Contester's Rate Sheet for November 19, 2003
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 19 November 2003 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX SUMMARY o CQ WW CW vs. Cycle 23 - Who Will Win? o Contest Club of Finland announces 9th Contest/DX Meeting o LT1F Destroyed by Tornado! o IOTA 2003 Results Released o 2003 Frequency Measuring Test - 0245 Nov 20th o Radio Mobile Coverage Software by VE2DBE o The Grande Finn-ale BULLETINS o No bulletins this issue, so for all U.S. readers, Happy Thanksgiving and count your blessings! BUSTED QSOS o 2003 DX Contest certificates are just being completed now - your editor jumped the gun a little bit last issue. ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 19 NOVEMBER TO 2 DECEMBER 2003 Logs are due for the following contests: November 20 - Worked All Germany Contest, email to: wag@dxhf.darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: WAG Contest Manager, P.O. Box 12 09 37, D-01010 Dresden, Germany November 20 - W/VE Islands QSO Party, email to: wa4ja@arrl.net, paper logs and diskettes to: John Almon, WA4JA, 105 Flintlock Drive, Franklin, TN 37064-2351, USA November 20 - 10-10 Int. Fall Contest, CW, email to: (none), paper logs and diskettes to: Steve Rasmussen, N0WY, 312 N. 6th Street, Plattsmouth, NE 68048, USA November 22 - 50 MHz Fall Sprint, email to: wa4njp@bellsouth.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Ray Rector, WA4NJP, 3493 Holly Springs Rd., Gillsville, GA 30534, USA November 23 - SARL Field Day Contest, email to: admin@sarl.org.za, paper logs and diskettes to: The Contest Committee, PO Box 1721, Strubensvallei 1735, South Africa November 30 - JARTS WW RTTY Contest, email to: jarts@edsoftz.com, paper logs and diskettes to: (none) November 30 - EA-QRP Club Contest, email to: ea5chq@wanadoo.es, paper logs and diskettes to: EA-QRP Club, PO Box 73, 46182 La Canada (Valencia), Spain December 1 - CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB, email to: ssb@cqww.com, paper logs and diskettes to: CQWW Phone, CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Road, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA December 1 - DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest, email to: df5bx@darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: Werner Ludwig, DF5BX, P.O. Box 1270, 49110 Georgsmarienhuette, Germany December 1 - OK/OM DX Contest, CW, email to: OKOMDX@CRK.cz, paper logs and diskettes to: OK-OM DX Contest, CRK, P.O. Box 69, 113 27 Praha 1, Czech Republic December 1 - RSGB 1.8 MHz Contest, CW, email to: 2nd160.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB-G3UFY, 77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England December 2 - Ukrainian DX Contest, email to: urdx@ham.kiev.ua, paper logs and diskettes to: Ukrainian Contest Club HQ, P.O. Box 4850, Zaporozhye 69118, Ukraine Don't forget that CW Sweepstakes logs are due on Dec 3rd! The following contests are scheduled: Note that the following abbreviations are used to condense the contest rules summaries: SO - Single-Op; M2 - Multiop - 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; LP - Low Power; Entity - DXCC Entity HF CONTESTS I thought last year's 20 November issue had the smallest-ever listing of upcoming contests, but this issue is even sparser due to the unusual November calendar this year. LZ DX Contest--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs from 1200Z Nov 22-1200Z Nov 23. Frequencies: 80-10-meters with 10-minute mode change rule. Categories: SOAB (CW, Phone, Mixed), SOAB-QRP Mixed, SOSB-Mixed, MS-Mixed, SWL. Exchange: RST + ITU zone or 2-letter LZ district. QSO Points: same continent--1 pt, different cont--3 pts, LZ station--10 pts. Score: QSO points x ITU zones + LZ districts counted once per band. For more information: http://www.qsl.net/lz1fw/contest. Logs due 30 days after the contest to lzdxc@yahoo.com or BFRA, PO Box 830, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria. CQ WW DX Contest--CW, sponsored by CQ Magazine from 0000Z Nov 29 to 2400Z Nov 30. Frequencies: 160-10 meters. Categories: SOAB and SOSB (HP >100W, LP, QRP <5W), MS, MM. MS have 10 minute rule. Exchange RS(T) and CQ zone. QSO Points: same cont--1 pts (NA stations count 2 pts), diff cont--3 pts. Stations in the same country may be worked for zone credit only. Score: QSO points x CQ Zones + DXCC entities + WAE countries counted once per band. For more information: http://www.cqww.com/. Logs due Jan 15 to cw@cqww.com or to CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA. VHF CONTESTS No VHF contests are scheduled. Really. NEWS & PRESS RELEASES Logs Received pages for the September VHF and 10 GHz and Up contests are posted on the ARRL Contest Web page at http://www.arrl.org/contest. (Thanks, Dan N1ND) N6TR (log checker for Sweepstakes) reports that he is seeing a number of SS CW logs that all have the same format error generated by the N1MM logger. If you use this program, please check your Cabrillo log to make sure it looks right. It should look something like this: QSO: 28000 CW 2003-11-01 2100 K7RAT 1 B 67 OR K9ZO 1 Q 69 Il It should NOT look like this: QSO: 21028 CW 2003-11-01 2107 N6TR 0004 A N6TR 56VE4VV 0005 A 73 MB You should also have received errors listed in your response from the email log robot. (Thanks, Tree N6TR) Jim AD1C has released new CTY files in time for the CQ WW CW contest. Download the latest set at http://www.k1ea.com/cty/. (Thanks, Jim AD1C) From Timo OH1NOA, "The Contest Club Finland (CCF) gladly once again calls all the contesters and DX-ers around the world to come and join the great company and atmosphere in the CCF's 9th Annual Contest / DX meeting, to be held on 16-18th January, 2004." This get together is legendary, with attendees from all over and more than 100 of your favorite OH contesters. If you're interested in attending, send email to Pasi Luoma-aho OH2IW at oh2iw@oh2u.com or give him a call at 358-400-436543. For more information, check out the CCF Web site - http://www.qsl.net/ccf. Tim EI8IC's "Contesting on a Budget" articles are well known in various magazines, but if you don't have the subscriptions, there's hope. He has created a number of forums at http://www.qsl.net/ei8ic/forums aimed at the operators without the big towers and the latest rigs. Look under the general title 'Homebrew Hams' to find sections on Contesting, Antennas, Towers, and other areas of discussion. N3FJP announces the release of Amateur Contact Log 2.5 which includes an interface to Logbook of the World with the ability to upload, download and perform management operations directly from the program. EQSL uploading, HamCall and QRZ Internet lookup services (with the appropriate subscriptions) are also included. Scott also notes a band duration clock problem with SS Contest Log 3.7 that has been repaired in version 3.8. Visit http://www.n3fjp.com/ for complete information on both of these programs. The bands are pretty crowded lately, right? What would happen if we lost spectrum? It is a good idea for U.S. hams to encourage their representatives and senators to sign on to the Spectrum Protection Act (SPA), HR 713 and S 537. Sample letters are on the ARRL Web site along with complete information about how to contact your members of Congress and the complete text of the SPA at http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html. If you don't hear LT1F on the air in the CQ WW CW contest, the reason why is that extreme weather (tornados and high winds) completely destroyed the towers and antennas on November 11th! Although it didn't get much coverage in the northern hemisphere, this was a muy grande problem in Argentina. Additional information in Spanish is available at http://www.lanacion.com.ar/03/11/13/dg_544819.asp. (Thanks, Rus K2UA and Señor Trey N5KO) RESULTS AND RECORDS Don't forget to post your Sweepstakes stories to the ARRL Online Soapbox at http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/. This also helps the write-up authors to get a feel for what happened during the contest and find pictures. Also don't forget to check your electronic entry via the automated Logs Received page at http://www.arrl.org/contests/claimed/. (Thanks, Dan N1ND) Don G3XTT, IOTA Contest Manager, announces that the 2003 IOTA Contest results have been posted on the RSGB HF Contests Committee Web site at http://www.rsgbhfcc.org/, thanks to Justin G4TSH. Some photos and Soapbox will also appear soon on the same site. The full write-up is scheduled for February RadCom (RSGB magazine). Look for Don from 5U5Z in the CQ WW CW contest with the Voo-Dudes group. TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE If you missed out on last year's Frequency Measuring Test, another chance is coming up tonight on November 20th at 0245Z (that's the evening of the day on which this issue is dated). Complete information is available at http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt. The transmissions will occur on approximate frequencies of 3584 kHz, 7049 kHz, 14,051 kHz and 21,054 kHz and consists of three 60-second key down transmissions, followed by a series of dits, followed by a station identification. Find out how accurate that fancy radio is! Having trouble dealing with IRC's at the Post Office? Tell the Postal Clerk to look in their manual under section 372.1 that explains in detail how to handle IRC's. (Thanks, Ted K1BV) Jim Smith VE7FO contributes a link to Radio Mobile, a freeware mapping and coverage program from Roger Coudé VE2DBE. This nifty program links to world-wide elevation data for interesting views of the world. As Jim says, "Be prepared to lose many hours happily playing with this." Radio Mobile is available at http://www.cplus.org/rmw/english1.html. Stainless steel hardware can be hard to find on occasion, but the folks at Bo'sun Supplies (http://bosunsupplies.com/) have an extensive product inventory including such treasures as pelican hooks, boom bails, pintles, gudgeons, and the ever-popular transcom scupper. Sorry, no anza brushes or naiad pulse converters. (Thanks, Stokely W3SB) Everything seems to be geared to the Windows-based PC, but Macintosh owners, take heart! The Ham-Mac mailing list is full of kindred souls - http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ham-mac. Macintosh ham radio software can be found at http://dogparksoftware.com/ and http://www.blackcatsystems.com/. A Web site to bookmark is http://www.machamradio.com/ - "Devoted entirely to amateur radio operators using Macintosh computers." (Thanks, John K8AJS and Scott N9AI) Ed, N7NVP sends along a good Web page about how to operate legally on 60 meters - http://www.doug-smith.net/sixty.htm. While 60-meters is not a contest band, it is an interesting new addition to our frequencies and will be useful in both emergency communications and propagation experiments. By operating legally, we hasten the day when hams might obtain a more traditional, non-channelized allocation. CONVERSATION The Grande Finn-ale This issue brings a Tip of the Rate Sheet cap to Martti Laine OH2BH who is closing out the EA8BH contest station, home to many winning scores and records. Although Martti claims to have retired to the comfortable easy-chair of single-band contesting, his friends will believe it when they see it. In tribute to Martti's many accomplishments, and in the spirit of the late, great Jim Maxwell W6CF, I offer this marginal limerickal saga extolling N5TJ's big CQ WW record set from EA8BH. Kiitos, Martti. There once was a Phinn phrom Pyongyang Who was into that contesting thang. But he moped in the sauna Cause his phone persona Was a soft Scandinavian twang. The lack of an SSB win. Really did bother the Phinn. The records by Ville Were driving him silly And caused him to drink too much vin. The Phinn bolted fresh from the gate, Assembling a team quite first-rate. Competition would whiff But only just if Propagation would bless EA8. He knew that to stay in the lead, Nothing must high rate impede. So the guest op was Texan Whose on-air inflection Could roundup a pileup stampede. At the mike Steinman gave chase Like a 48-hour Grand Prix race. The computer they lent him Its overworked Pentium Could barely keep up with the pace. When finally all said and done The record was not only won But set with a flair By a score that's so rare Who could match it? Probably none. Yet as all of us lids will attest A competitor never can rest. The Phinn's only question At the post-test ingestion Was where can I win it from next? 73, Ward N0AX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Contester's Rate Sheet wishes to acknowledge information from the following sources: WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page - http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/ ARRL Contest page - http://www.arrl.org/contests/ SM3CER's Web site - http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/
