 January 1, 2014 Editor: Ward Silver, NØAX | |||
IN THIS ISSUE
NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO The first weekend of the year is a busy one on the digital modes. The ARRL RTTY Roundup and the 070 PSK Fest provide lots of opportunities for keyboarding fun. There are many key-pounding opportunities as well - why not get a fast start on that resolution to get your CW up to speed this year? BULLETINS This issue is somewhat attenuated due to the editor taking a bit of a holiday season vacation - best wishes in the new year to all of our readers! BUSTED QSOS The story in the previous issue about Voice of Russia shutting down should have been attributed to Rick, WW1ME. CONTEST SUMMARY Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section January 4-5
Jan 11-12
Thai hams got an early Christmas present - and so did the hams looking for Thai contacts on the HF bands! Champ E21EIC passed along the good news, "All 28 Thai hams who passed the US exam for General & Extra class got their letter of approval from NBTC [the Thai FCC - Ed.] on Dec 18, 2013." While the process took 20 months, "from now on Thai hams with General & Extra class US licenses can apply and wait only about two weeks to get their Thai HF license." Good job, Champ, and we look forward to more HS and E2 stations on the air from Zone 26! If you like to read about some serious DX of the upward-looking sort, International Radio Telescope Projects - A Life Among their Designers, Builders, and Users by Jacob Baars sounds like a good read. The book traces his career involving many of the major radio telescopes from Green Bank through the latest mm-wave dishes. Can you hear me now? A thought for your new year comes from G.K.Chesterton who said, "An adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." (Thanks, Dave K5GN)
If there's anything harder than getting ground rods into the ground, it's getting them out of the ground. Greg W8WWV invented this "K8AZ Ground Rod Puller" complete with YouTube video demonstration. This looks a lot easier than how I usually do it! (Thanks, Tom K8AZ) If you like a writeup that really gets "dish-y", check out Bruce W9FZ's interesting, engaging, and photo-laden extended results for the 2013 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest. Look for the 2013 Texas QSO Party results that have just been published on the contest's website. (Thanks, Chuck NO5W) The results of the October PreStew contest have been published online. I hope you had fun in the main event last weekend - the Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge! (Thanks, Tree N6TR) The URDXC Committee sends word that results of the 2013 Ukrainian DX Contest are now available and wish us all a Happy New Year! The CQ World Wide Contest's online database "search by call" feature is a lot of fun. After you get done admiring your personal accomplishments, enter some other calls to see how they've done and where they've been. The Classic Exchange contest results are online along with the group's newsletter which is always an interesting read. If you have a classic old rig gathering dust, why not give it a workout in one of these contests? (Thanks, Mac WQ8U) For tips on how to get spotted more easily by the Reverse Beacon Network, see some of the presentations linked from Bob N6TV's page on QRZ.com. Similarly, this can also help you avoid getting spotted if that suits your strategy a bit better. From Lou Frenzel, W5LEF in Electronic Design magazine comes a pair of interesting technical articles that address both the latest wireless technology and the earliest.
Technologists will be surprised at the content of the Instructables item, "Wirewrapping Basics." Here's a bright young lad being interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel about his knowledge of geography. I'd say this fellow has a bright future ahead of him as a DXer! (Thanks, Dick K6KR) If you'd like to know "what's that?" in the world around you, the website Hey, What's That? creates 360-degree panoramic views and terrain profiles from a given geographical location...like maybe yours! (Thanks, Zoli HA1AG) Steam-Powered Radio Waves
It's time for some holiday lyrical liveliness and thus a Dr Beldarization of the John Hartford tune, "Steam Powered Aereo-Plain". You probably know John better from his classic "Gentle On My Mind" but the album "Aereo-Plain", released in 1971, changed bluegrass and acoustic music in a big way. I have always loved the image of a steam-powered airplane, derived from John's love of riverboats, and when the thought occurred of morphing "aereo-plane" into "radio wave," well, the image was just right for the simultaneous ending of one year - perhaps you are reading this between Straight Key Night QSOs on an old tube rig - and the beginning of the next. As usual, Dr Beldar got a little carried away and added a couple of verses, as well. You can hear the original online and sing along, perhaps? Happy New Year to all of the Contest Update family - I hope you have a wonderful 2014! Steam-Powered Radio Wave Well I dreamt I flew away (Refrain) Well I'd like to be the vector (Refrain) Well my vacuum tube (Refrain) Well I woke up from my dream Way above the MUF 1 January through 13 January 2013 An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral in PDF format is available. Check the sponsor's Web site for information on operating time restrictions and other instructions. HF CONTESTS ARRL Straight Key Night--CW, from Jan 1, 0000Z to Jan 1, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 50+. Exchange: General QSO information. Logs due: Jan 31. Rules ARRL RTTY Roundup--Digital, from Jan 4, 1800Z to Jan 5, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, state/province/serial. Logs due: Feb 6. Rules Kid's Day--Phone, from Jan 5, 1800Z to Jan 5, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: Name, age, location, favorite color. Rules North American QSO Party--CW, from Jan 11, 1800Z to Jan 12, 0559Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: Name and S/P/C. Logs due: 7 days. Rules New Years Snowball Contest--Phone,CW, from Jan 1, 0000Z to Jan 1, 0100Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5. Exchange: RST, serial, AGB number. Logs due: 3 weeks. Rules SARTG New Year RTTY Contest--Digital, from Jan 1, 0800Z to Jan 1, 1100Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-7. Exchange: RST, serial, Happy New Year in your language. Logs due: Jan 31. Rules AGCW Happy New Year Contest--CW, from Jan 1, 0900Z to Jan 1, 1200Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-14. Exchange: RST, serial, AGCW number. Logs due: Jan 31. Rules NS Weekly Sprint--CW, from Jan 3, 0230Z to Jan 3, 0300Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-14. Weekly on Thursday evenings local time. Exchange: Serial, name, and S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days. Rules 070 PSKFest--Digital, from Jan 4, 0000Z to Jan 4, 2400Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: Call sign, RST, S/P/C . Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules WW Peace Messenger Cities--Phone,CW, from Jan 4, 1200Z to Jan 5, 1200Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RS(T) and PMC ref number or CQ zone. Logs due: 30 days. Rules QRP Pet Rock Sprint--CW, from Jan 4, 1500Z to Jan 4, 1800Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. QRP calling frequencies. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, QRP ARCI number or power. Logs due: 14 days. Rules EUCW 160 Meter Contest--CW, from Jan 4, 2000Z - See website. Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8. Exchange: RST, serial, club name, member nr or "NR". Logs due: Feb 12. Rules OK1WC Memorial Contest--Phone,CW, from Jan 6, 1600Z - See website. Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5, 7. See website for bands. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. Logs due: 5 days. Rules ARS Spartan Sprint--CW, from Jan 7, 0200Z to Jan 7, 0400Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Monthly on the first Monday evening local time. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and power. Logs due: 2 days. Rules CWops Monthly Mini-CWT Test--CW, from Jan 8, 1300Z - See website. Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Twice monthly on 2nd and 4th Wed, 18 to 28 kHz above band edge. Exchange: Name and member number or S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days. Rules YLISSB QSO Party--Phone, from Jan 11, 0000Z to Jan 12, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: Call sign, RS(T), ISSB number. Logs due: Mar 15. Rules MI QRP Club Jan QRP Contest--CW, from Jan 11, 1200Z to Jan 11, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, MI QRP number or power. Logs due: Feb 12. Rules Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from Jan 11, 1200Z to Jan 12, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, SKCC member nr. Logs due: 5 days. Rules DARC 10 Meter Contest--Phone,CW, from Jan 12, 0900Z to Jan 12, 1059Z. Bands (MHz): 28. Exchange: RS(T), serial, DOK code. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules VHF+ CONTESTS ARRL Straight Key Night--CW, from Jan 1, 0000Z to Jan 1, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 50+. Exchange: General QSO information. Logs due: Jan 31. Rules MI QRP Club Jan QRP Contest--CW, from Jan 11, 1200Z to Jan 11, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, MI QRP number or power. Logs due: Feb 12. Rules Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from Jan 11, 1200Z to Jan 12, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, SKCC member nr. Logs due: 5 days. Rules LOG DUE DATES 1 January through 13 January 2013
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