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The ARRL Contest Update
Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************
March 16, 2011
Editor: Ward Silver, N0AX
==> IN THIS ISSUE
- CQ WPX SSB - Multiplier Heaven
- WRTC2014 Qualifier - Russian DX Contest
- Kudos to K6STI
- An Analog Fade
- ESM Revealed
- Long IARU HF and Short Sweeps Results
- Time Zones Retiring
- Transequatorial Tutorial
- Welcome Back!
NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO
One of the most popular contests with new hams is the CQ WPX SSB
in which the multipliers are call sign prefixes and
everybody can everybody. New hams can even be sought after with their
2-by-3 calls, so get in there and call CQ! You can find more
information about the strange prefixes you'll hear in the Wikipedia
or in
the CTY (country) files used by
your logging software.
BULLETINS
Emergency HF communications in Japan are centered on 3525, 7030, 7043,
7075, 14100, 21200, and 28.200 kHz. Please avoid these and nearby
frequencies when the bands may be open to the NW Pacific Rim.
BUSTED QSOS
No particularly erroneous items were noted in the last issue although I
continue to get email about John Denver having written "Leaving On A
Jet Plane" - lots of music fans in the Contest Update readership!
CONTEST SUMMARY
Complete information for all contests follows the Convesrsation section
March 19-20
- Russian DX Contest
- Oklahoma QSO Party
- North Dakota QSO Party
- Virginia QSO Party
- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint--CW (Mar 17)
- Feld-Hell Rolling Sprint
- 10-10 Mobile QSO Party
- BARTG HF RTTY Contest
- OK1WC Memorial Contest
March 26-27
- CQ WPX SSB Contest
==> NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST
Not wanting to steal any thunder from Hamvention award-winner W7EL, I
thought it worth mentioning this time around another of the antenna
modeling pioneers - Brian Beezley, K6STI. Brian's software, such as YO
(Yagi Optimizer) and TA (Terrain Analyzer), were groundbreaking at
their introduction, along with EZNEC. Brian's receiving loop
was the first of its
kind in the modern amateur literature, as well. Unfortunately for ham
radio, Brian left the ham software market because of rampant pirating
of his products and disregard for copyright. Just because it's
"amateur" radio doesn't mean everything is free. At any rate, K6STI
blazed some trails for us as well - thanks, OM.
CQ WPX SSB is coming up next weekend. In
preparation, Stan EI6DX has used his Log Analyser software to parse the
latest set of public WPX logs. The results
allow comparison to sets of public logs for other CQ contests. Aside
from the usual breakdowns by band, mode, time, and zone there are
several other comparisons such as number of logs received, logged QSOs,
total calls, and validated or "real" calls. Interesting stuff!
A new Remote Beacon Network (RBN) Telnet cluster node is now available
at arcluster.reversebeacon.net port 7000, using the latest AR Cluster
Server Version 6 beta. The new node is running in parallel with the RBN
node at telnet.reversebeacon.net port 7000, which uses the DXSpider
node software. This new version of AR
Cluster uses revised filtering syntax that makes it possible to
concatenate multiple filtering commands in a single message to the
cluster, which in turn makes it possible to conveniently send messages
to adjust your filters
from the message
buttons of typical telnet clients and logging programs. (Thanks, Pete
N4ZR)
CW contesters are known for their ability to discriminate between
signals with nearly the same frequency. The Tonometric
web site provides an Adaptive
Pitch test to prove your pitch-picking proficiency. There are other
exercises for rhythm and even a tone-deaf test! (Thanks, Doug K1DG)
ARRL Field Day is fast approaching
and with it the opportunity to demonstrate snappy HF operating
techniques to potential radiosport recruits. Why not show them the
ropes while attired in your finest Field Day gear? All of this year's
Field Day supplies and concupiscibles
are will be shipping
April 1st - no fooling! While you're at it, be sure to download the
Field Day packet and start plotting your bonus point collection
strategy!
Scrambling the contest planner plans, this year July has FIVE full
weekends - a once every 823 years phenomenon. Since many yearly
contests occur on the "last" full weekend of a month, be sure to check
the contest web site for the correct days. Contest managers - be sure
to update your web sites, too! (Thanks, Ray ND8L)
If you're ever caught without a snappy answer to a less-than-snappy
question, you might want to check out K3TN's Arrgh FAQ
spotted on the
Internet by web-crawler Bob, N6TV.
Web Site of the Week - Have you noticed that some radio network news
broadcasts still begin with that "squee-click" dating from the days of
manually opening the network circuit? Or that your digital camera makes
a shutter noise when it captures an image - even though it doesn't have
a shutter? "The Fading Sound of Analog Technologies
"
by David Pogue notes these and other temporal incongruities whose
meaning has faded even as their aural remnants haunt our modern world.
(Thanks, Bob N6TV)
WORD TO THE WISE
Exercise - everybody knows it's good for you, but what's the radiosport
equivalent? How about a spotless weekend? Since in the WPX just about
every other call sign is a multiplier, there is little incentive to
obsess over ever bit of information from the spotting network. Test
your tuning and band-picking skills by "going dark" in the WPX SSB
contest - you'll become a savvier spot snagger for when it counts!
==> SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
What is "Enter-Sends-Mode" (ESM) anyway? Offered by several contest
logging program, this mode lets you do a lot with the Enter key. Call
CQ? Press Enter. Send the exchange? Press Enter. Acknowledge the
received information and ask for more callers? Press Enter. Pioneered
in the MS-DOS TR-LOG program, many top operators find it to be
efficient, but it does take some getting used to. To explain ESM, the
N1MM development team has posted links to videos on using it during CW
and RTTY
operation. (Thanks, Larry K8UT)
You can get a nice view of the W3LPL antenna array
online. Click on "Bird's Eye" to get a
detailed view, zoom in, and click on the compass to see images from
different perspectives. You can also expand the image to the left by
clicking on the left-arrow on the upper left corner of the picture.
(From the ARRL Propagation Bulletin ARLP10)
CQ WPX Contest Director K5ZD's "10.5 Tips for Fun and Success in the CQ
WPX Contest" webinar has been posted to Potomac Valley Radio Club's web
site under the Recorded Webinars link for those
who missed the live version of the presentation. (Thanks, Ken K4ZW)
As if you don't listen to enough QRN, NASA recorded the sounds
of thousands of cometary dust particles
pelting the Stardust-NExT spacecraft as it flew past Comet Tempel at
9.8 km/sec, or 24,000 mph. The audio was recorded by an instrument
aboard the spacecraft called the Dust Flux Monitor which measures sound
waves and electrical pulses from dust impacts. Think of that the next
time a big ol' bug paints a Jackson Pollack on your windshield! (From
the AMSAT ANS-065 Bulletin)
Make Online has posted a video demonstration
of how to use vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and salt to etch a circuit
board. (Thanks, Jeff AB6MB)
The bad news about aurora? It shuts down the HF bands. The good news?
It's fun to look at as in this video
of the Mar 9th display at
the QTH of Carl WL7BDO. Needless to say, Carl didn't work much on HF
that night although I understand the VHFers found plenty of excitement
when beaming in this direction. (Thanks, Rich KL7RA)
If you like to listen to podcasts on your daily commutes, Jack WA0RJY
recommends the Astronomycast web site's
selection of programs. Speaking of astronomy, should the sky be clear
at sunset this week, go outside and take a look for Jupiter and Mercury
above the western horizon as described by Spaceweather
. It's a rare opportunity to see the largest
and smallest planets together in the sky.
==> RESULTS AND RECORDS
The initial results
for the 2010 Sweepstakes CW contest have been released on the ARRL
Contest Branch web site and K9LA's extended writeup for the 2010 IARU
HF Championship is there, too! (Thanks, ARRL Contest Branch Manager,
Sean KX9X)
California QSO Party results have
been released for the 2010 event with a very nice writeup by Al AD6E.
The contest - already the largest of the individual state QSO parties -
continues to grow in participation each year with more than 900 logs
submitted for the 2010 contest. With the high bands finally showing
some signs of life, the CQP is in a great position to benefit from
better intra-continental propagation on 10 and 15 meters. (Thanks,
David N6EN)
Valery R5GA has published lists showing both 3830 claimed scores and
actual log submissions for the ARRL DX SSB
and CQ WW 160 SSB
contests.
The Catalina Radio Club is pleased to announce that the preliminary
results of the 2010 Arizona QSO Party are
now uploaded for your viewing pleasure. Also online are the results of
the 2010 Ohio QSO Party . (Thanks, Gary KE7DX and
Jim K8MR)
CQ WW RTTY Contest Director, Ed W0YK, totaled up the different types of
logging software used to generate the 2687 logs submitted for the 2010
contest - there were 64 varieties!
OPERATING TIP
I had to strive really hard to avoid using the common abbreviation for
search-and-pounce operation in a tasteless fashion when referring you
to this article
about
how a full bladder improves decision making. All part of a day's work
here at the Contest Update editorial department.
==> TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION
What could be more standardized than time? Well, lots of things,
actually - it's amazing that time zone, for example, is not defined by
an international standard. The database for time zones is actually
maintained by a single volunteer, Arthur Olson
,
who is now retiring. The IANA (the folks that control Internet address
structure) is at last developing a transition strategy. A tip of the
temporal cap to Mr Olson!
The surge in solar flux (over 150 last week!) brings a renewed
vigilance on 6 meters for DX QSOs. In response, ARRL Propagation
Bulletin ARLP009
had a nice
report on 6 meter transequatorial propagation (TE) from PJ2T by
N4QQ/PJ2. In case you were wondering, the surge in the solar flux
topped out at 155, the highest level since 23 July 2004. CQ 10 meters!
While ol' Sol has been mighty active lately - the solar flux is back
down to 107 on 15 Mar - there are still plenty of concerns about the
ultimate fate of Cycle 24. The good news is that the recent deployment
of solar science platforms in deep space have enabled scientists to
formulate better theories about what causes and modulates the cycles. A
recent NASA article
presents one of the strongest candidates yet to explain the ups and
downs of our beloved sunspots. While it doesn't predict a return to the
heights of Cycle 19, a better understanding of our closest star is
always a good thing. (Thanks, Jon K7ZA)
Is it more important to be loud or to hear well? From Dave, N2NL/NH2T
after the recent ARRL DX Phone contest, "KH2L struggled to work K3LR on
80 meters the first night but finally made it in the log. On Sunday, he
checked his 60-foot vertical and discovered it was disconnected. He
(had) worked K3LR on 80 meters with his loading coil! He thought the
SWR was bad only because it's normally resonant in the CW sub-band."
If you don't have a big shop of your own - take a long around to see if
a Tech Shop
is in your neighborhood. If not, mightn't this be a good project for
your club? (Thanks, Tim K3LR)
The winter months can be filled with static pops and sparks - just ask
any Dakota Division cat! Working on sensitive electronics these days
can be a perilous experience for tiny semiconductor junctions if the
tool wielder isn't well-grounded. Glenn AC7ZN has found an inexpensive
remedy that helps static charge find another path to the Earth than
through your gadgets. He uses StaticGuard laundry spray on a weekly
basis to form a high-resistance layer that dissipates static charge on
workbench, chair, and carpet.
The memristor - a new type of electronic component - is beginning to
find niches in electronic design as described in this Technology Review
article .
While it's not about to appear on the licensing exam, you can be sure
that if there is a way to use it in radio, hams will find it. (Thanks,
Brian Fernandez)
Technical Web Site of the Week - Noting recent comments recently about
trans-equatorial propagation (TEP) on VHF bands, Roger VK2ZRH writes,
"For the benefit of newcomers to TEP, I have two web pages that each
give a detailed introduction to afternoon
and evening
TEP, written
over 2006-2007 and posted in 2007. Also, the Australian IPS Radio Space
Services offers an article
on TEP." (From ARRL Propagation Bulletin ARLP010
)
==> CONVERSATION
Welcome Back!
I don't know about you, but my reaction to the electrifying conditions
during the ARRL DX Phone contest was a huge sigh of relief. To hear 10
meters full of signals - strong signals! - to well above 28.500 MHz
filled an empty spot in my radio heart that I'd nearly despaired of
ever seeing filled again.
Oh sure, I love the low bands and chase gray line DX with all the
enthusiasm of the next guy but those bottomless bands of 10 and 15
meters when the F2 layer lights up...well, there's nothing quite like
it. We just missed the big openings during the ARRL DX CW contest - you
could feel the band trying its best, leaking a little signal from the
biggest stations through path closed for years. On Saturday, the dam
began to crack. On Sunday, the floodgates opened!
On the East Coast where I was operating we found ourselves competing to
get through to Europe. I have never been so pleased to get beaten out
by the 9s and 0s! Out west, call signs from the Land of the Rising Sun
filled high-band logs that had been empty for a long time. South
American stations pounded in from sunrise to way past sunset. Short
skip, long skip, even a smidgen of long path made an appearance.
We've been telling the new hams about the wonders of DX contesting
without all the massive QRM on 20 meters and down. I'm sure they were
beginning to think we were barmy or at least telling some tales. Here
was the opening act for several dramas to come, when 10 and 15 swell
nigh on to busting at the seams with signals nearly any station can
log.
Just two months ago, we were wondering if Cycle 24 was going to flop
back into the solar ocean like a spent booster, remember? Black humor
made the rounds - not only was the solar minimum past, but the maximum,
too! Argggh! To be sure, there will be quiet periods and disturbed days
when it seems the sunspots have evaporated once again, but not for
long.
So the Big Bass Bongo has been beaten and the Palos Verde Sundancers
have danced their propagation dance. The Sun has heard their siren song
and sung its own verses in response. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
73, Ward N0AX
==> CONTESTS
16 March through 29 March
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 Mar 17, 0030Z to Mar 17, 0230Z.
Bands (MHz): 3.5-14. Frequencies: Monthly on 2nd Tuesday or 3rd
Wednesday (alternating). Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and NAQCC member number
or power. Logs due: 4 days. Rules
Feld-Hell Rolling Sprint--Digital, from Mar 19, 12 PM to Mar 19, 2 PM.
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Frequencies: Monthly on 3rd Saturday. Exchange:
RST, QTH, Feld-Hell number. Rules
10-10 Mobile QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Mar 19, 0001Z to Mar 19,
2359Z. Bands (MHz): 28. Exchange: Call, name, county & S/P/C, 10-10
number. Logs due: Apr 2. Rules
BARTG HF RTTY Contest--Digital, from Mar 19, 0200Z to Mar 21, 0200Z.
Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: 3-digit serial and 4-digit time. Logs
due: May 1. Rules
OK1WC Memorial Contest--Phone,CW, from Mar 19, 0500Z to Mar 19, 0800Z.
Bands (MHz): 1.8 - 7. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. Logs due: 14 days.
Rules
Russian DX Contest--Phone,CW, from Mar 19, 1200Z to Mar 20, 1200Z.
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T), serial or oblast abbr. Logs due:
45 days. Rules
Oklahoma QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Mar 19, 1300Z to Mar 20,
0200Z and Mar 20, 1400Z to Mar 20, 2000Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 50,
Frequencies: Multiple operating periods; CW 3.545, 7.045, 14.045,
21.045, 28.045; Phone 3.860, 7.260, 14.260, 21.360, 28.360. Exchange:
RS(T) and OK county or S/P/"DX". Logs due: Apr 30. Rules
North Dakota QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Mar 19, 1800Z to Mar 20, 1800Z.
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: RST and ND county or S/P/C. Logs
due: May 1. Rules
Virginia QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Mar 19, 1800Z to Mar 21,
0100Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50-440, Frequencies: CW 1.805, 50 kHz+ band
edge; Phone 1.845,3.86,7.26,14.27,21.37,28.37; 50.130, clg freq
144/220/440. Exchange: Serial and VA county/city or S/P/C. Logs due:
Apr 15. Rules
CQ WPX SSB Contest--Phone, from Mar 26, 0000Z to Mar 27, 2400Z. Bands
(MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS and serial. Logs due: 28 days. Rules
VHF+ CONTESTS
Oklahoma QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Mar 19, 1300Z to Mar 20,
0200Z and Mar 20, 1400Z to Mar 20, 2000Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 50,
Frequencies: Multiple operating periods; CW 3.545, 7.045, 14.045,
21.045, 28.045; Phone 3.860, 7.260, 14.260, 21.360, 28.360. Exchange:
RS(T) and OK county or S/P/"DX". Logs due: Apr 30. Rules
North Dakota QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Mar 19, 1800Z to Mar 20, 1800Z.
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: RST and ND county or S/P/C. Logs
due: May 1. Rules
Virginia QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Mar 19, 1800Z to Mar 21,
0100Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50-440, Frequencies: CW 1.805, 50 kHz+ band
edge; Phone 1.845,3.86,7.26,14.27,21.37,28.37; 50.130, clg freq
144/220/440. Exchange: Serial and VA county/city or S/P/C. Logs due:
Apr 15. Rules
==> LOG DUE DATES
16 March through 29 March
March 17 - NAQCC-EU Monthly Sprint
March 18 - YL-ISSB QSO Party, CW and SSB
March 18 - SKCC Weekend Sprint
March 19 - North American Sprint, RTTY
March 20 - AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party
March 21 - ARRL School Club Roundup
March 21 - DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest
March 21 - ARRL International DX Contest, CW
March 26 - HA3NS Sprint Memorial Contest
March 29 - REF Contest, SSB
==> ARRL INFORMATION
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==> 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) 2011 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All
Rights Reserved
------Part
the ARRL COntest UPdate posted to the ls_arrl echo via
Radio REscue NEt operations BBS, 1:116/901 thanks to Daryl
Stout, n5vlz, sysop of the THunderbolt BBS, 1:382/33.
Address all comments and questions to the editor as described in this
electronic newsletter.
---
* Origin: (1:116/901)
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