Contester's Rate Sheet for July 26, 2006
******************************************** CONTESTER'S RATE SHEET 26 July 2006 Edited by Ward Silver N0AX Published by the American Radio Relay League Free to ARRL members - tell your friends! (Subscription info at the end of newsletter) ******************************************** SUMMARY o IOTA and National Lighthouse/Lightship Contests o NAQP CW and UHF Contests o Contests and Air Travel - Be Healthy o WRTC Results and Photos o Contest Recorder and Strategy Planner o Damping Vibrations and Defeating Nibblers o Can I Play, Too? BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue BUSTED QSOS o Not really "busted" but I have tried a couple of different methods of dealing with periods at the end of URLs to get consistent results in how the resulting hyperlink is treated by different browsers. The next attempt will be to leave a space between the URL and a closing period or simply omit the period altogether. I'm sure my typing teacher, Mrs. Weyland, would disapprove, but it's all in the name of progress. CONTEST SUMMARY (Rules follow Commentary section) July 29-30 - Flight of the Bumblebees - RSGB IOTA August 5-6 - ARRL UHF Contest - NAQP CW QSO Party - SARL HF DX - SSB - Ten-Ten International Phone QSO Party - EU HF Championship - TARA "Grid Dip" - National Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend --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 Web applet used to report ARRL Field Day score initially did not include GOTA points in the total score. This problem has been fixed and all scores will include GOTA QSOs. (Thanks, Kathy KA1RWY) - - - - [Editor's Note -- Many of you are aware that Mike KC7V is recovering (fully) from a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs) suffered on the long flight home following WRTC. It has been observed that spending the weekend doing a contest is a lot like taking long airline flights. The in-flight audio is more interesting, but the prolonged periods of sitting could lead to similar problem with blood clots forming and moving to the lungs. The following information about preventing and detecting pulmonary embolisms was contributed by Marios 5B4WN/G0WWW who is a physician -- thank you Marios!] Please note that this is "general advice" and provided for educational purposes only and if you feel that you are at a higher risk of developing venous clots, you should consult your family physician for further advice. Please also note that there are probably many other things people do/don't do but if they are not listed below then there is probably no evidence that they work! What is a pulmonary embolism? This is a condition where an artery in the lungs gets blocked by a blood clot that has broken off from a larger clot, such as in the leg. [Wikipedia reference] Strong recommendations [for everybody] 1. Avoid constrictive clothing around the waist or legs 2. Avoid dehydration: ensure you take in plenty of fluids [e.g. water] during the flight [although alcohol is also a liquid, it is NOT recommended!!!] 3. Do frequent calf muscle stretching/exercises and frequently get up and move around the plane. Weaker recommendations [only for travelers with an increased risk of thrombosis, e.g. obesity, previous thrombosis, increasing age, etc.] 4. Consider wearing below-knee graduated compression stockings/socks (T.E.D. stockings) during the flight. These are available from pharmacies BUT must be measured/sized correctly for your legs to provide the correct compression pressure. They do work [1][2][3]! 5. Some travelers at a higher risk may require a single injection of heparin (LMW) before traveling. This renders the blood "less clottable" for ~24 hours. This requirement for heparin injection needs to be discussed with/advised by your family physician/practitioner. The use of aspirin for the prevention of thrombosis in long distance travel is NOT recommended by either references below as there is no evidence that it works/justifies the risks. References [for those who want more in-depth medical information, some may need subscription]: [1] http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content/full/126/3_suppl/338S [2] http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2141.2005.05617.x [3] http://ebm.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/extract/11/2/55 How do you recognize a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) - a clot? Seek professional help if you get: - Lower leg (calf) swelling/warmth especially if only on one side [a bit of ankle swelling on both sides straight after a flight is normal and usually disappears after a few hours] - Calf pain Both of these may also develop a few days after a long flight. [Wikipedia reference] Seek immediate professional advice if you suddenly feel: - short of breath - get chest pain - feel extremely unwell The above may also develop a few days after a long flight. Short-acting sleeping pills...should be used only in accordance with medical advice and should not normally be taken during the flight, as they may increase immobility and therefore the risk of developing DVT. 73s, Marios 5B4WN/G0WWW The 14th IOTA (Islands On The Air) Contest takes place on 29/30 July. SDI by EI5DI is the only contest logger dedicated to this event, and is specifically recommended, for single-operator entrants, in the IOTA Contest Rules. SDI runs on any Windows PC. It is free from http://www.ei5di.com/sd/sdisetup.exe and is intended for SO-unassisted entries. SDI is optimised for IOTA, and uses custom Island/Prefix reference files. (Thanks, Paul EI5DI) URL OF THE WEEK -- Here is a link to a 1960 DX Magazine article on "How to Win the Sweepstakes" by W9IOP, one of the all time best: http://www.flickr.com/photos/w6sx/sets/72157594209238896/ Click on each page. In the upper left corner click on "All Sizes" and select "Large." (Thanks, Hank W6SX) oo-o oo -o -oo -o-- --- oo- o-o RESULTS AND RECORDS -o-o o- o-oo o-oo oooo o o-o o ARRL CONTEST RESULTS NEWS If you would like a hard copy of the WRTC results exactly like the ones handed out in Brazil, you can download and print this file: http://www.kkn.net/~tree/WRTC_SCORES.xls (Thanks, Tree N6TR) There is a huge set of photo albums available on the WRTC2006 Web site. http://www.wrtc2006.com/ Along with the many "people pictures" there are some beautiful landscapes and general interest photos. Jim K1IR has also posted some very nice post-WRTC travel photos at http://k1irwrtc.blogspot.com/ All of the WRTC logs will be uploaded to Logbook Of the World. For a paper card, QSL the WRTC stations via PP5VB. (Thanks, Oms PY5EG) The preliminary results of the January 2006 NAQP CW contest are now available on the NCJ web site at: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqpcwprelim.php If you note any errors, please contact WA7BNM at bhorn@hornucopia.com. Ed W0YK has "tweaked and peaked" the California QSO Party Records Web site - http://www.cqp.org/Records.html Ed has posted some eye-candy tables to get you interested in CQP all-time records over the years, both in-state and out-of-state. (Thanks, Marc W6ZZZ) The results of the 2006 Wisconsin QSO Party are now available on the WARAC club Web site: http://www.warac.org/ (Thanks, Lynn K9KR) The results of the EU Sprint Contest - Spring SSB (held on April 15, 2006) have just been released. You can find the UBN reports on the new EU Sprint Web page at: http://www.eusprint.com/ Both the UBN and logs are public. Click on a call sign to see the UBN report or to download the log in .ASC format. (Thanks, Hrle 9A6XX) 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 have problems with wind-induced vibrations in long Phillystran guy lines, the product you're looking for is a Spiral Vibration Dampener, manufactured by Preformed Line Products. http://www.preformed.com/artsfest/files/literature/PLP_CommCatSec23.pdf Frank W3LPL reports having the problem on the guys for his 200-foot towers, and the SVD dampeners completely solved the problem. Frank installed one dampener at the top of each guy, within reach of the tower. Philadelphia Rope Works, the manufacturer of Phillystran, was able to get them for him. Many know that Rec-All Pro (http://www.sagebrush.com/) does a Fine-Business job of recording contest audio, complete with VOX. Fewer know that it embeds a time code in the recording. This means that you can search for recorded audio by clock time, not contest elapsed time. (Thanks, Jim VE7FO) Bob K0RC reports, "I have been slowly adding improvements to my Excel 2003 spreadsheet that allows a contester to pre-plan their contesting strategies. I thought this might be a good time to share this file with the contesting community." Download a copy here: http://tinyurl.com/lf3w2 Another spreadsheet tool from the 17 July issue of DesignNews (http://www.designnews.com/) was found in the "Tips from Titus" column. This Excel macro, written in Visual Basic, creates sine-wave tables for use in spreadsheets. If you've ever struggled to create a sine-wave for display or calculation, you'll instantly recognize the utility of this tool. It's available at http://tinyurl.com/lqqok Do you have a problem with critters chewing on feed lines near the ground? Thomas AC7A runs rings around the problem with a novel solution. "Even though my coax is buried about a foot underground and routed through an ABS tube, javelinas (small wild pigs) were chewing through my 9086 coax where it left the bulkhead and terminated at the bottom of my vertical. No matter what I tried, I couldn't stop them from destroying the cable coming from the bulkhead. Finally, I came up with the idea of cutting 3/4" PVC into 3/4" lengths to form rings. I placed the rings over the following the bend from the bulkhead to the antenna. They haven't been able to get through the PVC. I think the rings roll around in their mouths and are too tough to chew through." An SMA-to-UHF adapter cable is useful for connecting a handheld VHF/UHF FM rig to a heavy feedline. A direct connection using an adaptor puts a lot of stress on the difficult-to-replace SMA connector. Kartronics (http://www.kartronicsonline.com/) has both SMA-UHF and SMA-BNC jumper cables. TECHNICAL URL OF THE WEEK -- Here's a really nice toroid/coil calculator plus more: "Mini Core Calculator" by Colin G3VMU is freeware from http://www.dl5swb.de/ It makes lots of calculations for a wide range of iron powder and ferrite cores and other coils. (Thanks, Chuck W5USJ) - oooo o o-o o ooo -o --- o--o o-oo o- -o-o o o-oo oo -o- o CONVERSATION oooo --- -- o --oo-- o-o oo --o oooo - - --- - --- oo--oo Can I Play, Too? The stories have been flying out of Brazil fast and furious for the past month, it seems. First the airline scramble, then the travel tales, followed by the contest itself, the judging, the awards, and - poof! - it's all over! This all makes for very good reading, but it's a poor substitute for actually being there. There must be literally hundreds of motivated, skilled operators sitting at home wondering how they can be chosen to make that welcome trip to a faraway land and show off their contesting chops. Even with the multi-operator teams (an excellent innovation by the WRTC2006 committee), only a tiny fraction of the world's contesters could be on a team. What's the big secret? First, a myth and second, a reason. The myth is that getting chosen to go to WRTC requires "connections." While for the first WRTC in 1990 the operators were invited by the host committee, each WRTC since has been more objective and open, culminating in the transparent, public process put in place for WRTC2006. This is unlikely to change, so you should feel comfortable that if you can put up the scores, then you can go! Now the reason that you see familiar faces in the WRTC reports - an operator can be at the top of their game in radiosport for quite a long time. Like being a chess grandmaster, skill at radiosport, once developed, tends to linger. Radiosport primarily requires athleticism of the brain, not the muscles. It's not unusual for an operator to maintain a Top Ten presence for twenty years or more. This makes it hard to displace Big Guns at the top of their game, but doesn't mean you should give up a dream of attending. There are a number of ways to "get good." Here are three suggestions, by no means the only ones that work: One - "Ubung macht den meister" (practice makes the master) say our German friends. Nothing could be more true, especially in contesting. Put your butt in the chair and your rig on the air! Treat each contest as an opportunity to learn or polish a skill. Study your old logs and those of other contesters, particularly those you admire. Ask questions and try to put what you learn into practice. Work on eliminating bad habits and strive for accuracy! Two - Assuming the WRTC invitations will be based on contest scores, study the list and focus your efforts on contests that give the biggest rating return. (This also assumes that the radiosport community is informed of the contests that count towards selection, something WRTC hosts should do as far in advance as possible.) If the list of contests varies by region, be sure to take advantage of the contests that favor your location or skills. Three - Cut the odds in your favor. If you have a small station, see if a bigger station is available. If you live in a disadvantaged area for a particular contest, try to operate from somewhere else! It's possible to guest op in many areas of the US just for the asking. Airplane tickets are often less expensive than a new tower or amplifier! If you're a young contester, see if you can't put in a few more hours than your competition. Put your strengths to work making a few more points, contest after contest. Let's say you give these your best effort along with maintaining a positive attitude and having the goal of continuous improvement. It won't be long until you *expect* to make the Top Ten instead of being amazed when you do. Your scores will regularly be in territory you might have thought unattainable not long before. You'll find contesting to be a lot more fun, too. And this is really the Big Secret. A contester that is having fun is much more likely to become good enough to snag a WRTC seat. If you're not having fun, back up a bit and see if you can't find a way to put the fun back in the sport. After all, we're not in this for the mega-buck endorsement deals! While being a WRTC competitor is certainly a highlight of my contesting career, as I was attending the meetings, operating, and congratulating the other operators, I realized that it was the journey, not the destination, that I enjoyed most. The certificates are welcome, but they're not what keeps me marking off weekends on the household calendar. It's the smile on my face after a good performance, a super opening, or maybe just putting in a good effort with my favorite multi-op teammates. WRTC is important and it can surely be a terrific lifetime goal. Don't let its pursuit spoil your journey. ""To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." -- Robert Louis Stevenson 73, Ward N0AX -o-o --o- - o ooo - -o-o --o- - o ooo - CONTESTS -- 26 JULY TO 8 AUGUST 2006 -o-o --o- - o ooo - -o-o --o- - o ooo - 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 Flight of the Bumblebees--CW, sponsored by the Adventure Radio Society, 1700Z - 2100Z Jul 30. Bumblebees are low power portable stations that walk, bike, or boat to their sites and sign "/BB" after their calls. Frequencies (MHz): 7.040, 14.060, 21.060, 28.060. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and Bumblebee Number or power (5 watts maximum). Score: QSOs x number of different Bumblebees contacted x 3. For more information - http://www.arsqrp.com/ars/pages/bumblebees/bb_rules.html Logs due 9 Aug via the ARS Web site. RSGB Islands-On-The-Air Contest--CW/SSB, sponsored by the RSGB from 1200Z Jul 29 - 1200Z Jul 30. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: SOAB and SOAB-Assisted (SSB/CW/Mixed, 12 & 24 hour entries, High/Low/QRP Power), MS. All categories Island or World (non-Island). Exchange: RS(T) and serial number, Island stations add IOTA reference number. QSO Points: Contacts with own IOTA--3 pts, with other IOTA--15 pts, non-island--3 pts. Score: QSO points x IOTA refs, counted once per band and mode. For more information: http://www.rsgbhfcc.org/ Logs due Sep 1 to iota.logs@rsgbhfcc.org or RSGB IOTA Contest, PO Box 9, Potters Bar, Herts EN6 3RH, England. North American QSO Party--CW, sponsored by the National Contest Journal from 1800Z Aug 5 - 0600Z Aug 6. Frequencies: 160 - 10-meters. Categories: SOAB and M2, 100 W power limit, operate a maximum of 10 hours (off times must be at least 30 min and M2 entries may operate the entire contest). Exchange: Name and S/P/C. Score: QSOs X States + Province + NA DXCC countries (count each once per band). For information: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php Logs due 14 days after the contest via Web entry form at http://www.ncjweb.com/naqplogsubmit.php to cwnaqp@ncjweb.com or Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, 4225 Farmdale Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604. SARL HF DX Contest--SSB, sponsored by the Bloemfontein Radio Amateur Club from 1230Z -- 1630Z Aug 6 (CW is Aug 27). Frequencies: 80 -- 20 meters. Categories: SOAB, MS. Exchange: RS(T) + serial number. QSO Points: SSB -- 1 pt, CW -- 2 pts. Total score: QSO points + ZS call areas and South African countries (see Web site). For more information: http://www.sarl.org.za/public/contests Logs due 14 days after the contest to zs4bs@netactive.co.za or PO Box 12104, Brandhof 9324, Republic of South Africa. Ten-Ten International Summer Phone QSO Party -- sponsored by Ten-Ten International from 0001Z Aug 5 - 2359Z Aug 6, 10-meters only. Exchange: call, name, state and 10-10 number (if available). QSO Points: nonmembers--1 pt, members--2 pts. Total score: sum of QSO points. For more information: http://www.ten-ten.org/ Logs due Aug 21 to tentencontest@alltel.net or Steve Rasmussen N0WY, 312 N 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048-1302. European HF Championship--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Slovenian Contest Club from 1200Z - 2359Z Aug 5. EU to EU contacts only. Frequencies: 160-10 meters. Categories: SOAB only--CW, SSB, and Mixed Modes, HP and LP. Exchange: RS(T) and last two digits of first year licensed. Score: QSOs x number of different years received, counted once per band. For more information: http://lea.hamradio.si/~scc/euhfc.html Logs due Aug 31 to euhfc@hamradio.si (Cabrillo format preferred) or Slovenia Contest Club, Saveljska 50, 1113 Ljubljana, Slovenia. TARA "Grid Dip" Contest--PSK and RTTY, sponsored by Troy ARA from 0000Z -- 2400Z Aug 5. Frequencies: 80-6 meters, work stations once per band, work Rovers again from new locators. Categories: SOAB only--QRP, LP (<20W or RTTY <100W), HP (100W max. or RTTY legal limit), Rover (50W max. or RTTY legal limit) operating from more than one Grid Locator, SWL. Exchange: Name and 4-digit grid locator. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Total score: QSO points x Grid Locators counted once per band. For more information: http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_grid_rules.html Scores due 2 Sep via online submission form at http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_grid_score.html National Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend--all modes, sponsored by the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society from 0001Z Aug 5 - 2359Z Aug 6. Frequencies (MHz): CW -- 1.830, 3.530, 7.030, 14.030, 21.030, 28.030; SSB -- 1.970, 3.970, 7.270, 14.270, 21.370, 28.370. Exchange: Serial number or ARLHS member or lighthouse number, name, and S/P/C. For more information: http://arlhs.com/ Logs due 31 Aug to Dave Ruch, NF0J, PO Box 20696, Bloomington, MN 55420-0696. VHF+ CONTESTS ARRL UHF Contest, 1800Z Aug 5 -1800Z Aug 6. Frequencies: all amateur bands above 222 MHz. Categories: SO-LP, SO-HP, Rover, MO. Exchange: Grid Square (signal report is optional). QSO Points: 222 and 432 MHz - 3 pts, 902 and 1296 MHz - 6 pts, 12 pts on all higher bands. Score: QSO Points x Grid Squares (total from all bands). Rovers add one additional multiplier for each grid square activated. For more information: http://www.arrl.org/contests Logs due Sep 5 by email to augustuhf@arrl.org or by mail to August UHF Contest, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA. -oo --- -o - -- oo ooo ooo -o-- --- oo- o-o LOG DUE DATES - 26 JULY TO 8 AUGUST 2006 o-oo --- --o -oo o o- -oo o-oo oo -o o ooo July 26 - NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint, email logs to: yoel@arm-tek.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Tom Mitchell, KB3LFC, RD6 Box 122A, Kittanning, PA 16201, USA. Find rules at: http://www.arm-tek.net/~yoel/sprint200607.html July 29 - North American QSO Party, RTTY, email logs to: (see rules, web upload preferred), upload log at: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqplogsubmit.php, paper logs and diskettes to: Shelby Summerville, K4WW, 6506 Lantana Ct, Louisville, KY 40229-1544, USA. Find rules at: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php July 30 - Manchester Mineira All America Contest, email logs to: cwjf@powerline.com.br, paper logs and diskettes to: CWJF Contest Committee, PO Box 410, Juiz de Fora - MG 36001-970, Brazil. Find rules at: http://www.powerline.com.br/cwjf/Regulamento_Ing.pdf July 31 - VOLTA WW RTTY Contest, email logs to: log@contestvolta.it, paper logs and diskettes to: Francesco Di Michele, I2DMI, PO Box 55, 22063 Cantu, Italy. Find rules at: http://www.contestvolta.com/rules2.htm July 31 - All Asian DX Contest, CW, email logs to: aacw@jarl.or.jp, paper logs and diskettes to: JARL, All Asian DX Contest, CW, 170-8073, Japan. Find rules at: http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-3_Contests/2006AA_Rule.htm July 31 - RAC Canada Day Contest, email logs to: canadaday@rac.ca, paper logs and diskettes to: Radio Amateurs of Canada, 720 Belfast Road, Suite 217, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z5, Canada. Find rules at: http://www.rac.ca/downloads/2006CanadaDayContestRulesEnglish.pdf July 31 - Original QRP Contest, email logs to: oqrpc@qrpcc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: Dr.Hartmut Weber, DJ7ST, Schlesierweg 13, D-38228 Salzgitter, Germany. Find rules at: http://www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/oqrpr.html August 1 - RSGB Low Power Field Day, email logs to: lowpower.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England. Find rules at: http://www.contesting.co.uk/hfcc/rules/rqrp.shtml August 1 - SMIRK Contest, email logs to: contest@smirk.org, paper logs and diskettes to: Dale Richardson, AA5XE, 214 Palo Verde Dr, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA. Find rules at: http://www.smirk.org/rules.htm August 1 - DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest, email logs to: df5bx@darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: Werner Ludwig, DF5BX, PO Box 1270, 49110 Georgsmarienhuette, Germany. Find rules at: http://www.darc.de/referate/ukw-funksport/sonder/tei-digi.htm August 1 - International DominoEx Prefix Contest, email logs to: dominoexcontest@gmail.com, paper logs and diskettes to: (none). Find rules at: http://www.obriensweb.com/dominoexcontest.htm August 2 - VK/Trans-Tasman 160m Contest, Phone, email logs to: vktasman@hotmail.com, paper logs and diskettes to: VK/trans-Tasman Contest, 28 Crampton Crescent, Rosanna, VIC 3084, Australia. Find rules at: http://home.iprimus.com.au/vktasman/RULES.HTM August 4 - MI QRP July 4th CW Sprint, email logs to: n8cqa@arrl.net, paper logs and diskettes to: L.T. Switzer, N8CQA, 427 Jeffrey Avenue, Royal Oak, MI 48073-2521, USA. Find rules at: http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub/contest.html August 7 - FISTS Summer Sprint, email logs to: W8PIG@yahoo.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Dan Shepherd, N8IE, 1900 Pittsfield St, Kettering, Oh 45420, USA. Find rules at: http://www.fists.org/sprints.html August 8 - Six Club Contest, email logs to: contests@6mt.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Mike Urich, KA5CVH, Six Club Contest Director, 9807 Oakmont Drive, LaPorte, TX 77571, USA. Find rules at: http://www.6mt.com/contest.htm 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>. Excel and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation