Topband: ARRL 160M Contest

[Ford Peterson]

The ARRL 160M Contest is this weekend folks.  Clean the contacts in the
keyer.  Tune up that beverage.  Blow the dust out of amp.  And dig the wax
out of those ears.  It's time for the 160M extravaganza of the decade!  You
may be waiting 11 years to see these conditions again.

As I write this announcement, the A index is 30 with a K of 1.  But that's
right now.  Here in Minnesota we have a saying... "If you don't like the
weather, wait an hour!"  So it is on Topband.  The expected A is 5 for the
whole weekend.  Solar activity is expected to be very low to low. There is a
slight chance for an isolated M-class flare.  The onset of a flare can
induce very unusual conditions.  You've got to be there to catch it or it's
gone forever.  It doesn't get much better than this!

This is the weekend when thousands of hams cram into 100KHz of spectrum.  No
other band gives you access to every square inch of North America at some
point during the weekend.  Some try for that illusive WAS on one band on one
weekend--it's been done only once to my knowledge--K5NA two years ago.

So don't miss this opportunity to help light up the nightime skies on
Topband.

>From the rules: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2006/160-Meters.html

1. Object: For Amateurs worldwide to exchange information with W/VE amateurs
on the 160-meter band CW only. DX-to-DX QSOs do not count for contest
credit. 

2. Date and Contest Period: First full weekend of December. Starts 2200 UTC
Friday, ends 1600 UTC Sunday (December 1-3, 2006). This is a forty-two hour
period with no time limitation. 

Exchange is signal report and ARRL/RAC Section.  No DX-to-DX but all DX
entities are mults for US/VE.  1.830 to 1.835 is for INTERCONTINENTAL QSOs
ONLY--please respect this rule.

A special note for CT users.  VI is an ARRL section.  CT is known to report
VI as DX, which is in error.  Watch for KV4 from VI this weekend.

See you on TOPBAND!

Ford-N0FP

(Feel free to cross pollinate copies of this email on local ARC
reflectors--there is no better way to double your score than to get twice as
many people calling!)