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   http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2014-09-24   
      
   The ARRL Contest Update   
      
   September 24, 2014   
   Editor: Ward Silver, NOAX   
      
   IN THIS ISSUE   
    *  Hit the Road with Baudot - CQ WW RTTY   
    *  The Large and Small - CA and TX, ME and NJ QSO Parties   
    *  Calling All California Counties   
    *  Radio Does the Twist   
    *  Master WRTC2014 Photo Albums   
    *  ARRL Contest Results - Up to Date   
    *  Two-Band Tuning Tip   
    *  Feynman Online? Surely You Jest!   
    *  Watching A Submarine Race   
      
   NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO   
      
   State your preference! Two of the "bigs" in the State QSO Party lineup -   
   California and Texas - are coming up. And so are Maine and New Jersey, for   
   that matter. State contests are especially good for starting contesters and   
   those with modest stations and antenna farms. Digital mode fans will want to   
   join the excitement in the CQ WW RTTY contest, too!   
      
   BULLETINS   
      
   There are no bulletins in this issue.   
      
   BUSTED QSOS   
      
   CQ WW RTTY Director, Ed WOYK clarifies a report in the previous issue about   
   certificates: "The new Cabrillo tag is only about mailed paper certificates.   
   Anybody can download their certificate at any time from the CQ WW websites   
   (both CW/SSB and RTTY)." Ed also notes that certificates for past contests   
   are readily available at all times for them to access.   
      
   CONTEST SUMMARY   
      
   Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section   
      
   September 27-28   
      
    *  SKCC Straight Key Sprint (Sep 24)   
    *  CQ WW RTTY Contest   
    *  Maine QSO Party--Phone,CW   
    *  Texas QSO Party   
    *  Peanut Power Sprint   
    *  222 MHz Fall VHF Sprint (Sep 30)   
      
   October 4-5   
      
    *  CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests (Oct 1)   
    *  NS Weekly Sprint--CW (Oct 3)   
    *  DX/NA YLRL Anniversary Party (Oct 3)   
    *  TARA PSK Rumble   
    *  Oceania DX Phone Contest--Phone   
    *  Russian WW Digital Contest   
    *  Worked All Britain HF Contest--Phone   
    *  New Jersey QSO Party   
    *  California QSO Party   
    *  RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest   
    *  EU Autumn Phone Sprint (Oct 6)   
    *  OK1WC Memorial Contest (Oct 6)   
    *  ARS Spartan Sprint--CW (Oct 7)   
      
   NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST   
      
   From counties with millions in population to the deserted desert desserts,   
   the California QSO Party has managed to wrangle activations of all 58   
   counties again this year! No mean feat, there will be mobiles and portable   
   stations galore to track down in search of that elusive bottle of wine or   
   other awards. The complete list is available under the "County Operating   
   Plan". (Thanks, CQP Manager, Chris N6WM)   
      
   The U.S. team brought home a silver medal at the recent Amateur Radio   
   Direction Finding World Championships - all the way from first-time host   
   country, Kazakhstan! The competition attracted 277 competitors from 25   
   countries around the world. The events included sprints (with actual   
   sprinting!) and a hybrid event called foxoring that combines traditional   
   orienteering and foxhunting.   
      
   The CQ World Wide Committee announced that translations for the CQ WW DX   
   Contest rules are now available in 14 languages. (Thanks, CQ WW Director,   
   Randy K5ZD)   
      
   There is a very nice survey of available SDR equipment in the September   
   issue of the Dutch Kingdom Amateur Radio Society's DKARS Magazine. This   
   architecture is spreading quite rapidly across ham radio - you'll have to   
   watch carefully so as not to miss something!   
      
   That big radio you have your eye on, is it too big for the shack? Or at   
   least too big to sneak into the shack? How about this ant-sized radio   
   designed for the IoT (Internet of Things - not IOTA)? You'll have no problem   
   finding a spot for it. Finding it in the first place, though, might be a   
   problem. (Thanks, Dennis N6KI)   
      
   A recent online discussion about Sweepstakes wondered about the history of   
   power categories in this oldest of the domestic contests. Mike K1MK did a   
   great job to put together this concise timeline:   
      
   1930 - In the beginning there were no power classes.   
      
   1934 - For the fifth running of Sweepstakes, power multipliers for scoring   
   are introduced with three classes: <= 25 watts input x 3; > 20 watts input;   
   <= 75 watts input x 2; and 75 watts input x1.   
      
   1935 - Power mults simplified to <= 100w input x 1.5.   
      
   1938 - The "power factor" (multiplier) is reduced to x 1.25 and the dividing   
   line remains 100 watts input.   
      
   1952 - The multiplier is increased to x 1.5 for Phone, CW is still x 1.25,   
   and 100 watts is the limit for both modes.   
      
   1956 - The low power limit is increased to 150 watts input for both modes.   
      
   1968 - Precedence of A or B is introduced based upon the 150 watt input   
   limit for the low power class (A).   
      
   1969 - The power multiplier for scoring is eliminated.   
      
   1972 - The low power class is increased to 200 watts input.   
      
   1974 - Separate awards issued to the highest scoring category "A" and "B"   
   entrants in each section. Prior to this, it was one award per section to the   
   highest score regardless of class.   
      
   1983 - Definition of low power category changed to 150 watts output.   
      
   On Sept. 12th, student scientists in California launched a weather balloon   
   to the stratosphere during the most intense solar storm of the year. They   
   expected to measure an increase in energetic radiation. Instead they   
   measured a sharp drop. Their counterintuitive data and the interesting   
   explanation for it are featured on the Spaceweather website.   
      
   JK Antennas' high performance antennas are now available exclusively from DX   
   Engineering. JK Antennas' flagship product is the JK404 Grande, a 40 meter   
   Yagi antenna that offers up to 6.16 dBd (8.31 dBi) gain with a 1.5:1 SWR (or   
   better) across the entire 40 meter band. The antenna uses four full-size   
   elements (73 foot maximum element length), mounted on a 45.5 foot boom. It   
   weighs 325 pounds with a maximum turning radius of 43 feet. Despite the   
   JK404 Grande's large size, it only has an 18.7 square foot wind area. The   
   JK65 is a similarly high-achieving antenna for the 6 meter band with only   
   1.37 square feet of wind load and a weight of 14 pounds.   
      
   How did that Pirate QSO Party turn out? Captain San W6RRR reports, "The   
   Pirate QSO Party went very well! It was great to see how creative people got   
   with their exchanges, although I think the "Walk the Plank" command was   
   under-utilized. More than 120 participants were logged, representing 9 DXCC   
   entities (United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Brazil,   
   Trinidad, and the Dominican Republic). The Java-based logging program was   
   pretty experimental but generally well-received, and 15 logs have been   
   submitted so far. Also, two hours was just long enough for all of us to find   
   our sea legs -- prepare for a somewhat longer contest in 2015!"   
      
   Part 7 and Part 8 of the NCJ antenna interaction articles by K3NA are now   
   available at the NCJ web site in the Bonus Content area. (Thanks, NCJ Editor   
   Emeritus, Kirk K4RO)   
      
   Web Site of the Week - Some news stories have reported on a new technique of   
   "twisting" radio beams to increase wireless data rates. 32 gigabits per   
   second is pretty fast! The Slashdot website's discussion sheds some light on   
   the subject, with various comments explaining why this is different than the   
   circular polarization familiar to many hams using VHF+ bands. By creating   
   beams with different and varying angular phases, several beams with the same   
   frequency can share the same path, yet still be distinguished at the   
   receiver as if they came from different directions. We should give that a   
   try during Phone Sweepstakes!   
      
   WORD TO THE WISE   
      
   A fall is a common reason for a trip to the Emergency Room for older adults,   
   usually male, when they look up, feel faint, then pass out when working on a   
   ladder or on a tower. The usual cause is restricting blood flow in the   
   arteries at the base of the brain when tipping one's head back. It seems to   
   be a condition that becomes more pronounced with age. You can test this   
   fairly easily: stand straight and tall - then tip your head back as far as   
   it will go without bending your back. A few seconds of readjustment before   
   you get your equilibrium back is more or less normal. If dizziness persists   
   or gets worse, you have a problem to have checked out by your doctor. It is   
   better to find this out at ground level than aloft, don't you think?   
      
   SIGHTS AND SOUNDS   
      
   A master photo gallery has been created on the WRTC2014 website. There is an   
   album for each of the 59 operating sites/teams. More photos are always   
   welcome, particularly of the W1I team (W2RE and WW2DX). Contact Randy K5ZD   
   for information. Thanks to N6TV and EY8MM for providing many of the photos.   
   Albums of the opening and closing ceremonies will soon be available as well.   
      
   What did we miss at the Maker Faire? This EDN blog talks about the creative   
   and imaginative engineering fostered by the Faires.   
      
   RESULTS AND RECORDS   
      
   ARRL Contest Branch Manager, Matt W1MSW continues to post new and updated   
   content to the ARRL's Contest Results web page. Downloadable CSV files are   
   now all up to date and all Log Checking Reports (LCRs) are now posted, as   
   well. There are a few nits yet to fix in past writeups and the log handling   
   machinery needs constant attention but the backlog in the results is now a   
   thing of the past.   
      
   If you participated in the ARRL's September VHF+ Contest, be sure to check   
   the Logs Received page and verify your entry is noted with the right   
   category, location, and call sign.   
      
   OPERATING TIP   
      
   Speaking of LCRs, also known as UBN (Unique-Busted-NIL) reports, now is a   
   great time to start looking over your errors from last year. Think of it as   
   watching game video from the previous game - it will alert you to your   
   weaknesses and help you focus on improving what needs to be improved!   
      
   TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION   
      
   Tuning an impedance matching network like an L network to match a feed point   
   impedance is fairly straightforward. But what about for an antenna that you   
   use on two bands? You could switch between different component values, such   
   as by using a different tap on an inductor or adding a capacitor. Switching   
   in coaxial stubs also works, but Doug W7KF found an alternative solution   
   that he put to work on his Inverted L for 160 and 80 meters. The original   
   idea came from an 1970s QST article by Wes Hayward W7ZOI ("Hints and Kinks"   
   in the June 1977 issue) that lets the network switch itself in and out by   
   using resonance. As Wes observes, while having the antenna be resonant on   
   the lower band simplifies adjustment considerably, in the general case, the   
   antenna doesn't need to be resonant on either band.   
      
   Pasternak has a new online package of RF calculator and conversion tools   
   developed by its engineering staff. Here are a few of the many interesting   
   tools of interest to hams: balanced attenuator calculator, cascaded noise   
   figure calculator, coaxial cable impedance calculator, RF power conversion   
   calculator, RF power ratio conversion calculator, VSWR/return loss   
   calculator and more. Broadcast engineers will find some just for them, as   
   well! Each calculator includes diagrams and illustrations along with the   
   formula in use. (Thanks, Eric W3DQ)   
      
   We have the CW Skimmer keeping an ear on the bands for us, do you think you   
   can do better? If so, the Morse Learning Machine Challenge is for you! No   
   word has been received as to whether the final evaluation will be done   
   during CW Sweepstakes.   
      
   There are quite a few low-cost online PC board fabricators that will deliver   
   several boards in a batch but this can be expensive if you only need a   
   couple of boards made. There's another approach called a PC-board   
   aggregator. These services combine your small order with the small orders of   
   others and makes a composite board that is then sliced up and sent to the   
   customers. You must submit a board design prepared with a layout package   
   that generates Gerber files and pay a certain amount per square inch of   
   board area. One such aggregator is OSH Park which charges $5.00 per square   
   inch for double-sided boards with a silkscreen. (Thanks, Brad AA1IP)   
      
   There is a good collection of downloadable white papers on grounding and   
   lightning protection from the Polyphaser company at the Smiths Power   
   website. The list includes a paper specifically on grounding amateur   
   stations. (Thanks, Bill KC4PE)   
      
   If you use rope running through a pulley to hold up a wire antennas, it's   
   important to move or shift the rope from time-to-time. Leaving the pull rope   
   "setting" in one spot for extended periods of time causes excess wear, as   
   the outer fibers are elongated/stretched more than the inner ones. Just a   
   little movement 2-3 times per year will go a long way toward keeping that   
   rope flexible and doing its job. (Thanks, Don K4ZA)   
      
   While we may consider stainless steel to be the best of the best materials,   
   it can corrode when deprived of oxygen and needs to be inspected like   
   everything else. Sailors know corrosion as well as anyone and this Cruising   
   World article describes the problem and how to check for corrosion. (Thanks,   
   Kirby AF6OP)   
      
   Several useful gadgets and projects showed up recently on the Instructables   
   website. The creator of this Instructable on straightening and stripping   
   wire mentions the possible uses as "Antenna Construction". Too bad he didn't   
   build a pipe and tower stretcher says Frank KR1ZAN! This razor blade cutter   
   functions as a nifty mini-shear for wire and plastic - watch your fingers!   
   And another builder made use of a switchmode dc-to-dc converter module to   
   create a bench-style power supply. It runs with 7-35 volts input power and   
   outputs 1.25-30 volts at up to 3 amps depending on the heat sink. The   
   project also demonstrates how to create an etched front panel.   
      
   As the fall semester kicks into gear, you may have a STEM-oriented student   
   in the family or know of one. This EE Times slide show features 10   
   technological elements, one of which is sure to hold the interest of your   
   student. Some are intended for the school environment and some for   
   individuals at home learning on their own.   
      
   Technical Web Site of the Week - Physics fans will be thrilled to learn that   
   the famed Feynman Lectures have all been released free online. Covering a   
   wide variety of topics, you can learn from a master physicist whose work   
   garnered a Nobel Prize and inspired generations of students.   
      
   CONVERSATION   
      
   Watching a Submarine Race   
      
   I've written at times about visualization being an important component that   
   is currently missing from much of radiosport. We like numbers - particularly   
   final scores - and don't seem too concerned about the process by which those   
   numbers were obtained. And why should we be? No one watches us as we sit in   
   front of the radios and computers in our basement or bedroom redoubts. The   
   door is shut and the household tiptoes around for the weekend whispering,   
   "There's a contest on!"   
      
   Finally, we emerge: a little bleary, somewhat the worse for wear and tear,   
   with our far-away eyes still somewhere out there in the ionosphere. After we   
   get a little sleep and shape-shift back into human form, friends and family   
   will inquire, "How was it? Did you win?" And so we recount the battles won   
   and lost, the highs and lows, and whether we beat the cross-town rivals or   
   came up short.   
      
   Don't you think those folks might want to watch a little bit? Maybe just to   
   check the scores from time to time even if the exact operating technique is   
   a bit opaque? Certainly other hams would be interested, but except for   
   contests that include QSO serial number as part of the exchange, it's all   
   invisible.   
      
   Watching a typical radiosport contest is like watching a submarine race. You   
   know they're out there...somewhere...and you know they're focused and   
   intense and working hard...somehow...but you can't see a thing. Nor will you   
   learn anything about the race until the "fish" surface, one by one, to tell   
   their tales.   
      
   That might be about to change, at least for radiosport. We've had a   
   real-time scoreboard or two for a while now. More stations are uploading   
   scores and even breakdowns, so it is starting to happen. During the WRTC2014   
   a new gadget came into play - a network "sniffer" that watched for QSOs   
   being "broadcast" in a digital stream, grabbed the information, and   
   submitted it to the central scoreboard server. Inexpensive and based on a   
   Raspberry Pi computer, the sniffer (aka - the Score Collection Computer)   
   required no modification to the host software, just access to the stream of   
   contact data as each QSO was logged by the competitors.   
      
   This is not very far from live QSO validation and scoring, although that   
   would require considerably more computing resources, such as are available   
   in the "cloud". In the meantime, couldn't we be seeing a lot more   
   information and visuals of the competition? For an idea of what is possible   
   even at this early stage, Bob N6TV has created some "after the fact"   
   horse-race-style graphics in the style of Chuck NO5W's PileUpNet software so   
   popular at the Dayton CW Pileup Contest sponsored by the Kansas City DX   
   Club.   
      
   You can watch the whole of WRTC2014 play back via these GIF-based animations   
   created by Bob N6TV. The animation is available on the WRTC2014 website.   
      
   Until we finally get real-time radiosport, I am hoping that some of the   
   creative programmers out there are thinking about what they could do with   
   access to a stream of QSO data from hundreds or thousands of competitors all   
   logging contacts as fast as they can. What sort of combinations of views   
   makes sense? Will it be something like ESPN's GameCast system - a collection   
   of maps and charts and statistics that capture the competitive state of the   
   game?   
      
   In the meantime this fall, as 0000 UTC approaches, be sure to dog your   
   hatches, lower the periscope, sound the klaxon and Dive! Dive! The submarine   
   race is about to begin!   
      
   73, Ward NOAX   
      
   CONTESTS   
      
   24 September through 7 October   
      
   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   
      
   SKCC Straight Key Sprint--CW, from Sep 24, 0000Z to Sep 24, 0200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, Monthly on the 4th Wednesday UTC. Exchange: RST, QTH,   
   name, SKCC nr or power. Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   CQ WW RTTY Contest--Digital, from Sep 27, 0000Z to Sep 28, 2359Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, CQ zone and State/VE area (US/VE). Logs due: 5   
   days. Rules   
      
   Maine QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Sep 27, 1200Z to Sep 28, 1200Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T), county or "DX". Logs due: Oct 15. Rules   
      
   Texas QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 27, 1400Z - See website.   
   Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, CW--20 to 50 kHz above   
   band edge; Phone--25 kHz above edge of General segment. Exchange: RS(T),   
   county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules   
      
   Peanut Power Sprint--Phone,CW, from Sep 28, 2000Z to Sep 28, 2200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 7-21. CW--7.061, 14.061, 21.061; SSB--7.285, 14.285, 21.285.   
   Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and Peanut nr or power. Logs due: Oct 15. Rules   
      
   222 MHz Fall VHF Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 30, 7 PM to Sep 30, 11   
   PM. Bands (MHz): 222. Exchange: 4-char grid square. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules   
      
   CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests--CW, from Oct 1, 1300Z - See website. Multiple   
   time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Weekly on Wednesday, 28 to 38 kHz above   
   band edge. Exchange: Name and member number or S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days.   
   Rules   
      
   NS Weekly Sprint--CW, from Oct 3, 0230Z to Oct 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   
      
   DX/NA YLRL Anniversary Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 3, 1400Z to Oct 5,   
   0200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: Serial, RS(T), and S/P/C. Logs due: 30   
   days. Rules   
      
   TARA PSK Rumble--Digital, from Oct 4, 0000Z to Oct 4, 2400Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28, 50. Exchange: Name and call area (see website). Logs due: Oct 31.   
   Rules   
      
   Oceania DX Phone Contest--Phone, from Oct 4, 0800Z to Oct 5, 0800Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS and serial. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules   
      
   Russian WW Digital Contest--Digital, from Oct 4, 1200Z to Oct 5, 1159Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RST and 2-char oblast code or serial. Logs   
   due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   Worked All Britain HF Contest--Phone, from Oct 4, 1200Z to Oct 5, 1200Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 14-28. Exchange: RS, serial, DXCC entity or WAB area. Logs due:   
   Oct 28. Rules   
      
   New Jersey QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 4, 1600Z - See website. Multiple   
   time periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 144. Exchange: RS(T) and NJ county or S/P   
   or "DX". Logs due: Oct 25. Rules   
      
   California QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 4, 1600Z to Oct 5, 2200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: Serial and state/prov/"DX" or CA county.   
   Logs due: Oct 31. Rules   
      
   RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest--Phone,CW, from Oct 5, 0700Z to Oct 5, 1900Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 21,28. Exchange: Serial and UK district. Logs due: 16 days. Rules   
      
   EU Autumn Phone Sprint--Phone, from Oct 6, 1600Z to Oct 6, 1959Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-14. Exchange: Both call signs, serial, name. Logs due: 15 days.   
   Rules   
      
   OK1WC Memorial Contest--Phone,CW, from Oct 6, 1630Z to Oct 6, 1730Z. 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 Oct 7, 0200Z to Oct 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   
      
   VHF+ CONTESTS   
      
   SKCC Straight Key Sprint--CW, from Sep 24, 0000Z to Sep 24, 0200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, Monthly on the 4th Wednesday UTC. Exchange: RST, QTH,   
   name, SKCC nr or power. Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   Texas QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 27, 1400Z - See website.   
   Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, CW--20 to 50 kHz above   
   band edge; Phone--25 kHz above edge of General segment. Exchange: RS(T),   
   county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules   
      
   222 MHz Fall VHF Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 30, 7 PM to Sep 30, 11   
   PM. Bands (MHz): 222. Exchange: 4-char grid square. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules   
      
   TARA PSK Rumble--Digital, from Oct 4, 0000Z to Oct 4, 2400Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28, 50. Exchange: Name and call area (see website). Logs due: Oct 31.   
   Rules   
      
   New Jersey QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 4, 1600Z - See website. Multiple   
   time periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 144. Exchange: RS(T) and NJ county or S/P   
   or "DX". Logs due: Oct 25. Rules   
      
   California QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 4, 1600Z to Oct 5, 2200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: Serial and state/prov/"DX" or CA county.   
   Logs due: Oct 31. Rules   
      
   LOG DUE DATES   
      
   24 September through 7 October   
      
    *  September 26 - SKCC Sprint   
    *  September 27 - FOC QSO Party   
    *  September 27 - Arkansas QSO Party   
    *  September 27 - Colorado QSO Party   
    *  September 27 - Feld Hell Sprint   
    *  September 27 - CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    *  September 28 - NCCC RTTY Sprint Ladder   
    *  September 28 - Run for the Bacon QRP Contest   
    *  September 28 - Kulikovo Polye Contest   
    *  September 28 - Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW   
    *  September 28 - NCCC Sprint   
    *  September 29 - WAE DX Contest, SSB   
    *  September 30 - Hawaii QSO Party   
    *  September 30 - AGCW Straight Key Party   
    *  September 30 - YO DX HF Contest   
    *  September 30 - IARU Region 1 Field Day, SSB   
    *  September 30 - ALARA Contest   
    *  September 30 - Pirate QSO Party   
    *  October 1 - Kansas QSO Party   
    *  October 2 - RSGB 80m Club Sprint, CW   
    *  October 3 - CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY   
    *  October 5 - WAB 144 MHz QRO Phone   
    *  October 5 - Washington State Salmon Run   
    *  October 6 - 144 MHz Fall Sprint   
    *  October 7 - G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest   
      
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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   
      
   If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until   
   you hire an amateur.   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)