The ARRL Contest Update Newsletter
News and Techniques for the Active Operator
(Formerly the Contester's Rate Sheet)
Contester's Rate Sheet for February 23, 2005
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Contester's Rate Sheet
23 February 2005
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Edited by Ward Silver N0AX
SUMMARY
o Phone Home - CQ WW 160 and ARRL DX SSB
o Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virgin Islands QSO Parties
o Contest Time and RF Calculator Programs
o Happy Birthday to Galileo
o Putting In a Big Crankup Tower
o Waterproofing and Getting Things Apart
o Go Find Some KL7's!
BULLETINS
o No bulletins in this issue.
BUSTED QSOS
o A golden issue last issue!
ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICES FOR 23 FEBRUARY TO 8 MARCH 2005
Logs are due for the following contests:
February 27 - SARL Field Day Contest, email logs to:
admin@sarl.org.za, paper logs and diskettes to: Field Day Contest, Box
1721, Strubensvallei 1735, South Africa
February 28 - Midwinter Contest, CW or Phone, email logs to:
jckoekkoek@home.nl, paper logs and diskettes to: PA3GQG, Contest
Manager Midwinter Contest, Keulenheide 1, 6373 AP Landgraaf, The
Netherlands
February 28 - Hunting Lions in the Air Contest, email logs to:
rad.handfield-jones@pixie.co.za, paper logs and diskettes to: The
HLITA Contest Committee, Lions Club of Midrand, PO Box 1548, Halfway
House 1685, South Africa
February 28 - CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW, email logs to: 160cw@kkn.net,
paper logs and diskettes to: CQ 160-Meter Contest, 25 Newbridge Road,
Hicksville, NY 11801, USA
February 28 - AGCW Straight Key Party, email logs to: htp@agcw.de,
paper logs and diskettes to: Friedrich W. Fabri DF1OY, Moselstrasse
17b, D-63322 Roedermark-Urberach, Germany
February 28 - RSGB 1st 1.8 MHz Contest, CW, email logs to:
1st160.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB-G3UFY, 77
Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England
March 1 - BARTG RTTY Sprint, email logs to: ska@bartg.demon.co.uk,
paper logs and diskettes to: (none)
March 1 - REF Contest, CW, email logs to: cdfcw@ref-union.org, paper
logs and diskettes to: F6CTT Joseph Cornee, 31, rue des EcoButs, 44230
St Sebastien Sur Loire, France
March 1 - UK DX Contest, RTTY, email logs to: ukdxc@scotham.net, paper
logs and diskettes to: UK DX RTTY Contest Committee, PO Box 7469,
Glasgow, G42 0YD, Scotland UK
March 1 - UBA DX Contest, SSB, email logs to: ubassb@uba.be, paper
logs and diskettes to: Carine Ramon ON7LX, Bruggesteenweg 77, B-8755
Ruiselede, Belgium
March 1 - Vermont QSO Party, email logs to: (none), paper logs and
diskettes to: Ed Hutchinson N1FMP, Vermont QSO Party Coordinator, PO
Box 74, East Barre, VT 05649, USA
March 7 - FYBO Winter QRP Sprint, email logs to:
azscqrpions@covad.net, paper logs and diskettes to: John Stevens,
Attn: FYBO, 21457 N. 91st Dr, Peoria, AZ 85382, USA
March 8 - Mexico RTTY International Contest, email logs to:
xe1j@ucol.mx, paper logs and diskettes to: Jose Levy XE1J, Dirección
de Concursos FMRE, Clavel 333, Colima, Col. 28030, Mexico
March 8 - ARCI Winter Fireside SSB Sprint, email logs to:
wb5khc@2hams.net , Post log summary at:
http://2hams.net/ARCI/Submit%20Introduction2.htm, paper logs and
diskettes to: Tom Owens WB5KHC, Attn: Winter Fireside Sprint, 1916
Addington St, Irving, TX 75062-3505, USA
March 8 - YLRL YL-OM Contest, CW, email logs to: wx4mm@tm-moore.com,
paper logs and diskettes to: Mary Moore WX4MM, 1593 Lee Road 375,
Valley, AL 36854, 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
CQ WW 160-Meter Contest - SSB, sponsored by CQ Magazine from 0000Z Feb
26 - 2400Z Feb 27. Exchange: RS and S/P/C. Categories: SO-QRP (<5 W)
-LP(<150 W) -HP, MO categories. 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 + DXCC entities (KH6 and
KL7 count as DXCC only). For more information:
http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/index.html. Logs due by Feb 28 to
160ssb@kkn.net (Cabrillo format only) or CQ 160 Contest, 25 Newbridge
Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801.
REF French Contest - Phone, sponsored by the Reseau des Emetteurs
Francais, 0600Z Feb 26 -- 1800Z Feb 27. 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-union.org/concours/. Logs are due April 15
cdfssb@ref-union.org or Reseau des Emetteurs Francais, REF Contest, BP
7429, 37074 Tours Cedex, France.
UBA Contest - CW, sponsored by the Royal Union of Belgian Amateur
Radio, from 1300Z Feb 26 -- 1300Z Feb 27 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 + European DXCC entities counted once per
band. For more information: http://www.uba.be/. Logs due 30 days after
the contest to ubacw@uba.be in ADIF format or Michel Le Bon, ON4GO,
UBA HF Contest Manager, Chée de Wavre 1349, B-1160 Bruxelles,
Belgium.
Mississippi QSO Party - CW/Digital/Phone - sponsored by the Vicksburg
Amateur Radio Club, 1500Z Feb 26 -- 0300Z Feb 27. Frequencies (MHz):
CW - 3.545, 7.045, 14.045, 21.045, 28.045; Phone - 3.862, 7.238,
14.275, 21.375, 28.375; and VHF. Work stations once per band and mode.
Categories: Fixed Station and Mobile. Mobiles may be worked again as
they change counties. Exchange: RST and MS county or S/P/C. Score:
QSOs x MS counties (MS stations add S/P/C). For more information:
w5xx@vicksburg.com. Logs due March 26 to Vicksburg ARC, 64 Lake Circle
Dr, Vicksburg, MS 39180.
North Carolina QSO Party - CW/Phone - sponsored by the Forsyth Amateur
Radio Club, 1700Z Feb 27 -- 0300Z Feb 28. Frequencies (MHz): CW -
3.540, 3.740, 7.040, 7.140, 14.040, 21.040, 21.140, 28.040, 28.140,
Phone - 3.860, 7.260, 14.260, 21.360, 28.360. Categories: SO, Mobile,
Club, all stations 100W max. output. Mobiles may be worked again as
they change counties. Exchange: RST and NC county, ARRL/RAC section,
or DX prefix. QSO Points: phone - 2 pts, CW - 3 pts, NC mobile - 3 pts
(either mode). Score: NC stations - QSO points x NC counties +
ARRL/RAC sections + 1 DXCC entity, others - QSO points x NC counties
(max 100). 50 bonus points for working Cherokee or Dare counties (150
for working both) and 50 points for working W4NC or W4WS (150 points
for both). Mobiles add 100 bonus points for each NC county activated.
For more information: http://www.w4nc.com/. Logs due April 1 to
henry@summitschool.com or NC QSO PARTY c/o W2DZO, 934 Franklin Street,
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
High Speed CW Contest - sponsored by High-Speed CW Club, 0900Z - 1100Z
and 1500Z - 1700Z Feb 27. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters. Categories: SO
(150 W max, members and non-members), SO-QRP (<5 W), SWL. Exchange:
RST and HSC member number or "NM". QSO Points: member - 5 pts,
non-member - 1 pts. Score: QSO points. Logs due 6 weeks after the
contest to hsc-contest@dl3bzz.de or Lutz Schröer DL3BZZ, Am Niederfeld
6, 35066 Frankenberg / Eder, Germany.
North American QSO Party -- RTTY -- sponsored by the National Contest
Journal from 1800Z Feb 26 - 0600Z Feb 27. Frequencies: 160 - 10
meters. Categories: SOAB and M2, 100 W power limit, SO operate a
maximum of 10 hours (off times must be at least 30 min). Exchange:
Name and S/P/C. Score: QSOs x States + Province + NA DXCC countries
(counted once per band). Preferred log submission method is via upload
form found at: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqplogsubmit.php. For
information: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php. Logs due Mar 14 to
rttynaqp@ncjweb.com or Shelby Summerville K4WW, 6506 Lantana Ct,
Louisville, KY 40229-1544, USA
1st Annual U.S. Virgin Islands QSO Party - CW/SSB/PSK/RTTY - dedicated
to the memory of Bob Denniston W0DX/VP2VI, from 1201Z Feb 26 - 2359Z
Feb 27. Frequencies (MHz): CW - 50 kHz above band edge; Phone - 1.890,
3.890, 7.290, 14.290. 21.390, 28.390, 50.190. Exchange: Call, RS(T),
serial number, (non-VI stations) name and S/P/C (VI stations) island
name and current temperature in Farenheit. Total Score: (Non-VI) QSOs
+ 100 pts per island worked + sum of temperatures, (VI) QSOs x S/P/C
(counted once only). For more information: http://www.atthehelm.com/
Logs due 30 days from the contest to John Ellis, NP2B, PO Box 24492,
Christiansted, VI 00824.
AM QSO Party - sponsored by the Antique Wireless Association, from
2300Z Feb 26 - 2300Z Feb 27. Frequencies (MHz): 3.837-3885,
7.270-7.290, 14.250-14.280. Exchange: RS, name, year of equipment mfr.
For scoring and other information: http://www.antiquewireless.org/.
Logs due 7 Mar to Marc Ellis at PO Box 1306, Evanston, IL 60204-1306
ARRL International DX Contest - Phone, from 0000Z Mar 5 - 2400Z Mar 6.
Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters. Categories: SOSB, SOAB (HP >150W, LP,
QRP <5W), MS, M2, MM. Exchange: RST + State or Province or Power (KH6
and KL7 count as DX). QSO Points: 3 pts/QSO. Score: QSO points x DXCC
entities (DX counts states + provinces). For more information:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules. Logs due Apr 5 to dxssb@arrl.org
(Cabrillo format only) or DX SSB, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT
06111.
DARC 10-Meter Digital "Corona" - RTTY/AMTOR/PACTOR/PSK31/Clover,
sponsored by Deutscher Amateur Radio Club from 1100Z -- 1700Z Mar 5.
Frequencies (MHz): 28.050-28.150, work stations once per mode.
Categories: SO, SWL. Exchange: RST + serial number. QSO Points:
1pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities + WAE countries + JA/VE/W
call districts (all counted only once). For more information:
http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/cqdlcont/fgdcc.htm. Logs due 4 weeks
after the contest to dl9gs@darc.de or A.Schlendermann DL9GS, Postfach
102201, D-44807 Bochum, Germany.
Open Ukraine RTTY Championship - sponsored by the Ukrainian Amateur
Radio League (UARL) from 2200Z Mar 5 - 0159Z Mar 6 (Low Bands - 160
and 80 meters - two separate 2 hour periods) and 0800Z - 1159Z Mar 6
(High Bands 40 - 10 meters). Categories: SOAB, SOSB, and MO.
Exchange: Two letter regional abbreviation (see Web site) and serial
number. Start serial numbers over for High Band portion. QSO Points:
2 pts/QSO and 10 pts for each new region. For more information:
http://www.uarl.com.ua/openrtty/. Logs due by 6 Apr to
krs@model.poltava.ua or George Ignatov UT1HT, PO Box 87,
Kremenchug-21, Ukraine, 39621.
Spartan Sprint--CW--sponsored by the Adventure Radio Society from
0200Z -- 0400Z Mar 8 (Monday evening in the U.S.). Held on the first
Monday of every month. Frequencies (MHz): 3.560, 7.040, 14.060,
21.060, 28.060 (QRP calling frequencies). Categories: SO. Exchange:
RST, S/P/C, and power output. Score: "Skinny" division--total QSOs /
total station weight, "Tubby" division--total QSOs. For more
information:
http://www.arsqrp.com/ars/pages/spartan_sprints/ss_rules_new.html.
Logs due on Wednesday after the contest via the ARS Web site or to
hjohnc@core.com.
VHF+ CONTESTS
No VHF+ contests are scheduled.
NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES
Scott N3FJP has released more modules for his popular line of contest
logging software (http://www.n3fjp.com/). State QSO party software has
expanded to include the Mississippi and North Carolina contests. The
K7RE RTTY software now supports ARRL RTTY Round-Up, CQ WPX and NAQP
(both including a network version), and NA Sprint. The new Field Day
rules are incorporated, as well.
Lee AA1YN maintains a registry of active VHF+ contest stations at
http://www.aa1yn.com/vhf/. To see the capability of the database,
click on "Search the VHF database by QTH", enter my Lee's call his
basic information comes up. Click on his call sign and you will get a
page describing his capabilities. All this information is
readily available online and searchable. It's easy to register and
there are a number of associated services once you're registered.
Bill K3CO has released the latest version of his contest operating
time calculator. It's free from a Web site hosted by Kirk K4RO
<http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/misc/K3CQ_Operating_Time_Form.xls>. It has a
dozen different useful functions and the price is right - free! It
requires Microsoft Excel(R) to run properly.
Feb. 15th was Galileo's birthday, on which he would have been 441
years old. Contrary to popular belief, Galileo didn't discover
sunspots, but he was one of the first to study them using a telescope.
Visit http://spaceweather.com/ to view some of Galileo's sunspot
drawings and find out how you can safely observe sunspots using the
same projection techniques used Galileo.
Andy N7TP writes, "There is at least one other hobby that offers as
much support and assistance as ham radio - amateur astronomy. DXers
and contesters have antenna fever, but astronomers have "aperture
fever." No telescope is big enough, much less too big. Amateur
astronomers are even more anxious to have anyone, visitor or budding
astronomer, look at and look through their telescopes than hams are to
have the same group of people look at, listen to, and talk on their
radio gear." I can attest to that mentoring, having attended a few
"star parties" myself. Imagine a multi-multi involving telescopes.
Large ones. Really large ones. All set up for everyone to
experience. You haven't lived until you've seen Neptune's blue disc
live with your very own eyes.
Here's another nugget from John W0UN! "In RF design and antenna design
you end up needing a calculator for a lot of the calculations. I have
been running DreamCalc 2 (http://www.dreamcalc.net/) for many months.
Registration is only $14.99. DreamCalc 3 is even cooler with a lot of
graphing functions as well. It is currently in public beta testing
and you can download it now."
Ever wonder why 160-meters, which is at the bottom of the HF bands, is
called the Top Band? Bernie N8PVZ did. My response was that 160 has
the longest wavelength of any amateur band. The term was coined back
in the days when the usual reference to operating frequency was by
wavelength :-) If you have a better story, let's hear it!
This issue's Portuguese lesson includes some "sizeable" words. Maybe
they'll be good for describing your score? By the way, if you haven't
lately, check out the WRTC-2006 Web site (http://www.wrtc2006.com/) for
updated rules and information!
Small - pequeno (p'KE-nu)
Big - grande (GRAY-d')
Heavy - pesado (p'ZAH-du)
Light - leve (LEH-v')
Too Much - demais (d'MAYSH)
These words and phrases are from the Lonely Planet series of
phrasebooks. (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/)
RESULTS AND RECORDS
The complete list of Logs Received for the 2005 ARRL RTTY Roundup has
been posted at http://www.arrl.org/contests/claimed. If you find a
problem, please contact Dan N1ND at n1nd@arrl.org or by phone at
860-594-0232.
If you're wondering if your ARRL DX scores could be records, check out
the actual record listings at http://www.arrl.contests/. Hours of
fun!
TECHNICAL
Howard VE3GFK/W6 recently put up an 85-foot crankup tower and took
lots of photos of both preparing the base and getting the tower to the
vertical position. Hey, it beats helping! You can see the photos at
http://www.kleega.com/tower/ (the base) and
http://www.kleega.com/erection/ (raising the tower).
An innocent question about the temporary waterproofing of coax
connectors unleashed a torrent, so to speak, of ideas on the TowerTalk
reflector (http://www.contesting.com/). Here are some of the better
ones:
- Sections of bicycle tire inner tubes
- Fingers cut from rubber gloves
- Plumber's putty, Silly Putty(R), and duct sealing compounds
- The ubiquitous CoaxSeal(R)
- Long, thin balloons
- CushCraft's PL-259 boots, available direct
- Plastic soda bottles
Contributors were too numerous to credit individually - thanks, one
and all.
Since we're on a roll with help from the community, more TowerTalk
debate (see previous message) covered the art of getting aluminum
tubing sections separated. A few pearls for your perusal:
- heat the outer tube briefly with a propane torch
- lots of penetrating oil and/or WD-40 (with extreme care around a
torch)
- continuous twisting in one direction while pulling
- driving out the inner tube with a steel rod
- use a handheld cutting tool to "slot" the outer tube
The suggestion with the most resonance for me (from a company that
sells tubing, in the spirit of full disclaimer) was to, "junk the
stuck tubing and get new stuff." Having remodeled a house, I can
relate to that. Thanks to the TowerTalk community, once again.
This safety information was contributed courtesy of Tom K1KI. "Once in
a while I hear of hams climbing towers during a contest to fix
problems. This is most common in a multi-op situation when one
antenna has a problem and someone goes to fix it while the rest of the
team continues to operate on other bands. This is what stimulated my
thinking: http://www.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-255968A1.html."
Ed Hare W1RFI, the ARRL's RF exposure expert, replied, "Controlled
exposure is averaged over 6 minutes. [That's the case here - Ed.] This
is not a time limit, but the time period over which exposure must be
averaged. If the ham is 1 meter from the antenna, he is about 40 dB
over the limits that require an exposure calculation." Ed points out
that the field strength calculations in the near field is not simple.
Ed's real bottom line? "Don't do it!"
Hobby shops sell copper and brass sheet and tubing that are quite
suitable for radio work. There are numerous other goodies for the ham
in crafts and hobby shops. For shielding jobs, check out the copper
embossing foil that is very ductile, but holds its shape well.
Other things at hobby shops for hams include brass springs, wrinkle
paint spray X-acto(R) knives and tools, even light-duty double-bladed
knife switches! (Thanks, Stew KD5DL)
The free HFradio and propagation eAlert service
(http://hfradio.org/donation.html) is run by Tomas Hood NW7US at
http://propagation.hfradio.org/. The service includes alert email
notifications of significant events. If you find yourself making use
of these services, please consider supporting the site with a small
donation.
After viewing the Web site listing of tall towers in the Rate Sheet's
previous issue, Fred G4BWP wrote to say that, "At the recent Contest
Club of Finland (CCF) meeting OH6KN showed his new station. His
tallest tower is 105 m high, about 315ft. We wondered if that was the
highest ham tower?" I don't know! Is there a listing of tall ham
towers out there somewhere?
The Bucket Boss Company offers a jumper cable storage bag that is just
right for rolls of coax. It is a round flat bag about 13" in diameter
made of sturdy cordura nylon with webbing handles and a heavy duty
zipper that opens it up for about 80% of the circumference. It will
handle 3+ inches of coiled coax, and there is room in the center for
short lengths. There are probably a variety of similar products at
auto parts and hardware stores. (Thanks, Lynn N7CFO)
Ed KA7UKN reminds us of a great way to demagnetize tools or other
small metal parts. "I had a screwdriver that was magnetized and it
was driving me crazy (no pun intended). I grabbed my trusty Weller
250-watt gun, pressed the trigger and passed the screwdriver through
the loop formed by the tip. In a second or two I had the desired
results. It was so fast and so effective that I purposely magnetized
the tool over again with the strongest bar magnet that I have. A few
passes between the loop formed by the solder gun's tip degaussed the
tool. Where has this been all of my life?"
CONVERSATION
Go Find Some KL7's!
I spent this weekend hibernating with my buddies in the renowned K3LR
basement that houses one of the most potent multi-multi stations on
the planet. Before the event, it's easy to get a little overwrought
about being put in front of a radio on such a team. You hope you'll
measure up, that things will go well, that you won't make some
incredible blunder. In short, it's just like playing a team sport
when you were little.
In the old days, it was, "What if I fall down or strike out?" In the
contesting world, our fears are things like, "What if blow up the
amplifier? They'll laugh if I get calls wrong! What if I'm too slow?"
You know, it never really changes. Even if you do let the smoke out
of something or bust an obvious call, it's never as bad as you think
it's going to be. Everybody is secretly relieved that it's you and
not them, helps you through the rough spots, and life goes on. Later,
you can't really remember why you were so concerned in the first
place.
When you're at a big team effort, there are other aspects that take
you right back to the days of (fill in your childhood activity here)
with the other kids. We were baseball nuts back in St. Louis, wearing
dirt paths into a neighbor's yard. Focused on the game, we kept up a
ferocious chatter about who couldn't hit, easy out, throw it over the
plate, and hey-batter! As I recall, some of it was fairly, um, rude,
but not really directed at anyone in particular. It was just the
noise we made playing baseball. In fact, we were all pretty easy outs
to tell the truth.
Go into any phone multi-op and you'll hear the same thing translated
into radio. Every operator has their own style, peculiarities,
favorite expressions (both good and bad), and loads of advice and
suggestions for anybody close. I have Phil K3UA to thank for the
title of this piece - it was from his band partner Andy N2NT at an
early N2RM operation. Phil had recorded the room noise during the
first couple of hours of a CQ WW contest and captured Andy essentially
saying, "Right over the plate, Phil, come on, right over the plate!"
Is there any doubt that doing a weekend multi-op - HF, VHF+, Field Day
- is the same kind of thing as grabbing your gear and heading out to
the park with the other kids? We play until way after dark. It
doesn't seem like there's a lot of adult supervision, thankfully. We
hoot and holler and eat junk food and make terrible jokes. It's
great!
Not so long ago, the word "ludic" (LOO-dik, an adjective meaning of,
relating to, or characterized by play or playful) was in a
word-of-the-day email that crossed my Inbox. After this weekend it
just seemed to fit perfectly. But why over-analyze and put fancy
names on it? Go find me some KL7s, would ya?
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
Page last modified: 04:29 AM, 06 Dec 2008 ET
Page author: rate-sheet@arrl.org
Copyright © 2008, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
