ARRL DX
ames at force.DECNET.LOCKHEED.COM
ames at force.DECNET.LOCKHEED.COM
Tue Mar 8 12:30:05 EST 1994
Another little pistol entry, yet SOA since I wanted to see if there
was any advantage to listening to the DX spotting - not really other than
reminding me to check that 10m had opened. Initially gave my two teenager
a chance to operate but they could hear and comprehend what was going on,
so my M/S effort is postponed for a time.
They want to work some state QSO parties over the next few weeks. Any tips
computer logging these??? I have CT, NA, N6TR, Superduper (Demo), and a
couple of the programs used for Cal QSO. Not really into the QSO party
thing, so any suggestions welcome.
ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTEST 1994
Call: N2ALE Country: United States (073)
Mode: SSB Category: Single Operator Assisted
Power: 100 watts ARRL Section: Santa Clara Valley
BAND QSO QSO PTS PTS/Q COUNTRIES
160 0 0 0.0 0
80 0 0 0.0 0
40 0 0 0.0 0
20 18 54 3.0 6
15 26 78 3.0 12
10 12 36 3.0 7
--------------------------------------
Totals 56 168 3.0 25 = 4,200
All reports sent were 59(9), unless otherwise noted.
Equipment Description: TS830S, Heil Pro-Headset, AP8A Vertical,
CT version 8.44, and two 20m wire antennas.
73, alan N2ALE/6
ames at force.decnet.lockheed.com
>From gswanson at arrl.org (Glenn Swanson) Mon Mar 7 14:24:47 1994
From: gswanson at arrl.org (Glenn Swanson) (Glenn Swanson)
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 94 10:24:47 edt
Subject: ARRL DX PHONE
Message-ID: <1729 at gs>
KB1GW - SINGLE BAND (20), UNASSISTED, LOW POWER:
BAND QSOs Mults
20 181 67
Time Operated = 30 hours
SCORE 36,381
Equipment: Yaesu FT-757 (100 watts)
Antennas: Single element 20 meter delta loop (NE/SW)
20 meter dipole (NW/SE)
Club: NONE
Highlight: WorkingJT1BV who was under (same freq.) a much louder CT5P.
Lowpoint: The normal frustrations of 100 watts and "No-Gain" brand antennas.
>From Bruce B. Sawyer" <zf8bs at twg.com Wed Mar 9 00:09:30 1994
From: Bruce B. Sawyer" <zf8bs at twg.com (Bruce B. Sawyer)
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 94 16:09:30 PST
Subject: TS-850 vs FT-990
Message-ID: <9403090009.AA21382 at eco.twg.com>
So far this year I have lugged my big heavy Icom 761 to the top of a
mountain for CQP and through multiple airline connections to get it to and
from Little Cayman for ARRL-DX. But enough is enough--especially given the $
80 in excess baggage charges I had to pay on this last trip. So I have
decided the 761 will be replaced by a lighter, more compact rig that can
qualify as carry-on baggage. I have narrowed it down to two choices, the FT-
990 and the TS-850. I would be very interested in any voices of experience
out there which would lead me to the best choice for a portable contesting
rig. The trade-offs I see right now are:
TS-850: + external monitor level control
+ smaller, lighter than 990, but
- tuning dial not easy to read
- no receive antenna connection
- no RIT clear button
- triple conversion receiver (does this REALLY make a difference?)
FT-990: - no external monitor level control
- bigger and heavier, but...
+ WR6R, who has both, claims the bigger knobs are a BIG plus after
you begin to get really tired along about hour 36
+ FT-990 users seem to be truly enamoured of the digital filter
+ quad conversion receiver
Price seems to be about a wash once you compare equals with equals (i.e.,
compare the 12v version of the 990 with the 850.)
Suggestions greatly appreciated. If I get profound comments, I'll summarize
here.
Bruce Sawyer, AA6KX
zf8bs at twg.com
>From rklein at lobo.rmh.pr1.k12.co.us (Ronald D. Klein) Wed Mar 9 04:39:31 1994
From: rklein at lobo.rmh.pr1.k12.co.us (Ronald D. Klein) (Ronald D. Klein)
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 94 21:39:31 MST
Subject: W0OSK-ARRL SSB results
Message-ID: <9403090439.AA34078 at lobo.rmh.pr1.k12.co.us>
Here's the results from W0OSK for an 11.5 hour laid back(very)
effort. I won't whine about why it was so short, but enjoyed
the relatively good conditions on 15 and 20. I didn't try to
hit 75 and 40 during the peak hours, so they weren't very
productive. 10 was generally in awful shape here in the black
hole of Colorado.
The same old gear was used:
TS830+remote vfo + SB221
Mosley PRO-67B at 50 feet for 40 through 10
2element Hytower vertical array on 75 (sometimes on 40)
More operating hours are planned for the next one!
Ron - W0OSK
ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTEST 1994
Colorado
(11.5 Hrs on air)
Call: W0OSK Country: United States
Mode: SSB Category: Single Unlimited
(SO Assisted)
BAND QSO QSO PTS PTS/Q COUNTRIES
160 0 0 0.0 0
80 15 45 3.0 9
40 22 66 3.0 13
20 94 282 3.0 51
15 199 597 3.0 60
10 59 177 3.0 25
--------------------------------------
Totals 389 1167 3.0 158 = 184,386
>From David R. Siddall" <0006358668 at mcimail.com Wed Mar 9 05:16:00 1994
From: David R. Siddall" <0006358668 at mcimail.com (David R. Siddall)
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 94 00:16 EST
Subject: ARRL DX PH SCORE
Message-ID: <91940309051619/0006358668PK4EM at mcimail.com>
K3ZJ/8 (WV) : single band 15 : 996 QSOs 125 C's = 373,500
Equip: FT1000 > (ancient) Alpha 374 > 6 el mono @ 45' (M-2 15M6).
Comments:
- ant. the remaining bottom one of an original stacked pair, top
destroyed by ice/wind combo last year.
- about 18" snow fell Wednesday, road plowed Fri. PM let me
get to QTH in 4-wheel drive; then had to dig out to get INTO driveway.
Finished setup 10 mins. B4 contest began, inside temp. toasty 45 degrees
(up from 25) with wood stove & electric baseboard "trying." By Saturday
morning up to 70 degrees AND had hot water. (This is a "summer" cum contest
QTH.)
- QSO totals: Saturday, to 0200Z : 787
All day Sunday : 209 (band terrible)
- Best "confidence-building" comment: Sunday morning ZS5NK told me
mine one of 3 signals being heard. Then added, as Paul Harvey would say,
the "rest of the story": the other two, N2RM & W3LPL, both were about S9+10.
My signal was an S7....
- Most surprising exchange: an HA who insisted that I was in the
District of Columbia because his computer program told him so. What program
does this, I wonder? (In 1992 I did operate single band 20 in the ARRL SSB
DX from D.C.)
- Upon return, looked up the ARRL SSB 15 meter records in K1DG's "CQ
Almanac," and was surprised to find that by a narrow margin I had just
broken the record for 8-land despite Sunday's boredom.
- Is the "black hole" actually a geographic area, or is it really a
propagation description? If the latter, I definitely was there Sunday on 15.
73 K3ZJ (sometimes /8)
0006358668 at mci.com)
>From David R. Siddall" <0006358668 at mcimail.com Wed Mar 9 05:16:00 1994
From: David R. Siddall" <0006358668 at mcimail.com (David R. Siddall)
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 94 00:16 EST
Subject: ARRL DX PH SCORE
Message-ID: <53940309051635/0006358668PK4EM at mcimail.com>
K3ZJ/8 (WV) : single band 15 : 996 QSOs 125 C's = 373,500
Equip: FT1000 > (ancient) Alpha 374 > 6 el mono @ 45' (M-2 15M6).
Comments:
- ant. the remaining bottom one of an original stacked pair, top
destroyed by ice/wind combo last year.
- about 18" snow fell Wednesday, road plowed Fri. PM let me
get to QTH in 4-wheel drive; then had to dig out to get INTO driveway.
Finished setup 10 mins. B4 contest began, inside temp. toasty 45 degrees
(up from 25) with wood stove & electric baseboard "trying." By Saturday
morning up to 70 degrees AND had hot water. (This is a "summer" cum contest
QTH.)
- QSO totals: Saturday, to 0200Z : 787
All day Sunday : 209 (band terrible)
- Best "confidence-building" comment: Sunday morning ZS5NK told me
mine one of 3 signals being heard. Then added, as Paul Harvey would say,
the "rest of the story": the other two, N2RM & W3LPL, both were about S9+10.
My signal was an S7....
- Most surprising exchange: an HA who insisted that I was in the
District of Columbia because his computer program told him so. What program
does this, I wonder? (In 1992 I did operate single band 20 in the ARRL SSB
DX from D.C.)
- Upon return, looked up the ARRL SSB 15 meter records in K1DG's "CQ
Almanac," and was surprised to find that by a narrow margin I had just
broken the record for 8-land despite Sunday's boredom.
- Is the "black hole" actually a geographic area, or is it really a
propagation description? If the latter, I definitely was there Sunday on 15.
73 K3ZJ (sometimes /8)
0006358668 at mci.com)
>From David R. Siddall" <0006358668 at mcimail.com Wed Mar 9 05:42:00 1994
From: David R. Siddall" <0006358668 at mcimail.com (David R. Siddall)
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 94 00:42 EST
Subject: Ant Ice Replies
Message-ID: <83940309054238/0006358668PK2EM at mcimail.com>
In response to my query last week for ways to prevent ice buildup on
antennas, I received two substantive responses.
K1VR passes along advice he attributes to NR1R: coat ant w/modern plastic
(not wax-based) auto protective coating (found at any auto supply store).
N7CL notes the existence of a hydrophobic paint product formulated for
aluminum. His message was posted to the reflector. This I found very
interesting, and I tracked it down : it is still available, now called
Vellox, sold by Vellox Corp., 100 Park St., Ayer, MA 01432 ph. (508)
772-6302. Primer covers est. 350-400 sq.ft./gallon & currently costs $92.00
(discount for purchases of 25 or more gallons...). Top Coat covers est.
90-120 sq.ft./gallon & currently costs $77.00 (discount kicks in for 100 or
more gallons [!]).
My guess is that the K1VR/NR1R solution is cheap, will help, but likely will
wear off in a year or two (?); that brought forward by N7CL is more
expensive (company est. is $.80 - 1.01 average cost per sq. ft.) but a more
complete solution and longer term. Its pricey, but not out of reason when
you consider the price of not only what is to be protected, but also of
repairs, down-time, and for some of us, the effects of aging on our
(primal?) urge to climb and work on towers.
Thanks to both K1VR and N7CL. N7CL increased this contester's vocabulary
(hydrophobic) and in ten or so years if I'm still around, and this reflector
(or its successor) in operation, maybe I'll report whether this paint does
the job! Or should I wait 20 or 30 years for a definitive answer?
73, K3ZJ
0006358668 at mci.com
>From Scott A Stembaugh <n9ljx at ecn.purdue.edu> Wed Mar 9 06:46:13 1994
From: Scott A Stembaugh <n9ljx at ecn.purdue.edu> (Scott A Stembaugh)
Date: Wed, 09 Mar 94 01:46:13 -0500
Subject: X5BYZ
Message-ID: <9403090646.AA01466 at en.ecn.purdue.edu>
Since no one has asked this I must be they only one who doesn't know...where
is X5? It is the only prefix that arrl.cty barfed on.
Thanks,
--scott N9LJX
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