Alan Braun MD, NS0B/V31EV wrote:
<snip>
>This year, the window size was shrunken from
>20 kHz to 5 kHz, but the concept has been with the contest as
>long as I've been doing it (1986 or so). To my knowledge it
>has never been enforced. Granted, it isn't easy to do, but if
>a sufficient number of documented complaints about a specific
>station are received and they all match up, then I think it
>behooves the contest committee to either enforce the rule or
>abolish it.
A year ago I felt much the same way you do until someone pointed out to me
that because of the "invisible" nature of radio it is "almost" impossible
to tell if that really is W2IMALID calling CQ for days in the WINDOW. If
the CAC were to disqualify everyone who called CQ in the window then some
unscrupulus contestrs would be dumping your and my call in there just to
get us disqualified.
>If the rules can't be enforced, why make them?
Because MOST people will adhere to them. Because once the rule becomes
reasonable
as it was this year then MOST people will abide by it. Because the rule was
policed (yea I hate that too) a bit, most who forgot or through accident (see
my
soap box comments) quickly moved elsewhere. If the majority of us REFUSE to
work
someone calling CQ in the window no matter how bad we need that multiplier
they will
quit and do something else. I know (especially in this contest) that if no one
has answered a CQ after 10 minutes of calling its time to do some S&P `8^). I
will be willing to bet that because the WINDOW mostly worked this year that it
will work even better next year because Most of those who FORGOT this year
will make sure they dont get on someones list or just suffering the personal
embarrasment of looking like a lid. I know My 30 sec transgression was
"technically" an accident but I'm still embarrased about it and I know that I
will be even more careful next time.
After all this is just a hobby, there are not large cash prizes for the
winners, no national television contracts to endorce Kenwood radios (although
I wonder about some of those guys in the ads for amplifiers sometimes). For
most of us it's "did I do better this year compared to what I did last year".
(wish I could say that this year `8^).
By the way tnxs for the contest QSO cu next year.
Dave
N0DH/7
Eastern Washington Section
<FLAME SUIT ON>
>From jreid@aloha.net (Jim Reid) Tue Dec 5 17:07:53 1995
From: jreid@aloha.net (Jim Reid) (Jim Reid)
Subject: KL7 in New Jersey
Message-ID: <199512051707.HAA20274@hookomo.aloha.net>
>From: tony wyn jones <tony@gwyepu.demon.co.uk>
>Reply-To: tony@gwyepu.demon.co.uk
>To: jreid@aloha.net
>Subject: Re: KL7 in New Jersey
>Hi Jim,
>
>In your message dated Friday 1, December 1995 you wrote :
>> >X-Sender: seay@alaska.net (Unverified)
>> >To: jreid@aloha.net (Jim Reid)
>> >From: Jan & Del Seay <seay@alaska.net>
>> The subject is dear to my heart! Lots of these guys get their "DX"
>> call, then pull up stakes. I wish the Commission would go back to
>> requiring call sign to reflect the call area.
>> One of the ones that really frosts us up here is in the Honor Roll
>> list. This guy came to Alaska several years ago, got a license, moved
>> to W2 land, and proceedes to work dx. And he even has the gall to
>> use the KL7 Bureau! So poor John has to send his mail to NJ.
>> It really delutes the calls for us, and sure it is the same with
>> KH6.
>> 73 and see ya' -Del, KL7HF-
I agree totally, it's extremely confusing to hams outside the usa, and once
they had such a super system there, they've just gone and spoilt it all. But
you can just imagine if the KL7 guy was in the arrl 160m test that's just been,
and located on the East Coast USA, he would have a V E R Y unfair advantage!
73 de T O N Y .. GW4VEQ
Tony Wyn Jones - Gwynedd Emergency Planning Unit
tel: 01248 750262 [Ext:290]
fax: 01248 750093
DXcluster: gw4veq > gb7adx
BBS Packet: gw4veq @ gb7osp
BT Gold: 10092:LLA3060
Internet: tony@gwyepu.demon.co.uk
>From Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW" <gswanson@arrl.org Tue Dec 5 17:22:00 1995
From: Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW" <gswanson@arrl.org (Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW)
Subject: Mac software list available on-line...
Message-ID: <30C47F95@arrl.org>
Greetings,
As correctly pointed out by Jim, WA6SDM, (jholly@cup.hp.com),
I should have noted *if* the Mac (Amateur Radio related) software
listing from the ARRL was available on line.
(Excuse: It *is* available via the Internet--and I overlooked this fact
in my haste to reply to the query regarding such information!)
That said, here's how you can (electronically) obtain this list of Mac
software:
Send an e-mail message to:
info@arrl.org
Do not put any text in the "subject" line of your message.
On the first line of your message, type:
SEND SOFTMAC.TXT
On the next line of your message, type:
QUIT
Send the message and the (40K) file will be e-mailed to you.
For those who prefer, the snail mail approach (outlined below)
will bring similar results.
Thanks for the "heads up," Jim!
73, Glenn Swanson, KB1GW
E-mail: gswanson@arrl.org
The American Radio Relay League
"Since 1914--Of By and For the Radio Amateur"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -
Hello Shawn,
The ARRL has compiled a list of Amateur Radio related software
(including some contest-related software) for Mac PCs.
Simply send an SASE to--
ARRL/EAD
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
Attn: Mac software list
--and we'll get the list out to you. We don't claim to list *every*
possible Mac software package out there--but it is a fairly extensive list.
Good luck and happy holidays!
73, Glenn Swanson, KB1GW
----------
>From: shawn.lightfoot
>To: cq-contest
>Subject: Mac contest software.
>
>Return-Path: <shawn.lightfoot@lun.lis.ab.ca>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>Hello fellow contestors.
>
>I have a Macintosh SE/30, and wondering where I can get some contesting
>software for it (as well as other amateur related software).
>
>Please reply directly to me at:
>shawn.lightfoot@lun.lis.ab.ca
>
>73 de Shawn
>VE6PV
>
>From Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW" <gswanson@arrl.org Tue Dec 5 18:04:00 1995
From: Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW" <gswanson@arrl.org (Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW)
Subject: KX4V -- ARRL 160 Score -- QRP
Message-ID: <30C48942@arrl.org>
Posted for an associate:
--KB1GW
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Call: KX4V
Category: SO/QRP/Unassisted
Section: CT
Hours: About 9
Equipment: Yaesu FT-ONE
Halfwave Zepp antenna
SCORE PTS SECS DX
21,120 528 38 2
eof
>From Albert Crespo <wr6r@ccnet.com> Tue Dec 5 18:32:28 1995
From: Albert Crespo <wr6r@ccnet.com> (Albert Crespo)
Subject: High Speed Cw
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.951205102250.3371A-100000@ccnet3>
Every body has is own style- send CQ at 40+ plus WPM is great on
a keyer, but unless you are from the rarest of QTH's, most people won't
bother to figure out what the call is.
The Art in contesting is keeping up the rate, not in sending CQ,on
Phone as well, so fast it is not understood. From KH6, with all of Europe
over the pole, flutter on weak signals is tremendous.
I always look up to Marty , OH2BH, who sends at the right speed and
keeps the rate.
73, Al
>From majewski@erim.org (Ron Majewski) Tue Dec 5 19:07:50 1995
From: majewski@erim.org (Ron Majewski) (Ron Majewski)
Subject: wb8ruq 160m contest report
Message-ID: <9512051907.AA14500@spsd630a.erim.org>
ARRL 1995 160m Contest
Call: wb8ruq
Class: single operator, QRP, unassisted
Section: mi
Hours: 9
215 QSOs
430 points
40 multipliers (no DX)
17,200 points
Equipment: TenTec Omni V
Inverted L (tx/rx), 45ft up and 105ft out, 4 radials
Comments: Lots of fun! I'm grateful that most everyone has good
rx antennas and ears to pull me out. A pre-contest
antenna rebuild/improvement allowed me to -hear- Europe
and the West coast, something I could not previously do.
Thanks to all for patience and the QSOs.
73, Ron (wb8ruq).
>From oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu (Derek Wills) Tue Dec 5 19:12:41 1995
From: oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu (Derek Wills) (Derek Wills)
Subject: High Speed Cw
I always look up to Marty , OH2BH, who sends at the right speed and
keeps the rate.
73, Al
I've asked Trey and friends at HC8N to slow down their rate and make
fewer QSOs - I had 60 QSL requests in yesterday's mail, and it won't
get any better for some weeks. These guys just never think about their
poor old QSL mangler and make far too many Qs, they should stop when
they have broken the record for their class. Well, some people out
there were certainly copying their call OK, my mailbox confirms that.
The bottom line is that if you can work people continuously, you
should keep doing it. These guys don't go on DXpeditions and contest
trips to do slow CW practise transmissions - that's what W1AW is for!
Derek AA5BT, G3NMX
oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu
>From Peter Hutter" <peter_hutter@maca.sarnoff.com Tue Dec 5 14:15:10 1995
From: Peter Hutter" <peter_hutter@maca.sarnoff.com (Peter Hutter)
Subject: None
Message-ID: <n1393949335.77300@maca.sarnoff.com>
HELP
>From Richard L. King" <0007131253@mcimail.com Tue Dec 5 19:27:00 1995
From: Richard L. King" <0007131253@mcimail.com (Richard L. King)
Subject: Last Tango in New York
Message-ID: <72951205192727/0007131253PJ4EM@MCIMAIL.COM>
The ARRL 160 Meter Contest has been my favorite contest for 25
years. Early during the week before the contest I didn't have any
antennas up for 160 or any other band. All the antennas and
towers here are laying on the ground awaiting the Allied Van
moving people to do their thing. But my urge to operate was great
even though I am still very busy organizing and taping up
antennas for shipment. I had turned down the opportunity to guest
operate from several remote locations because I just couldn't
afford the time away from the work remaining to be done at home.
But wait! Maybe I could throw up a dipole (I know, I know - That
would be painful) and operate in my spare time at night here.
That's kind of stupid since my goal was to take down all the
antennas instead of putting more up. But the inner motivation and
drive to anticipate was there. After digging through piles of
coax and wire, I discovered a dipole that looked like I might be
of 160 meter size.
But where did this dipole come from since I don't recall ever
having it installed here? And why does it have all the extra wire
pigtails and tape on both sides of the center insulator? Then I
remember. This was a dipole from the K2GL/N2AA multi/multi site
that I took down because it didn't work and replaced with one
that I had made up. Maybe I had better take the tape off the
center insulator to check it out? After all, it wasn't working
when I took it down.
After removing the tape and looking at it, I find the problem.
Apparently the dipole had been repaired or spliced before I was a
regular at Tuxedo (site of K2GL/N2AA). Instead of soldering the
wire on both sides of the center insulator, someone had just
twisted the wires together for a quick connection. Of course,
over time, the connections had corroded and thus the unusable
antenna that was at Tuxedo when I started doing 160 with the
multi-op crew there. Here was a classic example of "Tuxedo
Sleaze" (inside joke). Out comes my sandpaper and soldering iron
and the antenna soon has a good connection.
On Thursday before the contest, I dig out my slingshot, fishing
reel, and fishing weight. It doesn't take long to shoot a line
over some trees and get the dipole in the air at the only spot
where it will fit. The dipole is about 40 feet high at one end
and 30 feet high at the other. The SWR analyzer says the antenna
is resonant about 1806 KHz and this makes sense because 160 meter
activity used to be more in the low end of the band instead of
around 1830 KHz as it is now. I drop the dipole, take a foot off
each end, and it now looks good at 1830 KHz.
On Friday morning it snows again. I'm sure glad I put the antenna
up on Thursday. Since this is my last hurrah from New York, I
decide that a reasonable goal for me is to just finish in the top
ten and to have a presence on the band. So I tune up the TS940
and the modified Dentron DTR2000L (Peter Dahl PS components).
This combination gives me 1500W output. I should be loud on the
high angle. I check the beverages and find that only 2 are
working out of 6 because of my neglect. The East beverage hears
everything good in all directions, which means it is broken but
still has a reasonable length. The Southwest beverage is also
working, but not as well. I don't think I used it (SW) much the
whole weekend.
The contest starts and I am there. I want to start on 1835.5 KHz
but someone is there (K2TW, I think). So I squeeze in at 1835.2
KHz instead. I don't think K2TW was very happy with me (sorry
Tom) and after a while his thump, thump goes away. He is quickly
replaced with AA5BL at about 1835.4 KHz. Boy is he loud for a
five and I guess he will be my future competition from STX. His
call is constantly ringing in my head at a high pitch but it is
no big problem. My rate meter says well over a hundred/hour from
louder east coast stations calling me. Then at 2240Z my phone
rings and my daughter has to tell me a "cute" granddaughter story
that takes up about 15 minutes. As quickly as a "caring"
grandfather can, I tear myself away and back to the radio. My
frequency is still clear (except for AA5BL) and I crank the QSOs
back up. I know AA5BL is thinking "why did he come back?" as I
finish the first hour with 84 QSOs.
Soon W1WEF calls me and says, "Aren't you in the DX Window?". I
say "no, I'm on 1835.2". Jack says his radio reads differently
and finishes the QSO. I am thinking, "Huumm, maybe I am a little
close, so I move up to 1835.3 KHz. Now AA5BL and I are really
slugging it out. But we both seem to have great rates and neither
of us moves. Also neither of us calls the other for a QSO because
we both know that "he who calls first, loses". I stay there for
several hours with a good rate.
About 0800Z I call it a night and hit the sack with 578 QSOs and
84 mults. The "Tuxedo Sleaze" antenna apparently still has some
magic it in. I set my alarm for sunrise (1200Z) but sleep through
it until 1500Z. No big deal since I am not serious. The day is
spent disassembling a 4 element KLM 40 and taping it up. I don't
come in from the yard until dark, and I take the time to fix
myself a nice supper. It is after 2300Z before I get back to the
radio. Oh no, the Dentron amp has a problem. The power supply has
failed. So I drag the coax over to the other station, an IC765
with another Dentron DTR2000L amp (unmodified). This amp only has
800W output on CW, but since I don't feel that competitive the
3 db loss doesn't matter.
The first order of business is to find a run frequency. I check
my favorite spot on 1835.3 KHz and find that KQ2M is there and
going fast. I check the other side of the DX window and find
WB1GQR at 1830.2 and AA8U at 1829.9 KHz. Those guys are too loud
for me to battle with. I tune around some more and in a few
minutes find that KQ2M has gone and the frequency is now
completely clear. I jump on and start calling CQ. After 6 or 7
CQs without a response, I finally get a K2** to answer me. At
that same moment I realize that I am not on 1835.3 but instead
had mistakenly fired up on 1830.3 KHz (So shoot me!). I do the
right thing. I don't work the K2 even though I need him and I
start tuning for a new spot. I end up around 1829.0 and I stay
there for most of the night.
I had planned to go back to bed at 0800Z again, but I got carried
away and operated until sunrise before I went to bed. The only
interesting thing I remember about Saturday night was AA2FF
patiently explaining to me that he could not give me his state
because his call was really UA2FF. He finally got me corrected.
Overall I am very pleased with my dipole effort. I think I may
have made the top ten, but I'm no completely sure of that. My
numbers are:
1079 QSOs - 72 Sections - 35 Countries - 265,574 score
NA QSOs - 1001 (HH2, TI, XE)
SA QSOs - 1 (YV1OB)
EU QSOs - 102 (9A, CT, Dl, EA, EA6, EI, ES, F, G, GM, HA, HB9,
I, LA, LX, OE, OH, OK, OM, ON, OZ, PA, S5, SM,
SP, UA, UA2)
AS QSOs - 2 (4X4NJ & UA9QA)
AF QSOs - 1 (ZD8Z)
OC QSOs - 1 (AH6AZ)
I missed VE5, VE8, KP2, and ID of the W/VE sections
"Goodbye" New York and "hello" Texas. The moving van will be here
next week and I'm outta here. It's been fun.
73, Richard - K5NA
K5NA@MCIMAIL.COM
>From Pete Smith <n4zr@ix.netcom.com> Tue Dec 5 20:23:48 1995
From: Pete Smith <n4zr@ix.netcom.com> (Pete Smith)
Subject: Summary - Pileup Management
Message-ID: <199512052023.MAA00330@ix10.ix.netcom.com>
An outstanding response from the two reflectors. In rough chronological
order, I heard from AA5BT, K5FUV, KJ4VH, NW1J, N0DH, K6OZL, W9SZ, N3ADL,
N6ZS, KK6H, N8YEL, KP4TK, DF5JT, KB8FRW, KK6EK, N6ST, W4MPY, GU3MBS, N9DHN,
WA9BXB, VP2VL (CHOD), K3ZO, WN4KKN, and W5ASP. Apologies to anyone I
accidentally omitted.
A large group suggested various books --
Wayne, N7NG's book, "DXpeditioning Basics." is (or was) available for $5.00
in the U.S. from INDEXA, P.O. Box 607, Rock Hill, SC 29731. Wayne's e-mail
address is 0006509309@mcimail.com.
Also, there is a chapter in Martti Laine's book, "Where Do We Go Next?",
which he calls "The Actual Performance - A DXpedition Show in Action," which
is loaded with pearls.
KK6EK's "3Y0PI: Peter I Island 1994 DXpedition" contains an extended
discussion by K0IR and ON6TT of working pile-ups (from both ends). The book
is available from him.
Nonetheless, I have summarized the substantive inputs I received, because a
number of people wrote me to say that they didn't have ready access to
published sources, for one reason or another. Rather than send the entire
summary to the entire following of both reflectors, if you'd like it, please
send me an e-mail. I will also send it to KA9FOX and see if he wants it for
his web page.
73,
Pete N4ZR (n4zr@ix.netcom.com)
>From FQWA39A@prodigy.com ( ANTHONY DEBIASI) Tue Dec 5 20:29:27 1995
From: FQWA39A@prodigy.com ( ANTHONY DEBIASI) ( ANTHONY DEBIASI)
Subject: GAP - VOYAGER
Message-ID: <013.06130369.FQWA39A@prodigy.com>
-- [ From: Tony DeBiasi * EMC.Ver #2.10P ] --
Does anyone have first hand experience with the GAP-VOYAGER on 160 and
80? I have tried shunt feeding my 75' crank up with terrible results
compared to my inverted Vee. The Vee just doesn't cut it in most
contests which my results often reflect. If you have information
please reply direct to
FQWA39A@prodigy.com Thanks! Tony K2SG
|