oo ooo ooo   -o-- --- oo- o-o
LOG DUE DATES - 18 APRIL THROUGH 1 MAY 2007
o-oo  --- --o     -oo o o- -oo o-oo oo -o o ooo


April 18 - ARCI HF Grid Square Sprint, email logs to:
[email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: ARCI Spring QSO
Party, c/o Jeff Hetherington, VA3JFF, 139 Elizabeth St W., Welland,
Ontario L3C 4M3, Canada. Find rules at:
http://www.qrparci.org/component/option,com_extcalendar/Itemid,/extmode,view/extid,47/lang,en/


April 19 - SARL 80m QSO Party, email logs to: [email protected],
paper logs and diskettes to: Durban Amateur Radio Club, 17 Brownlee
Place, Bluff, Durban, 4052, South Africa. Find rules at:
http://www.sarl.org.za/SARL%20Contest%20Manual%202007.pdf
April 23 - Run for the Bacon QRP Contest, email logs to:
[email protected],   Upload log at: http://gentzow.com/fpqrp/autolog.asp,
paper logs and diskettes to: Larry Makoski, W2LJ, 327 Clinton Place,
South Plainfield, NJ 07080, USA. Find rules at:
http://www.gentzow.com/fpqrp/fpqrprun.htm 

April 23 - SARL Hamnet 40m Simulated Emerg Contest, email logs to:
[email protected], paper 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/SARL%20Contest%20Manual%202007.pdf 

April 24 - QRP Homebrewer Sprint, email logs to: [email protected], paper
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 24 - CLARA and Family HF Contest, email logs to: [email protected],
paper logs and diskettes to: Leona, VE7ONY, PO Box 266, 2475 Dobbin
Road #22, Westbank, BC V4T2E9, Canada. Find rules at:
http://www.clara.comm.sfu.ca/conteSthtml 

April 24 - 144 MHz Spring Sprint, email logs to:
[email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: 144 MHz
Spring Sprint, Steve Gilmore, W4SHG, 11 Ryan Way, Stafford, VA 22554,
USA. Find rules at: http://www.sysadnet.com/vhfsprintrules.htm 

April 25 - EA RTTY Contest, email logs to: [email protected], paper
logs and diskettes to: (none). Find rules at:
http://www.ure.es/hf/concursos/eartty/basesearttyingles.pdf 

April 29 - EU Spring Sprint, CW, email logs to: [email protected],
paper 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 29 - UBA Spring Contest, SSB, email logs to: [email protected],
paper logs and diskettes to: Frans Nevelsteen, ON6KN, Mgr.
Cruysberghslaan 43, B-2450 Meerhout, Belgium. Find rules at:
http://www.uba.be/hf_contests/rules/uba_spring_en_2007.pdf 

April 30 - Oklahoma QSO Party, email logs to: [email protected], paper
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], paper
logs and diskettes to: Polski Zwiazek Krotkofalowcow, SPDX Contest
Committee, P. O. Box 320, 00-950 WARSZAWA, POLAND. Find rules at:
http://www.conteStspdxc.org.pl/reg/reg_g.html 

April 30 - ARLHS Annual Spring Lites QSO Party, email logs to:
(none), paper logs and diskettes to: Dave Ruch, NF0J, PO Box 20696,
Bloomington, MN 55420-0696, USA. Find rules at:
http://arlhs.com/SL-2007-guidelines.html 

May 1 - CQ WW WPX Contest, SSB, email logs to: [email protected], paper
logs and diskettes to: SSB WPX Contest, CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Rd,
Suite 405, Hicksville NY 11801, USA. Find rules at:
http://www.cqwpx.com/rules.htm 

May 1 - BARTG Spring RTTY Contest, email logs to:
[email protected], paper logs and diskettes to: (none). Find
rules at: http://www.bartg.demon.co.uk/Contests/07_rules.htm 

May 1 - QCWA Spring QSO Party, email logs to: [email protected], paper
logs and diskettes to: W2OD, Robert Buus, 8 Donner Street, HOLMDEL
N.J. 07733-2004, USA. Find rules at:
http://www.qcwa.org/2007-qso-party-rules.htm 


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>.

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