5X1T: a good cqww. Noooot!
CasierP at wfp.or.ug
CasierP at wfp.or.ug
Tue Oct 29 10:14:58 EST 1996
A Great CQWW contest - NOOOOT
40 HOURS OF RADIO AND NOT A SINGLE MULTIPLIER
It was Saturday Oct 26 in the afternoon. Last weekend of October.
CQWW weekend. I was standing on the roof of Entebbe airport, the
international airport of Kampala, Uganda. Somebody called on VHF: 'T
minus 30 minutes, the planes are landing!'. The telecom crew looked up
from their work as two cargo planes approached the runway. 'UN-WFP'
was painted on their side, United Nations World Food Programme, the UN
organisation I work for as regional telecom manager.
I let out a long sigh. 'At least we're payed for this', joked Ake,
5X1R, who stood next to me, and guessed how my mind wandered off
to the CQWW SSB contest which was not to happen for me this year.
It all started six days ago. Fighting between the Zairean Tutsi's and
the military run out of hand in Uvira, East Zaire. The 200,000
refugees in the camps around the city were fleeing for their safety,
to the North, to Bukavu, the nearest refugee camps. The lifes of the
expatriate aid workers was threathened and they were evacuated from
Uvira with a WFP plane, leaving behind a total chaos: local people,
the Tutsi rebels, the Zairean army looting and fighting. We airlifted
our people out on Tuesday, and the days after, alarming reports
reached us that the fighting was approaching Bukavu. About 110,000
refugees from Uvira had then approached the already existing Bukavu
refugee camps, population 300,000.
I saw it coming: no cqww for me this year. And true it was. On Friday
morning the UN decided to airlift food into Bukavu, as the
foodpipeline, to Bukavu was stopped. This pipeline is a fleet of
Kampala based trucks who drive in hundreds of tons of food per day, to
Goma and Bukavu. But the border with Zaire was recently closed due to
local fighting and Goma itself was not much safier either. With a
refugee population increasing to 500,000 , Bukavu foodstocks could no
longer be replenished.
The same day, our regional telecom crew prepared to put up an air
operations communication center in Entebbe.
The next day, Saturday morning at 10:00, we left Kampala with two cars
full of equipment, and we set up the radio stations on Entebbe
Airport, one hour's driving away.
Now the first two of five planes were flying in and we needed to be
ready A.S.A.P. And ready we were. Six hours after leaving Kampala, we
had two HF base stations up and running, one VHF base, on cellulare
phone as at 1600 hours the first plane took off direction of Bukavu.
The first messages were immediately handled by our newly set up air
ops comms room.
One radio was in continuous contact with the planes, one handled all
traffic between the bases in Kampala, Goma and Bukavu, as well as with
the WFP air ops centres in Nairobi and Lokichogio, both in Kenya. The
VHF links were used to liaise between the Crisis Team in Kampala (who
were in contact with the WFP HQ in Rome and UN HQ in NY), and the
logistics ground crew, who was around in the airport, getting air
clearances, ordering fuel, looking for storage and accomodation for
people and cargo.
Meanwhile, our orders were changed: instead of flying in the food, we
were to get the aid helpers out of Bukavu, as the situation was
running out of hand and headed straight for a plain blood bath. The
scenario in Bukavu was equal to that of Uvira, a couple of days
before, and Rwanda in 1994. At this point in time, 600,000 refugees
were struggling for their lifes in between the fighting and the
looting.
The air ops communication centre which I manned resembled like
manning single handedly a multi-multi contest station with one person.
Hundreds of messages were relayed and logged. Main events logged on a
large white board, plans and scenarios pinned on the wall, people
running around trying to set up and arranging all kinds of things
which make an airlift/evacuation rolling. In a contest, you can miss a
QSO or a multiplier, but in this situation you can not miss understand
or miss relay one message. People's lifes were at stake.
By 22:00 we had evacuated the 120 people we needed to pick up from
Uvira, with 3 planes, and two more were being prepared on the air
strip to fly into Goma the next day.
I came home at 23:30, and did not dare to switch on my ham radio. The
CQWW contest would be all over the bands and I would pity myself
having missed it.
The sunday, I got up at 5 am, and speeded off to the airport. We did
not know what was going to happen, as the situation was very confused.
Were we to get aidworkers out of Goma, north of Bukavu, which shelters
750,000 refugees? Where we to fly good into Goma? Though we still had
some staff in Bukavu, and were fully manned in Goma, it was difficult
to form a global overview on what was happening. The situation seemed
very volatile. We sent two cars out to Gisenyi and Cyangugu, Rwandese
towns just over the border of Zaire, to monitor the stream of refugees
coming into Rwanda. Both teams had HF radios and satellite telephones
with them. A smaller UNHCR plane flew into Goma, and we used it as a
'probe' to feel what the situation was at the airport. Not good as
we found out as some passengers were harressed and denied access to
the plane. Zairean military planes were overflying Goma airport,
which, soon after the small UN plane left, was declared 'closed'. No
way we could get any of our large cargo planes in. Neither to take
food in, nor to take people out.
We decided to keep all planes on standby for the rest of the day, 'on
call' as it was for our crew in Goma. The situation did not
deteriorate further and in the evening, we closed the station at the
airport. There was no way we could fly in during the night anyway.
Once again, it was night when I arrived home, and decided to switch
on the radio. The CQWW contest was going into its sprint for the
finish. I spin the dial over the bands, but I was almost falling
asleep despite all the excitement I heard in the headset.
I went to bed with mixed feelings. End of October has not been
my lucky period lately. Last year, I missed the CQWW as, with the
Heard team, we were in VK6 trying to find a boat for the expedition,
after an Australian guy run off with our money. This year, I am in
Africa, trying to help out in a regional conflict.
In a few minutes, I felt asleep like a rock. Maybe I dreamt of where
I would be next year for the CQWW? Maybe I dreamt of entering my score
of a few thousands of QSOs. With not a single multiplier...
Peter, ON6TT/5X1T
casierp at wfp.or.ug
>From dippel at rrze.uni-erlangen.de (Dieter Dippel) Tue Oct 29 09:09:58 1996
From: dippel at rrze.uni-erlangen.de (Dieter Dippel) (Dieter Dippel)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 09:09:58 MET
Subject: CQWWDX SSB: QSL-MANAGER the 2nd
Message-ID: <D84B52EE4 at isis.rrze.uni-erlangen.de>
CQWWDX SSB CONTEST 1996
QSL-MANAGER (last update 29th of October 1996)
tnx for information SM4EMO, OK1DXI, IK7TAJ and others
c/o: DF4RD, Dieter (email: dippel at rrze.uni-erlangen.de)
Member of the Bavarian Contest Club
http://www.rrze.uni-erlangen.de/~unrz45/BCC
3C1DX via EA6BH
3DA0DX via ZS6BRZ
3E1DX via KF0UI
3V8BB via YT1AD
4F4IX via DU4IX
4L1DX via OZ1HPS
4M5X via WS4E
4S7EF via CBA/bureau
4V2A via 9A2AJ
5B4ES via CBA/bureau
5C8MC via CN8MC
5K6W via HK6KKK
5N0MVE via ON7LX
5N0T via F2YT
5N36T via F2YT
5X4F via KB4EKY
6W6JX via F6FNU
6Y5XX via JE3MAS
7P8/OE2VEL via OE2DYL
7Z1IS via SM0OFG
7Z5OO via W1AF
8P9Z via K4BAI
8Q7OK via EA3BT
8R1K via OH0XX Suite 599, 1313 So.Military Trail,
8R1K via OH0XX, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, U.S.A.
9G1BJ via G4XTA
9J2CE via IN3VZE
9J2FR via I2ZZU
9J2SZ via SP8DIP
9K2HN via CBA/bureau
9K2RA via YO9HP
9M8R via W7EJ
9N1OSN via WAOSN
9N1SM via K0AHI
9Y4H via K6NA
9Y4NZ via CBA/bureau
A35DM via ON4QM
A35RK via W7TSQ
A35SQ via W7TSQ
A45ZN via QSL DIRECT TO H.C.
A45ZN via G4KLF
A71CW via SP5EXA
AY7D via LU7DW
BY4AA via CBA
BY4RSA via CBA
BY4SZ via CBA
C31LJ via VE3GEJ
C40M via 5B4AFM
C6AHU via WJ8C
CQ1A via WA1ECA
CT3BX via HB9CRV
CT3FN via HB9CRV
CT8T via CT1DVV
CY0XX via WA4DAN
D25L via PA3DMH
DU3/AH8F via G4ZVJ
DX1CW via JA3GN
EA8AH via OH1RY
ED6PZ via ED6PZ
ED7SDX via EA7GA
ED9EA via EA9EA
EK4GK via GW3CDP
EO6F via OE5EIN
ES1J via ES1WW
EX9A via DF8WS
EY2Q via EY8CQ
FG5BG via KI6FE
FG5HR via F6BUM
FK5DX via WB2RAJ
FR5DX via CBA
FR5HR via F5RRH
FS5PL via WX9E
GM6X via GM4FDM
HB0/DL6FDB via JH1BSE ?????
HB0/HB9LEY via JH1BSE ?????
HC8A via WV7Y
HC8N via AA5BT
HL9DX via N7RO
HP1/DL5RBW via DL5RBW
HP1/DL8RBR via DL8RBR
HR6/WA6VNR via WA6VRN
HS1AZ via K6VNX
IJ7/IK7XIV via IK7IMO
IJ7/IK7IMO via IK7IMO
IQ1A via I1JQJ
IR1A via IK1GPG
IR8A via IK0YYY
IU2M via IK2SFZ
J28JY via F6BFH
J3A via WA8LOW
J48Y via SV1BKN (Salamis Island EU-075)
J52IM via KB9XN
JT1T via JT1KAA
JY9QJ via DL5MBY
KH0/JA1HGY via JA1HGY
KH0/JA4DND via JA4DND
KH0/KE6DI via JA1BRK
KH0/JR1MLU via JR1MLU
KH0A via JF1MIA
M6G via G1AHL
M6T via G3XTT
MS0ALN via GM0OPS
NH2C via JI3ERV
NH2G via WF5T
NP4Z via WC4E
OI0RJ via OH0RJ
OY6A via Fra Contest Club, Hambaru Yuiri Vid Strond FR-100,
OY6A via Faeroerne 0138, Faroe Island
P40E via CT1AHU
P49I via K4PI
PJ9E via OH5BM
PJ9T via AB4JI
RN9XA via Eugene V.Bugrimov, P.O.Box 1229, Syktyvkar 167001, Russia
S01M via EA7EL
SU1SK via IK8AUC
T77C via WA4JTK
T88T via OKDXF (Box 88, Morris, OK 7445-0088, USA)
T9DX via T93M
TA4ZM via DK5WL
TK1A via DF7RX
TL8MS via DL6NW
TM2FM via F6KRV
TM2X via F2VX
TR8JCV via RSGB
TU2XZ via HH2HM/F
TZ6VV via AA0GL
V26B via WT3Q
V47KP via K2SB
V59T via N2AU
V85HG via JH7FQK
VA3MG via VE3MG
VA3SK via VE3SK
VP2E via WB5CRG's CBA for the contest only !!!
VP5DX via K4UTE
VP5T via N2WW
VP9ID via K1EFI
VR2KF via JH1OGX
VS6WO via K9EC
W5ZPA/BY1QH via W5ZPA
WH0/WH2Q via JI1DLZ
WP2AHW via KE2VB
XO7A via VE7SV
XR8S via CE8SFG
XX9X via OH2BH Martti Laine, Nuottaniementie 3 D 20, FIN-02230, Finland
XY1U via ????
YB1AQS via DK7NP
YB1XUR via YC1XUR Direct to CBA
YB3OSE via W7TSQ
YB9BV via AA7VB
YM2ZM via OKDXF
YT7A via YU7GMN
YV5R via YV5EFP
ZC4EE via G4SSH
ZD8Z via VE3HO
ZP0R via JA7AYE
ZS1AFZ via KU9C direct only SASE
ZS8IR via ZS6EZ
ZV2EPA via PY2YW
ZX0F via PY5EG
ZX5J via PP5JR
>From k1vr at juno.com (Fred Hopengarten) Tue Oct 29 07:05:54 1996
From: k1vr at juno.com (Fred Hopengarten) (Fred Hopengarten)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 02:05:54 EST
Subject: Lil Gun Fret Not (Long)
References: <Pine.OSF.3.95.961028112109.12557A-100000 at jekyll.sgate.com>
Message-ID: <19961029.050923.5503.2.k1vr at juno.com>
From:
Fred Hopengarten, K1VR
Six Willarch Road * Lincoln, MA 01773-5105 * 617/259-0088
e-mail: k1vr at juno.com
Big antennas, high in the sky, are better than small ones, low.
On Mon, 28 Oct 1996 11:34:58 -0500 (EST) donovanf at sgate.com (Frank
Donovan) writes:
>Its true! Just about every highly competitive contester I'm aware of
>today started out small! In my case, I was 12 years old living in the
>city in 1959 (fortunately my family had an oversized lot for that area
>--
>80 x 80 feet). I used a Hallicrafters S-38D receiver, an Ameco AC-1
>transmitter and a 40 foot wire strung up the side of our three family
>house (similar to Archie Bunker's house!).
K1VR: I visited Frank in that house, back then. I remember thinking:
"Boy, has this guy got it good." I had an S-38B (his was two models more
modern) and a 6AG7/6L6 rig built by W1ETH (today a physician at Mount
Hoyloke College -- now there's an interesting job). KN1LPL's AC-1 could
change bands and tune up a LOT more easily. I, on the other hand, was
tuning up my 60 foot wire with a lightbulb (brighter is better).
All of this goes to show that I've always been jealous of Frank Donovan's
station.
>From morpheus at moc.kw (morpheus at moc.kw) Tue Oct 29 17:41:28 1996
From: morpheus at moc.kw (morpheus at moc.kw) (morpheus at moc.kw)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 96 14:41:28 -0300
Subject: CQWWDX SSB: QSL-MANAGER the 2nd
Message-ID: <199610291742.OAA26319 at ncc.moc.kw>
>9K2RA via YO9HP
Hi,
This qsl info is not correct, 9K2RA ONLY VIA THE BUREAU!!!
^^^^^ ^^^^^^
Thank you
de 9k2hn
--------------------------------------------------------------------
9K2HN | E-Mail: morpheus at moc.kw |
Hamad Al-Nusif | http://www.gate.net/~morpheus/hamad/9k2hn.html |
P.O.Box:29174 | Phone: (965) 2562561 between 0900 to 2000 UTC |
13152, Safat | Mobile:(965) 9685111 If I'm not home!! |
Kuwait | Fax: (965) 2570014 24 hours a day!! |
| Packet: 9K2HN @ 9K2HN.KWT.AS |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Archchancellor's most important job, as the Bursar saw it, was to sign
things, preferably, from the Bursar's point of view, without reading them
first.
-- Middle management explained
(Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures)
>From tomf at neca.com (Tom Francis) Tue Oct 29 12:12:14 1996
From: tomf at neca.com (Tom Francis) (Tom Francis)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 07:12:14 -0500 (EST)
Subject: dupe/no dupe - Part II
Message-ID: <199610291212.HAA17797 at orion.neca.com>
Hi all:
Opinions on the work dupes or not question
agreed with my opinion, so I'm comfortable
with my choice of working 'em all regardless....
How about this as an ethics question in
the light of contest dupes/no dupes....
Say it's late in the contest, you notice
TA2KK (just an example - not real) comes
across the cluster and for some reason it's
a mult for the band your working. You zip
to his frequency, call him and he tells you
your a dupe and gives chapter and verse (i.e.;
time/date of the Q)! You accept the answer,
but check back in the log and no T anything
in the log for the time he mentioned. You
zip back, call him again, but he ain't buying
a duplicate Q - no way, no how...
Here's the question:
Do you make a note of the Q and "massage" the
log after, just forget it, or log the contact
as a current contact (after all, he did hear
you, hi) and hope for the best?
Flames to me - opinions to the reflector, hi..
73 and thanks for your input..
Tom, NM1Q (tomf at neca.com)
>From n4zr at contesting.com (Pete Smith) Tue Oct 29 13:08:59 1996
From: n4zr at contesting.com (Pete Smith) (Pete Smith)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 05:08:59 -0800
Subject: to flame or not to flame - should there be any question?
Message-ID: <199610291308.FAA22510 at dfw-ix3.ix.netcom.com>
Ever since I got on the Internet, I've been bemused by the tendency of
long-time users to "flame" each other in e-mail. I reasoned that it was
probably like giving someone the finger if you don't like the way he's
driving on the Interstate -- you're anonymous and will probably never see
him again. Didn't make it particularly pleasing, but at least understandable.
But here on the contest reflector, I don't understand it. We have a pretty
strong peer-driven thing about signing your call to messages, and our
call-signs are far from anonymous. In the early days, there was often
strong disagreement, but very little flaming. Nowadays it's different --
people talk about putting their flame-suits on when they give an opinion on
some issue, and others say they are deterred from stating their opinions
because of the flames they'll get.
Just a modest suggestion -- how about trying to re-establish normal,
civilized behavior on this reflector? Who knows, it might be catching. I
timidly suggest two simple standards:
1. Maintain the distinction between a disagreement on substance and
personal attacks. The latter should be out of bounds here.
2. If you have something critical to say to someone, say it in private
e-mail and do it the way you would with a friend whom you cared about seeing
(or working) again.
CU all in this fall's CONTESTS.
73, Pete Smith N4ZR
n4zr at contesting.com
... and not changing!
>From kc4zv at iquest.com (Greg Richard KC4ZV) Tue Oct 29 13:29:04 1996
From: kc4zv at iquest.com (Greg Richard KC4ZV) (Greg Richard KC4ZV)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 07:29:04 -0600 (CST)
Subject: No subject
Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.3.93.961029072645.26038A-100000 at vespucci.iquest.com>
-
Several months ago, W6QHS posted some dimensions for a Hygain 204BA
that gave good gain, SWR and F/B across the entire 20 meter band.
Could somebody dig up that info and email me a copy?
thanks
Greg KC4ZV
cree
>From kf7ay at getnet.com (Warren Hill) Tue Oct 29 13:51:13 1996
From: kf7ay at getnet.com (Warren Hill) (Warren Hill)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 06:51:13 -0700
Subject: New info: XX9X
Message-ID: <v01510102ae9bba1db717@[206.43.176.110]>
Final totals for XX9X are much higher than originally posted:
Overall: More than 10,000 QSOs
10-meters: more than 2,000 QSOs
73 de Warren/KF7AY
____________________________________________________
KF7AY in Arizona
Warren Hill
Myanmar (Burma) DXpedition Web Site
http://www.getnet.com/~kf7ay/myanmar.html
____________________________________________________
>From cshinn at connect.net (charles d. shinn) Tue Oct 29 03:38:26 1996
From: cshinn at connect.net (charles d. shinn) (charles d. shinn)
Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 19:38:26 -0800
Subject: SOA , Accuracy and the Advancement of the Art.
Message-ID: <01BBC507.A2B16BC0 at a1p35.connect.net>
Recently there have been many threads suggesting the need for policing =
of SOA; measurements of quality with respect to uniques and several =
other measure intended to advance the art of contesting. Something about =
these suggestions had bothered me but I was unable to put a finger on =
the reason until now.=20
It dawned on me that the reason I was bothered by these noble =
suggestions was they were unifomly after-the-fact measures. The very =
rules of the games we play put no premium on performance other than =
score. This was fine when the nature of communications was tenuous and =
reliability was suspect. However, today with equipment reliability not =
any where the problem of the past and improved technology to assist, =
pehaps the very nature of the game needs to be updated to reflect =
current conditions and even anticipate future technology changes. Now =
those of you that have had Murphy visit will disagree on the reliability =
statements- but in the long measure....consider the numbers of =
participants and the incidents of equipment failures before taking issue =
with my point.
Tradition is a difficult factor to overcome. But for the good of the =
sport (if accuracy and quality are important) these issues may require =
rethinking.To that end perhaps instead of 599 kw as a report, the =
contest commitee adopts the token idea; one where each party starts the =
contest with a unique exchange and passes it too and fro like a token. =
There are many suggestions to explore and I'm not the source for the =
ideas. I'm mearly making a case to be introspective of the game and use =
the self examination to enhance the sport. I enjoy the game and am =
fearful of its' demise. If not from lack of interest then thru =
legislation due to the lack of new blood.=20
I am admittedly a techno freak and have wondered many times why we dont =
use more of the tools available to us. I guess it always comes down the =
the lack all players having all the tools necesary. Perhaps demanding =
more of the operator up front and in real time is that first step in =
improving the sport.
de Chuck Shinn W7MAP
>From Ed_Stratton/US/3Com%3COM at smtp1.isd.3com.com (Ed Stratton/US/3Com) Tue Oct 29 13:39:38 1996
From: Ed_Stratton/US/3Com%3COM at smtp1.isd.3com.com (Ed Stratton/US/3Com) (Ed Stratton/US/3Com)
Date: 29 Oct 96 9:39:38 EDT
Subject: NO FCC VANITY SOFTWARE PROBLEMS
Message-ID: <9610291739.AA0706@>
Interesting. I received a call from a FCC staffer(717 area code) last week.
This person wanted to confirm my call sign preferences. I submitted my 610V
electronically on Sept. 23rd via the internet. This person said that the FCC
hope to process all first day applications either late last week, or this
week.
I did not get any other information, nor did I ask the FCC staff any more
details. I do not have this person phone number, and I will not give you thier
name. So don't reply and ask for these items. As a matter of fact I threw this
information away. If I get anyone of my call sign choices that will be fine,
if not, then so be it. It is only a hobby.
AD8V,, 73s
ed
----- Previous Message ----------------------------------------------------
To: cq-contest @ TGV.COM @ SMTP1
vec @ arrl.org @ SMTP1
don @ aurumtel.com @ SMTP1
cc:
From: HWDX09A @ prodigy.com (ROBERT REED) @ SMTP1
Date: Monday October 28, 1996 04:55 PM
Subject: NO FCC VANITY SOFTWARE PROBLEMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Friday I was asked to confirm or disprove a rumor that the FCC
tried to run and had problems with the Vanity software for Gate 2.
Apparently a small rumor started out of GA.
The following was just received from the FCC.
Gate 2 was not run or nor was it attempted to run
on the 10-24. Hopefully, we will run the receipts
later this week.
s/n Larry Weikert
The plan to run gate 2 later this week also coincides with a
projected run date that I was given about a week ago.
____
73, Bob Reed, WB2DIN
1991 Route 37 West - Lot 109
Toms River, New Jersey 08757
Internet : hwdx09a at prodigy.com
Pager : (908) 288 - 6552
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