The ARRL Contest Update Newsletter
News and Techniques for the Active Operator
(Formerly the Contester's Rate Sheet)
Contester's Rate Sheet for January 15, 2003
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Contester's Rate Sheet
15 January 2003
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Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX
SUMMARY
o Contest from DC to Daylight -- NAQP Phone and VHF Sweepstakes this
weekend!
o IARU HF Championship results available
o 115 days until the Florida QSO Party 2003
o First YL Operators list
o Gel-Cell Battery derating
o Vitamin T
BULLETINS
o Be sure to check the correct date and time as shown below for the
ARRL VHF Sweepstakes -- there were a couple of glitches in QST's
printed info.
BUSTED QSOS
o I'm sure that owners of TS-50's were surprised to learn that their
rigs had a secret VHF/UHF capacity as I reported in the Conversations
section last time. Maybe a little wishful thinking on my part!
ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 15 JANUARY TO 28 JANUARY 2003
Logs are due for the following contests:
o January 15 - CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - email to: cw@cqww.com,
paper logs to: CQWW CW, CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Road, Hicksville, NY
11801, USA
o January 15 - Six Club 1st Winter Contest - email to:
sixclub@6mt.com, paper logs to: Six Club, PO Box 307, Hatfield, AR
71945, USA
o January 15 - ARRL 10-Meter Contest - email to: 10meter@arrl.org,
paper logs to: 10 Meter Contest, ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT
06111, USA
o January 15 - OK DX RTTY Contest - email to: milos@testcom.cz, paper
logs to: Czech Radio Club, OK DX RTTY Contest, PO Box 69, 113 27 Praha
1, Czech Republic
o January 17 - Great Colorado Snowshoe Run - email to:
contest@cqc.org, paper logs to: Snowshoe, c/o CQC, PO Box 371883,
Denver, CO 80237-1883, USA
o January 19 - Russian 160-Meter Contest - email to: contest@radio.ru,
paper logs to: Radio Magazine, Seliverstov per. 10, Moscow 107045,
Russia
o January 21 - Croatian CW Contest - email to: zmaticic@inet.hr, paper
logs to: Hrvatski Radioamaterski Savez, for Croatian CW Contest, PO
Box 149, 10002 Zagreb, Croatia
o January 22 - AGB NYSB Contest - email to: eu1eu@qsl.net, paper logs
to: Igor "Harry" Getmann, EU1EU, PO Box 143, Minsk, 220005, Belarus
The following contests are scheduled:
Note that the following abbreviations are used to condense the contest
rules summaries:
SO - Single-Op; M2 - Multiop - 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
ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes - 1900Z Jan 18 - 0400Z Jan 20.
Frequencies: all bands above 6-meters. Categories: SO
--LP/-HP/-Portable, Rover, MO, Limited MO. Exchange: Grid Square. QSO
Points: 50/144 MHz -- 1 pt, 222/440 MHz -- 2 pts, 902/1296 MHz -- 4
pts, 2.3 GHz and above -- 8 pts. Score: QSO Points x Grid Squares
(counted once per band), Rovers include Grid Squares from which they
were able to complete a QSO. For more information --
http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2003/01vhfss.html. Logs due Feb 19
to januaryvhf@arrl.org or January VHF Sweepstakes, ARRL, 225 Main St.,
Newington, CT 06111.
North American QSO Party - Phone - sponsored by the National Contest
Journal from 1800Z Jan 18 - 0600Z Jan 19. Frequencies: 160 -- 10-meter
bands. SOAB-LP and M2 categories with max power 100 W, operating a
maximum of 10 hours (off times must be at least 30 min and M2 entries
may operate the entire contest). Exchange name and SPC. Score is QSOs
x States + Province + NA DXCC entities (count each once per band). For
information - http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.html. Logs must be
emailed or postmarked by Feb 18 to Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, 4225 Farmdale
Ave, Studio City, CA, 91604, USA or ssbnaqp@ncjweb.com
MI QRP Club January CW Sprint - 1200Z Jan 18 - 2400Z Jan 19.
Frequencies: 160 - 6-meters. Categories: SOAB with 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. 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 n8cqa@att.net or L. T. Switzer,
N8CQA, 427 Jeffrey Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48073-2521, USA
LZ Open Championship - CW - sponsored by the LZ1KPP Radio Club from
1200Z - 2000Z Jan 18 on the 3.5 and 7 MHz bands only. Categories: MS,
SO, and SO-QRP. Exchange: 6-digits, serial number and serial number
received in previous QSO. E.g. - the first QSO exchange is '001 000'.
A station can be worked once every 30 minutes. QSO Points: same entity
- 1 pt, different entity - 2 pts. Score: total QSO points. For more
information - http://www.qsl.net/lz1fw/lzopen/index.html. Logs due 30
days after the contest to lz1fw@yahoo.com or LZ1KPP - Radioclub, PO
Box 79, Sofia 1606, Bulgaria.
HA DX Contest - CW - sponsored by the Hungarian DX Club from 1200Z Jan
18 - 1200Z Jan 19 on the 160 - 10-meter bands. Categories: SOAB, SOSB,
MS, MM, and SWL. Exchange: RST and serial number, HA stations send
county or HADXC member number. QSO Points: Own DXCC entity - 1pt, same
continent - 1 pt, different cont - 3 pts, HA stations - 6 pts. Score:
QSO points X HA counties and members on each band. For more
information - http://www.mrasz.hu/engver/mraszen.html. Logs due 30
days after the contest to contest@enternet.hu or MTTOSZ, Gyôr Városi
Rádióclub, 9200 Gyôr, PO Box 79, Hungary.
070 PSKFest - sponsored by the Penn/OH DX Society (PODXS) from 0000Z -
2400Z Jan 18. Frequencies: 80 - 10-meters. Categories: SOSB-QRP,
SOAB-QRP, - MP (<50W), -HP. Exchange: RST and SPC. QSO Points: 1
pt/QSO. Score: QSO points X SPC counted only once. For more
information - http://www.podxs.com/html/pskfest.html. Logs due Feb 18
to PSKFest@aol.com or spdomingue@aol.com or Steve Dominguez N6YIH/7,
5657 Elkhorn Ave, Boise, ID 83705-2817.
CQ WW 160-Meter Contest - CW - sponsored by CQ Magazine from 0000Z Jan
25 - 2359Z Jan 26 (Phone is Feb 22 - 23). Exchange: RST and SPC.
Categories: SO-QRP (<5 W) -LP(<150 W) -HP, MO categories. New rules -
SO may operate only 30 hours and the DX window has been dropped. Enter
as MO if packet or spotting nets are used. QSO Points: own entity - 2
pts, same continent - 5 pts, diff. cont. - 10 pts, /MM stations count
5 points, but no multiplier. Score: QSO points X states + VE call
areas (VY0 added this year) + DXCC entities (KH6 and KL7 count as DXCC
only). For more information -
http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/infoc.html. Logs due by Feb 28 to
cq160@kkn.net or CQ 160 Contest, 25 Newbridge Rd, Hicksville, NY
11801, USA.
REF French Contest - CW - sponsored by the Reseau des Emetteurs
Francais, 0600Z Jan 25 - 1800Z Jan 26 (Phone is Feb 22 - 23). Contact
French stations including Corsica, Overseas Territories, and EU
Council station TP2CE. Frequencies: 80 - 10-meters. Categories: SOAB,
MS, and SWL. Exchange: non-French stations send RST and serial number,
French send RST and department number or prefix. QSO Points: different
continent - 3 pts, 1 pt otherwise. Score: QSO points X departments and
prefixes counted once per band. For more information -
http://www.ref.tm.fr. Logs are due Mar 15 (CW) or April 15 (SSB) to
f5lbl@ref-union.org or Reseau des Emetteurs Francais, REF Contest, BP
7429, 37074 Tours Cedex, France.
UBA Contest - Phone - sponsored by the Royal Union of Belgian Amateur
Radio from 1300Z Jan 25 - 1300Z Jan 26. Frequencies: 80 - 10-meters,
according to the IARU band plan. Categories: SOAB, SOAB-QRP, SOSB, MS,
packet is allowed for all classes. Exchange: RST and serial number, ON
stations add their province abbr. QSO Points: QSOs with ON stations -
10 pts, with other EU - 3 pts, outside EU - 1 pt. Score: QSO points X
ON provinces + ON prefixes + DXCC entities counted once per band. For
more information - http://www.uba.be. Logs due 30 days after the
contest to berger@cyc.ucl.ac.be or Michel Le Bon, ON4GO, UBA HF
Contest Manager, Chée de Wavre 1349, B-1160 Bruxelles, Belgium.
BARTG RTTY Sprint - sponsored by the British Amateur Radio Teletype
Group from 1200Z Jan 25 - 1200Z Jan 26. Frequencies: 80 - 10-meters.
Categories: SO-Expert, SOAB, MO, and SWL. Operators with a Top Ten log
in the past three years must enter as an Expert. Exchange: serial
number only. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities +
W/VE/JA/VK call areas + continents counted only once. For more
information - http://www.bartg.demon.co.uk/. Logs in Cabrillo format
due 1 Mar to ska@bartg.demon.co.uk with the call and entry class in
the subject line and the log included as an attachment or by mail to
John Barber GW4SKA, PO Box 611, Cardiff, CF24 4UN, Wales (only logs
with 50 or fewer QSOs may be submitted as printed logs).
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES
Last time I mentioned that WSJT 3.0 would be out when the manual was
ready. Well, it's ready - at http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT.
(Thanks, Jim AD1C)
Scott N3FJP has upgraded his contest logging software to include DX
Spotting features. Visit http://www.n3fjp.com for more info. Scott's
software also supports the January VHF Sweepstakes coming up this
weekend.
All ARRL contests have a Web-based "Soapbox" submission page, now. Do
try to check it out and contribute your own text and photos. The
recent Straight Key Night page at
http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/?con_id=45 is good reading and
there is a terrific photo of VE3WMB's 1948 Eddystone bug -- bet you
don't have one of those!
The Michigan QSO Party now has its own Web site at
http://www.miqp.org. It has quite a list of features and functions,
so stop by! (Thanks, Mark NU8Z)
RESULTS AND RECORDS
The results of the 2002 IARU HF World Championships are available to
anyone as a PDF of the full results article, including full
line-scores at: http://www.iaru.org/contest.html or
http://www.arrl.org/contests/results. This file includes all
information that was previously available in QST and on the Web in
past years. ARRL Members may also the expanded Web article and
database. On the awards front, plaques for the ARRL June VHF QSO
Party are being readied for shipment -- look for them in early-to-mid
February. (Thanks, Dan N1ND)
The results of the RSGB Jubilee Contest are now available on the HFCC
Web site -- http://www.rsgbhfcc.org. (Thanks Justin G4TSH, Chairman
RSGB HF Contests Committee)
Weigh those fish! The Salmon Run (Washington QSO Party) results are
posted at the Western Washington DX Club's Web site -
http://www.wwdxc.org/salmonrun/. (Thanks, Jack WA0RJY)
The results of the TOEC contests for both 2001 and 2002 are now ready
and can be found at the TOEC Home page at this address -
http://www.qsl.net/toec/results.htm. (Thanks, Jon, SM3OJR, TOEC
Contest Manager)
Here's a record for you -- the very first YL operator! Timo, OH1NOA,
contributes the following excellent list -
http://www.qsl.at/down/woman.rtf. The list begins in 1909 with the
first YL callsign ("FN") in 1910.
TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE
If you have trouble with animals chewing on wire, coax, or control
cables, a substance known as "Bitter Apple" is commonly available at
pet stores for discouraging such behavior. In farm country, the
various preparations used to keep horses from chewing on fences and
stalls (known as "cribbing" -- see, you learn something new everyday!)
are also useful. Other possible preventative measures involve PVC
pipe or electrical conduit. Certain options involving the use of
firearms or high voltage sound attractive, but aren't recommended.
Some handy info on the temperature dependence of gel-cell batteries
was contributed by Jim Duffy (a.k.a. -- Dr. Megacycle) KK6MC in case
you're wondering about how to power the rig during the "Freeze Your
Butt Off" FYBO Winter Field Day on Feb 22nd or the "Burn Your Big Butt
Away" BUBBA Field Day in August:
"The Amp-Hour (AH) rating is usually based on a 20-hour current draw
until the battery is completely discharged (about 10 V) at 77 F. The
discharge curve has a "knee" in it between 10.6V and 10.8V, where the
time discharge curve becomes very steep, so it is probably best to
limit the discharge to 10.6 to 10.8 volts where about 90% of the
battery's capacity has been used. If the discharge rate is greater
than the 20 AH rate, then the capacity is also reduced. At the 10-hour
rate it is reduced by about 10%, at 5 hours by 20% and at 2.5 hours by
about 40 %. For Field Day, when the temperature is 77 F, you will get
full rated capacity. At FYBO, when the temperature is 32 F, you will
only get 85% of the 77 F capacity out of the same battery. On the
other hand at BUBBA, when the temperature is 104 F, you will get 105 %
of the capacity. In addition, it is difficult to fully charge a lead
acid cell using a constant voltage. Usually the battery is only about
85% charged (although chargers that are designedspecifically for gel
cells do better. So if you limit the discharge to 10.8 V, discharge
at a 10-hour rate, use the battery at 32 F, and charge with a constant
voltage, the capacity is decreased by a factor of
(0.9)*(0.9)*(0.85)*(0.85) or 0.58. So that 18 AH battery, under those
conditions, is really a 10.5 AH battery!"
I also got a kick out of Mark AD5CA's use of surplus aluminum
street-light poles. I'm sure we've all pondered what those things
would look like with some RF illuminators on top.
http://www.starc-corpuschristi.org/News/Projects/AD5CA%20Tower%20Project/ad5ca_tower_project.htm
If you've ever wondered where to find a specific piece of ham gear,
you can look up most companies that sell amateur products on the
TISFIND database at http://www.arrl.org/tis/tisfind.html. You can
search the database by company name or product type. (Thanks, Ed
W1RFI)
Owners of MFJ-1025/1026 Noise Cancellers may be interested in the
following article describing modifications thereupon -
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/special/mfj1026.html. If
you are not familiar with the Hard-Core DX Web site, it is aimed at
the AM BC DX-er, but has an Imperial ton of good low-band receiving
information. Well worth becoming a browser bookmark!
CONVERSATION
Vitamin T -- Good For What Ails You
Those ever-more-useful Reported Score bulletins from Bruce WA7BNM's
Web site (http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/) now include team
efforts. If you are patient with the scrolling key, you can now
marvel at the sheer number of team efforts in contests like this past
weekend's CW North American QSO Party. (The Phone version is this
weekend.) I counted 51 teams -- yes, 51 separate teams -- surely an
all-time high. I was part of the Boring team -- that's the Boring,
Oregon Amateur Radio Club,wise guys.
Team contesting -- in the CQ WW, in the NAQP, in the Sprints -- is
HOT! When so many clubs are having trouble getting people to the
meetings, we seem to be catching on (again) to the idea that working
together is fun. Duh! Not only does it motivate you to get on for the
contest and keep sharp, but it helps connect you to the other
radiosport aficionados out there. You have something to share,
someone to compete with or against, and a group effort to take pride
in. This must be fun -- the Tennesee Contest Group registered 7 teams
alone, followed by the Florida Contest Group with 5, and several with
4.
Club contesting has been around for a long time and is quite popular.
The members all contribute their scores to the pot and the club totals
go head to head. All well and good, but it can get a little
impersonal when the number of members in the pot can be dozens. Teams
on the other hand have five or fewer members. Everyone is visible,
everyone's score counts -- we all enjoy the results. Even if you're
from an area of the world that isn't particularly competitive for a
certain contest, you can still form a team and try to whack the
stuffings out of another local group!
I highly recommend that if you haven't tried being part of a team,
yet, that you respond to one of the pre-contest team-building
solicitations on the CQ-Contest email reflector or in your local
contest club newsletter. If you didn't see them, then start your own
team. Give it a funny name (I sometimes put together the "Watt Me
Worry" team of Low-Power ops in the Sprint.) and challenge the
smart-alecks in the next county that beat you in the state QSO Party.
Care to wager a pizza or two?
If you're feeling like you could use some extra contest spark, then
team contesting might just do the job. Take a little "Vitamin T" and
see if you don't have a better time next weekend!
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/
Page last modified: 04:29 AM, 06 Dec 2008 ET
Page author: rate-sheet@arrl.org
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