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   http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2014-12-17   
      
   The ARRL Contest Update   
   December 17, 2014   
   Editor: Ward Silver, NOAX   
      
   IN THIS ISSUE   
      
    * Neighborly Holiday Fun - Winter RAC Contest   
    * Fire When Ready, Gridly - Stew Perry TBDC   
    * Spaceweather - New and Improved   
    * The History of 3-D Printing   
    * W6AM - A Man and His Rhombics   
    * More than 7,000 Logs and Counting - CQ WW CW Raw Scores   
    * Doctor Jim - Antenna Master WA3FET   
    * The First Antenna Analyzer   
    * Mystery and Challenge   
      
   NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO   
      
   If you are hesitant about diving into heavy CW traffic, the kinder, gentler   
   ARRL Rookie Roundup's CW edition will help you give it a try. Answer stations   
   calling "CQ R" ("CQ Rookies" - a non-Rookie looking for Rookies) or call "CQ   
   RR" yourself ("CQ Rookie Roundup" - a Rookie looking for any station) at a   
   speed at which you feel comfortable. After you enjoy Rookie Roundup, don't   
   forget to take a tap at the key in the ARRL Straight Key Night before your New   
   Year's Eve fun begins. It starts precisely at Jan 1, 0000Z and runs for 24   
   hours on 3.5-28 MHz and all bands from 50 MHz up. Exchange general QSO   
   information and send in your list of contacts by Jan 31st.   
      
   BULLETINS   
      
   That weird source of Top Band (160 meter) interference around 1915 kHz has   
   been identified by Doug K1DG. He explains what it turned out to be in this   
   email on the Top Band reflector.   
      
   BUSTED QSOS   
      
   Your editor managed to avoid driving into any really deep potholes in the last   
   issue.   
      
   CONTEST SUMMARY   
      
   Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section   
      
   December 20-21   
      
    * ARRL Rookie Roundup--CW   
    * NAQCC Milliwatt Sprint--CW (Dec 17)   
    * Russian 160 Meter Contest (Dec 18)   
    * Feld-Hell Rudolf Hell Sprint   
    * OK DX RTTY Contest   
    * Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party   
    * Croatian CW Contest    
      
   December 27-28   
      
    * SKCC Straight Key Sprint (Dec 24)   
    * DARC XMAS Contest (Dec 26)   
    * RAC Winter Contest   
    * Iron Ham Contest   
    * Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge--CW   
    * Original QRP Contest--CW   
    * RAEM Contest--CW   
      
   NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST   
      
   The Spaceweather services we've all grown to love have changed as of December   
   9th! The two websites www.spaceweather.gov and www.swpc.noaa.gov now link to   
   origin-www.swpc.noaa.gov. SWPC's legacy website will be available to all users   
   for a transition period of at least 60 days (with the exception of POES   
   satellite products which will be discontinued December 31). Bookmarks or   
   automatic links to pages on the old website will no longer work. Most of the   
   content will be available on the new site under new links and lots of new   
   links there are (look at the bottom of the page). The ham's eye view of R   
   (Radio blackouts), S (Solar Radiation Storm Impacts), and G (Geomagnetic Storm   
   Impacts) at the top of the page (maximum, now, and predicted) are easy to read   
   at a glance. Is this like a new solar cycle?   
      
   While hams and broadcasters are occasionally at odds, in many cases our   
   interests align. For example, the steadily rising noise floor bedeviling hams?   
   It's cutting into AM reception area - and audience - as well. Combining forces   
   to tell our story about RF noise abatement sounds like a good idea! (Thanks,   
   Tim K3HX)   
      
   DX Engineering has acquired some familiar antennas - the Bencher Skyhawk   
   (20-15-10 meters) and Skylark (17-12 meters) along with the Butternut vertical   
   antenna line; HF9V (80-6 meters), HF6V (80-10 meters), and HF2V (80 and 40   
   meters). The Bencher line of CW paddles will still be sold by Bencher. All of   
   the accessories and add-ons for the antennas will continue to be available,   
   including replacement parts.   
      
   The Northern California DX Foundation's 5Z4B HF beacon went off the air due to   
   equipment failure back in August but is now back up and running. The RR9O HF   
   beacon had also been off the air since late September but its TS-50 has been   
   repaired and it is back on the air. This system of precisely timed and   
   coordinated beacons is a good reason to support the NCDXF. (Thanks, Daily DX)   
      
   This story from yesteryear tells of the important role played by women in   
   early radio. There were lots of women in radio rooms around the world from the   
   very earliest days. (Thanks, Max KOAZV)   
      
   Scott N3FJP has released new versions of all N3FJP contesting software plus   
   the Amateur Contact Log program. There are too many details to relate here but   
   if you browse to Scott's Dec 5th news release, not only do you get the full   
   story but the section "CW Encouragement for the CW Challenged (including me)!"   
   Good stuff!   
      
   Gary AL9A reporting finding a "neat little Kindle app - PolyClock shows world   
   time in many cities/time zones. You can set up additional cities as you desire   
   and it shows the boundaries of that particular time zone along with day/night   
   gray line on either a globe display or a flat map. You can manually move both   
   maps to see where the sunset/sunrise areas are now and can modify the clock   
   time ahead or behind. No Internet connection required!   
      
   Wes SP4Z (photo below) has been a travelling operator recently, hitting the   
   airwaves from Will K6ND's and Pamela K6NDV's station in the CQ WW CW and then   
   on to Fred K1VR's station for the ARRL 10 Meter contest. Wes really enjoyed   
   Will's and Pamela's full SO2R station with the "house right in the middle of   
   the 160 meter 4-square antenna" and had a great time on his "third serious   
   CQWW CW contest outside of Poland." He seems to have done pretty well at K1VR,   
   too, with a 1.4 Mpoint claimed score!   
      
   The PVRC Newsletter for December contains a couple of great articles,   
   "Snowbird Remote" by John K3AM on getting a remote station operating and   
   "Parapsychology of Dipole Antennas" by Art K3KU. Art details his design and   
   construction adventures to restore a 200-foot dipole to its former six-band   
   glory with some relays and a coil or two.   
      
   A contest pioneer fell silent this week as Carl AI6V died following some years   
   of ill health. (K3LP assembled a collection of photos to tell the story.) It   
   was Carl's groundbreaking P4OV effort (see the QSL image below) that   
   simultaneously put Aruba on the map as a dominant Zone 9 location and   
   kick-started the large-team operations from the Caribbean. To be sure, there   
   had been other operations from Aruba and other contest-peditions but none   
   quite like P4OV. Later, Carl became P49V and he and his wife Sue P4OYL were   
   regulars on the contest bands. He will be missed.   
      
   Web Site of the Week - What's all this 3-D printing stuff? Seemingly, it has   
   leapt onto the scene in recent years but its history goes back quite a ways as   
   recounted in this story from the IEEE The Institute.   
      
   WORD TO THE WISE   
      
   What is the right word meaning "a group of contesters"? Like an "exultation of   
   larks" or a "gaggle of geese," surely there can be a word for us. In the   
   latest issue of the DKARS Magazine, Steve PJ4DX suggests a "cluster" or   
   "cacophony" of contesters.   
      
   SIGHTS AND SOUNDS   
      
   Don Wallace W6AM was a legendary DXer for his skill, his antenna farm of   
   rhombics, his mobile kilowatt, and more. Jim K7EG relays word of this 1.5-hour   
   YouTube video about Don and his station. Filmed in 1984, the video is   
   presented by the California Radio Historical Society. The antenna farm and   
   external feed line switching frame appear a bit after the hour mark but you'll   
   enjoy all of the tales in this extended interview by Wayne N6NB for the PBS   
   series, "Radio Collector."   
      
   Where did the famous Zenith brand get its start "putting the quality in before   
   the name goes on"? In this little house near the Edgewater Beach Hotel in   
   Chicago that also housed station 9ZN. The antenna looks pretty strange but it   
   is just a very wide, inverted triangle conductor for a vertical radiator.   
   (Thanks, Paul, W9AC)   
      
   Operating from the border sounds exciting anywhere but how about from the   
   jungle-region border between Guyana and Brasil? Paulo PV8DX made a satellite   
   DXpedition on December 6 and 7 along with this video of the adventure.   
      
   This technique of repairing an 80 meter beam is definitely not for the faint   
   of heart! (Thanks, Gary AL9A)   
      
   Who'd like a copy of a colorful and festive spectrum poster? I know you would   
   - so rush on over and download a copy! It's just the thing for your holiday   
   shack decorating needs. (Thanks, Tom KB8UUZ)   
   RESULTS AND RECORDS   
      
   Raw scores for the CQ WW DX Contest CW 2014 are now available. As of Dec 7th   
   at 2100 UTC, more than 7,000 logs had been received! The raw scores are   
   calculated by the CQ WW log checking software before log checking but with   
   duplicate contacts removed. The score you see online may be different than the   
   one submitted with the log due to differences in the country files and from   
   some contacts not being accepted. If you see a large difference, please report   
   this to questions@cww.com. If you do not see your log in the raw scores, first   
   confirm that the log has been received by visiting the Logs Received page.   
   (Thanks, CQ WW Director, Randy K5ZD)   
      
   Final results of the 2014 TESLA Memorial HF CW Contest have been published.   
   Worldwide results can be viewed sorted by continents and countries. (Thanks,   
   YU1RA Contest Committee)   
      
   Don't wait - make sure you send your photos and stories for the ARRL 160 Meter   
   and ARRL 10 Meter contests to writeup authors K9AY and K7ZO via the ARRL   
   Soapbox page. They can create a much more interesting story if they have   
   memories, photos, and notable quotes to work with!   
      
   The recent operation by the 3B8MU team smashed all CQ WW CW records in any   
   category from four zones - 36, 37, 38, and 39. The best part is that it was   
   all done with wire antennas! (Thanks, Olof GOCKV)   
      
   Part of operating in the BC era (Before Computers) was the ability to   
   negotiate, maintain, and update a dupe sheet while operating at top speed.   
   Also known as ARRL Operating Aid No. 6, the closest thing left to it today is   
   the Field Day Dupe Sheet. Does anyone out there have copies of a nicely   
   filled-out Op Aid 6? Like a Hollerith card, it would be fun to post one online   
   to show how it was done "once upon a time".   
      
   OPERATING TIP   
      
   The CW version of the Rookie Roundup is almost here and we need experienced   
   operators to join the fun. If you happen to be in the shack on Sunday, why not   
   turn your keyer down slow and put it in beacon mode to see who you can catch   
   on the air?   
      
   TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION   
      
   WA3FET is known in ham circles as "Doctor Jim" and is a well-known antenna   
   designer and professor at Pennsylvania State University. The OWA (Optimized   
   Wideband Antenna) beam designs used by many top contest stations are one of   
   his creations along with many novel antennas found at research facilities like   
   the Arecibo Observatory and the recently-decommissioned HAARP facility in   
   Alaska. Read more about Jim and his career, including some good PR for ham   
   radio, in this recent EEWeb interview. (Thanks, Tim K3LR)   
      
   Part of the Spaceweather makeover is a new map display for the aurora   
   forecast. Now the aurora is shown in green, and there is a gray line overlay   
   as well. Neat! (Thanks, Kirk K4RO)   
      
   Another good idea for finding inexpensive antenna and construction goodies is   
   to check your big box store's garden section for fiberglass plant and tree   
   stakes. They work very well for everything from spreaders for parallel/fan   
   dipoles, small quads and Moxon antennas, and supports for low Beverage   
   antennas, generally available in sizes from 1/4" x 3' to 1" x 10'. Some stores   
   also carry bamboo plant stakes in lengths to 10 feet for a few dollars each.   
   (Thanks, Joe W4TV)   
      
   ARRL 160 Meter contest participants may have been wondering about those   
   multi-tone signals above 1835 kHz. Jim K9YC fills in the blanks, "JT65 uses   
   USB with a dial frequency of 1838 kHz to transmit between about 1838.35 and   
   1840.5 kHz, with an occupied bandwidth about 200 Hz. JT9 uses a dial frequency   
   of 1840 kHz, with an occupied bandwidth about 20 Hz. JT65 and JT9 are   
   small-signal modes, but not always low power modes. On the HF bands, TX powers   
   in the range of 5-20 W, often with antennas equivalent to a wet string, are   
   pretty much the norm, and many operate at these levels on 160 meters."   
      
   Here's a discussion of various types of diodes as RF detectors. There is a   
   surprising variety among them and the whole story is pretty interesting.   
   (Thanks, Brad AA1IP)   
      
   A new connector family doesn't really mate but it does kiss. Keyssa has   
   unveiled a short-range wireless technology for transferring data at huge rates   
   over its "KISS" family of interfaces.   
      
   I don't know about you but using one of the high-rpm drills with a cutoff   
   wheel makes me nervous due to the thin disc and high velocities involved.   
   Thus, this inexpensive and improvised guard for rotary tools is a welcome   
   Instructable project. And if it saves a reader from an injury, what could be   
   better?   
      
   Technical Web Site of the Week - I'll bet this first-ever antenna analyzer   
   (the "Antennalyzer") went through batteries at a hellacious rate, don't you?   
   (Thanks, Eric W3DQ)   
      
   CONVERSATION   
      
   Mystery and Challenge   
      
   On a recent morning I was outside at sunrise in my robe and pajamas getting   
   the paper - nothing unusual about that - and looking up at the sky - which was   
   unusual. Why look up? Because the International Space Station was scheduled to   
   make a long pass almost directly overhead at that time. How did I know this? I   
   am subscribed to the free NASA "SpotTheStation" service that emails me about   
   upcoming visible ISS passes. On that particular morning at 6:37 am, the pass   
   was supposed to begin in the southwest with the station visible for 6 minutes,   
   quite a long time as passes go. So there I was, holding the paper and scanning   
   the skies.   
      
   As is the usual case, I saw the ISS rather suddenly - an amazingly bright   
   point of light - moving through the sky. Rarely do you see a faint dot right   
   at the horizon in the first seconds of visibility. It usually surprises your   
   retinas as they abruptly lock on...and it moves fast! It always takes my   
   breath away a little to see it up there, humans on board and whizzing past 268   
   miles overhead. I watch until it disappears, fading until I blink or my eyes   
   move a little and can't pick it out again. Occasionally, in a late evening   
   pass, it will travel into the Earth's shadow, fading quickly in a second or   
   two. Star light, star bright...   
      
   What amazes me almost as much as the sheer physical presence and beauty of   
   seeing the ISS, is that so many people have never seen it at all! Sure, they   
   know what the ISS is but they don't think they can actually see it without   
   equipment. I mean, it's in SPACE for crying out loud and that's a long way   
   off, isn't it? Not really! Find a visible pass on a day with good visibility   
   and call your neighbors outside to have a look.   
      
   It's much the same with radio. People largely have NO IDEA about what radio   
   signals are and that they can actually be reflected off invisible layers of   
   the atmosphere or the northern lights or meteors or rain or anything else.   
   Radio is just a content-delivery service, one of many, and not a natural   
   phenomena at all.   
      
   Victims of our own excellent technology, radio receivers of most kinds no   
   longer offer users the ability to manipulate them beyond a means of selecting   
   what content to consume. Even the channel IDs no longer have a fixed   
   relationship to frequency. I mean, when was the last time you operated a   
   broadcast receiver with continuous tuning? It's almost impossible to make   
   recent models tune between channels -- a source of mystery that opened many of   
   our young minds to the possibilities of exploration.   
      
   That closed door will not be re-opened for the benefit of ham radio but what   
   we do have is an opportunity. Regardless of how perfect entertainment   
   appliances become, most people still enjoy connecting with the natural world,   
   particularly in a novel and unexpected way. You'll probably find that your   
   neighbors are excited to learn they can see the ISS go overhead. They might   
   also be interested to know that you can hear day change to night on your   
   radio, detect the trails of meteors, or listen to the effects of solar events.   
      
   We can open these doors if we choose. The renowned utility of Amateur Radio is   
   one thing but what really captures and holds the imagination is mystery and   
   challenge. We live it and breathe it every time we turn on the radio. Take the   
   time to open that door for people and keep it open. Share your enthusiasm at   
   experiencing the world in a way that is to them entirely new. Perhaps one day   
   you'll find them out there at sunrise looking up in the sky, too.   
      
   73, Ward NOAX   
      
   CONTESTS   
      
   17 December through 30 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   
      
   ARRL Rookie Roundup--CW, from Dec 21, 1800Z to Dec 21, 2359Z. Bands (MHz):   
   3.5-28. Exchange: Both calls, name, check, S/P/XE or "DX". Logs due: See web.   
   Rules   
      
   NAQCC Milliwatt Sprint--CW, from Dec 17, 0130Z to Dec 17, 0330Z. Bands (MHz):   
   3.5-14. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and NAQCC mbr nr or power. Logs due: 4 days.   
   Rules   
      
   Russian 160 Meter Contest--Phone,CW, from Dec 18, 2100Z to Dec 18, 2300Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 1.8. Exchange: RS(T), serial, square ID (see website). Logs due:   
   Jan 20. Rules   
      
   Feld-Hell Rudolf Hell Sprint--Digital, from Dec 20, 0000Z to Dec 20, 2400Z.   
   Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Monthly on 3rd Saturday. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, Feld-Hell   
   member nr. Logs due: 7 days. Rules   
      
   OK DX RTTY Contest--Digital, from Dec 20, 0000Z to Dec 21, 2400Z. Bands (MHz):   
   3.5-28. Exchange: RST and CQ Zone. Logs due: Jan 15. Rules   
      
   Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Dec 20, 0001Z to   
   Jan 4, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50-440. Exchange: Serial or ARLHS number.   
   Logs due: Jan 31. Rules   
      
   Croatian CW Contest--CW, from Dec 20, 1400Z to Dec 21, 1400Z. Bands (MHz):   
   1.8-28. Exchange: RST and serial. Logs due: 30 days. Rules   
      
   SKCC Straight Key Sprint--CW, from Dec 24, 0000Z to Dec 24, 0200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, Monthly on the 4th Wednesday UTC. Exchange: RST, S/P/C,   
   name, SKCC nr or power. Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   DARC XMAS Contest--Phone,CW, from Dec 26, 0830Z to Dec 26, 1059Z. Bands (MHz):   
   3.5-7. Exchange: RS(T) and DOK or special station code. Logs due: 3 weeks.   
   Rules   
      
   RAC Winter Contest--Phone,CW, from Dec 27, 0000Z to Dec 27, 2359Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: RS(T) and province or serial. Logs due: Jan   
   31. Rules   
      
   Iron Ham Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from Dec 27, 1200Z to Dec 28, 1159Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RS(T) and CQ zone. Logs due: 3 days. Rules   
      
   Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge--CW, from Dec 27, 1500Z to Dec 28,   
   1500Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8. Exchange: 4-char grid square. Logs due: 30 days. Rules   
      
   Original QRP Contest--CW, from Dec 27, 1500Z to Dec 28, 1500Z. Bands (MHz):   
   3.5-14. Exchange: RST, serial, and category. Logs due: Jan 31. Rules   
      
   RAEM Contest--CW, from Dec 28, 0000Z to Dec 28, 1200Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28.   
   Exchange: Serial and lat/long in degrees. Logs due: Jan 25. Rules   
      
   VHF+ CONTESTS   
      
   Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Dec 20, 0001Z to   
   Jan 4, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50-440. Exchange: Serial or ARLHS number.   
   Logs due: Jan 31. Rules   
      
   SKCC Straight Key Sprint--CW, from Dec 24, 0000Z to Dec 24, 0200Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50, Monthly on the 4th Wednesday UTC. Exchange: RST, S/P/C,   
   name, SKCC nr or power. Logs due: 5 days. Rules   
      
   RAC Winter Contest--Phone,CW, from Dec 27, 0000Z to Dec 27, 2359Z. Bands   
   (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: RS(T) and province or serial. Logs due: Jan   
   31. Rules   
      
   LOG DUE DATES   
      
   17 December through 30 December   
      
    * December 18 - NRAU 10m Activity Contest   
    * December 18 - TOPS Activity Contest   
    * December 18 - QRP Fox Hunt   
    * December 20 - VU International DX Contest   
    * December 20 - QRP Fox Hunt   
    * December 20 - CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    * December 21 - NCCC RTTY Sprint   
    * December 21 - Homebrew and Oldtime Equipment Party   
    * December 21 - SKCC Weekend Sprintathon   
    * December 21 - NCCC Sprint   
    * December 21 - NAQCC CW Sprint   
    * December 23 - LZ DX Contest   
    * December 24 - EPC Ukraine DX Contest   
    * December 24 - ARRL Rookie Roundup, CW   
    * December 27 - Feld Hell Sprint   
    * December 28 - Run for the Bacon QRP Contest   
    * December 28 - QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint   
      
   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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   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)