K2WI ON ARRL AND CQWW 160 CONTESTS

[WAQI at aol.com]

Perhaps it was reading the writing on the wall(changes in cqww rules about
packet
self-spotting) that caused a seemingly spontaneous cessation of the endless 
self-spotting of years past in the ARRL 160 and a much lower rate in the CQWW
160
this season, at least on the east coast.  I was pleased because I always
found that
distasteful.  We probably could not make an effective rule to formalize a
prohibition of
this practice(you could always just have a buddy call you out every half
hour) but it 
would be good if we could at least have a gentleman's agreement to avoid
self-spotting.

Most of the time the self-spotting is an effort to pick up the extremely dull
daytime hours
in these contests which brings me to my next point.  I think both of these
contests
would be more enjoyable if they were structured with a time off period al
ARRL 10 meter
contest.  At the K2WI ARRL 160 and WW2Y CQWW 160 operations the daytime rate
never seems to be bigger than 15 per hour so a six hour break would reduce
qso totals
by a maximum of 90 assuming the qsos were not made up in other hours.  Since
these
are all low-point-value qsos I don't think this would change the character of
the contest
too much.  The big numbers come from the nighttime dx contacts.  For example
in WW2Y CQ160 70% of the qso points were from 10-point qsos.

I propose a single six hour off period for all classes in these contests.
 Let's take a 
break, sleep, be with our families, walk the dog, do whatever to recharge our
batteries
for some serious competition during the night hours.

ARRL Comments:
Missed the competition from KN8Z this year.  AB4RU did a great job.  I was
scared when I heard you guys running EU like crazy during one of our doldrum
periods.  Would
like to hear from you guys via e-mail.

CQWW Comments:
The multiop class keeps getting more and more competitive.  Congrats to W2GD
on a
fine performance.  The results were much more decisive in past years and you
may have an indication now of how crippled we were by line noise and poor
beverages.  It took us a long time to realize that our beverages were spoiled
by putting the new elements of our TX array too close, meaning that half of
them had no F/B ratio including
the critical EU.

W1KM came out strong!  I have boated past his QTH on the coast of MA (my
father-in-law lives down the road) so I know how nice that location is.

I remember the days when well-equipped single op stations operated well by
the likes of K5NA and K1ZM used to come out ahead of the multiops
occasionally.  As competition drives the multiops to set up better stations I
think that will happen much less frequently if ever again.

The conditions in both these contests were the best ever.  We worked our
first ever JAs
in both contests, working 2 in ARRL and 7 in CQWW.  I have never heard the JA
window so crowded that there was QRM like in this CQWW.  I would be very
interested 
to know how many JAs other stations were able to work as I heard the 4s
getting through very quickly.

See you all next time!   Rob K2WI    waqi at aol.com


>From frickrg at batelco.com.bh (bobndeb)  Fri Feb  9 21:32:13 1996
From: frickrg at batelco.com.bh (bobndeb) (bobndeb)
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 18:32:13 -0300
Subject: a92gd - cu at the test
Message-ID: <199602092132.SAA10059 at sv6.batelco.com.bh.>

hi folks,
   just a little note to say that A92GD (BOB) in Manama, Bahrain will be
attempting to work the test this weekend, that is, if the Europeans and
 the Russians let me thru.  Hope to see some of you on the waves.
Going to try and get some shut eye now, will be on 80M at 0001z.
73's
A92 GOSH DARN
 BOB
                    "Have you had your reality check today? Don't worry,
it's in the mail"

Bob and Debbie Frick                                Home Phone:(country code
973)-594065
American Embassy Manama                   Work Phone: (country code
973)-273300, Ext: 3964
PSC 451
FPO AE 09834-5100
e-mail: frickrg at batelco.com.bh


>From Del Seay <seay at alaska.net>  Fri Feb  9 14:58:51 1996
From: Del Seay <seay at alaska.net> (Del Seay)
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 1996 06:58:51 -0800
Subject: test msg
References: <15960208224451/0006955216PJ4EM at MCIMAIL.COM>
Message-ID: <311B612B.46E1 at alaska.net>

Ellen White wrote:
> 
> this is a test msg de w1cwWorks Fine: 161 de KL7HF

>From Charles H. Harpole" <harpole at pegasus.cc.ucf.edu  Fri Feb  9 16:23:41 1996
From: Charles H. Harpole" <harpole at pegasus.cc.ucf.edu (Charles H. Harpole)
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 11:23:41 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Surge suppressors for balanced feeders?
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960209111534.17180E-100000 at Pegasus>

Sorry, but Jerry has a lot to worry about from a direct or partial direct 
lightning hit on his installation.  In my direct experience with a hit on 
my station, if you have a spark gap of less than three feet, your rig is 
in danger.  The gap in relays and in "grounding" coax switches is just 
peanuts to a real lightning bolt.  The bolt goes thru those little gaps 
like they were direct connect.  You absolutely must disconnect and 
remove the antenna, ground, and AC wires from the immediate area of the 
incoming lines (all ant., gnd., and AC incoming).  I use two banana 
plugs/sockets to unfasten my ladder line from the window patch panel 
termination point.
Also, directly grounding all downcoming antenna feedlines provides more 
of a danger for a strike than leaving them totally unterminated (leave 
them floating!).  The build-up of a charge in the earth and sky more 
likely will not follow your feedlines in their discharging activities 
(lightning strike) if the feedlines are not connected to ground.
73, K4VUD, Charlie 

>From Charles H. Harpole" <harpole at pegasus.cc.ucf.edu  Fri Feb  9 16:33:25 1996
From: Charles H. Harpole" <harpole at pegasus.cc.ucf.edu (Charles H. Harpole)
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 11:33:25 -0500 (EST)
Subject: The "Good Old Boys on 75M"
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960209113036.17180G-100000 at Pegasus>

In a contest, I NEVER ask anyone to move freq. and I move only when asked 
by a dx or traffic net.  My analogy:  in football, does the running back 
ask the tackle not to touch him as he carries the ball downfield?  Body 
contact is part of the game, same for ham radio.  If you want a clear 
channel, use the TELEPHONE !
73, K4VUD, Charlie

>From Charles H. Harpole" <harpole at pegasus.cc.ucf.edu  Fri Feb  9 16:40:18 1996
From: Charles H. Harpole" <harpole at pegasus.cc.ucf.edu (Charles H. Harpole)
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 11:40:18 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Surge suppressors for balanced feeders (summary)
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960209113741.17180H-100000 at Pegasus>

Do not use knife switches in your search for avoiding lightning.
My lightning strike went thru a one and half inch gap on my knife switch 
like it was warm puddin'  .  It just melted the knife switch contacts, 
just to show me who is really boss, and then the melted droppings burned 
holes in the nice hardwood floor my Daddy worked so hard to sand, finish, 
and polish.  Was I happy?
de K4VUD, Charlie