Why contest?

Robert Neece al511 at freenet.hsc.colorado.edu
Mon Feb 28 19:22:03 EST 1994



Kirk, WR3O, posted on the reflector an article he 
wrote for his DX club newsletter.  The theme of
the article was that infection by the DX bug can
lead to infection by the contest bug.

In case some of you missed it, Kirk's theme is
developed also in the Feb. '94 DX column in QST.

Many hams, new and old, seem to have a pretty
strong immunity to these bugs.  In spite of this,
it might be worthwhile to distribute either or 
both of these articles to potential new blood, 
through one's local radio club or otherwise.

73 de Bob, K0KR

>From Sig <0006481603 at mcimail.com>  Tue Mar  1 00:35:00 1994
From: Sig <0006481603 at mcimail.com> (Sig)
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 19:35 EST
Subject: Review
Message-ID: <10940301003501/0006481603PK1EM at mcimail.com>

REVIEW
>From DKMC" <dkmc at chevron.com  Tue Mar  1 14:26:07 1994
From: DKMC" <dkmc at chevron.com (DKMC)
Date: 01 Mar 94 06:26:07 PST
Subject: Post-Contest Reports
Message-ID: <CPLAN065.DKMC.0612.1994 03010625 0625>


 Microsoft Mail v3.0 IPM.Microsoft Mail.Note
 From: McCarty, DK 'David'
 To:  OPEN ADDRESSING SERVI-OPENADDR
 Subject:  Post-Contest Reports
 Date: 1994-03-02 08:14
 Priority:
 Message ID: 0632B00C
 Conversation ID: 0632B00C

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Jim, AD1C, writes (and others similarly):

 >how about a volunteer in the midwest (W9 or W0) and
 >West coast?

 Have we all forgotten that KA9FOX and WB5VZL volunteered
 their services as a team for reporting after the ocntests?  I
 recall they purposed to do nationwide collection, but they
 certainly should be capable of handling the midwest.  They
 have already done an excellent job with several contests
 since volunteering.

 As for the west, is there anyone who is 'perennially' active
 enough to be there every time?  Someone with the persistent
 presence of N2IC, for example?

 73,
 Dave

 David K. McCarty, K5GN
 dkmc at chevron.com



>From Jim Reisert AD1C  01-Mar-1994 0936 <reisert at wrksys.enet.dec.com>  Tue Mar  1 14:32:18 1994
From: Jim Reisert AD1C  01-Mar-1994 0936 <reisert at wrksys.enet.dec.com> (Jim Reisert AD1C 01-Mar-1994 0936)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 94 09:32:18 EST
Subject: n6tr405.zip - Hams: N6TR contest logging program v4.05
Message-ID: <9403011432.AA00274 at us1rmc.bb.dec.com>

------------------Forwarded item dated 1-MAR-1994 01:40:31.76------------------

From:	STTNG::"w8sdz at SimTel.Coast.NET" "1-Mar-1994 0037"
To:	MSDOS-Ann at SimTel.Coast.NET (MS-DOS upload announce)
CC:	tree at cmicro.com, reisert at mlo.dec.com
Subj:	n6tr405.zip - Hams: N6TR contest logging program v4.05

I have uploaded to the SimTel Software Repository (available by anonymous
ftp from the primary mirror site OAK.Oakland.Edu and its mirrors):

pub/msdos/hamradio/
n6tr405.zip     Hams: N6TR contest logging program v4.05

N6TR Logging Program: A interactive program for logging most contests.
A 67 page manual is included to show how to use it.  Also included is
POST, a post contest utility program.  You will also find documentation
in ASCII and Word for Windows format.

This software is public domain.  Feel free to widely distribute.  This
version of the software is only one rev old and was used by half of the
top six stations in the 1993 CQ WW CW contest.

See the doc file for information on how to become a registered user and
receive the current version.

The author's e-mail address is:  tree at cmicro.com (Larry Tyree - N6TR)

- -
Jim Reisert AD1C
reisert at mlo.dec.com

>From James Brooks <0005851359 at mcimail.com>  Tue Mar  1 14:56:00 1994
From: James Brooks <0005851359 at mcimail.com> (James Brooks)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 94 09:56 EST
Subject: Dayton
Message-ID: <03940301145630/0005851359NA2EM at mcimail.com>

Thanks to all those (you know who you are) who answered my
request for a room at Dayton.  Much obliged and I now
have secured myself a spot.  I really appreciate all the
answers that came in and look forward to seeing everyone
there.  

I'll be the totally jet-lagged looking guy.

73

James  9V1YC

9V1YC at mcimail.com

>From Skelton, Tom" <TSkelton at engineer.clemsonsc.NCR.COM  Tue Mar  1 21:05:00 1994
From: Skelton, Tom" <TSkelton at engineer.clemsonsc.NCR.COM (Skelton, Tom)
Date: Tue, 01 Mar 94 13:05:00 PST
Subject: FW: Dayton
Message-ID: <2D73B53D at admin.ClemsonSC.NCR.COM>


Somebody buy James a beer at Dayton and send the bill to me! He was my
first 9V1 on 40....hopefully see ya'll next year. 73, Tom WB4iUX
ps:  Major hopeful is that he'll be my first 9V1 on 80!
 ----------

I'll be the totally jet-lagged looking guy.

73

James  9V1YC

9V1YC at mcimail.com

>From modular!eric at cs.arizona.edu (Eric Gustafson)  Tue Mar  1 18:34:05 1994
From: modular!eric at cs.arizona.edu (Eric Gustafson) (Eric Gustafson)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 94 11:34:05 MST
Subject: Hydrophobic Paint
Message-ID: <9403011834.AA03747 at modular>

I have had a lot of response to this posting so I guess it is appropriate
to post the info to the net.  Here is a copy (slightly edited) of the reply
I sent to K9ZO.


			    -------------------


K9ZO wrote: Do you think we should believe a guy from the desert?

Well, you might if you knew what my area of expertise is.  Actually the job
I'm in now AND my previous job both exposed me to this hydrophobic paint
for antennas.  My previous job was working for the Army at the Test and
Evaluation Command's Electronic Proving Grounds (EPG) at Ft Huachuca AZ
testing antennas at the antenna test facility.  Some of the tests we did
were to evaluate the effects of this paint on antenna performance.  The
paint was used only in harsh climates like along the DEW line, Alaska in
general, Greenland, Antarctica, etc.  But, in east central USA, sometimes
the harsh climate comes to you!

The job I'm in now requires my company to provide reliable RF data
communications at open pit mines.  Several of these mines are above 55
degrees north.  Prior to putting some of this paint on the antenna, I have
seen a 450 MHz 4 bay dipole array encrusted with more than 10 inches of
radial ice (in Labrador, they call it hoar ice).  All the paint has to do
is repel water until the temperature of the antenna gets well below the
freezing point of water (even with sunlight on it).  Once that happens, ice
doesn't form on the antenna anyhow.  BTW, the company that makes the paint
is (was):

M-Chem Corp.
9 Bishop Road
Ayer, MA 01432

Sales and Tech service are (were) provided by:

Clifford W. Estes Co., Inc.
Box G Lyndhurst, New Jersey  07071
(201)-935-2550

The product is called VELLOX 140 Hydrophobic coating.  It is not cheap.  It
is a 2 part process -  primer then top coat.  The primer costs $84.00 per
gallon (smallest quantity they sell).  The top coat costs $66.00 per gallon
(prices as of 6 years ago).  A gallon will coat many HF Yagis or one HF
Yagi many times.  It can be applied by brush, roller, or spray.  The paint
has its optimum water repellency when the substrate is aluminum.  If this
stuff is still available, it may be just what is needed to improve antenna
survivability for those hams who don't have the good fortune to live in a
place which has a reasonable climate ;-).  K9ZO is right.  We don't need
this stuff in Tucson...

73,  Eric

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Gustafson  N7CL               | The mountains are high and the Emperor
6730 S. Old Spanish Trail          | is far away.
Tucson, AZ 85747                   |
INTERNET: modular!eric at arizona.edu | You can't work 'em if you can't hear 'em.
     CI$: 71750,2133		   |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------



>From lvn at fox.gsfc.nasa.gov (Larry Novak)  Tue Mar  1 20:24:14 1994
From: lvn at fox.gsfc.nasa.gov (Larry Novak) (Larry Novak)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 94 15:24:14 EST
Subject: HELP: sending email logs to ARRL
Message-ID: <9403012024.AA05199 at fox.gsfc.nasa.gov>


I want to send my ARRL DX log to ARRL via email. I know the email
address and have my log in the ARRL disk format, but can anyone 
tell me what other info is needed with the log and how to send it?
If you send a disk, they want nothing but the log in the disk file
and they want other info on the disk label. Where do you put that 
other info when sending via email?

  Please reply to: lnovak at cen.com

If anyone else needs to know, email me and I'll forward any info
I get.

Thanks,
Larry, K3TLX



>From Mark Curran <curran at corona.med.utah.edu>  Tue Mar  1 21:18:28 1994
From: Mark Curran <curran at corona.med.utah.edu> (Mark Curran)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 14:18:28 -0700 (MST)
Subject: K6XO/7 160 SSB Score
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9403011353.A20880-0100000 at corona>



Call Used: K6XO/7    State: Utah   
Operator:  KA1ODA    Class: Single Op

Station:  Ft-1000, KW, Inverted-L and 80M loop

Area	Q's	Pts	Mults

USA	418	836	43
VE	 27	135	 5
DX	  5	 50	 5

Totals	450     1021    53   

Claimed Score of 54,113	 


Highlights:  Called by VK4 and KH6 first night with good signals.
Called by P40J second night, but couldn't confirm QSO before he
was sucked up by noise.  AL7MX, KH6CC workable both nights.  
Very weak Nicaragua station heard second night (not worked).  Glad to
work XE1J for Mexico also.  Missed Neb, MD, wVA, RI and ME. Also
VE1, VE2, VE8.  Pleased to have a 79 hour and a 64 hour first night.
First time using LOG, which is very nice.  Thanks to all who worked me, 
apologies to those I couldn't hear.  As always, many thanks to Alan
for the opportunity to operate from K6XO/7.  

Best 73,

Mark Curran
KA1ODA/7




>From Joe Staples <71045.2632 at CompuServe.COM>  Tue Mar  1 23:01:32 1994
From: Joe Staples <71045.2632 at CompuServe.COM> (Joe Staples)
Date: 01 Mar 94 18:01:32 EST
Subject: AD5Q Propagation Article
Message-ID: <940301230131_71045.2632_CHJ50-1 at CompuServe.COM>

Propagation
de Roy, AD5Q               
 
(The following article is taken from the Northwest ARS Newsletter for March
1994..ed)

The lowband season is nearing its end, and it has been a very good one. With
higher bands closed for nightpath work, activity has moved to the lower
frequencies and provided a rich variety of workable DX amidst the QRN. The
recent operation from Peter I had excellent lowband signals on most nights, and
was worked by many.
 
Higher bands are starting to open up at night. 30 Meters is
opening nicely over polar paths in the evening, and 20 doesn't shut down
completely until after midnight. Still, nighttime MUFs are not high enough to
open the evening pipeline into Europe and Russia. This will come later in the
spring.
 
In the morning, the best path into Europe is on 15, making 20 a difficult band
to play in contests. In the ARRL CW, we had several good openings limited to the
northernmost parts of Europe and Russia. Openings to the remainder of the
continent were marginal, so only the louder stations were workable. Japan was
also marginal. Portions of the US closer to Europe had it better. For several
hours after 15 closed  to Europe, persistent begging by East coast Big Guns paid
off with a 20 Meter contact for every 10 - 20 CQs. My own 20M single-band effort
wasn't as successful. Those that had a choice filled their logs on 15 by day and
40 by night. Seasonally, all this will change in the coming months. Evening
pipelines to Europe and Russia will return, so the WPX CW (late May) should be
its usual rate-fest.
 
Good DX propagation on 40 will continue through the spring, with activity moving
to 20 as nightpath conditions improve. The 80 Meter season is on its way out,
but spring brings  better opportunities to work parts of the world where it is
summer in January. The same can be said for 160, but I do not have sufficient
station capability or experience to speak for Top Band operators.
 
Springtime conditions should also improve propagation on 17, 15 and 12. 15
remains mostly a daypath band, but the region of daylight in the northern
hemisphere is expanding. This provides us with broader openings (longer openings
and wider coverage) over all northerly paths. A few Europeans are still coming
through on 10, since solar fluxes above 100 are still fairly common. March is
the final month of the 10 Meter season, even at the top of the cycle. Summer
absorption starts to effect 10 right after the equinox, and works its way down


>From Thomas J. Wall" <0006130613 at mcimail.com  Wed Mar  2 02:45:00 1994
From: Thomas J. Wall" <0006130613 at mcimail.com (Thomas J. Wall)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 94 21:45 EST
Subject: PJ9B in ARRL SSB
Message-ID: <11940302024511/0006130613NA2EM at mcimail.com>

Once again K2NG and K2TW will be M/S from Bonaire in the ARRL SSB test. Our
call this year will be PJ9B....NOT PJ0B as in years past. Seems PJ0 is no
longer valid for Bonaire, accd'g to Landsradio (licensing authority).

QSL via WA2NHA...hope to see you on 6 bands! 73 de Tom K2TW

>From Gary Sutcliffe <gary.sutcliffe at mixcom.mixcom.com>  Wed Mar  2 13:15:46 1994
From: Gary Sutcliffe <gary.sutcliffe at mixcom.mixcom.com> (Gary Sutcliffe)
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 94 7:15:46 CST
Subject: NCJ column
Message-ID: <199403021315.NAA16847 at mixcom.mixcom.com>


Hi Gang!
 
In case you have not gotten your NCJ yet, this is the topic selected for
the Contest Tips, Tricks & Techniques collumn in the next issue.  As usual
I would appreciate  your input.  Please email directly to me.  Thanks &
73's. - Gary, W9XT
 
 
 
        Topic for May-June  (Deadline March 12)
        
        What have your experiences been with computer
        related RFI?   What computer equipment and
        accessories have you found to be the worst
        offenders, and which were the best?  What techniques
        have you used to correct interference to the radio
        from the computer, and problems to the computer from
        the transmitter?
 
 
P.S. CU in the Wisconsin QSO Party March 13 1800Z to 0100Z on March 14!
-- 
 Gary Sutcliffe  - W9XT             Unified Microsystems (414) 644-9036
 ppvvpp at MIXCOM.COM                  PO Box 133, Slinger WI 53086




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