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   http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2014-10-08   
      
   The ARRL Contest Update   
      
   October 8, 2014   
   Editor: Ward Silver, NOAX   
      
   IN THIS ISSUE   
    *  DX Goodies from Oceania, Scandinavia, and Germany   
    *  Big Signals from Little Pistols - QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party   
    *  WRTC Heads to Germany in 2018   
    *  Citizen Science - Why Not Us?   
    *  Mr. Wyatt Goes to Newington   
    *  Kansas and Minnesota QSO Party Results   
    *  Compensating for Element Diameter   
    *  Everything You Wanted to Know about the Decibel   
    *  Sharing the Fun   
      
   NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO   
      
   Ten meters has been hot lately - why not give the 10-10 CW Contest a try and   
   see what you can work on the upper end of our HF spectrum? Then turn down   
   the power and jump into the QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party - the biggest QRP   
   contest of the year. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you can put   
   in the log with only five watts!   
      
   BULLETINS   
      
   The dates for the EU Sprints are incorrect on the EU Sprint website: SSB was   
   last weekend on the 4th and CW is this coming weekend on the 11th. This   
   reflects the first- and third-Saturday rule for the contest dates. (Thanks,   
   Dave G4BUO)   
      
   BUSTED QSOS   
      
   No bad content was reported in the previous issue.   
      
   CONTEST SUMMARY   
      
   Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section   
      
   Oct 11-12   
      
    *  ARRL EME Contest   
    *  North American RTTY Sprint--Digital   
    *  432 MHz Fall VHF Sprint (Oct 8)   
    *  10-10 Sprint (Oct 10)   
    *  Great Pumpkin Sprint--Digital   
    *  Makrothen RTTY Contest   
    *  Oceania DX CW Contest   
    *  Scandinavian Activity Contest--Phone   
    *  QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party--CW   
    *  FISTS/SKCC QSO Party--CW   
    *  Arizona QSO Party   
    *  Pennsylvania QSO Party   
    *  EU Autumn CW Sprint   
      
   Oct 18-19   
      
    *  School Club Roundup (Oct 20-24)   
    *  NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint--CW (Oct 15)   
    *  902+ MHz Fall VHF Sprint   
    *  JARTS WW RTTY Contest   
    *  Asia-Pacific Sprint--CW   
    *  10-10 Fall CW QSO Party   
    *  Iowa QSO Party   
    *  New York QSO Party   
    *  Worked All Germany   
    *  Stew Perry Warmup Contest--CW   
    *  W/VE Islands QSO Party   
    *  South Dakota QSO Party   
    *  Telephone Pioneer QSO Party   
    *  Spooky Feld-Hell Sprint   
    *  Illinois QSO Party   
    *  Run For the Bacon--CW (Oct 20)   
      
   NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST   
      
   We will see you all in DL-land in 2018 - watch for details of the rules and   
   how to qualify for this quadrennial competition!   
      
   Big news has been received from Germany - a committee has been formed to   
   sponsor the 2018 edition of the World Radiosport Team Championships and   
   their application enthusiastically accepted by the WRTC Sanctioning   
   Committee! The WRTC2018 committee consists of well-known and experienced   
   contesters from the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC), Bavarian Contest   
   Club (BCC), and Rhein-Ruhr DX Association (RRDXA). The general approach will   
   be similar to prior WRTCs although the qualification process - which will be   
   announced soon - is likely to be shorter than for WRTC2014. Watch for more   
   bulletins as the sponsors hit the ground running!   
      
   Sherwood Engineering has released a new table of receiver ratings - and a   
   new "king of the narrow-spacing dynamic range hill" as the FlexRadio 6700   
   appears atop the list at 108 dB. In what is an indication of the brave new   
   world of SDR behavior, the 6700 exhibits the unique behavior of having a   
   higher close-spacing dynamic range than wide-spaced. Note Y below the table   
   explains that the behavior is characteristic of SDR equipment that digitizes   
   the RF signal close to the antenna. As long as there is sufficient data   
   resolution - it's all bits.   
      
   Wolfgang DK9VZ reports that there is a new set of General Rules for all DARC   
   Contests. This applies to all DARC HF and DX contests.   
      
   Qatar should be in a lot of CQ WW SSB logs this year. A71BX will be active   
   once again as a Multi-Multi entry and A73A will be participating with a   
   multi-national team in the Multi-Two category from a site near the beach.   
   These groups of friends intend to have a lot of fun and work a lot of   
   stations - this should be easy if conditions stay good, particularly on the   
   high bands. It's great to see the A7 prefix so active! (Thanks, Dave K5GN)   
      
   Stu K6TU announces, "I am planning to release a new version of the Super   
   Check Partial database files on October 14th. I am requesting your logs for   
   input to the database files. Please send your logs for this release before   
   October 13th." That is next Monday! Email Stu your Cabrillo format logs   
   created in the past 24 months. No ZIP, ADIF, or compressed files, please.   
   Send them as separate attachments. You may send files any time, of course,   
   but if you want to contribute to the next release, send them now.   
      
   You've seen the 2D "QR codes" and maybe even used them for an airline   
   boarding pass. A recent Instructable project gave Frank KR1ZAN an idea for   
   labeling your equipment with your name and call. "The QR code could be   
   placed inside an HT's case under the battery, on the bottom of a rig, or   
   next to the serial number plate or inside the lid...the QR code could link   
   to a web site or a phone number, but, should say something like "Property of   
   Kxnyyy". Most thieves won't know what this is and hams could get in the   
   habit of using a smartphone to scan and read the QR code of used equipment   
   before making a purchase."   
      
   Ham-Com, the largest amateur radio convention in Texas, announced that it   
   would be moving the location of the 2015 convention from the Plano Center to   
   the Irving Convention Center. The Ham-Com board of directors deemed the move   
   necessary due to the increased growth they have experienced over the past   
   several years. (Thanks, Tim K3LR)   
      
   Ruler Mode of the Survey Compass app shows you compass data right on top of   
   what your camera is seeing. From the top of the tower, you can sight down   
   the boom to get the alignment just right!   
      
   Peter WW2Y discovered a free app for the Android OS called Survey Compass   
   (at right). The app uses a smartphone camera for sighting and displays   
   heading plus other info directly on the image in Ruler Mode. It also has a   
   map-style Grid Mode and a standard compass-style view. You can store images   
   into your default photo folder.   
      
   A new Space Weather Prediction Center website will be operational next   
   Tuesday, October 14. Following that date the www.spaceweather.gov and   
   www.swpc.noaa.gov sites will link to the new web site which is in late   
   beta-testing. The familiar Spaceweather website will remain active as a   
   legacy site for another 60 days as a transition. (Thanks, Daily DX)   
      
   At the Final Plenary of the 23rd IARU Region I General Conference the   
   following members were elected to serve on the Executive Committee.   
   Contesters will recognize some familiar calls!   
      
    *  President: G3BJ, Don Beattie   
    *  Vice President: 9K2RR, Faisal Al-Ajmi   
    *  Treasurer: HB9FPM/OK3QE, Eva Thieman   
    *  Secretary: ZS4BS, Dennis Green   
    *  Members: DL9KCE, Thilo Kootz; EI3IO, David Court; Z32TO, Oliver   
       Tabakovski; OZ7IS, Ivan Stauning; and 4O3A, Ranko Boca   
      
   You know how it is that some remote place just seems to call out for years   
   before you can finally visit? For Chris ZS6EZ that place was Labrador (VO2).   
   Read about how he finally made it to his Shangri-La and visited WRTC2014   
   along the way in his super travelogue about the experience.   
      
   Who came first and what preceded what in the tumultuous field of   
   telecommunications? This historical timeline may help answer a few questions   
   and settle a wager or two. (Thanks, Tim K3LR)   
      
   Web Site of the Week - In ways very similar to Amateur Radio's ability to   
   observe and report, this recent NY Times story on atmospheric sprites   
   presents a great example of "citizen science." Why not start bouncing some   
   signals off of sprites and jets to see what radio properties they have? Game   
   on!   
      
   WORD TO THE WISE   
      
   Dick WC1M contributed this recent discussion of using high-performance   
   climbing gear to do tower work. Lightweight and flexible, this safety   
   equipment may be just what you're looking for!   
      
   SIGHTS AND SOUNDS   
      
   EDN blogger, Ken Wyatt (who I believe is KX7KW), recently made a visit to   
   the ARRL and spent some time with ARRL Lab staff. The title of his web page   
   is The EMC Blog, so it was natural for him and ARRL EMC engineer, Mike   
   Gruber W1MG, to spend a little time talking about the various EMI topics   
   that occupy Mike's time at HQ these days.   
      
   Whitey K1VV of the Marconi Radio Club (W1AA) and Barbara N1NS, KM1CC   
   (Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club) trustee, contributed a link to this terrific   
   video on Elettra Marconi, produced by the Massachusetts Institute of   
   Technology (MIT). (Scroll to the end of the page to find 'Marconi Legacy'.)   
   There is plenty of interesting material on the associated web pages.   
   (Thanks, Doug K1DG)   
      
   More from MIT - here's a great new video featuring the university's Haystack   
   Observatory - be prepared for lots of BIG antennas! (Thanks, Kirk K4RO)   
      
   The Launching of Standardized Time - how did this come about? This short   
   feature from PBS gives a few clues how we got to this one-track state of   
   mind.   
      
   I see a lot of postings that confuse a solar flare with a CME (coronal mass   
   ejection) - they are quite different as explained in this NASA YouTube   
   video.   
      
   RESULTS AND RECORDS   
      
   Preliminary results for the 2014 Kansas QSO Party were posted on the Kansas   
   QSO Party website on October 2, one day after logs were due. N6MU once again   
   completed the 105-county sweep! If you turned in a log, please check to see   
   if you are listed and in the correct category. Results will be finalized in   
   two weeks with plaques and certificates/stamps to follow. (Thanks, Bob WOBH)   
      
   Results for the 2014 Minnesota QSO Party are also available at the WOAA   
   website. (Thanks, Mark WAOMHJ)   
      
   The data just keeps on coming as N2NC and his terrific typist team have   
   added 1966 to the CQ World Wide Online score database. (Thanks, CQ WW   
   Director, Randy K5ZD)   
      
   The California QSO Party (CQP) enjoyed some fine conditions last weekend. So   
   good that the 6000-QSO barrier finally fell at N6O. That is 6172 QSOs and   
   814 kilopoints in a 30-hour state QSO party! In addition, the W6YX   
   (Stanford) team cashed in on the incredibly popular W1AW/6 callsign and made   
   it all the way to 7361 contacts generating a 1.05 megapoint score. They will   
   submit a checklog for their CQP entry. The 27-day solar rotation gives one   
   hope that good conditions will prevail during CQ WW SSB at the end of this   
   month. (Thanks CQP Chairman, Chris N6WM)   
      
   OPERATING TIP   
      
   Having just assembled the December edition of QST's "Contest Corral", I have   
   some statistics for 2014 to share. The column includes 450 different   
   contests (some of which are listed monthly) of which 335 are HF only and 37   
   only take place at VHF+. 78 allow operating on both HF and VHF+. Out of   
   those contests, fully three-quarters have a CW component - far more than   
   Phone (47%) or Digital (35%). Is there an operating tip to be learned? Yes -   
   learn CW and have more opportunities for radiosporting fun!   
      
   TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION   
      
   The antenna design calls for tubing of size X but a check of your private   
   boneyard turns up plenty of size Y! How can you adjust the design lengths so   
   they remain resonant with the new diameter elements? John KK9A directs us   
   that "You can calculate the resonant frequency for any element diameter   
   using the W6QHS element spreadsheet." These days, W6QHS is better known as   
   W6NL.   
      
   Another EDN online publication, The Workbench, provides a very useful list   
   of "alternative hacker boards" beyond the usual Arduino and Raspberry Pi.   
   One of these might be just the right fit for your talents and tools on the   
   next project.   
      
   Your vehicle's power system is a surprisingly dynamic and often-hostile home   
   for delicate electronics like radio gear. What's lurking on that "12 volt"   
   connection? And how can you protect your gear against it? This online paper   
   about automotive transient protection from Littelfuse goes into some detail   
   about both topics. You'll need to enter your contact information but   
   downloading the paper is free.   
      
   Everything wants to radiate - even lawn chairs as Jim K2MIJ demonstrated   
   with his daffy dipole. Beyond just the fun factor, Jim has managed to work a   
   lot of DX with this comfortable contraption: running QRP he has logged 25   
   states and 28 DXCC entities at last count on his QRZ.com web page.   
      
   Do you live near a public airport and wonder about height and marking   
   requirements? If so, the free FCC online program TOWAIR tells you if you   
   must register your antenna structure with the FCC and need to notify the   
   FAA. There are some errors in the program's data set, but it is a good place   
   to start. An alternative would be to just send in FAA form 7460-1 to see   
   what requirements might apply to your dream tower. (Thanks, Mike WV2ZOW)   
      
   Electronics distributor, Digi-Key, has released a free online schematic   
   editor. Scheme-it is a free online schematic and diagramming tool that   
   allows anyone to design and share electronic circuit diagrams. It works   
   natively in all major web browsers without requiring the use of any   
   plug-ins. Of course, it links rather easily to the Digi-Key parts catalog!   
      
   With so much variation between vehicles, it is inevitable that mounting a   
   radio control panel or providing just the right spot for your handheld is a   
   compromise. Until now, that is. This Instructables project shows how to make   
   a custom mount for your gear - in this case a tablet computer but the same   
   techniques will work on radio stuff, too.   
      
   Just a few days ago passed the 113th anniversary of the invention of the   
   radio wave detector by J.C. Bose. (No, the noise-cancelling ear trumpet was   
   not one of his early inventions!) He founded the Bose Institute in Calcutta,   
   India and trained many students, including S.N. Bose, a contemporary and   
   collaborator of and with Einstein.   
      
   Technical Web Site of the Week - Remembering my initial confusion when   
   introduced to the dB, this complete and thorough paper on decibels is a very   
   welcome resource from the folks at Rohde & Schwarz. Whether you are learning   
   about the dB yourself or tutoring someone else, you'll appreciate this   
   publication.   
      
   CONVERSATION   
      
   Sharing the Fun   
      
   Here are two opportunities to spread our enjoyment of contesting and at the   
   same time open a door to more potential hams. The first is a biannual   
   exercise that gets kids on the air - possibly their first experience with   
   non-entertainment radio. The second involves encouraging more folks who are   
   already hams to turn on the radio and fill up a log with contest QSOs.   
      
   School Club Roundup is an activity that takes the place of the old Novice   
   Roundup, replacing the school-age Novices with other school-age operators,   
   many of whom aren't yet hams. There are two week-long editions each year,   
   one during the weekdays of the third week in October and another in   
   February. The format is very similar to Novice Roundup - each station gets   
   24 hours of CW, phone, or digital operating time on Monday through Friday,   
   exchange RS(T), class (Individual, Club, or School), and the   
   state/province/DXCC entity. There are four levels of school clubs.   
      
   This is a great opportunity to invite students to participate - actually,   
   the operators don't have to be students if the operation is from a   
   non-school club. Why not invite other club members, particularly Technicians   
   and new Generals and Extras, to come over to your station and use the club   
   call? Inviting a scout or youth group to your home is just fine, too. If you   
   want to operate on your own and have some time in the afternoons after   
   school ends or in the evenings, tune around and hand out some QSOs. Help   
   make HF operation fun and show these folks something new and exciting.   
      
   To make School Club Roundup even more fun, this year there is a new online   
   score submission page set up by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM. As soon as operating is   
   done, the group's score can be submitted online along with the   
   Cabrillo-formatted log. Like the Frequency Measuring Test reporting system,   
   as soon as the log submission deadline passes, preliminary scores are sorted   
   and published. The sponsors review the logs and make any necessary changes   
   after that but the important thing is that the participants get feedback and   
   reinforcement as soon as possible. Downloadable certificates are generated,   
   as well. This is fun!   
      
   Another great way of encouraging other hams to join in and have a good time   
   is for clubs to offer incentives and rewards. This year, the Society of   
   Midwest Contesters (SMC) has created a new awards program for the   
   Sweepstakes contests in November based on teams. All SMC members will be   
   assigned to one of five geographicallyƒ??based teams according to the station's   
   zip code. What better way for a ham wanting to know more about this "contest   
   stuff" than to participate in a team or multi-op with help from more   
   experienced hams?   
      
   A special SMC coffee cup will go to first-time CW or Phone entrants with   
   more than 100 QSOs in either mode or more than 200 QSOs combined. Remember   
   how awesome 100 contacts sounded when you started out? After you make one,   
   then a dozen, you can't stop and pretty soon you are handing out three-digit   
   serial numbers with aplomb. The highest score from a young operator under 20   
   and between 20 and 30 will be recognized. There is a wires-only category and   
   another for the best score by a member who joined in 2014. These are awards   
   someone new to contesting and the hurly-burly of Sweepstakes can reach -   
   that makes it fun!   
      
   The more fun we have and the more fun we share, the more interest we will   
   generate and the more contesters and hams we will have. Help these newcomers   
   enjoy themselves with pins in maps, online lookups of stations, scoring goal   
   "thermometers" and charts, track Worked All States progress, do whatever   
   makes sense for your group. Then tell your club or group about it afterward.   
   Be an ambassador for contesting and for ham radio.   
      
   At this point in Amateur Radio, it is becoming more important every single   
   day to include outreach as a component in everything we do. Sometimes, we   
   need to look outside the hobby to help people find out about ham radio and   
   then want to find out more. At other times, we need to extend an invitation   
   to other hams to join us and find a new way to enjoy being on the air and   
   that keeps them on the air. Contesting is fun. There is nothing more   
   attractive to humans than seeing other humans having a good time - share it!   
      
   73, Ward NOAX   
      
   CONTESTS   
      
   October 8 through October 21   
      
   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   
      
   North American RTTY Sprint--Digital, from Oct 12, 0000Z to Oct 12, 0359Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 3.5-14. Exchange: Both call signs, serial, QTH, name. Logs due:   
   7 days. Rules   
      
   School Club Roundup--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 20, 1300Z to Oct 24, 2359Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50+. Exchange: RS(T), category, and S/P/C. Logs due: 15   
   days. Rules   
      
   10-10 Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 10, 0001Z to Oct 10, 2359Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 28. Exchange: Call, name, 10-10 number, S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 25.   
   Rules   
      
   Great Pumpkin Sprint--Digital, from Oct 11, 8 PM to Oct 12, 2 AM. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8. Exchange: RST and S/P/C. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules   
      
   Makrothen RTTY Contest--Digital, from Oct 11, 0000Z to Oct 12, 1600Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: 4-char grid square. Logs due: Nov 15. Rules   
      
   Oceania DX CW Contest--CW, from Oct 11, 0800Z to Oct 12, 0800Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28. Exchange: RST and serial. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules   
      
   Scandinavian Activity Contest--Phone, from Oct 11, 1200Z to Oct 12, 1200Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RS and serial. Logs due: 7 days. Rules   
      
   QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party--CW, from Oct 11, 1200Z to Oct 12, 2359Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T), S/P/C, QRP ARCI number or pwr. Logs due: 14   
   days. Rules   
      
   FISTS/SKCC QSO Party--CW, from Oct 11, 1200Z to Oct 12, 2359Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, name, S/P/C, and mbr nr(s) or power. Logs due: 5   
   days. Rules - SKCC and FISTS   
      
   Arizona QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 11, 1600Z - See website.   
   Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144,CW--1.812,3.5   
   8,7.048,14.048,21.048,28.048,50.048;SSB--1.848,3.848,7.189 ,14   
   .248,21.348,28.448,50.148,146.48 MHz. Exchange: Serial and S/P/C. Logs due:   
   Oct 31. Rules   
      
   Pennsylvania QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 11, 1600Z - See website.   
   Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, CW--40 kHz above band   
   edge and 1.810; SSB--1.850, 3.825, 7.200, 14.280, 21.380, 28.480 MHz.   
   Exchange: Serial and PA county or ARRL/RAC section. Logs due: Nov 15. Rules   
      
   EU Autumn CW Sprint--CW, from Oct 13, 1600Z to Oct 13, 1959Z. Bands (MHz):   
   3.5-14. Exchange: Both call signs, serial, name. Logs due: 15 days. Rules   
      
   NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint--CW, from Oct 15, 0030Z to Oct 15, 0230Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-14. Monthly on 2nd Tuesday or 3rd Wednesday local time   
   (alternating). Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and NAQCC mbr nr or power. Logs due: 4   
   days. Rules   
      
   JARTS WW RTTY Contest--Digital, from Oct 18, 0000Z to Oct 19, 2400Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST and age (YL may send '00'). Logs due: Oct 31.   
   Rules   
      
   Asia-Pacific Sprint--CW, from Oct 18, 0000Z to Oct 18, 0200Z. Bands (MHz):   
   14-21. Exchange: RST and serial. Logs due: 7 days. Rules   
      
   10-10 Fall CW QSO Party--CW, from Oct 18, 0001Z to Oct 19, 2359Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 28. Exchange: Call, name, 10-10 number, S/P/C. Logs due: Nov 4. Rules   
      
   Iowa QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 1400Z to Oct 19, 2300Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50+. Exchange: RS(T) and IA county, state/prov, or "DX". Logs   
   due: Nov 20. Rules http://www.wa0dx.org   
      
   New York QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 1400Z to Oct 19, 0200Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50+, CW--1.820, 3.550, 7.050, 14.050, 21.050, 28.050;   
   Phone--1.870, 3.825, 7.200, 14.290, 21.350, 28.400 MHz. Exchange: RS(T), NY   
   county, state/prov, or "DX". Logs due: 14 days. Rules   
      
   Worked All Germany--Phone,CW, from Oct 18, 1500Z to Oct 19, 1459Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-28. See website. Exchange: RS(T) and serial or DOK code. Logs   
   due: 2 weeks. Rules   
      
   Stew Perry Warmup Contest--CW, from Oct 18, 1500Z to Oct 19, 1500Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8. Exchange: 4-char grid square. Logs due: 30 days. Rules   
      
   W/VE Islands QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 1600Z to Oct 19,   
   2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or island   
   designator. Logs due: Nov 30. Rules   
      
   South Dakota QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 1800Z to Oct 19,   
   1800Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T) and SD county or S/P/C. Logs   
   due: Nov 15. Rules   
      
   Telephone Pioneer QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 1900Z - See   
   website. Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50-432. Exchange: Year   
   of membership and chapter. Logs due: Dec 10. Rules   
      
   Spooky Feld-Hell Sprint--Digital, from Oct 18, 2000Z to Oct 19, 2200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-7,21-28. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, Feld-Hell member nr. Logs due: 7   
   days. Rules   
      
   Illinois QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 19, 1700Z to Oct 20, 0100Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: RS(T) and IL county or S/P/C. Logs due: Nov   
   17. Rules   
      
   Run For the Bacon--CW, from Oct 20, 0200Z to Oct 20, 0400Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28. Monthly on 3rd Sunday night (local). Exchange: RST, S/P/C, Flying   
   Pig nr or power. Rules   
      
   VHF+ CONTESTS   
      
   ARRL EME Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 11, 0000Z to Oct 12, 2359Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 2.3G+. Exchange: Call signs, sig rpt, acknowledgement. Logs   
   due: Jan 1. Rules   
      
   School Club Roundup--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 20, 1300Z to Oct 24, 2359Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50+. Exchange: RS(T), category, and S/P/C. Logs due: 15   
   days. Rules   
      
   432 MHz Fall VHF Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 8, 7 PM to Oct 8, 11 PM.   
   Bands (MHz): 432. Exchange: 4-char grid square. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules   
      
   FISTS/SKCC QSO Party--CW, from Oct 11, 1200Z to Oct 12, 2359Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, name, S/P/C, and mbr nr(s) or power. Logs due: 5   
   days. Rules - SKCC and FISTS   
      
   Arizona QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 11, 1600Z - See website.   
   Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144,CW--1.812,3.5   
   8,7.048,14.048,21.048,28.048,50.048;SSB--1.848,3.848,7.189 ,14   
   .248,21.348,28.448,50.148,146.48 MHz. Exchange: Serial and S/P/C. Logs due:   
   Oct 31. Rules   
      
   902+ MHz Fall VHF Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 6 AM to Oct 18, 1   
   PM. Bands (MHz): 902+. Exchange: 6-char grid locator. Logs due: 2 weeks.   
   Rules   
      
   Iowa QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 1400Z to Oct 19, 2300Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50+. Exchange: RS(T) and IA county, state/prov, or "DX". Logs   
   due: Nov 20. Rules http://www.wa0dx.org   
      
   New York QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 1400Z to Oct 19, 0200Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50+, CW--1.820, 3.550, 7.050, 14.050, 21.050, 28.050;   
   Phone--1.870, 3.825, 7.200, 14.290, 21.350, 28.400 MHz. Exchange: RS(T), NY   
   county, state/prov, or "DX". Logs due: 14 days. Rules   
      
   Telephone Pioneer QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 18, 1900Z - See   
   website. Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50-432. Exchange: Year   
   of membership and chapter. Logs due: Dec 10. Rules   
      
   Illinois QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 19, 1700Z to Oct 20, 0100Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: RS(T) and IL county or S/P/C. Logs due: Nov   
   17. Rules   
      
   LOG DUE DATES   
      
   October 8 through October 21   
      
    *  October 8 - Tennessee QSO Party   
    *  October 9 - ARS Spartan Sprint   
    *  October 10 - Russian WW Digital Contest   
    *  October 11 - SARL 80m QSO Party   
    *  October 11 - CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    *  October 12 - NCCC RTTY Sprint Ladder   
    *  October 12 - TRC DX Contest   
    *  October 12 - NCCC Sprint   
    *  October 13 - AGCW VHF/UHF Contest   
    *  October 14 - 222 MHz Fall Sprint   
    *  October 15 - RSGB 80m Club Sprint, CW   
    *  October 15 - Peanut Power QRP Sprint   
    *  October 15 - 4 State 4x4 QRP Sprint   
    *  October 15 - ARRL September VHF Contest   
    *  October 16 - NRAU 10m Activity Contest   
    *  October 19 - Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB   
    *  October 19 - AGB NEMIGA Contest   
    *  October 19 - QRP Afield   
    *  October 19 - UBA ON Contest, 6m   
    *  October 19 - International HELL-Contest   
    *  October 19 - EU Autumn Sprint, SSB   
    *  October 19 - SKCC Weekend Sprintathon   
    *  October 19 - North American Sprint, RTTY   
    *  October 20 - 15-Meter SSTV Dash Contest   
    *  October 20 - South Carolina QSO Party   
    *  October 20 - RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest   
    *  October 21 - BARTG Sprint 75   
    *  October 21 - ARRL 10 GHz and Up 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)