Contester's Rate Sheet for May 17, 2006
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CONTESTER'S RATE SHEET
17 May 2006
Edited by Ward Silver N0AX
Published by the American Radio Relay League
Free to ARRL members!
(Subscription info at the end of newsletter)
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SUMMARY
o CQ WPX CW Celebrates Memorial Day
o Baltic and EU PSK DX Contests Across the Pond
o N1ND Changes Positions at ARRL
o Contest Video Essay - A Look At Radiosport by K4ZA
o M-Squared Sponsors ARRL VHF Contesting Awards
o Ultrasonic Detector PC Boards Available
o Amplifiers -- Pre and Post
o Knocking On the Door
BULLETINS
o You will note that the contest announcements and log due dates have
been moved to follow the Conversation section. The general idea is
to move the news and similar material "up front" for a more enjoyable
read.
BUSTED QSOS
o The pull of imagery proved stronger than the desire for accuracy in
that the transistor-shaped water tower of the former Bell Labs
(http://tinyurl.com/s8jzy) will be preserved while the accompanying
building will meet the wrecking ball. (Thanks, Steve N2IC and others)
--o- ooo - --o- ooo - --o- ooo - -oo o
NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST
- oooo o o-o o- - o ooo oooo o o - -o-
ARRL CONTEST NEWS
The big story this issue is of long-time ARRL Contest Manager, Dan
Henderson N1ND's move to the Regulatory Affairs Department at HQ. Dan
will be filling the position of Regulatory Information Specialist
that was previously held by Dan Hennessee N1KB, an untimely addition
to the Silent Key list in early March. Dan took the reins from Billy
Lunt KR1R back in the 20th century and has steered the ARRL contest
program into the 21st. Dan worked with volunteers to manage the
implementation of comprehensive log checking software, log-handling
email robots, the Cabrillo log format, on-line contest results, and
published results faster across the board even as participation was
generally growing. Contesters can all tip their caps and wish Dan
the best of luck in his new position. After all, if he can handle
"contest rules lawyers," the ordinary radio rules should be a snap!
No replacement has been named and the ARRL Web site
(http://www.arrl.org/) shows a job opening, so if you have a hankering
to run the world's largest radiosport program, buff up that resume
and have at it!
- - - - -
The print media is swarming with ham radio stories this month.
Harper's May issue has an interesting story about Don Wallace W6AM
with a lot of ham radio history. While you are in the reading room
check out the May 2006 Readers Digest story about K3TUP developing a
new treatment for cancer -
http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=26497. Not to be
left out, the Spring 2006 issue of Invention and Technology also has
an engaging article on the Deep Space Network, "Communicating with
Farthest Space" available on-line at http://tinyurl.com/nupwo. A
beautiful photograph of part of that network is on-line at
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060514.html.
Not leaving out on-line media, Rick N6XI writes to contribute "an
article I wrote for my Web page on contesting for non-contesters. I
hope it is useful in answering the layman's question "What the heck
is radio contesting?" Rick's article can be found at
http://rtavan.googlepages.com/radiocontesting.
More ham-generated media hits the streets as Don K4ZA releases his
new video, "Contest Video Essay - A Look At Radiosport." What makes a
proficient contester? What makes a good operator? For most of us,
it takes years. Practice, participation and persistence are key
factors. Don has edited and collected the experience, wisdom, and
opinions of 50 of today's contesters. The collection will first be
available for sale at Dayton, in May of 2006, and from K4ZA
(k4za@juno.com) after that. The DVD set will be $40; VHS tapes will
be $20.
The 19th Dayton Contest Super Suite will be running once again this
year from 7 PM to 2 AM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in
the Miami Room (2nd Floor) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown
Dayton. The Super Suite is sponsored and hosted by three super
contest clubs: North Coast Contesters, The Frankford Radio Club, The
Mad River Radio Club. Don't miss the famous Midnight Pizza Parties
sponsored by K3LR, K8CC, Potomac Valley Radio Club, and Yankee
Clipper Contest Club. There's a cash bar with lots of room and
sit-down tables. (Thanks, Tim K3LR)
Noted propagation guru Thomas KN4LF has created a new radiowave
propagation eGroup on Yahoo:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/radiowavepropagation. This eGroup will
be host Thomas' radiowave propagation outlooks, a place to discuss
LF/MF/HF radiowave propagation theory and observations, and a
repository of propagation-related Web site links. While the primary
emphasis will be on LF/MF and HF radiowave propagation, discussion of
and questions about any propagation mode from DC to daylight for new
and old hams alike will be allowed and encouraged.
1x1 call signs are turning up in contests more and more frequently.
Since they are reissued, it can be difficult to find the correct QSL
route. George K5TR points out that you can find information about
these callsigns at http://www.ncvec.org/1x1.php. You can search for
who was issued the call during the period you worked them - and can
even find an address.
In a followup to the preceding issue's story about the Bell Labs
"transistor water tower," Rich K2WR notes that the tower was designed
by Eero Saarinen. You may be more familiar with some of Saarinen's
other notable American buildings:
Dulles Airport Terminal, VA
Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO
IBM Research Building, Yorktown, NY
TWA Terminal, JFK Airport (now under redevelopment)
Yale Hockey Rink, New Haven, CT
WRTC2006 News -- Special call signs for WRTC2006 have been allocated
by the Brazilian Telecom National Authority. They span two prefix
groups - from PW5A to PW5Z and PT5A to PT5Z. As in previous WRTC
events, the calls will be allocated by lottery drawing on Friday
before the contest and won't be used until the beginning of the
contest at 1200Z on Saturday. (Thanks, Oms PY5EG)
We return to the inexhaustible Babel Fish translator at Alta Vista
(http://babelfish.altavista.com/) for more fun with contest-related
Portuguese:
It is your turn to take a nap -- É sua volta para fazer exame de
uma sesta
My butt is sore -- Meu butt é sore
(After a sneeze) Gesundheit! -- Saude!
Where is the meeting room? -- Onde está o quarto de reunião?
Please bill the meal to my room - Fature por favor a refeição a
meu quarto
URL OF THE WEEK -- Closely related to ham radio and a source of many
new ham recruits, Marine HF and Marine VHF radio are used by many
thousands of sailors and mariners every day. The US Coast Guard Web
site http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/default.htm is a
comprehensive site covering these popular and important radio
services.
oo-o oo -o -oo -o-- --- oo- -o-
RESULTS AND RECORDS
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ARRL CONTEST RESULTS NEWS
High-performance VHF+ antenna manufacturer M2 Antennas
(http://www.m2inc.com/) has agreed to be the Principal Awards Sponsor
for the 2006 June VHF QSO Party awards -- the full story is available
at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/05/12/1/?nc=1. As Principal
Awards Sponsor, M2's name will appear on all plaques it sponsors, and
its name and logo on all certificates that go out to top scorers in
the various event categories. M2 joins West Mountain Radio and Icom
America as businesses acting as Principal Awards sponsors in the ARRL
Contesting program. Thank you M2!
- - - - -
Marc W6ZZZ observes, "So far we have NEQP (1st district), CQP (6th),
and 7QP (7th) as regional QSO Parties. Will this spark interest in
having a 2QP, 3QP, 4QP, 5QP, 8QP, 9QP and 0QP contests? 'Activity
begets activity,' so any approach that gets a lot of ham radio
stations on-the-air is off to a successful QSO Party start." There
is also a Mid-Atlantic QSO Party and (some years) a Great Lakes
Sweepstakes. Perhaps Marc's suggestion will get some contest
organizers moving!
oo oo-o oo - ooo -o --- - -ooo o-o --- -o- o
TECHNICAL TIPS AND INFORMATION
-o-- --- oo- o-o o -o --- - - o-o -o-- oo -o --o
If you are rebuilding tube radios and amplifiers, the old fashioned
aluminum electrolytic capacitors are still available, with 105 degree
C rating, in much smaller packages than they used to be. For example,
the CDE 381LX471M450A052 is a 470 uF @ 450 VDC, in a 35 x 50 mm
package, and is $8.58 each in small quantities, less than $8 for 10
or more from both Mouser Electronics
(http://www.mouserelectronics.com/) and Newark Electronics
(http://www.newark.com/). You can also shop on the various auction
and ham sites for the occasional bargain. (Thanks, John K5PRO)
A miniature camera tripod makes a nice stand for portable verticals.
Target sells one, as do many discount retailers, for $15 or less.
With the legs retracted it makes a nice stable base for a Hamstick
when placed on a picnic table or even on the ground. As for attaching
the Hamstick to the tripod, you can build a feedpoint insulator like
that described for the PAC-12 antenna at http://www.njqrp.org/pac-12
from parts available at Home Depot and Radio Shack.(Thanks, Jim
KK6MC)
PC boards for the W1TRC Ultrasonic Power Line Arc Detector featured
in the April 2006 issue of QST (and voted best article!) are now
shipping from FAR Circuits, http://www.farcircuits.net/, for $5.00
each, plus postage. Copies of the latest builder's notes are
available on the ARRL and FAR Circuits' Web site, as well as
http://www.n0ss.net/. (Thanks, Tom N0SS)
Test equipment buffs will be glad to learn about the
HP/Agilent-specific Yahoogroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hp_agilent_equipment. Questions range
from "where can I get a manual" to "where can I buy service parts" to
"how do I make a measurement"? Operating and service manuals are
also often available. Agilent employees contribute to the list, as
well. (Thanks, Dave W8NF)
Jim KR1S recommends the W7IUV preamp (http://w7iuv.com/) as "the deal
of the century." He has built them using 2N3725As and 2N5109s and has
cascaded a 5109 driving a 3725A to use as a bench preamp. 2N3725As
are noisier than 2N5109s but cheap on eBay.
At the other end of the DX spectrum, if you're getting ready for the
summer sporadic-E season on 6-meters you might be looking for an
amplifier. A design by Silent Key W2GN based on 4CX250 tubes is
available at:
http://www.radiowrench.com/sonic/so02197.html or
http://www.newsvhf.com/w2gn.html. (Thanks, Ian GM3SEK)
Here's an idea that might make putting up Rohn 25 a little less
adventurous as the guy sets are installed. "Get a few helpers so you
can walk up 30 feet with the guys already on the tower. Secure the
guys, then put two more sections on. When you put the 6th section
on, have the guys already attached, so you don't have to climb to 60
feet without the 60-foot guys attached. Secure the guys *before* you
go up to the 60-foot point. Do the same thing at 90. (Thanks, Rex
K1HI)
A posting on the QRP-L list identified the Royal PL2000 Laminator as
one that can handle materials as thick as 0.062" double-sided PCB.
This is handy if you're rolling your own boards and maybe other
applications, as well, since most laminators can't process really
thick items.
TECHNICAL URL OF THE WEEK -- D-STAR technology is often
mis-identified as "just digital voice" but the standard has a lot
more to offer, particularly for high-speed data transmission. The
Texas Interconnect Team (http://www.k5tit.org/) is working on some
advanced D-STAR applications that may surprise you!
-o-o --- -- o --- -o o ooo --o o - oooo o o-o o
CONVERSATION
ooo o- o-oo o- o-o -o-o -o-- -o-o o-oo o oo--- oooo-
Knocking On The Door
Hear that sound? It's new hams and potential contesters banging on
the door to the Kontester's Klubhouse! They're out there -- why
don't they come in? In many cases it's because we don't open the
door! We're too busy!
Think about those recruitable hams as you mash the F1 button for the
umpty-umpth time in the coming weekends, wishing for a little more
activity. It's purely self-serving, but by encouraging the casual
operator to get on the air and in the competition, your own log will
likely be a little fuller at the end of the next contest.
We do tend to get a little wrapped up in our own stations and
technique. After all, building and maintaining a competition-grade
contest station takes a lot of work and time. I don't know of
anybody that thinks their station is "done." Nevertheless, it's still
important for us to open our niche of Amateur Radio and extend a
welcome to other hams that might like to join us.
Recruiting for contesting is a smaller version of the same challenge
that exists for ham radio in general, in every country around the
world. Not every new recruit will decide to become a Top Gun
contester, but some will. Even those that go on to other pursuits
will understand more about what contesting is and what drives
contesters to put up the Big Aluminum in pursuit of the Big Scores.
Regardless of where your ham radio interests lie, I'll bet you were
given a helping hand. It's payback time! While you're munching down
on the pizza at Dayton this weekend, be sure to say hello to those
new faces and include them in your conversations. Maybe you'll gain
a new ground crew member! Later on, Field Day provides a golden
opportunity to introduce a new ham to HF operating and contesting.
It's time to start planning your GOTA station strategy, isn't it?
Remember that you might have to take the initiative. Contesters
aren't exactly shrinking violets, but before you become part of "the
group," it's hard to walk up and join the fun. Be a buddy and
recognize the "I want in" look!
Those folks out there won't wait on us forever. Eventually, they'll
go off and find something else to do, in ham radio or maybe not.
Take the time to put down your latest project and welcome them to a
great part of ham radio!
73, Ward N0AX
-o-o --o- - o ooo - -o-o --o- - o ooo -
CONTESTS -- 17 MAY TO 30 MAY 2006
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Note that the following abbreviations are used to condense the
contest rules summaries: SO - Single-Op; M2 - Multi-Op - 2
Transmitters; MO - Multi-Op; MS - Multi-Op, Single Transmitter; MM -
Multi-Op, Multiple Transmitters; AB - All Band; SB - Single Band;
S/P/C - State/Province/DXCC Entity; HP - High Power (>100 W); LP -
Low Power; QRP (5W or less)
HF CONTESTS
40th Annual Baltic Contest--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Lithuanian Radio
Sports Federation from 2100Z May 20 - 0200Z May 21. Frequencies
(MHz): CW 3.510-3.600, SSB 3.600-3.650 and 3.700-3.750. Categories:
SO-CW/SSB/Mixed, MS, SWL. Exchange: RS(T) and serial number. QSO
Points: Baltic (YL/ES/LY) stations count EU--1 pt and non-EU--2 pts,
EU stations count Baltic--10 pts, non-Baltic--1 pt; non-EU stations
count Baltic--20 pts, non-Baltic--1 pt. Score: total QSO points. For
more information: http://www.lrsf.lt/bcontest. Logs due Jul 1 to
lrsf@lrsf.lt or PO Box 210, LT-3000 Kaunas, Lithuania.
EU PSK DX Contest--sponsored by the Scottish-Russian Amateur Radio
Society from 1200Z May 20 - 1200Z May 21. Frequencies: 80 - 10
meters. Categories: SOAB (HP, LP). Exchange: RST and EU area code or
serial number: QSO Points: own country--1 pt, different country--2
pts, diff. continent--3 pts, DX to EU--5 pts. Score: QSO points x EU
area codes + DXCC entities. For more information:
http://www.srars.org/. Logs due 28 days after the contest to
eudx@scotham.net or EU PSK DX Contest Committee, PO Box 7469,
Glasgow, G42 0YD, Scotland, UK
His Majesty King of Spain Contest--CW, sponsored by the Union de
Radioaficionados Españoles (URE) from 1800Z May 20 - 1800Z May 21
(SSB is June 24-25). Frequencies: 160-10 meters using IARU Region 1
band plan. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, and MS. Exchange: RST and serial
number or EA province. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x EA
provinces counted once per band. For more information, send email to
ure@ure.es. Logs due 21 Jun (SSB by 24 Jul) to concursoshf@ure.es or
URE HF Contests, PO Box 220, 28080 Madrid, Spain.
US Counties QSO Party--SSB, sponsored by The Mobile Amateur Radio
Awards Club from 0000Z May 20 - 2400Z May 21. Frequencies (MHz):
3.880, 7.240, 14.275, 21.340, 28.340. Work fixed stations once/band
and mobiles once for each county and band. Categories: Mobile, Fixed.
Exchange: RST and county or S/P/C. County line QSOs count as one QSO
but separate multipliers. QSO Points: US fixed stations--1 point, US
mobile--15 points, all others--5 pts, one station must be in a US
county. Score is QSO Points × US counties (counted only once).
Mobiles sum score from each state. For more information:
http://www.stpaulisland.net/countycontest.html. Logs due Jun 19 to
(US logs) wv2b@juno.com or Duane Traver WV2B, PO Box 607, Candor, NY
13743-0607, non-US logs to snichols@mvosprey.com or Scott Nichols,
VE1OP, PO Box 1796, North Sydney, NS B2A 3S9
All America Contest--CW, sponsored by the Juiz de Fora CW Group from
1500Z May 20 - 2359Z May 21. Frequencies: 80 - 10 meters. Categories:
SOAB, SOAB-QRP, SOSB, MS. Spotting assistance allowed for all
classes, no self-spotting. Exchange: RST + continent (CWJF members
add /M, QRP add /QRP, and YL add/YL). QSO Points: own country--1 pt,
same continent, different country--2 pts, diff cont--3 pts, with
member, QRP, or YL--5 pts. Score: QSO points x prefixes (NA stations
use SA prefixes, SA stations use NA prefixes) counted once per band.
For more information: http://www.powerline.com.br/cwjf. Logs due 30
July to cwjf@powerline.com.br in Cabrillo format.
CQ WW WPX Contest--CW, sponsored by CQ Magazine from 0000Z May 27 -
2400Z May 28. Frequencies: 160 -- 10 meters. Categories: SOAB, SOSB,
SO-Assisted, -HP, LP, and --QRP, MS (10-min rule), M/2, MM,
SO-Rookie, SO-Tribander-and-Single-Wire. SO operate 36 hours max with
off times at least 60 min. Exchange: RS(T) + serial number. QSO
Points: different continents - 3pts (14-28 MHz) and 6 pts (1.8-7
MHz), with North America - 2 pts (14-28 MHz) and 4 pts (1.8-7 MHz),
with own country - 1 pt. Score: QSO points x prefixes worked (i.e.,
N8, KA1, HG73, JD1) counted only once. For more information:
http://www.cqwpx.com/. Logs due July 1 to cw@cqwpx.com.
QRP ARCI Hootowl Sprint--CW, sponsored by the QRP ARC International
from 2000 - 2400 local May 28. Frequencies (MHz) - 1.810, 3.560,
7.040, 14.060, 21.060, 28.060 kHz. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, SO20-10,
SO160-40, MOAB, DX stations are SOAB only. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and
Power or QRP ARCI number. QSO Points: members - 5 pts,
non-members/different continent - 4 pts, non-members/same cont. - 2
pts. Score: QSO points x S/P/C (counted once per band) x Power
multiplier (<250mW x 15, 250mW - 1W x 10, 1 - 5W x7, >5W x 1) + Bonus
Points (2000 for homebrew (HB) xmtr, 3000 HB rcvr, 5000 HB xcvr). For
more information: http://www.qrparci.org/contest.htm. Submit entry
form via contest Web site. Logs due 30 days after contest to
va3jff@yahoo.ca or QRP ARCI Contest Manager, Jeff Hetherington
VA3JFF, 139 Elizabeth St W, Welland, Ontario, Canada L3C 4M3
MI QRP Memorial Day CW Sprint--sponsored by the MI QRP Club from
2300Z May 28 - 0300Z May 29. Frequencies: 160 - 6-meters. Categories:
SOAB with classes A (<250 mW), B (<1 W), C (<5 W), D (>5W). Exchange:
RST, S/P/C, and MI-QRP number or power output. QSO Points: MI-QRP
members - 5 pts, non-member W/VE - 2 pts, DX - 4 pts. Score: QSO
points x S/P/C counted once per band. If homebrew RX or TX, multiply
by 1.25. If both RX and TX are homebrew, multiply by 1.5. For
information: http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub. Logs to n8cqa@arrl.net or
L. T. Switzer N8CQA, 427 Jeffrey Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48073-2521.
VHF+ CONTESTS
No VHF+ contests are scheduled.
-oo --- -o - -- oo ooo ooo -o-- --- oo- o-o
LOG DUE DATES - 17 MAY TO 30 MAY 2006
o-oo --- --o -oo o o- -oo o-oo oo -o o ooo
May 17 - Low Power Spring Sprint, email logs to: om3kfv@zoznam.sk,
paper logs and diskettes to: Radioklub OM3KFV
P.O.Box 3, 038 61 Vrutky, Slovakia. Find rules at:
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/lowpowerspringsprint2006.pdf.
May 18 - 432 MHz Spring Sprint, email logs to:
springsprints@etdxa.org, paper logs and diskettes to: 432 MHz Spring
Sprint, ETDXA/WU4O, Jeff J Baker, 2012 Hinds Creek Road, Heiskell,
Tennessee 37754, USA. Find rules at:
http://www.etdxa.org/2006_spring_sprint%20rules.htm.
May 20 - ES Open HF Championship, email logs to: esopen@erau.ee,
paper logs and diskettes to: Toomas Soomets, ES5RY, P O Box 177,
Tartu 50002, Estonia. Find rules at:
http://www.erau.ee/modules.php?op=modload&name=Info&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=64.
May 22 - 10-10 Int. Spring Contest, CW, email logs to:
tentencontest@alltel.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Steve
Rasmussen, N0WY, #68684, 312 N. 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048,
USA. Find rules at: http://www.ten-ten.org/rules.html.
May 23 - SP DX RTTY Contest, email logs to: sprtty@pzk.org.pl, paper
logs and diskettes to: SPDX RTTY Contest Manager, Christopher
Ulatowski, Box 253, 81 - 963 Gdynia 1, Poland. Find rules at:
http://www.pkrvg.org/zbior.html.
May 23 - Florida QSO Party, email logs to: logs@floridaqsoparty.org,
paper logs and diskettes to: Florida QSO Party, c/o Ron Wetjen,
WD4AHZ, 5362 Castleman Dr., Sarasota, FL 34232, USA. Find rules at:
http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/rules.html.
May 27 - FeldHell Spring Sprint 2006, email logs to:
contest@feldhellclub.co.uk, paper logs and diskettes to: (none). Find
rules at: http://www.feldhellclub.co.uk/.
May 30 - SBMS 2 GHz and Up WW Club Contest, email logs to: (none),
paper logs and diskettes to: SBMS Contest Committee, Pat Coker,
N6RMJ, 40916 179th Street, Lancaster CA 93535, USA. Find rules at:
http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms/club_test/2006_2ghz-up_test.pdf.
May 30 - Alabama QSO Party, email logs to: logs@alabamaqsoparty.org,
paper logs and diskettes to: Jim Johnson, KC4HW, 6274 South CR 49,
Slocomb, Al 36375-5528, USA. Find rules at:
http://www.alabamaqsoparty.org/.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
The Contester's Rate Sheet wishes to acknowledge information from the
following sources:
WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page -
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal
SM3CER's Web site - http://www.sk3bg.se/contest
ARRL members may subscribe at no cost by editing their Member Data
Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet.
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