John, W3GOI, Wrote:
>>
>
>I have noticed that the rules of non-ARRL contests that are printed in
>QST are sometimes less than complete and can be misleading. I made it
>a point to get the CQWPX rules (via FAX, thanks!) right before this
>last contest and am glad that I did. I don't want to start a
>conspiracy theory, but I would think that complete rules should be given
>in QST for ALL major contests, ARRL-sponsored or not.
I would agree here...if it's not an ARRL-sponsored contest, BE SURE to get
the rules from the proper source; don't count on QST.
I believe it was the 1991 WPX SSB Contest that QST actually published the
WRONG WEEKEND. We fell victim to the typo, and so did a lot of others.
Fortunately, they erred a week EARLY. We learned our lesson.
Sean
--
Sean Kutzko Amateur Radio: KF9PL
Urbana, IL DXCC:302 worked/296 cfmd
"Maybe you'll find your way someday
But while you're at it, you'll have some fun." -Little Feat
>From James White <0006492564@mcimail.com> Fri Jun 2 05:30:00 1995
From: James White <0006492564@mcimail.com> (James White)
Subject: de K1ZX. LONG!.(WC4E)-"the rest of the story"
Message-ID: <00950602043000/0006492564PK4EM@MCIMAIL.COM>
This is really a cool hobby, whay else could you say about having such a
frustrating (propagation wise) weekend and still being up about the results
of your operating! I spent the better part of 48 hours sweating like a beast
while pleading for Euros...and enjoyed it, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Our first multi-multi effort from W1CW/W1YL went much smoother than I had
ever dreamed it would...having a years worth of multi-singles under our
belts helped a real lot! The reason for going multi-single in the WPX was to
maximize operating time for all the operators - allowing everyone a chance
to hopefully do some runnin'...sometimes the time constraints of
multi-singles can lead to frustration....so, why not M-M?
The most important thing for running a multi-multi is to make sure all bands
have their own antenna so there wouldn't be brief openings missed "because
15 had the beam then".......So this Spring's antenna efforts were along the
lines of making sure all the exisiting antennas worked and, finally, getting
the Hemi 426 fully operational - it was the final monobander to be QRV. We
had been using a KT34A on a sidemount for the 15 antenna so far, now 15
would have its own beam (without a sidemount deadzone, too).
As followers of the 426 Hemi 15 meter four element three quarter wavelength
boom super antenna saga y'all know that the tower guys had been raised to
miss the beam's reflector and the beam was ready to go...we thought.
Unfortunately our TIC Ringrotor ain't working correctly, at one point in the
roatation the centering wheel/bearings do not keep the ring meshed with the
gear, there was a little over an 1/8" of slop which when the ring came to
that heading (EU, of course) allowed the ring to slide out to the side-away
from that little gear, leaving the motor whirring away, the indicator
thinking things are rotating - and the ring and antenna going absolutely
nowhere.
As a quick fix a larger diameter bearing was fabricated on the lathe - I
hoped that the larger diameter would mean that the ring would be forced to
stay engaged with the driver gear...and it did. The rotation still wasn't
right, but it WAS rotating through 75% of its range including EU / JA / USA
/ PACIFIC sucessfully so I decided to take what we had and "run with it"
(cute, eh?) the following contest weekend. The ring only bound up when it
was pointed at abouts TT8, something I doubted Paul (G4BKI) would run into
the following weekend, he could work around the problem, getting to South
headings by going through West, all major headings were accessable - so it
was "good enough" for the contest...right?
Friday afternoon before the contest we got all the stations up and running
and everything was going extremely well...I was going to run the tribander
as a second antenna on 20 and do that diversity thingy since it was
WPX...the monobander on the DX (EU) and the little triband antenna on the
states. When I went to turn the ring rotor on the Hemi the pointer followed
the cue of the preset as I turned it, like-now...BEFORE THE MOTOR EVEN CAME
ON!!!! Convinced it was just Jim being a little psycho , it was during that
Friday afternoon "we gotta it going guys-lets go guys" phase, I went on to
the next radio/band. Unfortunately when I had come back to the ringrotor it
still behaved WRONG.
The idea of rotating the Hemi for the contest was trashed, fortunately that
beast WAS pointed at EU. The tribander coax was rerouted from the porches 20
meter position to the 15 (and 80/160) meter station so 15 would use the
tribander for anything other than EU. Paul, 'BKI, reports that the Hemi
worked very well on what EU was to be had...early reflector reports indicate
that out our 15 meter points appear to lead the multi-multis! So, guess the
beam works - now to figure out what to do with that "bloody ringrotor!"
At this time I would like to ask AD5Q, and others, to refrain from referring
to those able to really run Europe it the mornings as being of the "East
Coast." I was on 20, like AD5Q, and experienced the same frustration he did
this past weekend. I consider myself an East coaster (still), but I am not a
Northeasterner, we're in Florida, but it ain't New England. Whenever I saw
W1CW all weekend long it was always the same response to his query..."its
goin alright, for conditions this time in the cycle - but I just can't get
it going in the morning". I listend to KG1D, KI1G, WW2Y, KF3P, K3ZO, K5ZD
the wizzer (anyone seen his numbers?) and other NE guys really going to town
with EU runs both days - seldom could I hear the stations they were working
- let alone generate such morning EU runs myself. There were o.k. EU runs on
20 in the afternoon, but none of those EU runs like I remember from my time
up NE. The signals in the AM when audible were an undecipherable moosh,
senseless. Only reliable path (sometimes) seemed to be a SW long path, and
then it wasn't for all the signals - just a few, guess those at the far end
who were LPing it themselves (?). The beam heading almost didn't matter, and
believe you me over the course of two days I tried them all! That 118 first
hour was a big enough thrill to keep me pumped for the weekend, though.
Jeff, WC4E, was senor 40 metros...and as many have enlightened the newbies;
40 is thE place to be in WPX CW. The 2L Cushcraft consistantly was producing
those big LF points all weekend long (except for the second hour when 15
closed and station 1 went to 80, 80 meter RF was crashed the CT network and
some quick rerouting of the 40 meter computer's cables was necessary)...Jeff
opened up with a 100 hour and refused to run anything other than DX. 'Dit
enjoyed a wierd JA opening the second night - it wouldn't quit,
unfortunately the totals weren't there but from the porch several times I
told myself it looked like Jeff had bagged his last JA...but no...five
minutes later another one or two....the entire opening seemed like at least
an hour, cool!
Frank, WB4BBH, was our 80 meter co-captain and sleep enabler...my hat is off
to our low band guys, while technically it ain't really Summer - believe you
me it sounds like it in the RX...Florida, great for antenna work, but awful
hard on the eardrums. Frank showed up with one of those Autek boxes we've
seen mentioned here on the reflector...instantly he was telling us
impedances and SWRs on antennas - with only one problem, a little QRM from
the local broadcast station led to us putting one of the ICE bandpass
filters in series with the Autek (read that tip here on the Contest
Reflector) and again an instantaneous answer - fortunately all the answers
were what I wanted to hear...even the impedances! Relief.
A first time visit from Jerry, K7UPJ, this weekend. Jerry helped us garner
any and everything on 10...again the early numbers make it look like we
captured the 10 meter multi-title. Jerry told us stories of CT9's (yes,
we're still running CT8) bandmapping and has led me to think it will be
required for this Fall's contest season. As the ten meter op, doing a lot of
S&P, he really sold me on our upgrading to the bandmapping software...and
radio interfacing, too...sounds really cool!
Speaking of cool...reflector readers may remember seeing an advertisement by
V73C mentioning he would be in Florida during the WPX CW and did any
multi-operator Florida efforts wanna give him some chair time? Well, I
recruited Ken. I read his message at 6:30:00 AM one day whilst on the way
out the door for work, sending him a response at about 6:31:00. Ken has
e-mailed me from the Pacific (he is "back West") and I am looking back at
this whole scenario and realizing just how cool (or bizarre) it was.
A ham from the other side of the world, truly, looks for a place to
operate...he drops by W1CW late Friday night, works 80 (sorry Ken) for
abouts 8 hours....then leaves before dawn. W1YL never even got a chance to
meet him. As hams, we are nonplused by ths. But this is so cool. I
mentioned to a few people at work that one of the guest operators at the
upcoming radio contest operation was from Kwajelin and none had the foggiest
idea what a Kwajelin was. Ken is a contest-brother, and other than that I
really know next to nothing about him.
I was begging on 20 while Ken was operating on 80...we gabbed a little over
the CT network, he was in the shack at stn #1, WC4E was at Stn 2 on 40, and
I was out on the porch (AKA Sauna). As fellow contesters we think little of
how unique this is. Unconditionally I accepted him as having way more in
common than different than myself - because he likes to ham radio contest
...I sought not to find out what was different about the man, but first
chose to accept him - I think many YU types need to do the same!
The FCC says we have ham radio "because it qualifies as a service and serves
to enhance international goodwill" - to that I say"
QRZ T E S T
Jim zx k1zx@mcimail.com
....ps: Thanks for the great hospitality W1CW & W1YL from all the operators!
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