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   http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2014-11-19   
      
   The ARRL Contest Update   
      
   November 19, 2014   
   Editor: Ward Silver, NOAX   
      
   IN THIS ISSUE   
    *  A Key Holiday Contest - CQ WW CW   
    *  New Categories - ARRL 10 and 160 Meter Contests   
    *  Hams Handle Hackaday Prizes   
    *  The Far Side Returns   
    *  ARRL June VHF and August UHF Results   
    *  Leave Room for the Pull   
    *  Bell Labs Roaring Back   
    *  Thoughts on Spots   
      
   NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO   
      
   If you'd like some serious code practice, the Thanksgiving Day weekend is   
   just what you need: the CQ World Wide CW Contest will bring out thousands   
   and thousands of stations. They'll be sending a signal report and CQ Zone -   
   be prepared to respond in kind! Once your code speed is up, how about going   
   for a Code Proficiency Certificate on one of the ARRL's Code Qualifying   
   Runs?   
      
   BULLETINS   
      
   Logs for Sweepstakes CW were due on Tuesday, Nov 18th - there might be time   
   to yet send in your log, if you hurry!   
      
   BUSTED QSOS   
      
   No one seemed to have noticed anything amiss last time.   
      
   CONTEST SUMMARY   
      
   Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section   
      
   November 22-23   
      
    *  NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint--CW (Nov 20)   
    *  LZ DX Contest   
    *  SKCC Straight Key Sprint (Nov 26)   
    *  Top Band Sprint (Nov 27)   
      
   November 29-30   
      
    *  CQ World Wide CW Contest   
    *  Full Day of Hell--Digital   
      
   NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST   
      
   This December's ARRL 160 Meter and 10 Meter Contests complete the addition   
   of new Single-Op Unlimited categories. All three power sub-categories: High   
   Power, Low Power, and QRP are available. This means stations using spotting   
   information will no longer be assigned to the Multioperator category. It   
   also means there are quite a number of new records that will be set in   
   December! Will your score be one of them?   
      
   It was pleasant to note all of the recent "checks" (year of first license)   
   being exchanged during the Phone Sweepstakes this past weekend. Ralph N5RZ   
   notes a very professional exchange on 10 meters with 8-year-old Samuel   
   KG5AYI who called in from Louisiana. It would be great to see these folks on   
   the air during the 10 Meter Contest in a few weeks - let's see if Ol' Sol   
   cooperates with more solar flux and a quiet geomagnetic field!   
      
   Having overcome some challenges, SuperBertha is stepping things up. Scott   
   K3TX, the business' owner, is adding an administrator and fabricator while   
   he focuses on running the company and providing customer service.   
   SuperBertha, which manufactures rotating tower systems and antennas, also   
   announces a new POW (Pattern-optimized Wideband) tribander designed by   
   WA3FET and unified base systems for the rotating tower products.   
      
   Phil K3TUF announced the East Coast VHF+ Super Conference which will be held   
   in northern Virginia on April 15-17. Lots more information will be published   
   on the conference website - keep checking!   
      
   Who has the highest one-hour rate? The R5GA website has the results derived   
   from public logs made available over the past few years. Those numbers   
   represent 60 minutes of hard contest labor, not the entire contest! Click   
   "DXCC" then select "K United States" to find the U.S. records.   
      
   This month marks the one-year anniversary of a hard-fought naval battle near   
   the North Atlantic in which the USS Connecticut prevailed over the USS Maine   
   during the CQ World Wide CW Contest, setting an all-time record in the   
   process! Hint - the resumes of both SOAB-HP top operators include a variety   
   of experiences in the U.S. Navy.   
      
   Web Site of the Week - Combining networking and radio savvy is leading to   
   the creation of all sorts of interesting collective efforts. Most Contest   
   Update readers are familiar with the Reverse Beacon Network and the NCDXF   
   Beacon network. Well, winner of the 2014 Hackaday Prize, the SatNOGs team   
   (Satellite Network Of Ground Stations) has built a worldwide system of   
   open-source amateur satellite ground stations - I want one! Amateurs took   
   home an additional prize, as well, with the PortableSDR project placing   
   third. Well done! (Thanks, Bryce KB1LQC)   
      
   WORD TO THE WISE   
      
   Buckshot - spurious emissions from phone signals. If you were on during   
   Phone Sweepstakes, you heard a lot of it, including a few big stations with   
   pretty wide signals. Clean it up! While I'm on the subject, there were a   
   number of stations with fairly crufty audio that made copy difficult. Check   
   it out and tone it up - you'll get through quicker with fewer repeats!   
      
   SIGHTS AND SOUNDS   
      
   The far side is more than an out-of-print cartoon, it's a view of the Sun   
   that lets us know what's "coming round the bend". Take a look at the GONG   
   project's farside images, including a month-long movie. It's hard to say   
   what's going to be looking Earthward during CQ WW CW but there are some   
   tantalizing hints!   
      
   Dennis N6KI takes us on a video tour of the NX6T CW Sweepstakes   
   multioperator station. Why, even Mr Bill is on the operator list! And the   
   view is marvelous!   
      
   RESULTS AND RECORDS   
      
   Lots of new VHF+ contest results can be found on the ARRL website. For the   
   June VHF Contest, look for the QST article's PDF along with Line Scores in   
   the new K9JK extended format. The Searchable Database is also available. For   
   the August UHF Contest, full results by K9JK are online along with Line   
   Scores, Log Checking Reports, and the Searchable Database.   
      
   Claimed scores for the October 2014 School Club Roundup are now available   
   online. It was a photo finish between K5LBJ in the Senior High School   
   category and College/University entry W4DFU for the top score!   
      
   Results for last week's Frequency Measuring Test have been published by   
   Bruce WA7BNM. Conducted on 160, 80, and 40 meters, the "green box" shows who   
   made the accuracy grade on all three bands. SV8QG even submitted excellent   
   measurements on 80 and 40 meters - from Greece!   
      
   Final results for the following National Contest Journal contests are now   
   available on the NCJ website:   
      
    *  March 2014 Sprint SSB   
    *  July 2014 NAQP RTTY   
    *  August 2014 NAQP CW   
    *  August 2014 NAQP SSB   
      
   Final results for the fall Sprints will appear in the Jan/Feb 2015 NCJ.   
   (Thanks, NCJ Editor Emeritus, Kirk K4RO)   
      
   CQ World Wide Director, Randy K5ZD notes "The raw scores for the 2014 CQ WW   
   DX Contest SSB are now available. These are the scores as calculated by our   
   log checking software BEFORE any checking or score reductions have been   
   done. These scores provide quick feedback on who might be the winners, but   
   there is a lot of log checking still to go. It is not unusual for scores to   
   drop 3-8% (or more) so we will have to wait until the checking is completed   
   to know who the winners will be." In addition, the score listings have been   
   re-arranged to make it easier to compare scores between Single-Op and   
   Single-Op Assisted categories.   
      
   Raw scores for the 2014 Worked All Germany contest are online. As for the CQ   
   WW scores, raw scores are unchecked scores only. Late log submissions are   
   still possible due to problems with the log upload shortly after the   
   contest, in case you don't find your call in the list. (Thanks, WAG Contest   
   Manager Chris DL8MBS)   
      
   WRTC-2014 rate and breakdown reports for all team logs have been posted to   
   the web site. Files were prepared from the raw logs as submitted. Thanks to   
   Bob N6TV for providing the report files. (Thanks, Randy K5ZD)   
      
   OPERATING TIP   
      
   Please copy? Please don't! Imagine this pre-Sweepstakes conversation as   
   Elmer prepares to hand off the controls to his prot‚g‚e:   
   "OK, when the clock rolls over to 2100 UTC..."   
   "I know - call CQ, right?"   
   "No, I want you to say "please copy" 500 times in a row."   
   "What???!!!"   
   "You might as well get it out of your system. Follow it with another 500 of   
   "You are" and 110 leading zeroes. Then you can call CQ."   
   "But that will take a half hour!"   
   "Sure will...but you were going to say it anyway!"   
   Unnecessary verbiage slows everything down, whether it's a contest or an   
   emergency communication net. Try to eliminate it from your on the air   
   transmissions. Write down a script to help you say only what you need to   
   say. The editor fesses up to having a weakness for adding in an extra   
   "Thanks" at the beginning of a QSO when one at the end is plenty.   
      
   TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION   
      
   Leave some extra room! Power system designer Gene AD3F suggests that when   
   running cables, use conduit large enough so that the ultimate fill occupies   
   only 40% of the area of the conduit. Two-inch conduit might seem to be large   
   enough but even that first pull will be tough! Go all the way to four-inch   
   as the cost is only slightly higher and you won't have the problem of an   
   over-stuffed conduit. Gene reminds us to use "sweeps" with large radius   
   curves and not sharp 90-degree elbows.   
      
   This online article from EDN magazine gives a nice explanation of what   
   s-parameters are and what they represent.   
      
   Since antennas, like aircraft, are made from aluminum and stainless steel   
   hardware, this Savvy Aviator article "Thwarting Corrosion" will be of   
   interest. (Thanks, Mickey N4MB)   
      
   Arggh - you opened the lid on that bottle of liquid electrical tape and it   
   was solid because the solvent had slowly evaporated through the lid! Roger   
   K8RI suggests putting the can inside a sealing food jar to slow down that   
   solvent. It works for PVC pipe glue, too!   
      
   An alternative to installing special waterproof connectors on rotator cables   
   is a waterproof outdoor utility box. The box keeps a terminal strip dry and   
   "it is not difficult to disconnect the wires for occasional servicing. You   
   can also install MOVs on this strip to protect your motor and indicator from   
   lightning damage which may eliminate some rotator failures. A terminal   
   strip...is easier than sealing and unsealing a "quick disconnect" and there   
   is little risk of water ingress or corrosion. Disconnecting screw terminal   
   wires is the easiest part of removing, repairing and replacing an antenna   
   rotator." (Thanks, John KK9A)   
      
   To minimize the torque on your rotator from the wind blowing on your   
   antennas, install the antennas on opposite sides of the mast. This old trick   
   results in a lot of torque canceling in the mast. (Thanks, Steve K7LXC)   
      
   Magnetic loop antennas are popular for portable and stealthy operation. The   
   loss mechanisms for these small antennas can rapidly eat up a signal, so   
   it's important that losses be minimized. They are nicely characterized in   
   the article "Loss Mechanisms in the Electrically Small Loop Antenna" in IEEE   
   Antennas and Propagation Magazine, Vol 56, No 4, Aug 2014 by Austin (GOGSF),   
   Boswell (G3NOQ), and Perks (ZS6BIM).   
      
   Technical Web Site of the Week - Bell Labs, home of many great inventions   
   and discoveries, is on its way back according to this EE Times article. Read   
   up on the new Bell Labs Prize, as well!   
      
   CONVERSATION   
      
   Thoughts on Spots   
      
   Big excitement in the VHF+ contest community has erupted over the past few   
   days due to a proposal made by the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on VHF and Above   
   Revitalization. The full proposal is worth reading before offering your   
   thoughtful input to the committee, but the two contentious pieces are:   
      
   1) Removal of the current prohibition on the use of Amateur and non-Amateur   
   forms of assistance for all operator categories, with such use having no   
   impact on entry category; and   
      
   2) Removal of the current prohibition on self-spotting for all operator   
   categories   
      
   Basically, these boil down to eliminating the category distinction based on   
   whether information about the operation of other participations crosses your   
   station boundary and allow you to generate that information yourself (i.e. -   
   "self-spot"). Not only that, you can do so online, a major shift in ARRL VHF   
   contest policy. A third, less controversial item proposes to allow   
   single-ops simultaneous transmissions on different bands. (Note - this is   
   not a change being proposed for HF contests.)   
      
   Why was this proposal made? It's no secret that ARRL VHF+ contest   
   participation is down across the board, except for the June VHF Contest.   
   June has largely become a 6 meter and 2 meter QSO party with the other bands   
   far less popular. The CQ WW VHF Contest in July doesn't include the higher   
   bands at all. Aside from those two contests, there are fewer and fewer   
   operators outside of the major populated regions of the Northeast and   
   Southwest willing to take on the challenges of VHF+ operating. With the   
   amazing technology out there up into the GHz, it's a little bit crazy not to   
   see that translating into more activity - at least on CW and SSB.   
      
   Why is that? A number of correspondents with extensive VHF+ contest   
   experience who are supportive of the proposals in various forums have   
   mentioned frustration: Frustration at not being able to be heard or make   
   contacts because of the nature of VHF+ antennas and propagation. This is   
   particularly true for rover stations traveling through sparsely populated   
   areas to activate grids. Story after story relates calling CQ after CQ with   
   no takers because no one knows they are there!   
      
   Frustration is a fancy way of saying "It's not fun." With data flowing in   
   from every corner of the map, depriving one's self of it seems a bit   
   strange. I know this is shocking, but the casual entrants (who we're   
   counting on to become contest regulars) expect to turn on the radio and -   
   brace yourself - make contacts! In more populous areas around North America   
   and Europe, this is not a big problem. In the January and June contests, top   
   stations in the Northeast and any station able to take advantage of sporadic   
   E on 6 meters make around 1000 QSOs. Elsewhere, however, QSO totals fall off   
   dramatically and so does the number of logs submitted. Thus the need to make   
   some changes.   
      
   Was this an issue before? Propagation is about the same as it always was and   
   the equipment is quite a bit better. In past years, though, there were no   
   real-time tools available to help stations find each other. Today, knowing   
   the data is out there and not being able to use it makes listening to   
   receiver hiss and wearing out a rotator much less palatable. This drives   
   participation down and as participation falls, so does the number of   
   contacts in a mutually-reinforcing spiral.   
      
   If these proposals are adopted, what would happen to tuning and listening   
   skills? Realistically, getting contest "metadata" online means that you   
   don't have to spend years learning the techniques of acquiring it on the   
   air. While I am not a frequent VHF+ contester, I have spent time working   
   with master HF contesters whose radio know-how is awesome. They've developed   
   a sixth-sense for when bands open, to where, who's likely to be on the band,   
   and so forth. A lot of that knowledge was the result of sheer stamina and   
   perseverance - guts - to stay in the chair for contest after contest and   
   learn. That's good and valuable, furthering the service's reasons for   
   existence. However, we need to be honest with ourselves and recognize that   
   fewer operators are willing to make the same effort to learn those skills on   
   the VHF+ bands.   
      
   Nevertheless, there is reason to give the proposal a try and evaluate the   
   results over a few years. If more are encouraged to get on the air and make   
   QSOs, there will be more stations to work for everybody. More contacts means   
   more fun for stations using the data as well as stations who decide not to   
   use the data. As more stations become active, there is an opportunity to   
   promote connection-free operating practices. After all, the station and   
   operator still have to be good enough to actually make the QSO from point to   
   point.   
      
   One way of promoting connection-less operating is to recognize it in an   
   "extended line score," first proposed by N5KO a few years ago. Instead of   
   maintaining separate single-op categories with separate listings, for   
   example, combine the listings and let each station identify the way they   
   chose to operate; with or without external data, one radio or multiple   
   radios, and so on. Perhaps all we really need is three listing groups:   
   Single-Op, Rovers, Multiop. Add the various attributes and let the data   
   speak for itself, especially since it is downloadable and can be sorted   
   however the reader wants. Another option is to reserve or create one contest   
   or contest periods for completely connection-less operating. This gives all   
   stations - the analog and the assisted - a home where they can compete with   
   their peers on a basis they choose.   
      
   Yes, this takes the hybridization of ham radio and the Internet another step   
   farther. No two ways about it. However, in case you hadn't noticed,   
   everything is hybridized with the Internet. That means we'll have to work   
   harder to insure radio know-how remains the dominant path to success on the   
   air. Awards and challenges can be sponsored for operating without external   
   data, for example. The goal must be that more operators learn how to   
   communicate effectively on VHF+ and see that as a valuable thing. The first   
   step is to get them on the air.   
      
   73, Ward NOAX   
      
   Ad   
   CONTESTS   
      
   19 November through 2 December   
      
   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   
      
   NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint--CW, from Nov 20, 0130Z to Nov 20, 0330Z. 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   
      
   LZ DX Contest--Phone,CW, from Nov 22, 1200Z to Nov 23, 1200Z. Bands (MHz):   
   3.5-28. Exchange: RST and ITU Zone or LZ district. Logs due: 30 days. Rules   
      
   SKCC Straight Key Sprint--CW, from Nov 26, 0000Z to Nov 26, 0200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, Monthly on the fourth Wednesday UTC. Exchange: RST,   
   S/P/C, name, SKCC nr or power. Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   Top Band Sprint--Phone,CW, from Nov 27, 0000Z to Nov 27, 0600Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, ARCI number or Power. Logs due: 14 days. Rules   
      
   CQ World Wide CW Contest--CW, from Nov 29, 0000Z to Nov 30, 2359Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RST and CQ zone. Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   Full Day of Hell--Digital, from Nov 29, 0000Z to Nov 29, 2359Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, Feld-Hell mbr nr, 4-char grid square. Logs   
   due: 7 days. Rules   
      
   VHF+ CONTESTS   
      
   SKCC Straight Key Sprint--CW, from Nov 26, 0000Z to Nov 26, 0200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, Monthly on the fourth Wednesday UTC. Exchange: RST,   
   S/P/C, name, SKCC nr or power. Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   LOG DUE DATES   
      
   19 November through 2 December   
      
    *  November 19 - RSGB 80m Club Sprint, SSB   
    *  November 19 - Illinois QSO Party   
    *  November 20 - NRAU 10m Activity Contest   
    *  November 20 - QRP Fox Hunt   
    *  November 22 - Feld Hell Sprint   
    *  November 22 - QRP Fox Hunt   
    *  November 22 - CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    *  November 23 - High Speed Club CW Contest   
    *  November 23 - Run for the Bacon QRP Contest   
    *  November 23 - NCCC RTTY Sprint   
    *  November 23 - EANET Sprint   
    *  November 23 - OK/OM DX Contest, CW   
    *  November 23 - NCCC Sprint   
    *  November 23 - NAQCC CW Sprint   
    *  November 24 - SARL Field Day Contest   
    *  November 24 - WAE DX Contest, RTTY   
    *  November 24 - 10-10 Int. Fall Contest, Digital   
    *  November 30 - W/VE Islands QSO Party   
    *  November 30 - Himalayan Contest   
    *  November 30 - Russian WW MultiMode Contest   
    *  December 1 - CQ-WE Contest   
    *  December 1 - RSGB 2nd 1.8 MHz Contest, CW   
    *  December 2 - Ukrainian DX Contest   
    *  December 2 - ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB   
    *  December 2 - NA Collegiate ARC Championship, SSB   
      
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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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   If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until   
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    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)