Helium Balloon Ants/Supports
rkaufman at magic.mb.ca
rkaufman at magic.mb.ca
Mon Jun 19 22:16:00 EDT 1995
I have managed to get a hold of a couple of large latex balloons used for
weather
experiments. (50 inchers) We were considering using one for raising an 80 or
160
vertical in FD this weekend. W1GV (love that suffix !), has a couple of
articles in
the latest antenna supplement.We'll be using 0.030 or .035 aluminum welding
wire with
20lb test monofilament as a tether. I'm not sure what best length would be for
optimum
signal into the US (5/8th was suggested in the article) I'd be interested in
hearing the contest community's experiences with helium supported antennas.
(Ordinarily I wouldn't consider it in VE4 land but the past 6 days it has been
over
32 degrees C here with NO rain in sight. Major heat wave. With FD, we are used
to
having major thundershowers right in the middle of prime FD op time. This year
may
be an exception so that's why we're thinking about balloons. With our luck,
it'll be
Ben Franklin time come saturday).
Any help/suggestions would be sincerely appreciated. Look for VE4BB 3A MB this
weekend.
Rob VE4GV
rkaufman at magic.mb.ca
P.S. The "VVV" controversy on 40 m cw was not Russian beacon as first thought.
It
was actually Derrick VE4VV sending his report and making sure his call was
logged
correctly. (" That's VV VV VV not GV "(hi))
>From Burnett Thompson <burnett at DGS.dgsys.com> Tue Jun 20 04:59:04 1995
From: Burnett Thompson <burnett at DGS.dgsys.com> (Burnett Thompson)
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 23:59:04 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: base cement
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.950619235720.13273D-100000 at DGS>
On Mon, 19 Jun 1995, Kris I. Mraz wrote:
> Pete, N4ZR, posted the results of his question re: tower base cement.
> I have a related question that came to mind. I've heard that the rebar
> in a tower base should not be connected to the tower because the base
> may explode if the tower is hit by lightning. However, Rohn sells a 5
> foot tower section that is meant to be buried in the base cement. Is
> the exploding base just a ham myth?
>
The HyGain self supporting tower base is comprised of steel plate tabs,
welded to the rebar.
Burnett Thompson
www.dgsys.com/~burnett/burnett.html
>From becker at shell.portal.com (Tony and Celia Becker) Tue Jun 20 03:56:39 1995
From: becker at shell.portal.com (Tony and Celia Becker) (Tony and Celia Becker)
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 22:56:39 -0400
Subject: Internet Field Day Challenge Rules (repost)
Message-ID: <199506200556.WAA19863 at nova.unix.portal.com>
>There was a post a few days ago about an Internet competition with
>prizes and everything but it must have disintegrated before it got to me...
Here ya go!
INTERNET FIELD DAY CHALLENGE
The Internet FD Challenge is a separate competition within the existing ARRL
Field Day event. This contest-within-a-contest has two objectives for the
experienced operator: providing a more challenging contest operating
experience combining FD rates with section multipliers, while attracting and
training new contest operators by over-the-air example and direct mentoring.
To encourage this mentoring and entice you all to enter, the competition is
limited to Multi-Single and Multi-Two categories with extra transmitters
allowed if they are operated by new operators in a manner similar to the
existing Novice station Field Day rule. Defining who is a new operator is
left to the honor system. Basically, if you're a consistent winner, you're
an expert operator. We decided not to adopt the rating system described in
the May/June 1995 issue of NCJ, but you may refer to it to help you decide
whether you are already an expert.
The IFDC scoring rules retain all of the standard FD scoring of QSO points,
including the CW X2 multiplier and the power level multipliers. Bonus
points are not included. Standard FD logging procedures are used to
determine the QSO points, which are then multiplied by the SS style section
multiplier to calculate the IFDC score.
To enter the Internet FD Challenge, here is what you have to know and do:
1. OPERATOR CLASSES: New Operators are defined as operators who have never
won a major contest award. Expert Operators are those of you who have been
listed, either singly or as part of a multioperator group, in QST, NCJ or CQ
in a Top-Ten box, or as a Divisional, Sectional or County Leader in SS, CQP
and other regional QSO Parties (Novice Roundup leaders are considered new
operators). Use your good judgement and remember, we all get to see your
choices. You know who you are.
2. ENTRY CATEGORIES: Competition is open to all Class A and Class B
groups including the 5W battery-powered option, with no limit to the number
of transmitters. (The A and B classes are defined in FD rules, pg. 133, May
QST). To enter in the Multi-Single category you must limit yourself to 24
expert operator hours, (27 if you setup after the contest starts). To enter
in Multi-Two you must limit yourself to 48 expert operator hours (54 if you
setup after the contest starts). For example, you and your regular MS buddy
can go out with the local 5A club, limit yourselves to 27 hours each, and
enter the IFDC as a Multi-Two. The Internet FD Challenge does not include a
Single-Operator category.
Once an expert operator has initiated operation at a transmitter, a minimum
of 15 minutes must be logged. Any outside assistance (packet spotting,
etc.) may be used, and the results of a Novice Station as defined in the FD
rules may be included in the scoring. Except for SS-type multiplier scoring
and limited entry categories, all other ARRL Field Day Rules apply. You
must have submitted your regular entry to ARRL.
3. MENTORING NEW OPERATORS: During the contest look for some serious
contesters doing serious rates in the usual places, show a little extra
patience and QRS when asked. Put in the effort to show the new guys and
gals how to log and maximize both QSOs and Multipliers and let them have the
operating time to do it. Keep track of your operating hours for each
expert operator. You can use the OpOn or Note features of CT, NA, TRLog, or
WriteLog to keep track of operating time, and learning how to use the
computer is part of training New Operators (See Appendix). It OK to use
paper logs and transcribe to electronic form later too.
The participation of one or more expert operators is encouraged but the
Internet FD Challenge is open to all operators with no limit on operating
time of new operators. Time used by expert operators coaching or assisting
new operators does not count toward the expert's time limit, so long as the
new operator is doing the operating.
4. SCORING: The Internet FD Challenge multiplier is the number of sections
worked; the sixty-nine ARRL sections are listed on Pg. 8 of any QST, and the
RAC sections are MAR, PQ, ONT, MB, SK, AB and BC plus NWT/Yukon. Each
station can be worked for scoring credit on as many band/modes as possible,
but multiplier credit is given for each section only once, regardless of band
and mode. (like SS). A Clean Sweep is 77 sections, for which there is a
separate award.
The Internet FD Challenge score is the number of FD QSO points multiplied by
the number of ARRL/RAC sections worked. FD QSO points are the same as
defined in the FD rules: 2X the number of CW contacts plus 1X the number of
SSB contacts made on any of the FD bands and modes, multiplied by the FD
power multipliers (X5 for 5W battery, X2 for 150W maximum, X1 otherwise).
QSOs and multipliers by a Novice Station as defined in the FD rules may be
included in the Internet FD Challenge score.
No Bonus points will be credited for the Internet FD Challenge.
5. REPORTING: Make up a summary sheet, showing the number of sections
worked and separate lists of new operators and expert operators, with expert
operating times identified. Don't forget to include number of transmitters
and their power levels, including any novice station. E-mail the summary
sheet with the above information to AE0M, at the e-mail address below by
midnight, PDT, Sunday, July 2, 1994 (the following weekend).
6. AWARDS: A modest plaque will be awarded to the top scorers in the M/S
and M/2 classes. Certificates will be sent to the top-scoring group in each
ARRL/RAC section. A suitable trinket will be sent to each group reporting a
clean sweep, subject to receiving $5 to cover costs by U.S. mail with a copy
of the summary sheet.
A summary will be posted on the contest reflector and a full report sent to
the NCJ editor ASAP.
Appendix A
Tracking operator time with Computer Logging Programs
TRLog doesn't track operator time automatically, but there is a feature that
allows you to add a note to the log where you can indicate when the operator
has changed. After the contest, you just manually tally up the times.
(Thanks Tree, N6TR)
WriteLog has no automatic facility to track operator time, but it can be
used as follows: Add a column to the log, as you may for any contest in
WriteLog, enter the operator start/stop times into these columns and add
them up after the contest manually. (Thanks Wayne, W5XD)
CT by K1EA will automatically track your expert operating time. Just
remember to do an OPON and enter the operator each time you change
operators. CT enters the operator and the time interval in the .OPR file,
and then helpfully displays the current operator in the summary window. At
the end of the contest just add up the times for the expert operators.
NA has a note function which may be used to track the operator. Do an
(Alt-N) and enter the operator each time you change operators. NA adds a
timestamp and and stores both in the .NOT file. At the end of the contest
just compute the times for the expert operators.
If your favorite is not listed here, you can probably figure something
similar out or you can even use paper and pencil.
The Internet FD Challenge rules are the result of numerous inputs from
contest club members and contest reflector subscribers, and were developed
in consultation with W6QHS and WN4KKN.
E-MAIL address: (for summary sheet)
becker at shell.portal.com
U.S. mail address: (enclose $5 for clean sweep trinket and allow 6 weeks)
Tony and Celia Becker
3273 B Rocky Water Lane
San Jose, CA 95148
AE0M, Tony Becker - becker at shell.portal.com - Silicon Valley, U.S.A.
>From jh4rhf at ppp.bekkoame.or.jp (Jun Tanaka) Tue Jun 20 16:49:49 1995
From: jh4rhf at ppp.bekkoame.or.jp (Jun Tanaka) (Jun Tanaka)
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 95 15:49:49 JST
Subject: request for asian contest
Message-ID: <Chameleon.950620155247.jh4rhf at Bekkoame.bekkoame.or.jp>
JARL News says All Asian (phone) will be on Sep.2 00z- Sep.3 24z.
Hope your good luck.
73
Jun
Junichi Tanaka Ph.D. JH4RHF
e-mail: jh4rhf at ppp.bekkoame.or.jp
P.O.Box 61 Toyonaka, Osaka 560 JAPAN
ph: +81-6-846-5927
fax: +81-6-846-0073
>From jh4rhf at ppp.bekkoame.or.jp (Jun Tanaka) Tue Jun 20 16:53:46 1995
From: jh4rhf at ppp.bekkoame.or.jp (Jun Tanaka) (Jun Tanaka)
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 95 15:53:46 JST
Subject: request for asian contest
Message-ID: <Chameleon.950620155501.jh4rhf at Bekkoame.bekkoame.or.jp>
JARL News says All Asian (phone) contest will be on 2Sep. 0z-3Sep. 24z
this year.
Hope your good luck
73
Jun
Junichi Tanaka Ph.D. JH4RHF
e-mail: jh4rhf at ppp.bekkoame.or.jp
P.O.Box 61 Toyonaka, Osaka 560 JAPAN
ph: +81-6-846-5927
fax: +81-6-846-0073
>From n7stu at wile.thetech.org (Robert Brown) Tue Jun 20 09:08:12 1995
From: n7stu at wile.thetech.org (Robert Brown) (Robert Brown)
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 95 01:08:12 PDT
Subject: N7STU ARRL VHF FINAL RESULTS
Message-ID: <D5iZ7c2w165w at wile.thetech.org>
ARRL VHF QSO PARTY 1995
Call: N7STU Grid: DM07bo
Category: Single Operator
BAND QSO QSO PTS GRIDS
50 115 115 58
144 44 44 16
432 3 6 2
1.2 0 0 0
-----------------------------------
Totals 162 165 76 = 12,540
Equipment Description:
IC551 + 120W brick + 4 el
HTX100 driving MMT144/28 + 160W brick + 10 el
MMT432/144 + 100W brick + 16 el circular polarization
MMT1296/144 2W + 55 el loop yagi
Location: Feliciana Mountain DM07bo @ 4100'ASL. Couldn't get to my
desired location @7200' since the snow level was still at 6000' (is this
really California???).
General comments/gripes:
Goal was to work new grids and give out DM07 to whoever wanted it. Blew
2m IF rig early on so no 1296 and only three 432 Q's. Worked more grids
on 6m tropo than on 2m total. Was only able to operate about 18 hours.
Had to start packing at 1830z (just as 6m was really starting to go
crazy) so I could get off the mountain and back in time to return the
generator by 5pm. Missed most of the Sunday 6m opening. Would run back
into the car and work a couple of new grids between taking down the 2 and
.7m antennas (missed the 2m opening in as a result). Finally had to turn
off the generator at 2135z so it could cool down enough to put in the car
and pack stuff around it. Biggest thrill, working WB7TDI (DN01) on 6 and
2 for a new grid on both bands (thanks for the slow speed CW, it really
helped!). It was great to hear activity from 144.175-144.245! but still
a BIG MESS on 50.125. SPECIAL THANKS to the 4 rovers who activated
multiple grids, even though it really hurt their score (but helped mine).
Mountain top contesting with a cold is hell! Lost my voice 2 days before
and the day after the contest.
Club Affiliation: NCCC
This is to certify that in this contest I have operated
my transmitter within the limitations of my license and have
observed fully the rules and regulations of the contest.
Signature _________________________________
MAILING ADDRESS:
Robert Brown N7STU
19539 Dover Dr.
Hilmar, CA 95324
Hope to activate CM79 for the July CQ contest and DM07 again for the ARRL
UHF and September VHF tests. All QSL requests should go to the address
above. CB address is incorrect.
73, Robert N7STU/YB2ARO
N7STU at N0ARY.#NOCAL.CA
N7STU at WILE.THETECH.ORG (INTERNET)
--
n7stu at wile.thetech.org (Robert Brown)
The Tech BBS +1 408 279 7199 San Jose, CA
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