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   http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2014-04-23   
      
   The ARRL Contest Update   
      
   April 23, 2014   
   Editor: Ward Silver, NOAX   
      
   IN THIS ISSUE   
    *  Action Above - VHF and Microwave Sprints, 2 GHz+, Worldwide EME   
    *  Sweet Sixteen - 7QP, NEQP, Florida and Indiana QSO Parties   
    *  Contest University - 2014 Lineup   
    *  What's Sweet at the Suite?   
    *  The Max About the Min   
    *  ARRL 160 Meter and Phone Sweeps - Online Results   
    *  Breaking Bound-up Booms   
    *  Watts In A Name?   
    *  We Can Handle It   
      
   NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO   
      
   If you want to check a lot of states off your Worked All States list, don't   
   miss the sixteen states that will be active in their regional or state QSO   
   parties over the next couple of weekends. And you new to VHF+ operators -   
   take a look at all the action going on above 10 meters!   
      
   BULLETINS   
      
   Did you submit your ARRL Rookie Roundup score? Make sure you do using the   
   online submission form - the deadline is today!   
      
   BUSTED QSOS   
      
   No Easter eggs were found to have been hidden in the previous issue.   
      
   CONTEST SUMMARY   
      
   Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section   
      
   April 26-27   
      
    *  VHF Spring Sprints (Apr 23)   
    *  Ten-Ten Spring Digital Contest   
    *  SP DX RTTY Contest   
    *  Helvetia Contest   
    *  Florida QSO Party   
    *  BARTG 75 Sprint--Digital   
      
   May 3-4   
      
    *  NS Weekly Sprint--CW (May 2)   
    *  2 GHz and Up World Wide Contest   
    *  Microwave Spring Sprint   
    *  Worldwide EME Contest   
    *  Ten-Ten Spring CW Contest   
    *  QRP To The Field--CW   
    *  ARI International DX Contest   
    *  7th Area QSO Party   
    *  Indiana QSO Party   
    *  Radio Club of America QSO Party--Phone   
    *  New England QSO Party   
    *  OK1WC Memorial Contest (May 5)   
    *  ARS Spartan Sprint--CW (May 6)   
      
   NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST   
      
   Contest University (CTU) is once again coming to the Dayton Hamvention, all   
   day Thursday, May 15, with three full days of hamfesting fun to follow. If   
   you like radio contesting, Contest University will help you become a better   
   station builder and a better operator. CTU will have four classrooms of   
   presentations running simultaneously, taught by eleven contest veterans,   
   overloaded with helpful ideas to help you enjoy radio contesting more. The   
   fun starts with breakfast at 7 AM and goes until 5 PM. Seating is limited,   
   so be sure to register promptly if you want to be on the list of graduates   
   this year! A full webinar on what's happening for contesters at Dayton is   
   available online, too. (Thanks, CTU Chairman, Tim K3LR)   
      
   Owners of Force 12 antennas may be wondering, given that the company has   
   just been sold to Innovantennas, will replacement parts be available. The   
   answer is, "Certainly!" As the photo at right shows, not only are   
   replacements available but in some cases, upgraded. (Thanks, Hector XE2K)   
      
   How fast do we send anyway? Bob N6TV decided to use some new raw data   
   archived by the Reverse Beacon Network, and found that the answer is: about   
   30 WPM. Bob analyzed data from both the 2013 CQ WW CW and the 2014 ARRL DX   
   CW. Who's the fastest? The African stations like EF8U averaged 33-34 WPM on   
   Saturday, then dialed it back a tad to about 33 WPM on Sunday. The rest of   
   us are about 3 WPM slower.   
      
   Make sure you let the public know about your Field Day operation - it's a   
   great way to introduce Amateur Radio to the public!   
      
   Some light humor got involved in this product puffery, I think. (Thanks,   
   Lynn N7CFO)   
      
   Posters for Field Day 2014 are now available. These are two-sided 11x17   
   posters with a space for you to list your club's Field Day location and   
   contact info. You can order them from the ARRL or download the PDF and print   
   them yourself. The posters will also be available from the ARRL's Public   
   Relations booth at the Dayton Hamvention.   
      
   Web Site of the Week - Going to the Dayton Hamvention? The contesting action   
   is hot and heavy at the Contest Supersuite. Here's the inside scoop from   
   Tim, K3LR.   
      
   WORD TO THE WISE   
      
   Fuses - His reply when Gerald K5GW was asked what critical spare part is   
   often forgotten on DXpeditions, "Fuses, more fuses." That might apply to the   
   ham shack, too. I often tape a replacement fuse to an equipment enclosure or   
   attach a plastic bag with replacements to a power distribution strip.   
      
   Ad   
   SIGHTS AND SOUNDS   
      
   Listen for YLs on the air in the fourth year of this new contest at the end   
   of May (Thanks, Katie WY7KRA and Carine F5ISY)   
      
   The World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF) is pleased to host Carl   
   Luetzelschwab, K9LA, as he presents "Are We Headed Into Another Maunder   
   Minimum? What Does That Mean for Propagation? Register in advance - the   
   webinar is on April 24th at 9 PM EDT.   
      
   Here's another great photo album from Hector XE2K with pictures from the   
   recent Visalia, California International DX Convention.   
      
   RESULTS AND RECORDS   
      
   The full versions of the ARRL 160 Meter Contest and ARRL Phone Sweepstakes   
   results have been published online. Special thanks are due to authors Gary   
   K9AY and Steve N2IC for putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and   
   keeping up the good work, year after year!   
      
   Line of sight only on VHF? Think again! Partway through the recent 2 meter   
   VHF Spring Spring, N2NC (operating at N2NT) had worked stations from New   
   England to Michigan to North Carolina!   
      
   2013 Florida QSO Party results are online, too. DX logs were up 20% to a new   
   record and logs from outside Florida were up a couple of percentage points,   
   too. Overall, the log total is down 3% from 2012 but still above 1000.   
   (Thanks, Chris WF3C)   
      
   CQ World Wide Director, Randy K5ZD reports "There is a new blog entry on the   
   CQ WW website that provides some additional information on error rates for   
   CQ WW SSB 2013. The average error rate for all logs was 3.60%." Randy notes   
   that "Percentages can be misleading. A station that makes 10 QSOs and has   
   one error will have an Error Rate of 10%. There is no reason for anyone to   
   feel bad at making a few errors in all the QRM of CQ WW SSB!"   
      
   OPERATING TIP   
      
   From K9JY's 30 Ham Radio Contesting Tips comes a good idea - if you are   
   going to make a big effort in a contest, spend time in front of the radio   
   one solar rotation before. The Sun rotates every 27 days and conditions are   
   likely to be similar, although new sunspots can appear. There are lots of   
   contests for you to use as for evaluating and estimating conditions. This   
   weekend's events might be a good look ahead for the CQ WPX CW Contest on   
   Memorial Day weekend.   
      
   Ad   
   TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION   
      
   Element sections getting stuck together are one thing but what about   
   boom-sized pieces? Roger K8RI makes some suggestions about getting the   
   pieces apart. "Clamp to each end of the boom. Hook one end to something   
   solid and use a block and tackle or come-along off the other end to   
   carefully pull the sections apart. The pull needs to be balanced so it pulls   
   straight. There are many ways to clamp to the boom ends, such as using two   
   [boom-to-mast] mounting plates each held with a pair of U-bolts...anything   
   to allow a straight pull. The sections should easily pull apart although you   
   might have to use some PB Blaster and let it soak...the clamps should not   
   take much force. Just a cable loop anchored on opposite sides with the pull   
   from the middle of the loop. Keep it simple and if it appears to look like   
   it's going to take much force, stop and reevaluate. You might need to tap on   
   opposite sides with rubber mallets to loosen things up. Do not use metal   
   hammers. Apply hits to opposite sides at the same time. Do not hit hard.   
      
   How do you grab on to large-diameter tubing, anyway? Steve K7LXC says "I've   
   found that a chain wrench is real handy when dealing with round objects like   
   booms and masts." Be careful not to let the chain bear on a corner or edge -   
   that will create a permanent dimple.   
      
   I know my readers love their power tools so here's a new way to put your   
   cordless drill to work in the kitchen - a power peeler!   
      
   Bet you didn't know this! Mobile maven Alan KOBG notes, "Most automotive   
   fuses are ATO. The difference is that the ATC (the C stands for 'closed')   
   fuse element is completely sealed in plastic and the ATO (open) is not.   
   Since [most radio] power cable fuse holders are not waterproof, only an ATC   
   fuse should be used. If an ATO is used, and water gets into the fuse, the   
   fuse element corrodes over time with predictable results."   
      
   Technical Web Site of the Week - Tim K3HX sent a couple of good links to   
   technical articles that may be of interest. The first is an EDN magazine   
   article about measuring large currents - perhaps like we need to do in the   
   bigger solid-state power amplifiers or in mobile installations. Another   
   Electronic Design article explains the difference between watts and   
   volt-amperes, a key specification of large transformers.   
      
   CONVERSATION   
      
   We Can Handle It   
      
   Regardless of where you stand on RM-11708, the proposed rule change to   
   replace the U.S. HF band 300-baud symbol rate with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit   
   -- pro, con, or indifferent -- you'll agree that it has generated a lot of   
   discussion. Unfortunately, like many discussions in the Internet Age, the   
   tenor has often become pointed and personal. Similarly, speculation gets   
   repeated and amplified until it takes on the status of facts.   
      
   We have two obligations to ourselves and the amateur service - to tone it   
   down and to stop gossiping. Reading some of the comments, I doubt that the   
   writers would say in person what they say from a distant keyboard. Enough   
   with the ad hominem attacks - I don't know anyone on either side of the   
   issue who I suspect of working to actively undermine ham radio. Try to   
   disagree without being disagreeable. Show some respect (and class) in our   
   communications.   
      
   On the second issue - gossip - as licensed amateurs it is incumbent on each   
   of us to perform due diligence by actually reading and evaluating the   
   regulations and technical issues involved. Instead of blindly copying and   
   pasting whatever happens to stroke our particular inclinations, take the   
   time to become educated. You will find that technical issues are rarely   
   black-and-white, either-or propositions. From similar episodes in ham   
   radio's past, we should know that hypothetical apocalypses and conspiracies   
   are just that - imaginary. In the absence of information, resist the   
   temptation to jump to conclusions. Realize that "could" is not the same as   
   "will."   
      
   Personal attacks and unqualified speculation do our image and credibility no   
   favors at the FCC, the ITU, or in professional circles. It is likely that in   
   the coming years the amateur service will experience an entire series of   
   regulatory and organizational transitions. Technology is changing. The   
   demographics of hams are changing. The ways in which we operate and interact   
   and create value in Amateur Radio are changing. We're going to have to work   
   together in good faith to devise and implement workable plans. In order to   
   fulfill our Basis and Purpose, it's necessary for each of us to act   
   responsibly.   
      
   There have been many difficult decisions and changes in our past 100 years,   
   yet we have worked out the bugs and celebrated the features, creating a   
   pretty amazing and broad amateur service. Which reminds me - we are Amateur   
   Radio Operators, for crying out loud - inventors and users of the   
   planet-wide non-government, non-commercial communications system! I don't   
   think for a minute, no matter what a single decision on baud or bandwidth   
   turns out to be, we can't make it work. There will be technological   
   solutions, regulatory solutions, and social solutions. We can handle it.   
      
   73, Ward NOAX   
      
   CONTESTS   
      
   April 23 through May 6   
      
   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   
      
   Ten-Ten Spring Digital Contest--Digital, from Apr 26, 0001Z to Apr 27,   
   2359Z. Bands (MHz): 28. Exchange: Call, name, county & S/P/C, 10-10 number.   
   Logs due: 15 days. Rules   
      
   SP DX RTTY Contest--Digital, from Apr 26, 1200Z to Apr 27, 1200Z . Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, serial, SP province. Logs due: May 5. Rules   
      
   Helvetia Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from Apr 26, 1300Z to Apr 27, 1259Z .   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T), serial or Swiss canton. Logs due: 15   
   days. Rules   
      
   Florida QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Apr 26, 1600Z - See website. Multiple time   
   periods. Bands (MHz): 7-28. See website. Exchange: RS(T), FL county or   
   S/P/C. Logs due: 30 days. Rules   
      
   BARTG 75 Sprint--Digital, from Apr 27, 1700Z to Apr 27, 2100Z. Bands (MHz):   
   3.5-28. Exchange: Serial. Logs due: Jun 1. Rules   
      
   NS Weekly Sprint--CW, from May 2, 0230Z to May 2, 0300Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-14. Weekly on Thursday evenings local time. Exchange: Serial, name, and   
   S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days. Rules   
      
   Ten-Ten Spring CW Contest--CW, from May 3, 0001Z to May 4, 2359Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 28. Exchange: Call sign, name, 10-10 number, state. Logs due: 15   
   days. Rules   
      
   QRP To The Field--CW, from May 3, 1200Z to May 3, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 7-28.   
   Exchange: RST, S/P/C. Logs due: Jun 1. Rules   
      
   ARI International DX Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 3, 1200Z to May 4,   
   1159Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T), serial or Italian province.   
   Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   7th Area QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 3, 1300Z to May 4, 0700Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, CW--40 kHz above band edge; SSB--1.845, 3.855,   
   7.235, 14.255, 21.355, 28.455 MHz. Exchange: RS(T)+S/P or 7th-area county   
   code. Logs due: Jun 2. Rules   
      
   Indiana QSO Party--Phone,CW, from May 3, 1600Z to May 4, 0400Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28. CW--1.805 and 40 kHz above the band edge on 80-10 meters,   
   SSB--1.845, 3.820, 7.190, 14.250, 21.300, 28.400 MHz. Exchange: RS(T) + S/P   
   or IN county, DX RS(T) only. Logs due: Jun 15. Rules   
      
   Radio Club of America QSO Party--Phone, from May 3, 1700Z to May 4, 0459Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 3.5-21. Exchange: RS, QTH, name, equipment. Rules   
      
   New England QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 3, 2000Z - See website.   
   Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. CW--3.540, 7.035, 14.040,   
   21.040, 28.040; SSB--3.850, 7.180/280, 14.280, 21.380, 28.380 MHz. Exchange:   
   RS(T) and S/P or New England county. Logs due: 30 days. Rules   
      
   OK1WC Memorial Contest--Phone,CW, from May 5, 1630Z - See website. Multiple   
   time periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5, 7. Weekly on Monday, see website for bands.   
   Exchange: RS(T) and serial. Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   ARS Spartan Sprint--CW, from May 6, 0200Z to May 6, 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   
      
   VHF+ CONTESTS   
      
   VHF Spring Sprints--Phone,CW,Digital, from Apr 23, 7 PM to Apr 23, 11 PM.   
   Bands (MHz): 432. Exchange: Grid square (6-character preferred). Logs due:   
   14 days. Rules   
      
   2 GHz and Up World Wide Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 3, 6 AM to May   
   4, Midnight. Bands (MHz): 2.3G+. Exchange: 6-char grid locator. Logs due: 30   
   days. Rules   
      
   Microwave Spring Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 3, 6 AM to May 3, 1 PM.   
   Bands (MHz): 902+. Exchange: Grid square (6-character preferred). Logs due:   
   14 days. Rules   
      
   Worldwide EME Contest--Phone,CW, from May 3, 0000Z to May 4, 2400Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.4G. Exchange: TMO/RS(T) and "R". Logs due: Jun 15. Rules   
      
   7th Area QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 3, 1300Z to May 4, 0700Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, CW--40 kHz above band edge; SSB--1.845, 3.855,   
   7.235, 14.255, 21.355, 28.455 MHz. Exchange: RS(T)+S/P or 7th-area county   
   code. Logs due: Jun 2. Rules   
      
   LOG DUE DATES   
      
   23 April through 6 May   
      
    *  April 23 - Oklahoma QSO Party   
    *  April 23 - ARRL Rookie Roundup, SSB   
    *  April 23 - RSGB 80m Club Championship, SSB   
    *  April 25 - SKCC Sprint   
    *  April 26 - Feld Hell Sprint   
    *  April 26 - CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    *  April 27 - OK/OM DX Contest, SSB   
    *  April 27 - NCCC Sprint Ladder   
    *  April 27 - EU Spring Sprint, CW   
    *  April 27 - Run for the Bacon QRP Contest   
    *  April 27 - Worked All Provinces of China DX Contest   
    *  April 28 - Hungarian Straight Key Contest   
    *  April 29 - 222 MHz Spring Sprint   
    *  April 30 - Mississippi QSO Party   
    *  April 30 - New Mexico QSO Party   
    *  April 30 - ARLHS Annual Spring Lites QSO Party   
    *  April 30 - SP DX Contest   
    *  April 30 - International Vintage Contest HF   
    *  May 1 - RSGB 80m Club Championship, Data   
    *  May 4 - EU Spring Sprint, SSB   
    *  May 5 - YU DX Contest   
    *  May 6 - Missouri QSO Party   
      
   ARRL Information   
      
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   ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS   
      
   ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's Contest   
   Calendar and SM3CER's Contest Calendar.   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   One of the great tragedies of life is the murder of a beautiful theory by a   
   gang of brutal facts. --Benjamin Franklin   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)