[CQ-Contest] Austin Summerfest DX & Contest Forum

[Kenneth E. Harker]

Austin Summerfest DX and Contest Forum Program Announcement
===========================================================

     The Central Texas DX & Contest Club (CTDXCC) is proud to be the 
continuing sponsor of the DX and Contest Forum at Austin Summerfest. 
The 2004 Austin Summerfest is August 6th and 7th, at the Red Lion 
Hotel, 6121 North IH-35 (@ US 290 East), Austin, Texas. The DX and 
Contest Forum is scheduled from 10 AM to noon on Saturday, with 
three program topics:


DXing and Contesting for Everyone

     You don't have to have an antenna farm and a few kilowatts to 
     chase DX or enter a weekend radio contest.  Susan K5DU, Gary W5ZL 
     and Gale WB0YEA will cover the basics, including operating 
     techniques, propagation tips, station design, antennas, QSL 
     cards and the Logbook of the World, Internet and packet-based DX 
     spotting (live demo!), fun contests to get your feet wet, where 
     to find contest rules and other resources on the Internet, and 
     more!  This is a great opportunity to supercharge your ham radio 
     experience! [40 minutes]

The Texas QSO Party: Our Own Fun Operating Event

     The Texas QSO Party is a popular radio contest where the focus is 
     on Texas stations and Texas counties!  John Dvoracek KE5C and others 
     will review the history of this contest and describe how you can 
     participate!  The forum will cover basic equipment and options for 
     logging contacts.  Mobile HF stations, traveling from county to 
     county, add a lot of fun to this operating event - learn how you can 
     participate as a mobile station, what kind of planning is involved 
     in a successful mobile operation, and how recent mobile station 
     operations have done in the contest.  The forum will also cover 
     special equipment for multi-operator mobile operation, and will 
     conclude with questions and answers. [40 minutes]

The August, 2003 V73T IOTA DXpedition to Taongi Atoll

     Buzz Jehle N5UR will present his experience in DXpeditioning to one 
     of the most remote Pacific islands.  Share in the comprehensive and 
     detailed planning behind the first IOTA activation of this small, 
     uninhabited atoll.  Experience the challenge of sailing across 450 
     miles of open water, then negotiating the narrow reef passage in a 
     17' dinghy to transfer equipment and supplies three miles across 
     the lagoon to the operating site.  Learn about the operating strategy, 
     pileups, fickle propagation, high winds and sudden severe electrical 
     storms during 76 hours' activity.  Find out the requirements to 
     certify this operation for IOTA credit. [40 minutes]


Austin Summerfest is supported by the Austin Amateur Radio Club and the 
Austin Repeater Organization.  This year, Austin Summerfest is also the 
ARRL Texas State Convention.  Advanced registration for Austin Summerfest 
is open through July 30.  For more information, see:

  http://www.austinsummerfest.org/
  http://www.austinsummerfest.org/Files/04hamcom_a.PDF

For more information about the Central Texas DX & Contest Club, and 
the DX and Contest Forum at Summerfest, see:

  http://www.ctdxcc.org/
  http://www.ctdxcc.org/summerfest/2004/
  http://www.ctdxcc.org/summerfest/2004/flyer_2004.pdf

Austin is great place to visit, with many family-friendly activities 
including the Texas State History Museum, the Zilker Botanical Gardens, 
Barton Springs Pool, and the nightly emergence of as many as a million 
Mexican free-tail bats from underneath the Congress Avenue bridge 
downtown.  Austin is also the Live Music Capital of the World.  For 
more information on Austin as a tourist destination, see: 
http://www.austintexas.org/visitaustin.html

-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/