December CQ out

[HENRYPOL at aol.com]

Was out of town this week on business, so not sure when this arrived.  Also,
stopped by the local magazine stand on the way home this afternoon to pick up
the latest fishing magazines, and found this issue of CQ already on the
shelf.  Thus some of you may already have your copy, but for those who don't,
and those who don't subscribe, here goes....

As for the front cover photo, lets just say it is seasonally-inspired.
 There's a ham (unidentified), apparently asleep, dreaming of a new rig.  But
wait a minute!  From the looks of his station, he is probably an HF operator,
maybe even a contester.  There is a 1500 watt antenna tuner, a six position
antenna switch, a Hygain HAM series rotator control, a speaker with internal
audio filters, a PC, etc.  So, WHY is he dreaming of a dual band VHF FM
rig???.....  Where are those SPOTs!?

Contest related items:  Results - 96 CQWWDX 160 Meter Contest; Review of
Ten-Tec 411 Centaur Amplifier (strange that the photo does not show '411'
anywhere; plus it has three 811s inside, so why not '311' or '811'?),
International Antenna Corp. Double Bazooka Antenna, and RMS CN-220 Power/SWR
Meter; Contest Calendar - Contesting in 1997; and Propagation - Better HF
Propagation Coming! (maybe that guy on the front cover will wake up now)

Other interesting items:  Doug's Desk - Curing QRN Squasher MK-II Overloading
(remember this?, see June CQ); World of Ideas - Holiday Cheer Amateur Radio
Style (more holiday gift ideas, including a NEW antique radio kit!); and
Bill's Basics - Goodies Part II (even more gift ideas)

Don't forget that the ARRL 10 Meter Contest is next weekend!  I plan to
answer any CQs that I hear between 28,300 and 28,350.  We'll probably need
all the contacts we can get to build up some decent scores.

73 and good reading,

Henry Pollock - WB4HFL
henrypol at aol.com

>From broz at csn.net (John Brosnahan)  Sat Dec  7 03:01:41 1996
From: broz at csn.net (John Brosnahan) (John Brosnahan)
Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 21:01:41 -0600
Subject: Poll on CQWW Rule on Single Band Competition
Message-ID: <199612070359.AA13715 at ns-1.csn.net>

BACKGROUND:  I was surprised to learn that Single Band entries in the
CQWW Contest were allowed to operate on other bands for the purpose
of moving contacts to the Single Band on which they were actually 
competing.

CONCERN:  I feel that this gives an unfair advantage to stations with all 
band capabilities and multiple rigs.  And it is my view that a Single Band 
entry should be just that--an operation limited to a single band.

DIALOG:  I raised this issue in an earlier posting on the cq-contest reflector 
and have received a number of comments.  I have also communicated
with Bob Cox, K3EST, about the issue and he suggested that I provide
input to the CQ Contest Committee, which meets later this month.

REQUEST:  I don't want to present a position that is biased towards my 
personal viewpoint even though all of the responses so far have been in 
support of that view.  My concern is that my personal bias and the way I 
have presented the issue may have skewed the comments towards my 
position.  I would like to invite ALL interested parties to provide input on 
this issue of moving multipliers from other bands for a single band entry.  
Input should be provided in support of moving multipliers by those who 
feel that the rule interpretation should continue as it is.  If you feel that 
the rule should prohibit moving multipliers from other bands you should 
also provide input, if you have not done so already.

THE POLL:  A YES vote says that you support changing the CQWW rule 
interpretation so that a Single Band entry is limited to operation on the 
actual band for which the score is being submitted.

A NO vote says that you oppose revising the rule interpretation that all 
allows mult moving and that you would like to continue being able to move 
mults from band to band in a Single Band entry.

Additional soapbox comments, both pro and con, are much appreciated 
and will be passed on to the CQ Contest Committee for their next meeting.

DEADLINE:  Due to my travel schedule I would like to close the poll at 0000 UT 
Dec. 10.  This is 7:00 p.m. EST Monday evening.  I will collate and summarize 
the responses Monday evening and forward them to Bob Cox at that time.

Thank you for participating in this grass roots movement to provide input
to the CQ Contest Committee about what the contest participants desire
for the contest rules.  Remember--if you have already sent me comments 
there is no need to do so again, unless you would like to add something.

73  John  W0UN



>From k5zd at ultranet.com (Randy Thompson)  Sat Dec  7 05:44:28 1996
From: k5zd at ultranet.com (Randy Thompson) (Randy Thompson)
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1996 00:44:28 -0500
Subject: CQ-WW-DX-CW 1996 experience
Message-ID: <01BBE3DC.016C36C0 at k5zd.ultranet.com>

----------
From: 	N3ADL at aol.com[SMTP:N3ADL at aol.com]
Sent: 	Wednesday, December 04, 1996 6:18 PM
To: 	Istvan.Bogyo at mdc.hu; cq-contest at tgv.com
Subject: 	Re: CQ-WW-DX-CW 1996 experience

<snip>

> Now that might be a question for the assembled masses...How whizzed =
would
>you be if a P4 or V2 ran split in CQ or ARRL.? .... Nothing in the =
rules that
>I can see to prevent it...it is just frowned upon by the Big Gun =
community
>stateside. It is, perhaps, the only answer to the unruly pileups.=20


Why would the so called Big Gun Community be against good operating?  I =
love it when anyone with a big pile-up goes split (contest or not).  It =
makes them a snap to work since most guys calling never figure it out.

In a contest, it is perfectly acceptable to listen up 500 Hz to 1 khz or =
so (much more than this and it is difficult to tell who is =
calling/working who).  This practice should be encouraged rather than =
discouraged.

Randy, K5ZD

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D
Randy Thompson                                                           =
                     Amateur Radio Call Sign: K5ZD
E-mail: k5zd at ultranet.com
11 Hollis Street,  Uxbridge, MA 01569
h (508) 278-2355  w (508) 337-6600

>From k5zd at ultranet.com (Randy Thompson)  Sat Dec  7 06:12:03 1996
From: k5zd at ultranet.com (Randy Thompson) (Randy Thompson)
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1996 01:12:03 -0500
Subject: Contest Stories
Message-ID: <01BBE3DC.196B6700 at k5zd.ultranet.com>

Stop...Stop...Stop...You are embarrassing me!  And N3RR does have a =
valid point.

I appreciate all the support for my (and others) contest write-ups.  For =
me, this is a great way for me to document the contest (so I can =
remember what happened) and to learn from others.

There is some debate on length and where they should go.

The length is what it is.  I know it is hard to read long e-mails in the =
middle of so many, but try saving them until a time when you are not so =
rushed.

Results so far are about 47 to 2 in favor of continuing them here on the =
Contest reflector.  N5KO also voted that it was OK.  I am not in favor =
of cross posting them to two places.  I guess I post them to the contest =
reflector just because that is where CONTEST DISCUSSIONS are supposed to =
take place.

I do collect all of the contest stories that I can find and when I get =
time, I edit them for the www.contesting.com web site.  If your mail =
reader can't handle it, or you don't have time, you can always find the =
stories there later on.  This is also a great place to go get prepared =
for the next contest by reviewing the experiences of previous years.

The stories should not be limited to "big guns" either.  KN4T wrote a =
great account of finding 100+ countries on 40m as a low power single op. =
 The best writers write about their own experiences.  I (and others) =
want to hear about yours!

Thanks again to everyone for their comments and support.

Randy K5ZD

PS - No more mail on this.  We get too much already (but I'm not =
complaining).


=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D
Randy Thompson                                                           =
                     Amateur Radio Call Sign: K5ZD
E-mail: k5zd at ultranet.com
11 Hollis Street,  Uxbridge, MA 01569
h (508) 278-2355  w (508) 337-6600

>From fvanderz at mail.awinc.com (FrankVanderZande)  Sat Dec  7 07:38:58 1996
From: fvanderz at mail.awinc.com (FrankVanderZande) (FrankVanderZande)
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 23:38:58 -0800 (PST)
Subject: No subject
Message-ID: <199612070738.XAA27845 at freya.van.hookup.net>


Subject: WHERE TO START A CONTEST?

In his interesting e-mail, Randy - K5ZD stated:

      "started the contest on 40M because that is always the place to start"


That may be the place to start where Randy lives, but where I live (54N 123W),
the best strategy is to start on the highest band that is open. 

Why?  Mainly because 10 or 15 meters openings may not necessarily occur on the 
following Saturday and Sunday. Also, the 0000Z time slot does not exactly favor
the 40 meter band in my area.

I for one would be interested in reading about other contester's opening band
strategies.

As for the discussion about winning stations, the formula could be:

              WINNER = (LOCATION * PROPOGATION) + OPERATOR + STATION

      Frank VE7AV