QSLs Deter Contest Operation

RHILTO at acxiom.com RHILTO at acxiom.com
Fri Nov 10 08:44:13 EST 1995


Dick N6AA sez:
>>The recent posts on SS QSLing bring to mind several thoughts.

>>Seems the guys with interest in operating in contests don't have 
>>equal enthusiasm for answering QSLs afterward.


I'll second that!!!!  There are some CONTESTERS on this reflector who 
seem to dislike answering QSL requests... even when I include an SASE!

Bob   ki5ez

>From Kurt Pauer <0006743923 at mcimail.com>  Fri Nov 10 14:54:00 1995
From: Kurt Pauer <0006743923 at mcimail.com> (Kurt Pauer)
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 95 09:54 EST
Subject: "The Battle of the Hams" Sports Illustrated
Message-ID: <92951110145429/0006743923ND3EM at MCIMAIL.COM>

Jeff, K0OD and a few other gray-haired (or no haired) people may be
interested.  Bill Leonard, W2SKE, wrote the article in the June 30,
1958, issue of Sports Illustrated.  It was a great article.  For 
years, I remembered reading it and in 1980 or so I started searching
for it in public libraries on my layovers.  I found it at the Omaha
Public Library and made a copy of it which I still have.  I have
submitted it twice to two different editors of the NCJ, but I guess
my nostalgic interest was much greater than theirs.  If anyone has
an interest in it, I can make copies for you.  Or I might try 
resubmitting it to the current editor.  I have a feeling that it
is rarer than a Wrangell Island QSL (remember when that was a DXCC
country?)  73, Kurt, W1PH  (Check 55)


>From Allan Cameron, N7UJJ" <acameron at hayden.edu  Fri Nov 10 14:56:53 1995
From: Allan Cameron, N7UJJ" <acameron at hayden.edu (Allan Cameron, N7UJJ)
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 07:56:53 -0700
Subject: Mailing list or file server error
Message-ID: <199511101456.HAA03345 at netbox.hayden.edu>


CARL HAYDEN COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL declares itself a COLLEGE

In order to be eligible to compete in the second annual Collegiate contest
to be held during the ARRL sweepstakes, Allan Cameron, Ph.D., N7UJJ, OM, ET2
and other pompus sounding initials,  declares that our school does, in fact,
meet several definitions of a college, 

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 1973 (Sure its old, but it stll works)
 College:
   2: a building used for an educational or religious purpose;
   3b: a preparatory or high school;
   3e: an institution offering instruction usu. in  a professional,
vocational, or technical field.

Thus we declare ourselves a college:
    Carl Hayden Community High School & College

Now that we are a college, our students will be spending the weekend at
school to participate in the SS phone contest, at our club station, KC7KFF,
in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.  We may be an inner city public school, but
I'll bet we are the higest scoring college in the southwest!  I know we can
beat Arizona State University!

Our amateur radio club president, sixteen year old James McDonald, KC7EFP
(an extra class, yet), and a few others who have participated in contests
before (school roundup, field day) will be joined by new students in our
club.(potentisl new contesters).  We will have two stations set up (only one
on the air at a time) and a computer network with CT and extra kids as
"spotters".  Although no beer will be consumed, we expect to consume a large
number of pizzas, Mountain Dew, and have a ball.  We also will do our best
to outscore all the other colleges and universities.

BTW we have a web page: www.hayden.edu
You might be interested not only in our ham club (an ARRL Special Service
club), but our computer science department, and our electric race car
program that is displayed on the home page.

We will be listening for ya
 "CQ test CQ test Kilo Charlie Seven Kilo Fox Fox.."
     **************************************
     * Allan Cameron, N7UJJ               *
     * Carl Hayden Community High School  *
     * 3333 W. Roosevelt Ave              *
     * Phoenix, Arizona 85009             *
     * (602)271-2413 Fax(602)271-2469     *
     *  acameron at hayden.edu               *
     **************************************


>From David C. Patton" <mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu  Fri Nov 10 14:57:06 1995
From: David C. Patton" <mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (David C. Patton)
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 08:57:06 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Guest ops
Message-ID: <199511101457.IAA04269 at ecom1.ecn.bgu.edu>

Gary W5VSZ makes good points about guest ops in the SS, and his
personal opinion is that a guest op doesn't earn much of his respect
because the station owner is generally "wealthy" and the guest op has
"all the spare time in the world."

In my case as a most often hired gun:

	(1) I have operated as a guest at many stations, but for the
last ten years at K4VX almost exclusively.  K4VX is not a wealthy
man, but rather an ingenious man with enough resources to keep the
conglomeration of scrounged and donated parts and equipment running
from contest to contest.  He is wealthy in knowledge.  He is
mechanically adept--as his body ages (he is in the last half of the
60s) he relies on mechanics to work on towers and antennas.  He runs
on enthusiasm more than anything else--and more often now, the
enthusiasm wanes.

	(2) As a guest op, I imagine I am similar to others:  Free
time?? Come on.  Nobody has available free time anymore.  Now,
operating a contest means foregoing something else.

	(3) Most guest ops spend a GREAT deal of their time at the
host station--WORKING.  The guest ops who come back more than once
generally contribute large amounts of time, effort and money to the
host station.  I have been to the top of all 9 of VX's towers.  I
have bought equipment, chairs, accessories, and supplies for the
station.  I do QSLs, I house sit, I have lived at VX.  And I am not
alone.  Every guest op who feels good about operating another station
contributes to it.  An even better way to look at the guest op
philosophy is as a "partnership."  And it usually isn't just one guy
who is the partner.  At VX LOTS of guys have contributed a great deal
to the station:  N9JF, K9FD, KM9P, K9ZO,NB9T, KD9Q, K9BGL--all these
guys spent many many hours climbing and building.  I am sure it is
the same at W3LPL, N2RM, WW2Y, anyplace.

	(4)  And after saying all this, I still have the greatest
respect for guys who DO build and operate their own stations and
actually win or place highly in contests.  These winners have few
peers: N2LT, W3BGN, W9RE, WB9Z, K1ZM, K4XS, K3ZO, and probably
several others who compete at a high national level with their own
station, fixing their own breakdowns, climbing their own towers,
making the commitments of land, time, money, and loss of personal
time with their families to do what they do.  They are the best.
Guest ops?  Well, we're down there somewhere a little later, but I
certainly won't feel bad about kicking butt because I know that I AM
NOT JUST A GUEST OP!

	(5) Plus, heh heh, wait till all of us guest ops build our
own stations!  We have the experience of our mentors to build on--and
expert advice readily at hand.  KR0Y and KM9P show how guest
operating can/will pay-off as they build their own stations.

	(6) Thanks to my mentors over the past for allowing me to
learn/operate/work!  K9HMB, K9XR, K4VX, KG6DX, KD7P, VS6WO et al

Sorry for length.  How do these end-up so long?

73, Dave Patton, WX3N

>From Gerry Hohn <Gerry.Hohn.0285711 at nt.com>  Fri Nov 10 13:12:08 1995
From: Gerry Hohn <Gerry.Hohn.0285711 at nt.com> (Gerry Hohn)
Date: 10 Nov 1995 08:12:08 -0500
Subject: FWD>CQWW 9A1A Story
Message-ID: <n1396123834.57450 at nmisq2.miss.nt.com>

Mail*Link( SMTP               FWD>CQWW 9A1A Story





1995 CQWW SSB 9A1A


Contest overview
----------------


160 M         ------------------- EQUIPMENT -------------------
              Sloopers NW, NE, S   KENWOOD TS-930       AL-1200


			  Still wihout beverage. Maybe this year was to noisy. 
              Second day loose few hours beacuse of the election.
			  Final score was same as last year.
		
		
 80 M         ------------------- EQUIPMENT -------------------
              2 Verticals          KENWOOD TS-950       Alpha

			  ---------------------- OPS ----------------------
			  9A9A Emil, 9A3NR Pop 
			  
			  First night was excellent. Almost reach DXCC in 4 hours. 
			  Second night was half good as first but still good score.
			  

 40 M         ------------------- EQUIPMENT -------------------
              4 el. KLM beam       KENWOOD TS-950       Alpha
			  
			  This is our most value band as always. Why KLM work so
			  good we do not know. Have feeling that beverages could
			  help us but problems with road and houses left us
			  without them .

			  
			  
 20 M         ------------------- EQUIPMENT -------------------
              6 over 6            KENWOOD TS-950        Alpha

			  
			  At the beginning of contest we feel that band will
			  be rushly. The final score show that. We broke our
			  best 20 M score. First morning we realize that ring
			  rotator is turning in empty. We spent 3 hours to
			  repair that, but second day again problem with 
			  instrument direction and real antenna direction.
			  That we did not repair but just counted different in
			  our heads.
			  
              
			  
			  
 15 M         ------------------- EQUIPMENT -------------------
              8 over 6 over 6      KENWOOD TS-950       Alpha

			  
			  What say except if this is worst year what will
			  happen in two years.This is only band were all
			  equipment worked OK . Just our hunters failed their
			  job. 


 10 M         ------------------- EQUIPMENT -------------------
              6 ov 6 ov 6 ov 6     KENWOOD TS-950       Alpha

			  
			  With 4 antennas in different direction and broken
			  rotator it is very difficult to work something but
			  still very suprised with quite good condition.
			  
OPERATORS : 9A2DQ Zeljko, 9A9AA Nikola, 9A2NJ Zeljan, 9A2LJ Vlado,
            9A6D Darko, 9A5W Nikola, 9A7R Braco, S58KW Igor, 
            9A2EU Zlatko,  9A2PA Franjo, 9A3NR Pop, 9A9A Emil & 9A3GW
Robert
			
			
			
            Our total score will be showndown after checking.
            See you in CW part.


                        9A3GW Robert <Robert.Orehoci at public.srce.hr>
			
							
										
			
			

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>From Gerry Hohn <Gerry.Hohn.0285711 at nt.com>  Fri Nov 10 13:12:40 1995
From: Gerry Hohn <Gerry.Hohn.0285711 at nt.com> (Gerry Hohn)
Date: 10 Nov 1995 08:12:40 -0500
Subject: FWD>Canadian Scores - CQ WW
Message-ID: <n1396123610.66471 at nmisq2.miss.nt.com>

Mail*Link( SMTP               FWD>Canadian Scores - CQ WW DX SSB

Here are some Canadian claimed scores from the CQ WW DX SSB contest.  If
you
know of som other scores, or if you can correct the information I have
here,
please send me a message at:

Packet: VE2ZP at VA3TCP.#EON.ON.CAN.NOAM
E-Mail: ve2zp at va3tcp.ampr.org

I write a monthly column on contesting in "The Canadian Amateur", the
journal of
the Radio Amateurs of Canada, and I would like to include as many
claiemd scores
as possible in the magazine.

Thanks for your help.

73,

Dave Goodwin VE2ZP/VE9CB
Contest Columnist, TCA
RAC HF Contest Manager

CQ WW DX SSB
Canadian Claimed Scores
      XM3EJ A     VE2QRZ A     XJ3ZC/2 A    VE6JY MS     VE3RM MS   
    QSOs Zon DXc QSOsZon DXc  QSOs ZonDXc  QSOs ZonDXc  QSOs Zon DXc
160m 311  11  20   54  5   5   113   5  5    52   8  7   165  12  22
80m  525  14  59  303 12  37   427  12 51    86  17 27   388  19  58
40m  679  27  90  286 17  46   105  18 44   331  25 65   145  19  65
20m 1382  37 115 1027 27  77  1026  29103  1066  36116   666  30 104
15m 1658  29 115 1016 24  82   362  21 67  1631  29101   769  27  96
10m   86  12  26   84  7   8     7   4  4     2   2  2    26   7  12
Tot 4641 130 425 2770 92 255  2040  89274  3168 117318  2159 114 357
     6,710,505    2,424,489    1,806,288    3,300,348    2,591,913

      VA3SK MS    VA9DH MM     VG6FI MM     VE5RI MM
    QSOs Mul DXc QSOsZon DXc  QSOs ZonDXc  QSOs ZonDXc      
160m 162   8  10  283 13  44   103   6  5    37   6  5
80m  584  15  38  834 19  88   394  16 21    45   8  7
40m  331  17  57 1297 29 103   585  27 52   198  22 35
20m  992  32 111 3114 38 145  1175  27 76  1300  29 91
15m  413  25  82 1526 27 125   969  23 56   293  18 23
10m    4   3   4  271 12  31     2   2  2     0   0  0
Tot 2486 100 302 7324138 529  3228 101212  1873  83161
     2,336,424   12,230,779    2,135,286      996,984


VE3EL A 130q 32z 62c 27,918
VE7NKI AA 1675q 53z 121c 697,956
CG2GSX 28 59q 9z 18c 4,226
VE3HX 28 42q 8z 14c 2,508
XM7NTT 21 1755q 32z 78c 400k
XM7SBO 21 1193q 28z 79c 346,038
VA3KA 21L 291q 22z 84c 86,920
XJ3MG 14 2535q 32z 126c 1,058,126
VA7A 14 (VE7XR op)
XJ3MM 14L 
XM7SZ 3.5 600q 15z 26c 
VE7ZZZ MS 2.035Meg
VE6SV MS
VE6AO MS

Key:
A=Single Op All Bands
AA=Assisted (+packet)
L=Low Power (100w max)
28=Single op Single Band
MS=Multi-op, Single transmitter
MM=Multi-op, Multi-tx

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CC: ve7sbo at teleport.com, jsluymer at hookup.net, cq-contest at tgv.com
Subject: Canadian Scores - CQ WW DX SSB
X-BBS-Msg-Type: P




>From David C. Patton" <mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu  Fri Nov 10 15:46:14 1995
From: David C. Patton" <mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (David C. Patton)
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 09:46:14 -0600 (CST)
Subject: CQWWCW-Zone5-LowPower
Message-ID: <199511101546.JAA13690 at ecom4.ecn.bgu.edu>

Here are the Top 25 scores from Zone 5 in the Single
Operator Low Power All Band class in the CQWW CW!
Note:  Zones 3,4, and 5 are divided between the US and
Canada, and Zone 5 DX.

73, and GL in 1995 de WX3N


1.   N8II    2008982 1419 135 368  92
2.   W2TZ    1986240 1617 121 359  92
3.   K2ZJ    1904654 1230 135 412  93
4.   K2SG    1845006 1524 106 320  93
5.   K7SV/4  1335780 1005 136 356  92
6.   KC1SJ   1326332 1059 120 349  93
7.   W2UP/3  1298650 1044 114 361  94
8.   KM1X    1266515 1044 117 322  92
9.   KG1D    1200600 1156 117 297  92
10.  K1EBY   1195821 1005 114 309  92
11.  W1PH    1182216 1007 100 334  94
12.  W2TZ    1159128 1029 101 307  91
13.  K7GM/4  1149528  967 114 340  94
14.  NM2L    1107635  939 109 306  91
15.  N4YDU   1095578  994 110 308  92
16.  WS1E    1085750  900 109 321  93
17.  WA1FCN  1060575  938 109 286  92
18.  KX3Y    1019151  810 118 206  92
19.  K2SG    1017620  934 103 307  94
20.  WS1E    1003408  826 121 313  92
21.  K1YRP    998010  900 109 281  92
22.  W3UJ     992670  823 105 301  92
23.  WA2SRQ   975460  890  98 286  93
24.  W3HVQ    963200  966  96 254  92
25.  KB3MP/4  963022  970  99 283  92

>From k3knh at ix.netcom.com (Irwin Miller )  Fri Nov 10 16:03:41 1995
From: k3knh at ix.netcom.com (Irwin Miller ) (Irwin Miller )
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 08:03:41 -0800
Subject: Repeating 775-DSP Problems
Message-ID: <199511101603.IAA28423 at ix12.ix.netcom.com>

Problems With The Icom 775-DSP.
    During the CQWW SSB contest. The second day of orperating my VFO 
became tight & rough to the feel. I finely had to use the second VFO to 
work the rest of the contest. I took the radio back to HRO, they in 
turn called Icom. They sent a red tag over night & want'd the radio 
back ASAP. I also told them of four other problems.
    1. The VFO problem (as mention above)
    2. The CW keying is very hard and their are complaint of key 
clicks. (the rise time at 30wpm is almost zero, the 781 is almost 5 ms 
& cleaner)
    3 In the split mode  with dualwatch off, if there was a strong 
signal(S9+20db.) especialy on 80 & 160 meters, there is signal bleed 
through on the sub receiver. If u move the sub VFO around u can hear 
stron signal.(There also has been complaints that in trans. a low level
signal is being put out)
    4 The LO bright Dims (when the backlight display is set to LO, it 
flickers on trans.
    5   Transmitter shutdown when listening through receive jack(over 
500watt on a beverage ant.
    
They corrected all the problems except the beverage problen and that 
can be solved with a relay to ground or diodes & cap. They turned it 
around in a week & I expect the radio today. All radio being ship now 
are being modified. They also claim they had some bad VFO and that has 
been corrected. The bleedthrough has been fixed with some additional 
shielding around the mixers. I like the radio and found the receiver 
held up very during the contest especialy on 40 $ 80 meters. I'll say 
this for Icom they broke there back's to strighten these problems out.

73' K3KNH Irv

>From David O. Hachadorian" <74752.115 at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 10 17:04:06 1995
From: David O. Hachadorian" <74752.115 at compuserve.com (David O. Hachadorian)
Date: 10 Nov 95 12:04:06 EST
Subject: K6LL SSCW Score
Message-ID: <951110170406_74752.115_EHL147-1 at CompuServe.COM>

K6LL CW Sweepstakes Report

Category : Single operator, high power

   BAND   Raw QSOs   Valid QSOs   Points   Mults   
 __________________________________________________

   80CW       39          39         78       1 
   40CW      573         573       1146      10 
   20CW      694         693       1386      65 
   15CW      120         120        240       1 
 __________________________________________________

 Totals     1426        1425       2850      77 

Final Score = 219450 points.

Rates for first few hours:

  HOUR   80CW    40CW    20CW    15CW    TOTAL   ACCUM
  ----  ------  ------  ------  ------   -----   -----
   21       0       0     104       0     104     104
   22       0       0     109       0     109     213
   23       0       0     105       0     105     318
    0       0      12      75       0      87     405
    1       0      79       0       0      79     484
    2       0      77       0       0      77     561
    3       0      74       0       0      74     635
    4       0      68       0       0      68     703
    5       0      61       0       0      61     764
    6       0      57       0       0      57     821
    7      31      16       0       0      47     868
    8       3      26       0       3      32     900

Highest QRate: 2210-2309Z =  113 qso's (all 20m, single radio run)

Radio 1: TS-850 (500/500) + SB-220
Radio 2: TS-830 (IRC 400/400) + SB-220
Tower: Single Rohn 25 48' foldover on a 70x110 city lot
Antennas: KT-34XA @ 49'
          40-2CD @ 55' (aligned with XA)
          80m half sloper, with a switch for 3/4 wave 20m S&P
          3 el 15 @24' fixed on 060 for S&P
          The above combination provides a good run ant + a decent S&P
          antenna on any two adjacent bands.
          Interesting similarity to KR0Y's setup.
Other: TRLog v.5.51, Dunestar single band filters

Band changes: 128 band changes, 66 2nd radio qso's, no second band cq's.

Top 10 sections:
   1.           OH   70
   2.           MI   60
   3.           IL   57
   4.           VA   56
   5.          WNY   50
   6.          WWA   49
   7.          MDC   44
   8.           EP   42
   9.           WI   42
  10.          STX   40

Observations:

	Due to lack of confidence, I didn't use the second radio until Sunday
morning. By the end of the contest, I felt very comfortable with it, and wish
I had started sooner, especially after seeing how closely grouped most of the
top ten high claimed scores are. I've got to write the procedure down in
extreme detail, so I don't have to keep worrying about it and relearning it.

	With the stock Kenwood 500 hz filters in radio 1, and the IRC 400 hz
filters in radio  2, it was very apparent that the IRC's were _much_ sharper,
but required precise twiddling of the RIT. Almost _too_ sharp for the fuzzy
zero beating frequently encountered. Not a trace of someone calling off-
frequency until they are accurately centered in the passband.

	Encountered big line noise on 80! Something new. Gotta find/fix it
by next weekend, or try one of those K6STI loops from Sept. QST.

	Found that I really didn't need coax stubs, even with high power
and all the antennas so close.

	Almost everyone was quite courteous, using qrl? or at least qsy'ing
after one surprise cq. Only one baked potato refused to budge. I always
interrupted the other guy's exchange to answer a qrl?. I think it's faster
to ask for a repeat than to enter a frequency war.

	The high rates for the first few hours were a blast! It always seems
that if you get off to a bad start in this contest, it's impossible to make
it up, for some reason.

	With the tribander pointed northwest, RF got into the computer and
erased my qso with VY1JA! Fortunately, I remembered the info and typed it
in after a quick reboot. Tense moments.

	I finally tracked down something I've been doing wrong with TRLog.
When someone answers your cq, never send his call with the paddle. It screws
up the automatic cw sequence for the entire qso. Concentrate on typing at
least a fragment of the call into the callsign window and pressing ENTER, or
enough to autostart sending.

	Thanks to everyone for all the q's. See you next weekend, but
probably no top ten from here this year without the hordes of ten meter
novice/techs.

Dave, K6LL
74752.115 at compuserve.com




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