ARRL rules/results: on line

[frenaye at pcnet.com]

Some new things from the ARRL's web page at:

http://www.arrl.org/contests/


> ARRLWeb's Contest Calendar
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>   You can email this page's content administrator at blunt at arrl.org
> 
>           Rules, Field Day 1996 | Rules, IARU HF Championship
>    January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August |
>                September | October | November | December
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
>    * Download rules and forms for all 1996 ARRL contests
>      (arrlc96n.zip, 71,612 bytes)
>    * Download rules, forms and 1995 scores for all 1996 ARRL contests
>      (arrlc96s.zip, 298,969 bytes)
>    * Download rules and forms for ARRL's 1996 June VHF QSO Party
>      (junvhf96.zip, 10,490 bytes)
>    * You can submit your ARRL contest entry in any one of five (5)
>      different ways--here's how.
>    * What about that new 1996 ARRL Contest Yearbook, anyway?
> 
> Selected ARRL contest rules, forms and scores not yet linked into this
> page are available via ARRL FTP and its mirrors:
> 
>         ftp://ftp.barc.org/pub/hamradio/arrl/infoserv/contests/
>              ftp://ve7tcp.ampr.org/arrl/infoserv/contests/
>           ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/ham/arrl/infoserv/contests/
> 



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E-mail: frenaye at pcnet.com  
Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box 386, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444



>From AA1K Jon Zaimes <jon.zaimes at dol.net>  Wed Apr 24 09:36:53 1996
From: AA1K Jon Zaimes <jon.zaimes at dol.net> (AA1K Jon Zaimes)
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 05:36:53 -0300
Subject: Elevated Guywire Anchor Posts

Hi Kris...I've never used forms in the hole; I just pour the concrete in the
hole. Occasionally I'll use a frame of 2x4's around the top if i want the
concrete to extend a few inches above ground level; usually i'll just make
the block flush with the ground (or slightly above, shaping it so that water
flows off)...73/Jon AA1K
jon.zaimes at dol.net

of At 07:02 4/23/96 CDT, Kris I. Mraz wrote:
>I've already responded directly to Charlie about my limited elevated
>guypost experience. However, all this talk of concrete brings to mind
>another related question:
>
>When pouring concrete for the base or guy anchors is it OK to use
>plywood forms and leave the forms in the ground after the concrete has
>set? Or should the forms be removed to let the concrete set-up against
>the earth? I've heard both ways and would like to know what the
>conventional wisdom says. Thanks.
>
>
>
>73
>Kris AA5UO
>mraz at aud.alcatel.com
>
>
>



>From w7ni at teleport.com (Stan Griffiths)  Wed Apr 24 06:51:40 1996
From: w7ni at teleport.com (Stan Griffiths) (Stan Griffiths)
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 22:51:40 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Elevated Guywire Anchor Posts
Message-ID: <199604240551.WAA26659 at desiree.teleport.com>

>Stan Griffiths wrote:
>>
>> Check the Rohn catalog and see how they do it.  What do you know.  
>> They DON'T do it at all.

Keith Morehouse wrote:

>There's a picture of a elevated guy "stub" using 10" wide-flange beam in 
>the Rohn commercial tower catalog...

I took another look in old commercial tower catalog and sure enough, I found
a photo of the top of an I beam with 3 guy wires hooked to it.  What I did
not see was any information on how this I beam goes into the ground . . .
like how far and how much concrete to use.  There have been enough people
successfully using elevated guy posts that it obviously has merit if you do
it right.  "Right" means with the approval of a professional engineer.  Rohn
uses professional engineers and if they showed a complete picture of an
elevated guy system, I would not hesitate to use it according to their
recommendations.  So far I have not seen one.

Stan  w7ni at teleport.com
Aloha, OR


>From w7ni at teleport.com (Stan Griffiths)  Wed Apr 24 07:07:36 1996
From: w7ni at teleport.com (Stan Griffiths) (Stan Griffiths)
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 23:07:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Elevated Guywire Anchor Posts
Message-ID: <199604240607.XAA03388 at desiree.teleport.com>

>On Mon, 22 Apr 1996 18:03:59 -0700 (PDT), "Stan Griffiths" <w7ni at teleport.com>
>wrote:
>> Check the Rohn catalog and see how they do it.  What do you know.  They
>> DON'T do it at all.  Rohn does not recommend elevated guy posts and I think
>> for a very good reason.  They tend to rotate in the ground under high
>> stress.
>
>
>My life is complete.  I've finally caught Stan dead wrong.
>
>AU CONTRAIRE, CHER STAN!  Rohn DOES do it.  See the back of
>drawing C-731105 R2 "Tower Grounding Methods", contained in
>all the Rohn catalogs I have here, where there are three
>photos labelled:  "Proper Anchor Installations."  The photo
>in the lower left hand corner is labelled:  "10' "I" Beam
>stub anchor with nicopress sleeves and safety wire"
>
>Ha!
>-- 
>                      Fred Hopengarten K1VR
>           Six Willarch Road * Lincoln, MA 01773-5105
>     home + office telephone:  617/259-0088 (FAX on demand)
>                   internet:  k1vr at k1vr.jjm.com
>            "Big antennas, high in the sky, are better
>                       than small ones, low."


OH GOD!! The humiliation of it all!  It will take me at least 12 hours to
recover from this.  But you're right Fred.  There it is.  Big as life.

Only a few details left out like how deep do you put it in and how much
concrete do you use.  I wouldn't REALLY call that picture a recommendation
without the rest of the info you have to have to install it like they show
for the rest of their guy anchors.  But I concede this one, anyway!

Stan  w7ni at teleport.com


>From AA1K Jon Zaimes <jon.zaimes at dol.net>  Wed Apr 24 10:07:10 1996
From: AA1K Jon Zaimes <jon.zaimes at dol.net> (AA1K Jon Zaimes)
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 06:07:10 -0300
Subject: TVI Tips

Hi Lee...I tried a a couple of Radio Shack 75 ohm hi-pass filters a few
months ago and they were quite effective. Cheap too...$4.95 as i recall.
Don't have the part number handy but can get it if you need it. The filter
is a black tube about 2 or 3 inches long and the diameter about dime-size.
Short piece of RG6 coming out one end with a male F connector on the end,
and the other end of the filter has a female F connector. If you have a VCR
put one of these at the input of the VCR and another at the input of the TV set.

Cheapest source of toroids I've found is from junked old TV sets; there's a
big one around the picture tube yoke; about 4-5 inches diameter on a
fullsize TV and smaller on more modern, smaller sets. Remove all the wire
and any bracket holding the two halves of the toroid, then tape them
together (i use black electrical tape). Wind the line cord to the TV around
the core as many turns as possible. I've also found ferrite rods as
effective; and they are smaller and neater. Wind the line cord around the
rod and tape it in place. Rods such as Amidon and others sell for use in
filament chokes for amps. About 6 inches long, half-inch diameter.

I also wrap line cords on the transceiver, amp, computer and other
accessories in the shack to keep RF out of the AC line.

This season I also added ICE bandpass filters between the TS940S and the 1.5
KW amps and found they cut down some TVI. Stubs on the output of the amps
also helped (discussed recently here on the reflectory).

My TS940S sits in a homebrew shielding cabinet made of copper-clad circuit
board. It's a 5-sided box with the front open. A muffin fan on the rear
draws out excess heat. This was described in older ARRL handbooks; don't
know if they still have it in there or not. All the cabling goes through
connectors on the rear panel. Truly amazing they can build $2,000 radios
that spew out garbage because of poor cabinet shielding. This extra cabinet
takes care of that.

73/Jon AA1K jon.zaimes at dol.net

At 09:12 4/23/96 -0500, Lee Buller wrote:
>Ok guys...
>
>It has been a few years since I've dealt with TVI issues.  So, I want to pick
>your collective brains about tips how to deal with some of this stuff.  I just
>put the amp back in line for the first time in ten years (I've been moving a
>lot, but now am staying put) and I have TVI troubles.
>
>The amp is grounded to a rod behind the desk.  Low Pass filter installed.
>All grounds bonded to one point through a buss on the back of the table.
>
>A good source for good High Pass filters?  Where do you find ferrite cores
>these days?  Any help would be appreciated.  TU
>
>Lee Buller, K0WA
>k0wa at southwind.net
>
>



>From SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca>  Wed Apr 24 09:02:00 1996
From: SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca> (SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca>)
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 96 01:02:00 -0700
Subject: Getting started
Message-ID: <8BF403E.0065002B34.uuout at lun.lis.ab.ca>

In vein of the current *how I got started* thread;

Unless you were blessed with living in a fairly large city, and have
access to some active hams, contesting does not come at once!

I grew up in a small hamlet, about 250 people, and the nearest ham lived
15 miles away. He was not active on HF, but active on 2 meters and
above. He was also my boss! I worked for him as an electronics repair
technician apprentice. He basically forced me to go and get my ticket,
and I conceded, a lot less prepared than I would have liked.
I got acitve on 2 meters, and within a year, I was bored silly.

Next, a friend from Germany, DK5DR gave me a listen on HF. THat was it.
CW test please......

Since then, I have become active in contests, only through personal
exposure to it, sitting in my shack!

My old boss just thoght he could at a minimum get me on 2 meters.
If only he knew of the monster he created. (My XYL will back that one
up!)

Contesting for me, was something I had to learn to appreciate. It can be
good fun, and get the adrenalin flowing.

Heads up,


Shawn
VE6PV

>From Pete Smith <n4zr at contesting.com>  Wed Apr 24 13:36:04 1996
From: Pete Smith <n4zr at contesting.com> (Pete Smith)
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 05:36:04 -0700
Subject: SUMMARY: Force12 Info Request
Message-ID: <199604241236.FAA01874 at dfw-ix9.ix.netcom.com>

At 03:09 PM 4/23/96 -0500, Gator wrote:
>I recently posted an inquiry about Force 12 antennas.  Unfortunately I
>erased my original request, but I do have the replies for the masses.  The
>concensus is that the antennas perform & hold up well.  The negative for me
>is that the elements are not at DC ground potential.  It would be easy to
>short the parasitics to ground, but I don't want to butcher the driven
>elements!!  Static discharge is incredible at this QTH due to the dry and
>windy WX  -  my HyGain antennas are at least two S units quieter on static
>than antennas with "isolated from boom" elements.   
>
>
>73,  Gator  N5RZ   rbowen at computek.net

Fascinating.  I had some fairly incredible snow static during this winter's
blizzards but it never occurred to me that insulated elements could
contribute to that.  I'd sure be interested in more commentary from the
multitude on this.

Assuming it's generally true, how difficult could it be to create a
discharge path with RF chokes from element to boom, so as not to disturb the
design (as I presume grounding the elements to the boom might do)?
Alternatively, wouldn't one of the lightning suppressor designs that have an
inductor to ground do just as well to drain off static from the driven element? 


73,

Pete Smith N4ZR (n4zr at ix.netcom.com)