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The ARRL Contest Update
Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************
September 28, 2011
Editor: Ward Silver, N0AX
==> IN THIS ISSUE
- Some Enchanted Opening - Oceania DX Contest
- California, Pennsylvania, and Arizona QSO Parties
- NCJ Passes the Baton
- Scouting's JOTA - Coming Up
- Come and Join Us On the Airwaves - in HD!
- Digital Texas Soapbox
- Alpha Male Hooks
- A Well-Scoped Website
- Elmer Tried
NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO
If you enjoyed the Texas QSO Party last weekend, the
California QSO Party or CQP is another great warm-up
for contest season (as are all of the big state and regional QSO
parties) and provides for a lot of county-hunting fun. All 58 counties
will be active to one degree or another including some that are hard to
work. The Pennsylvania and Arizona
QSO parties follow hot on California's
heels, too. Or turn your beam towards the South Pacific for some
Oceania DX Contest fun!
BULLETINS
There are no bulletins in this issue.
BUSTED QSOS
No tarnish has been reported on the previous issue.
CONTEST SUMMARY
Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section
Oct 1-2
- PSK Rumble - The Fall Classic
- EPC Russia DX Contest--Digital
- Oceania DX Phone Contest--Phone
- Worked All Britain HF Contest--Phone
- California QSO Party
- EU Autumn Sprint--Phone
- RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest
- ARS Spartan Sprint--CW (Oct 4)
- Fall VHF Sprints--432 MHz (Oct 5)
Oct 7-8
- SNS and NS Weekly Sprints--CW (Oct 7)
- DX/NA YLRL Anniversary Party (Oct 7)
- Makrothen RTTY Contest
- Oceania DX CW Contest
- Scandinavian Activity Contest--Phone
- Arizona QSO Party
- EU Autumn Sprint--CW
- Pennsylvania QSO Party
- FISTS Fall Sprint--CW
- North American RTTY Sprint
- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon--CW
- 10-10 Sprint (Oct 10)
==> NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST
There are new fingertips at the editorial helm of the National
Contest Journal as Kirk Pickering K4RO takes
command from Al Dewey, K0AD. Kirk has written the popular "Contesting
101" column for several years and brings years of contest experience to
the job. He's also the current president of the Tennessee Contest Group
and is a regular high-scorer in major
contests. Kirk also plays a number of instruments and is a founding
member of the Spurious Emissions
.
A new record for solar flux (a GOOD record) in sunspot cycle 24 was
reached at 2000 UTC on Sep 24 according to the Penticton observatory
. Tomas NW7US
observes, "(the) Last time the radio flux was at this level was
2003-Nov-02. That's over eight years ago!"
The CQ Worldwide Contest's "Xtreme" category will have a new entrant
this year from the KP2B team of WP3A, KP2BH,
KP4TR, K2DER, WP3C, and KP4WW. You can learn more about their plans as
they develop from the website. Perhaps your club could put together an
"xtreme team"! (Thanks, Jaime WP3A)
It's not just us - everybody likes to build things! In the furniture
business, it's referred to as the IKEA Effect
by which people value their own home-assembled pieces more than
ready-built. I'm sure that kit owners feel the same way.
HamJam 2011 kicks off again this year on
October 22nd. Held in Roswell, the one-day event features a great
lineup of speakers and leaves plenty of time for enjoying the area and
socializing.
NASA reports that solar flares (like the one that happened on Monday)
may affect Earth
even more than previously thought! The secret is in the extreme UV data
showing a large amount of energy being emitted well after the main
event. Here is a video
showing a big flare at many different high-energy wavelengths - I don't
think sunblock lotion would be of much help! (Thanks, Tom K1KI and Tim
K3LR)
The next PileUP! on-line magazine
will have as its theme,
"The Last Blast". You can see the editors busily preparing the issue in
the photograph! All contributions are welcome in any dimension - except
time as the deadline is 15 December. (Thanks, Ilkka OH1WZ)
Another changing of the guard was announced for the QRP ARCI
as long-time contest manager, Jeff VA3JFF
turns over the reins to Jim K9JWV. The QRP ARCI contest program is a
great way for new contesters to get started. (Thanks, Jim K9JWV)
A little Sweepstakes history - the oldest domestic contest, beginning
in January 1930, it was called "The All-Section Sweepstakes Contest".
It was truly a relay contest with 1 point for sending a complete
message with at least 10 words of text in correct message format and 1
point for receiving a similar message. Most stations worked were not in
the contest and had to be schooled (on the air) on the desired info
exchange. 68 sections were possible and 48 sections participated. The
contest ran for 14 days on 80, 40, and 20 meters - mostly CW but some
phone entries. The first winner was W1ADW with a whopping 153 QSOs in
43 sections - when did he have time to sleep? (Thanks, SS Manager,
Larry K5OT)
For those of you up too late and for whom a reckoning of rambling
ruminants has not produced the desired result, Bill K2TT recommends
this document of Federal procedures
related to RF spectrum allocation.
Curious minds want to know - what is the name of the clever
combinations of phonetics that makes a phrase out of a ham call sign?
For example, WJ1B (ARRL COO, Harold Kramer) becomes "Works Just One
Band". Harold suggests "hamonym" and there is no obvious other "-nym
word " but perhaps your
editor is just a big nymcompoop.
Web Site of the Week - The annual Jamboree On The Air (JOTA)
happens this year on October 15 and 16. During this annual event Scouts
and Guides all over the world speak to each other over Amateur Radio.
Most Scout stations depend on local volunteer efforts of hams. You can
help set up a station, volunteer your own station, or just answer calls
on the air from scout stations. Help demonstrate Amateur Radio to
Scouts from either end of the contact!
WORD TO THE WISE
Shunt - as in "shunt-fed tower
",
means a component connected in a parallel circuit so that current can
bypass some other component or connection. Shunt connections are often
from an energized conductor to ground. To "shunt-feed" means to use an
impedance-matching circuit connected between an antenna's feed point
and a ground system.
==> SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
You may remember "Come and Join Us on the Airwaves" by Andrew-John OZ5E
and his wife Lissa who were filmed singing at various heights on a
tower with the beautiful Danish countryside in the background. They've
just updated the video to HD and you can view it here
! (Thanks, Bill WA6ITF)
Al AD6E recommends the videos of obsolete technology from the Museum
of Obsolete Objects, particularly
the rotary telephone and abacus. The telegraph key is listed as having
been made obsolete in 2007 but that would be news to the hams I'm
listening to on 10 meters at the moment!
What's the latest with K1JSS' Dash, the Dog-faced Ham
? There's always something interesting with Dash
such as his trendy new radio and the Giant Opera Lady Antenna at the
North Pole.
==> RESULTS AND RECORDS
Dink N7WA has just published the Soapbox
comments from the CQ Worldwide
RTTY and Texas QSO Party contests. What's the post-contest scene? Find
out from these compilations of scores submitted via the 3830
claimed-score reporting web
site.
The preliminary results of the July 2011 NAQP RTTY
contest are posted online.
Congratulations to AA5AU for top Single-Op and W6YX for top Multi-Two
scores. (Thanks, NAQP RTTY Manager, Mark K6UFO)
The preliminary results for the recent North American CW Sprint
can be found on the NCJ
website. Congrats to Steve, N2IC/5, on his victory. (Thanks, NA CW
Sprint Manager, Tree N6TR)
The eleventh USA ARDF Championships
and sixth IARU Region
2 ARDF Championships have just wrapped up in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
You can learn about the competitions on the Homing In
website, maintained by Joe
K0OV.
Preliminary results of last month's Worked All Europe DX CW Contest
can now
be found online. (Thanks, WAE DX Contest Manager, Joerg HB9/DL8WPX)
Who's the fastest operator? Has anyone ever run a 300-hour on CW? Or a
500-hour on Phone? You can find out on the top rate list
maintained by OH1NOA. This list
includes CW and SSB rates calculated both by clock hour and from "best
60 minutes". (Thanks, Jim AD1C)
If you are wondering about the overall history of contest scores,
browse on over to the K5TR Contest Score database
. George K5TR and a team of volunteers
have entered hundreds of thousands of line scores from many major
contests dating back
into the 1970's in some cases. Of course, you'll enter your own call
first - we all do - but this is a very useful search tool for all sorts
of purposes. There are many more contest scores to be entered! If you
would like to volunteer or just find out what's involved, email George
.
OPERATING TIP
Today's tip from new Sweepstakes Manager, Larry K5OT works not only for
Sweepstakes but for many domestic contests in which even a Little
Pistol can be plenty loud. "If you are new contester or if it's been a
while since your last one, don't spend all of your time searching and
pouncing to find stations to work. Find a clear frequency high in the
band and call CQ! Keep it short - like a 1-by-2 : CQ SS KAY FIVE TANGO
RADIO, KAY FIVE TANGO RADIO CONTEST. If someone answers, work them and
call CQ again. If you get a 'THIS FREQUENCY IS BUSY' or 'QRL', don't be
upset. Spin the dial and find another spot to land. Keep the
transmissions brief and frequent, and you will be surprised at how many
stations will find you."
==> TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION
The best gorilla hooks
Dave AB7E knows
about "are extremely strong (check the specs) and very light weight
(only one pound each). I use three of them ... two on the end of
climbing straps so that I am never disconnected from the tower while
climbing, and a third one on my belt so that I can cinch myself up
close to the tower while working." Dave particularly likes them
because, "The throat opening is large enough to get around the cross
braces on my AN Wireless heavy duty tower, and also around the 2-inch
diameter mast when I get to the top of the tower."
A better and less expensive choice than carbon composition resistor for
most applications that require high peak surge capacity and low
inductance is the Ohmite "OY" series
of ceramic
composition resistors. These can be used as antenna or transmission
line terminations or static discharge resistors. (Thanks, Paul, W9AC)
Tony K1KP recommends a delta loop as a low-band antenna with vertical
polarization but that does not need a good ground. "An equilateral
triangle, apex up, fed ¼-wavelength from the top, will give vertical
polarization. The bottom leg of the delta loop can be only a few feet
off the ground and it provides the 'ground return' for the antenna. The
impedance of a single loop is around 100 ohms and can be matched with
an electrical quarter wave of 75-ohm coax."
Here's a topic that I know we all wrestle with from time to time -
wires. More accurately, the large number of wires involved with
"wireless" and their management. This problem has been multiplied by
the addition of computers to the station, so listen in as the Slashdot
crowd discusses the problem from the network point-of-view.
Ramsey Kits has updated their venerable 555 timer kits
- these are useful for all sorts of timing jobs and are easily modified
or adapted to custom jobs. These new kits use terminal blocks for
connections which is more convenient than having to solder directly to
the board. There are both through-hole and SMT versions.
Nuts and Volts sells a kit for a small bench-type supply
that supplies +5 V and
+/-12 V. This supply is a very useful item for testing and
breadboarding analog and digital circuits.
When your radial field is limited to short distances from the base of
the antenna, a roll of mesh is equivalent to a large number of
individual radials - with the further advantage that you can roll them
all up at once. You can read NC0B's Ham Radio article
in which he
compared several different layouts for a given amount of mesh. (Thanks,
Ian GM3SEK)
Here's a link to a Microsoft blog
that announces release of a new app that allows a single mouse to be
used with multiple Windows computers. Pat W5VY thinks this may have
potential for use in SO2R (Single-Op, Two Radio) stations.
Hams have club houses, the do-it-yourselfers have "hacker spaces". This
should all look very familiar and attractive to hams. There is probably
a hacker space near you if you live in a suburban or metropolitan area,
such as LVL1 in Louisville, KY. (Thanks,
George K5KG)
Technical Web Site of the Week - Tektronix veteran
, Don W7WLL recommends the YouTube videos
by W2AEW as really
good tutorials on using an oscilloscope for ham radio measurements. He
also has an excellent video at the same site titled "Scopes For Dopes"
- it is an excellent tutorial for those who are daunted by the
oscilloscope.
==> CONVERSATION
Elmer Tried
It's the start of the northern hemisphere's season of major contests
and that occasionally leads some of our more competitive peers to leave
the straight and narrow. Doctor Beldar decided a song was in order and
here is his degradation of Merle Haggard's famous, "Mama Tried
".
73, Ward N0AX
The first thing I remember knowing,
Was the filaments a-glowing,
And a Novice dream of Yagis way up high.
Seeking plaques of walnut brown,
In my ham shack hunkered down,
No-one could change my mind but Elmer tried.
Once a contest wonder child,
From a ham club, meek and mild:
My Elmer seemed to know what lay in store.
Despite all my license learning,
Towards DQ, I kept on turning.
'Til Elmer couldn't hold me anymore.
And I turned twenty-one unlicensed, ticket down the toilet bowl.
No-one could steer me right but Elmer tried, Elmer tried.
Elmer tried to show me better, but his teaching, I denied.
That leaves only me to blame 'cause Elmer tried.
That old Heathkit, rest its soul,
Couldn't take the contest load;
So I replaced it with some three-hole shoes.
Logging spots with calls I guessed
Rubber-clocking all the rest
Elmer tried to raise me right but I refused.
And I turned twenty-one unlicensed, ticket down the toilet bowl.
No-one could steer me right but Elmer tried, Elmer tried.
Elmer tried to show me better, but his teaching, I denied.
That leaves only me to blame 'cause Elmer tried.
==> CONTESTS
28 September through 11 October 2011
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
PSK Rumble - The Fall Classic--Digital, from Oct 1, 0000Z to Oct 1,
2400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: Name and call area (see Web
site). Logs due: Oct 31. Rules
EPC Russia DX Contest--Digital, from Oct 1, 0400Z to Oct 2, 0359Z .
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: EPC member nr or serial and grid square.
Logs due: Oct 17. Rules
Oceania DX Phone Contest--Phone, from Oct 1, 0800Z to Oct 2, 0800Z.
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS and serial. Logs due: Nov 7. Rules
Worked All Britain HF Contest--Phone, from Oct 1, 1200Z to Oct 2,
1200Z. Bands (MHz): 14-28. Exchange: RS, serial, DXCC entity or WAB
area. Logs due: Oct 23. Rules
California QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 1, 1600Z to Oct 2, 2200Z.
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: Serial and state/prov/"DX" or CA
county. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules
EU Autumn Sprint--Phone, from Oct 1, 1600Z to Oct 1, 1959Z. Bands
(MHz): 3.5-14. Exchange: Both call signs, serial, name. Logs due: 15
days. Rules
RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest--Phone,CW, from Oct 2, 0700Z to Oct 2, 1900Z.
Bands (MHz): 21,28. Exchange: Serial and UK district. Logs due: Oct 17.
Rules
ARS Spartan Sprint--CW, from Oct 4, 0200Z to Oct 4, 0400Z. Bands (MHz):
3.5-28. Monthly on the first Monday evening local time. Exchange: RST,
S/P/C, and power. Logs due: 2 days. Rules
SNS and NS Weekly Sprints--CW, from Oct 7, 0200Z to Oct 7, 0300Z. Bands
(MHz): 1.8-14. Weekly on Thursday evenings local time. Exchange:
Serial, name, and S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days. Rules
DX/NA YLRL Anniversary Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 7, 1400Z to
Oct 9, 0200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: Serial, RST, and
section/province/country. Logs due: 30 days. Rules
Makrothen RTTY Contest--Digital, from Oct 8, 0000Z to Oct 9, 1600Z.
Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Multiple operating periods. Exchange: 4-character
grid square. Logs due: Nov 14. Rules
Oceania DX CW Contest--CW, from Oct 8, 0800Z to Oct 9, 0800Z. Bands
(MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RST and serial. Logs due: Nov 7. Rules
Scandinavian Activity Contest--Phone, from Oct 8, 1200Z to Oct 9,
1200Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RS and serial. Logs due: Oct 23.
Rules
Arizona QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 8, 1600Z to Oct 9, 0600Z
and Oct 9, 1400Z to Oct 9, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 50,144. Multiple
operating periods - See website for frequencies. Exchange: RS(T) and AZ
county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules
EU Autumn Sprint--CW, from Oct 8, 1600Z to Oct 8, 2000Z. Bands (MHz):
3.5-14. Exchange: Both call signs, serial, name. Logs due: 15 days.
Rules
Pennsylvania QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 8, 1600Z to Oct 8,
0500Z and Oct 10, 1300Z to Oct 10, 2200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144,
Frequencies: CW--40 kHz above band edge and 1.810; SSB--1.850, 3.825,
7.200, 14.280, 21.380, 28.480. Exchange: Serial and ARRL/RAC section.
Logs due: Nov 14. Rules
FISTS Fall Sprint--CW, from Oct 8, 1700Z to Oct 8, 2100Z. Bands (MHz):
3.5-28. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, name, FISTS number or pwr. Logs due: 30
days. Rules http://www.fists.org
North American RTTY Sprint--Digital, from Oct 9, 0000Z to Oct 9, 0400Z.
Bands (MHz): 3.5-14. Exchange: Both call signs, serial, QTH, name. Logs
due: 7 days. Rules
SKCC Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from Oct 9, 0000Z to Oct 9, 2359Z. Bands
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Monthly on the second Sunday local time. Exchange:
RST, QTH, name, SKCC nr or "none". Logs due: 5 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
VHF+ CONTESTS
Fall VHF Sprints--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 5, 7 PM to Oct 5, 11 PM.
Bands (MHz): 432. Exchange: 4-character grid square. Logs due: 4 weeks.
Rules
PSK Rumble - The Fall Classic--Digital, from Oct 1, 0000Z to Oct 1,
2400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: Name and call area (see Web
site). Logs due: Oct 31. Rules
California QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 1, 1600Z to Oct 2, 2200Z.
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: Serial and state/prov/"DX" or CA
county. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules
Arizona QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 8, 1600Z to Oct 9, 0600Z
and Oct 9, 1400Z to Oct 9, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 50,144. Multiple
operating periods - See website for frequencies. Exchange: RS(T) and AZ
county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules
Pennsylvania QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 8, 1600Z to Oct 8,
0500Z and Oct 10, 1300Z to Oct 10, 2200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144,
Frequencies: CW--40 kHz above band edge and 1.810; SSB--1.850, 3.825,
7.200, 14.280, 21.380, 28.480. Exchange: Serial and ARRL/RAC section.
Logs due: Nov 14. Rules
SKCC Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from Oct 9, 0000Z to Oct 9, 2359Z. Bands
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Monthly on the second Sunday local time. Exchange:
RST, QTH, name, SKCC nr or "none". Logs due: 5 days. Rules
==> LOG DUE DATES
28 September through 11 October 2011
- September 28 - WAE DX Contest, SSB
- September 30 - AGCW Straight Key Party
- September 30 - Kansas QSO Party
- September 30 - Hawaii QSO Party
- September 30 - ALARA Contest
- September 30 - Russian District Award Contest
- October 1 - Feld Hell Sprint
- October 1 - Ohio State Parks on the Air
- October 2 - Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW
- October 3 - SARL VHF/UHF Analogue/Digital Contest
- October 3 - Colorado QSO Party
- October 3 - Russian RTTY WW Contest
- October 3 - CIS DX QPSK63 Contest
- October 4 - QCWA Fall QSO Party
- October 4 - International G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest
- October 5 - MI QRP Labor Day CW Sprint
- October 6 - Tennessee QSO Party
- October 9 - WAB 144 MHz QRP Phone
- October 9 - PODXS 070 Club Jay Hudak Memorial 80m Sprint
- October 10 - AGCW VHF/UHF Contest
- October 10 - SARTG WW RTTY Contest
- October 11 - Swiss HTC QRP Sprint
- October 11 - QRP ARCI VHF Contest
- October 11 - FISTS Get Your Feet Wet Weekend
==> 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
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Address all comments and questions to the editor as described in this
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