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|    The ARRL Contest Update for May 6, 2015    |
|    07 May 15 08:21:03    |
      If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:       http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2015-05-06              The ARRL Contest Update              May 6, 2015       Editor: Ward Silver, NOAX              IN THIS ISSUE               * Join the Luna-See - Worldwide EME Contest        * E-skip Season Starts - 50 MHz Sprint Sprint        * Hey, There's a New Guy!        * RTTY Survey - Get It While It's Hot        * Contest Doin's at Dayton        * Sweepstakes Phone - Who's on the Braggin' Wagon?        * RF Power - Highly Non-Trivial        * Disturbed Propagation        * A Triangle of Respect              NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO              Do you ever wonder what happens just outside our ham bands? The annual Armed       Forces Communications Test gives you an opportunity to find out! Listen       outside the bands for military stations calling CQ, announcing a listening       frequency somewhere in our bands. You'll get a nice QSL in the mail if you       make contact! Get your radio set for "split" operation and check that VFO       A/B indicator before making a transmission - maybe it's just me but       accidentally QRMing a station with the call letters WAR doesn't seem like       such a terrific idea...              BULLETINS              Disaster relief operations are ongoing in earthquake-stricken Nepal with       frequencies published on a daily basis through various websites. Please       avoid these frequencies and remember that you may be heard in Nepal even       though you cannot hear their low power transmitters. Charly 9N7UD/HSOZCW       reports from Bangkok that "real and vital traffic is definitely on-going."              BUSTED QSOS              It's nice to finish this gig with reporting a golden issue last time!              CONTEST SUMMARY              Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section              May 9-10               * CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests (May 6)        * Alessandro Volta RTTY DX Contest        * Armed Forces Comm'ns Test        * CQ-M International DX Contest        * Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon        * Portuguese Navy Day        * Nevada Mustang Roundup        * FISTS Spring Sprint--CW        * 50 MHz Spring Sprint              May 16-17               * Worldwide EME Contest        * Portuguese Navy Day--Digital        * His Majesty King of Spain Contest--CW        * Feld-Hell Hamvention Sprint        * Worked All Britain - 7 MHz Phone        * Run For the Bacon--CW              NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST              The rumors are, in fact, true, the white smoke is rising above W1AW, and the       Contest Update has a new editor! Please put your hands together and welcome       Brian Moran N9ADG who will take the reins with the very next issue. I'll let       him introduce himself but rest assured he's a smart, active ham with great       sense of humor - you'll enjoy his take on things! From my perspective, it's       been a great ride since that first tentative issue in 2002 and I have       greatly appreciated the respect shown by the readers in allowing me to       present my biweekly basket of shiny things collected from around cyberspace       and elsewhere. Your next assignment? Keep supporting the Update and go sign       up your club members - they'll thank you for it!              The Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference will be held on the weekend of       October 2-4 at the Holiday Inn-Bensalem-Philadelphia in Bensalem, PA The       tentative schedule includes hospitality suites, a big flea market,       conference presentations, and a banquet buffet with door prizes. (Thanks,       Rick K1DS)              The W9DXCC DX Convention and Banquet will be held September 11-12 in       Schaumburg, Illinois. One new addition this year is a Contest University       program that will join the DX University on Friday. One more - if you've a       mind to visit the British Isles this fall, the RSGB Convention is October       9-11, as well. (Thanks, Daily DX)              If any readers are skilled in working with installation mechanics of Windows       software, the ARRL has a small project for a volunteer. Please contact Steve       Ford WB8IMY if you're interested.              It's only a few weeks until Dayton and the ever popular Saturday night KCDXC       CW Pile Up Competition. Chuck NO5W, author of the ever-popular horse-race       display software, suggests, "In case you're feeling a little rusty and think       a warm-up using past competitions would be helpful, point your browser to       (his) PileUpNet Practice page." You'll need to download a player application       and some practice tapes. Got that pencil sharpened up?              ARRL RTTY Roundup writeup author, Jeff WK6I, notes a need for both photos       and plaque sponsors. "If you have any words and/or pictures about your       Roundup effort, station, etc. please send them along ASAP. If you sent them       in January I won't mind if you send them again. We also have an absolute       dearth of sponsors for plaques, including many of the major top honors.       There are also plenty of opportunities for your regional clubs to sponsor       Division-level plaques in any or all of these categories. Currently only the       Pacific and Roanoke Divisions have any sponsored plaques. A plaque       sponsorship costs only $60. Contact ARRL Contest Branch Manager, Matt W1MSW,       if you can help!"              Speaking of plaques, Doug K1DG writes "A number of plaques for the WPX SSB       contest have become available for sponsorship, effective with this year's       recent contest. Plaques may be sponsored by individuals, clubs, and may be       dedicated as a Memorial. If you (or your club) are interested in supporting       the contest by sponsoring one or more of these awards, please contact me       directly." Doug also reminds us that the World Wide Radio Operators       Foundation handles the tax-deductible donations for these plaques.              When Mike K8CN saw the headline on this story, he said "Uh-huh, now I       understand why I have zero recollection of a contest once it's done! The       study poses a dilemma: should I log with pencil and enjoy total recall of a       contest, or keep using the keyboard for better accuracy and remember nary a       thing that transpired?"              If you enjoy state QSO parties, you might want to join the QSO Party       Connection on Yahoo! Groups. One more resource for the contesting amateur.       (Thanks, Dave WN4AFP)              Do you ever wonder why if you give some people an inch (cm), they'll take a       mile (km)? Could be that there is enough wiggle room in the rules to       encourage wiggling as described in this discussion of ethical       transgressions. (Thanks, Tom K1KI)              Here's a book which encapsulates what characteristics can make a hobby so       interesting and all-consuming. Know any hobbies like that? "Do Not Sell At       Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78 RPM Records"       by Amanda Petrusich is highly recommended by someone you'll get to know over       the next few months, Brian N9ADG.              Do you know someone who is not a Public Relations professional but who has       done good work in publicizing Amateur Radio to the public? If so, why not       nominate them for the Phil McGan Award? The deadline for nominations is May       22.              Website of the Week - Ed WOYK, Don AA5AU, and Larry K8UT invite everyone to       take a quick survey on RTTY contesting. There are 23 multiple-choice       questions which are easy to answer in less than five minutes. The questions       expand on the surveys done in 2007 and 2010, so we can see how our       preferences have evolved. The survey will close at 2359 UTC on Saturday, May       9th so you have a couple of days yet. Results will be presented at the       Dayton RTTY Forum and on the RTTY Contesting website.              WORD TO THE WISE              "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts       can be counted." Albert Einstein              The bonus word is "Bio-SCP" meaning your personal memory of who is and who       isn't active. The ops at the top have worked hard to develop their very own       callbook over many years - you should, too! (Thanks, Zoli HA1AG)              SIGHTS AND SOUNDS              Tim Duffy, K3LR, has put together a short video detailing Contest University       2015 and other contesting activities coming next week at the 2015 Dayton       Hamvention. See you there! (Thanks, Ken K4ZW)              It can be difficult for a ham, used to all things RF, to explain the       electromagnetic spectrum to non-hams or during a licensing class. NASA       prepared this 30-minute "Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum" video       accomplishing exactly that! This would make a good club or meeting video, as       well. (Thanks, Steve WB8IMY)              Kirk K4RO stumbled on this crazy and amazing collection of through-hole and       vintage electronic parts, much of it hand-harvested. "I've seen some serious       parts collections, but this one takes the cake!"              From the fabled archives comes a PDF slide show, "When Giants Walked the       Earth," by Doug KR2Q and presented some years ago at the Dayton Contest       Forum. It's a big file but it's way cool for radiosport historians and those       of us who just like to look at big antenna farms! (Thanks, Dan K7SS)              QSO Today by Eric 4Z1UG always features interesting conversations about ham       radio with his guests, including the recent Episode 38 with Tim, K3LR. You       may be familiar with the station and the call sign, how about the man behind       the big scores? (Thanks, Randy K5ZD)              This is the ultimate in "dead bug construction" - heck, I can't even see the       pins the wires are getting soldered to! (Thanks, Rich KZ9K)              Your daily dose of musical geography awaits. I'm sure the reference to       "Spanish Sahara" was supposed to be obscure but we know where it was, don't       we? (Thanks, Ellen KDOPES)              RESULTS AND RECORDS              The full results for ARRL Sweepstakes Phone have been published, including       the expanded line scores and all of the LCRs. Thanks to Steve N2IC for       another meaty writeup. Next to lift off the launch pad will be the full       results of the ARRL 160 Meter and ARRL 10 Meter contests.              Results for the 2014 CQ WW CW DX Contest are now available from the online       database on the CQ WW website. Lots of "DQs" were made this year and they're       not talking about ice-cream cones. How many people participated? 7,657 logs       were submitted with 5,848,165 QSOs from 213 different countries with 39,696       unique calls. Not bad for a mode invented before the Civil War! (Thanks, CQ       WW Director, Randy K5ZD)              The 2014 Ohio QSO Party results are now available on the OhQP website.       Thanks to all who participated and submitted logs, says, Jim K8MR.              The first week of the current NS Sprint Ladder had a big turnout of over 40       stations, producing rates of 125/hr for top stations. Ready for some       weeknight fun? And the NS RTTY Sprint precedes the CW event, as well.       (Thanks, Bill N6ZFO)              OPERATING TIP              "Fail as many times as it takes, and be strategic about what you learn." Bre       Pettis, co-founder of Makerbot Industries              TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION              Measuring RF power/signal strength accurately is a non-trivial undertaking.       Mike N8MSA strongly recommends this Keysight (nee Agilent nee       Hewlett-Packard) tutorial or this older, more detailed treatment. Both cover       the complexity caused by different modulation types, bandwidths, onset       rise-time and numerous other factors.              A sky full of CubeSats? There will be if Planet Labs gets enough funding to       fulfill its dream of taking one full-Earth snapshot every day! (Thanks, John       WV8H)              Every time we turn around there is a new technique to do something in your       own lab which previously required special machines and techniques. Here's an       EE Times story about alternative ways to do your own PCB fabrication.              Repurposing champ, Charlie NOTT found a great method of cable control. "I       use plastic guttering from the local home center for use as a wiring/cable       tray. I homebrewed some brackets to attach it to the back of my desk then       cut access holes I wanted with a hole saw/drill."              Transparent aluminum? Unfortunately, it's not electrically conductive or the       whole issue of antenna restrictions would have been rendered moot! "What       antenna?"              Brian N9ADG found a one-dollar add-on clip to fix that RJ-45 connector with       the broken-off tab that allows your microphone to fall out of the rig and       under the passenger seat where you can't reach it and have to pull all the       way over to the shoulder to get it and then you can't merge back on to the       highway and wind up late! Wait, what was I talking about?              Technical Websites of the Week - Glenn WOGJ spotted this article about       disturbances in the upper atmosphere resulting from the recent earthquake in       Nepal. Does this imply a mechanism for short-term propagation caused by       quakes? On the Sun, nano-flares can stir things up and add heat to the       corona - like it needs to be any hotter - resulting in changes in our upper       atmosphere, too. Elsewhere, the Daily Mail takes the pulse of Ol' Sol with       an article about two-year cycles inside the Sun driving big solar storms.       Big cycles, little cycles - as long as they make sunspots, who cares?              CONVERSATION              A Triangle of Respect              Having kicked around this radiosport contesting game for a long time, I have       witnessed a lot of technological twists and turns toppling dearly-held       assumptions and expectations. Techniques once thought crucial (Anybody       remember how important it was to be able to hold a pencil and send code at       the same time?) or extraordinary (sending and writing with different hands,       for example) are completely unknown today. Hotly debated rules such as       having to remove duplicate contacts from our paper logs or risk a penalty       have been reversed and we are encouraged to log and report dupes! More       change comes with every new contest season.              Yet underlying all of this turmoil must be something common, something       fundamental, which keeps contesting and the radiosport community vibrant and       moving more or less in the same direction. So many different people and so       many different techniques and so many different circumstances! Yet, in the       finest traditions of Amateur Radio, we self-organize to conduct our       competitions and celebrate our results year after year even in the face of       relentless innovation and invention. What is that bedrock on which       radiosport rests?              Back when I was an impressionable high school student, our award-winning       principal, Dr. Al Burr, managed to steer to success an institution composed       of hundreds and hundreds of students, faculty of all backgrounds and       interests, and an administrative staff charged with keeping the whole thing       on the rails.              Each year, during the first week of school, we got what was popularly       referred to as "The Triangle Talk" during an all-hands-on-deck, school-wide       assembly in which Dr. Burr covered what made West tick, and tick it did.       Instead of a manual of do-and-don'ts, we had a SINGLE sheet of paper on       which was written six principles of interaction for a triangle of students,       teachers, and administration: All parties were expected to share and balance       privileges, freedoms, and responsibilities; know the difference between       desires and rights; take ownership of change; and above all, conduct our       affairs in an atmosphere of mutual respect and dignity.              What Dr. Burr knew well (and what we were discovering as students) was that       without respect, it didn't matter how many rules, regulations, processes,       procedures, and penalties were applied. As he wrote me recently, the       handbook approach results in an atmosphere of "Make rule, watch, catch,       report, penalize. This paradigm pits two groups (teachers and       administrators) against the other group (students). I believe that under       those conditions it is impossible to ever establish a oneness of purpose."              In short, without respect you had nothing. And so it is in our radiosport       community. Our triangle is a little different because we are all students,       teachers, and administrators. Sometimes all at once! Thus, our triangle is       one of respect:              Respect for others - paraphrasing the Golden Rule, "Operate as you would       have others operate." Do not take unfair advantage on or off the air.       Understand that every right you claim comes with the responsibility to use       that right wisely and so that all benefit from your actions.              Respect for the game - you hear that phrase all the time from professional       athletes, especially the ones being honored by their peers. Ask yourself,       "Does my conduct on the air make radiosport better? Do I encourage others to       participate in a positive way? Have I done my part to support and advance       radiosport for the community?"              Respect for ourselves - it doesn't matter if you feel anonymous in front of       your radio. You know if you cheated, whether you were caught or not. You       know if you behaved well and reasonably. First and foremost, you have to       earn respect from the person looking back at you in the bathroom mirror       every morning. An entire encyclopedia of rules can't change that or do it       for you.              Oneness of purpose - I like that phrase, don't you? Sometimes I say it as       "knowing where the Good Arrow points" and I'm sure each reader has his or       her own way of similar thinking. Our continued enjoyment of radiosport and       Amateur Radio by their very nature depend on cooperation and, deeper, on the       respect we all have for each other as amateurs sharing our special privilege       and ability to experience the world in ways mysterious and unknown to       others. I work on my triangle every day and I hope you do, too.              73, Ward NOAX              CONTESTS              May 6 through May 19              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              CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests--CW, from May 6, 1300Z - See website. Multiple       time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Weekly on Wednesday, 28 to 38 kHz above       band edge. Exchange: Name, member number or S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days.              Alessandro Volta RTTY DX Contest--Digital, from May 9, 1200Z to May 10,       1200Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, serial, CQ zone. Logs due: May       31.              Armed Forces Comm'ns Test--Phone,Digital, from May 9, 1200Z to May 10,       2400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. See website for specific station schedules.       Exchange: RS(T). Logs due: no logs.              CQ-M International DX Contest--Phone,CW, from May 9, 1200Z to May 10, 1200Z.       Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. Logs due: 30 days.              Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from May 9, 1200Z to May 10, 2359Z.       Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, member nr if member. Logs       due: 5 days.              Portuguese Navy Day--Phone,CW, from May 9, 1500Z to May 10, 1500Z. Bands       (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RS(T), serial, CQ zone. Logs due: 20 days.              Nevada Mustang Roundup--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 9, 1700Z to May 10,       1700Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or NV county. Logs       due: Jun 15.              FISTS Spring Sprint--CW, from May 9, 1700Z to May 9, 2100Z. Bands (MHz):       3.5-28. Exchange: RS(T), S/P/C, name, FISTS nr or power. Logs due: 30 days.               50 MHz Spring Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 9, 2300Z to May 10, 0300Z.       Bands (MHz): 50. Exchange: Grid square (6-char preferred). Logs due: 14       days.              Worldwide EME Contest--Phone,CW, from May 16, 0000Z to May 17, 2400Z. Bands       (MHz): 10G+. Exchange: TMO/RS(T) and "R". Logs due: Jun 15.              Portuguese Navy Day--Digital, from May 16, 0800Z to May 16, 1500Z. Bands       (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, serial, CQ zone. Logs due: 20 days.              His Majesty King of Spain Contest--CW, from May 16, 1200Z to May 17, 1200Z.       Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RST and serial or EA province. Logs due: 15       days.              Feld-Hell Hamvention Sprint--Digital, from May 16, 1600Z - See website.       Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Monthly on 3rd Saturday.       Exchange: RST, S/P/C, Feld-Hell member nr. Logs due: 7 days.              Worked All Britain - 7 MHz Phone--Phone, from May 17, 1000Z to May 17,       1400Z. Bands (MHz): 7. Exchange: RS, serial, and WAB nr or DXCC entity. Logs       due: 21 days.              Run For the Bacon--CW, from May 18, 0200Z to May 18, 0400Z. Bands (MHz):       1.8-28. Monthly on 3rd Sunday night (local). Exchange: RST, S/P/C, Flying       Pig nr or power.              VHF+ CONTESTS              50 MHz Spring Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 9, 2300Z to May 10, 0300Z.       Bands (MHz): 50. Exchange: Grid square (6-char preferred). Logs due: 14       days.              Worldwide EME Contest--Phone,CW, from May 16, 0000Z to May 17, 2400Z. Bands       (MHz): 10G+. Exchange: TMO/RS(T) and "R". Logs due: Jun 15.              Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from May 9, 1200Z to May 10, 2359Z.       Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, member nr if member. Logs       due: 5 days.              Nevada Mustang Roundup--Phone,CW,Digital, from May 9, 1700Z to May 10,       1700Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or NV county. Logs       due: Jun 15.              LOG DUE DATES              May 6 through May 19               * May 6, 2015 Low Power Spring Sprint        * May 7, 2015 ARS Spartan Sprint        * May 8, 2015 ARI International DX Contest        * May 9, 2015 CWops Mini-CWT Test        * May 10, 2015 NCCC RTTY Sprint        * May 10, 2015 NCCC Sprint Ladder        * May 10, 2015 SP DX RTTY Contest        * May 11, 2015 JIDX CW Contest        * May 11, 2015 10-10 Int. Spring Contest, Digital        * May 11, 2015 Helvetia Contest        * May 11, 2015 RSGB 80m Club Championship, SSB        * May 12, 2015 Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest        * May 13, 2015 432 MHz Spring Sprint        * May 15, 2015 Georgia QSO Party        * May 15, 2015 North Dakota QSO Party        * May 15, 2015 Nebraska QSO Party        * May 16, 2015 Microwave Spring Sprint        * May 16, 2015 TARA Skirmish Digital Prefix Contest        * May 17, 2015 7th Call Area QSO Party        * May 17, 2015 SKCC Weekend Sprintathon        * May 18, 2015 Michigan QSO Party        * May 18, 2015 10-10 Int. Spring Contest, CW        * May 19, 2015 CQ Manchester Mineira DX Contest        * May 19, 2015 EA-QRP CW Contest        * May 19, 2015 Ontario QSO Party              ARRL Information              Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information              Join or Renew Today!              ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative       journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.              Subscribe to NCJ - the National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly,       features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA       Sprint and QSO Parties.              Subscribe to QEX - A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published       bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and       other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.              Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to The ARRL Letter (weekly digest       of news and information), the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and       emergency communications news), Division and Section news -- and much more!              ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur       Radio. Visit the site often for new publications, specials and sales.              Donate to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member       dues!              Reprint permission can be obtained by sending email to permission@arrl.org       with a description of the material and the reprint publication.              ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS              ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's Contest       Calendar and SM3CER's Contest Calendar.       ____________________________________________________________________________              The ARRL Contest Update is published every other Wednesday (26 times each       year). ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their       Member Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/.              Copyright (c) 2015 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved              www.arrl.org                     )\/(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)    |
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