Contester's Rate Sheet for November 16, 2005

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Contester's Rate Sheet
16 November 2005
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Edited by Ward Silver N0AX

SUMMARY
o Caution! High Band Loading Ahead - Phone SS & CQ WW CW
o Getting Your Contest Info Published Correctly
o WRTC-2006 News
o New ARRL Plaque Program for RTTY Roundup
o Resonant Speakers and LogView Tool
o Degrounding the Ground Rods
o All I Want for Christmas

BULLETINS
o No bulletins this issue

BUSTED QSOS
o None reported!

ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICES FOR 16 NOVEMBER TO 30 NOVEMBER 2005

UPCOMING LOG DUE DATES

November 19 - 50 MHz Fall Sprint, email logs to: wa4njp@aol.com,
paper logs and diskettes to: Ray Rector WA4NJP, 3493 Holly Springs
Rd, Gillsville, GA 30534, USA. Find rules at:
http://svhfs.org/fall_sprint_rules.htm.

November 20 - Worked All Germany Contest, email logs to:
wag@dxhf.darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: WAG Contest Manager,
PO Box 12 09 37, D-01010 Dresden, Germany. Find rules at:
http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/xedcgr.htm.

November 21 - CIS DX Contest, email logs to: mm0dfv@scotham.net,
paper logs and diskettes to: Scottish-Russian ARS, PO Box 7469,
Glasgow, G42 0YD, Scotland, UK. Find rules at:
http://www.srars.org/cisdxc/cisdxc.pdf.

November 23 - ARCI Fall QSO Party, email logs to:
contest@qrparci.org, paper logs and diskettes to: ARCI Fall QSO
Party, c/o Jeff Hetherington VA3JFF, 139 Elizabeth St W, Welland,
Ontario L3C 4M3, Canada. Find rules at:
http://www.qrparci.org/content/view/65/9/.

November 27 - SARL Field Day Contest, email logs to:
zs4bs@netactive.co.za, paper logs and diskettes to: Bloemfontein
Radio Amateur Club, PO Box 12104, Brandhof, 9324, South Africa. Find
rules at:
http://www.sarl.org.za/public/contests/SARL_Contest_Manual.pdf.

November 29 - FISTS Coast to Coast Contest , e-mail log summary to:
fistsc2c@yahoo.com, paper logs and diskettes to: Paul Beringer NG7Z,
4702 200th St SE, Bothell, WA 98012, USA. Find rules at:
http://www.tomochka.com/k7fff/fnw_c2c05.html 

UPCOMING CONTESTS

Note that the following abbreviations are used to condense the
contest rules summaries:
SO - Single-Op; M2 - Multi-Op - 2 Transmitters; MO - Multi-Op; MS -
Multi-Op, Single Transmitter; MM - Multi-Op, Multiple Transmitters;
AB - All Band; SB - Single Band; S/P/C - State/Province/DXCC Entity;
HP - High Power; LP - Low Power; Entity - DXCC Entity

HF CONTESTS

ARRL November Sweepstakes--Phone, from 2100Z Nov 19 - 0300Z Nov 21.
Frequencies: 160 - 10 meters, work stations only once. Categories:
SOAB-LP (A), HP (B), QRP (Q), SO-Unlimited (U), MS (M), School Club
(S). Exchange: Serial number, Category (precedence), Call, Check
(last two digits of first year licensed), and ARRL section. QSO
Points: 2 pts/QSO. Score: QSO points x sections (counted only once).
For more information:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/novss.html. Logs due Dec 21
in Cabrillo format via on-line form at http://www.b4h.net/cabforms or
by email to ssphone@arrl.org or to November SS SSB, ARRL, 225 Main
St, Newington, CT 06111.

North American Collegiate ARC Championship--Phone, Nov 19-20. This is
a competition based on Sweepstakes results between club stations at
institutions of higher education beyond the high school level. Clubs
enter Sweepstakes in any of the valid entry categories. Separate
champions will be determined for CW, Phone and Combined scores. For
more information: http://www.collegiatechampionship.org/.

LZ DX Contest--CW/SSB, sponsored by the Bulgarian Federation of Radio
Amateurs from 1200Z Nov 19 - 1200Z Nov 20. Frequencies: 80-10-meters
with 10-minute mode change rule. Categories: SOAB (CW, Phone, Mixed),
SOAB-QRP Mixed, SOSB-Mixed, MS-Mixed, SWL. Exchange: RST + ITU zone
or 2-letter LZ district. QSO Points: same continent--1 pt, different
cont--3 pts, LZ station--10 pts. Score: QSO points x ITU zones + LZ
districts counted once per band. For more information:
http://www.qsl.net/lz1fw/contest. Logs due 30 days after the contest
to lzdxc@yahoo.com or BFRA, PO Box 830, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.

RSGB 1.8MHz Contest--CW, from 2100 Nov 19 - 0100Z Nov 20. (See Feb
QST, p 102) For more information: http://www.rsgbhfcc.org/. Logs due
16 days after the contest to 2nd160.logs@rsgbhfcc.org or RSGB--G3UFY,
77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England.

CQ WW DX Contest--CW, sponsored by CQ Magazine from 0000Z Nov 26 to
2400Z Nov 27. Frequencies: 160-10 meters. Categories: SOAB and SOSB
(HP >100W, LP, QRP <5W), MS, M2 (new), MM. MS have 10 minute rule.
Exchange RS(T) and CQ zone. QSO Points: same cont--1 pts (NA stations
count 2 pts), diff cont--3 pts. Stations in the same country may be
worked for zone credit only. Score: QSO points x CQ Zones + DXCC
entities and WAE countries counted once per band. For more
information: http://www.cqww.com/. Logs due Jan 15 for CW to
cw@cqww.com or to CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801.

VHF+ CONTESTS

There are no VHF+ contests scheduled.

NEWS & PRESS RELEASES

"Why are the rules (or date) for our contest published incorrectly?"
is not an uncommon question put to Web calendar and column authors
alike.  Perhaps it's worth a few words to clarify what it takes to
get the right information in front of readers.  Here are the basic
rules:
- Maintain a Web site for your contest.
- Be sure all information is correct THREE months before the contest.
- Have an email address for questions about the contest (not a log
submission address).
- Highlight rule changes from previous events.
- Proofread your rules, dates, and times.
- Email columnists and webmeisters so that they don't have to search
for the info.
Each month as I prepare Contest Corral for QST, I am astounded at how
many Web sites for active contests seem unattended with dates and
times far out of date.  Many contest listings have no address for
contacting a manager.  Remember that in this age of instant Web
publishing, magazines still have a deadline of at least two months
before the month of the issue. I.e. - the deadline for a February
issue is typically at the beginning of December.  Contest calendar
authors are busy, too, even for those on the Web, so don't wait until
the last minute to send out the information.  If you follow these
guidelines, the chances of bad information getting out to your
contesting public are greatly reduced.

Fans of the wonderful things programmers are doing with on-line
mapping will enjoy the ham location application at
http://www.perconcorp.com/google_ham.html. Apparently, the database
used is a little dated, but the idea is fresh - enter a zip code and
find out where the hams are in your area! (Thanks, Dick N6AA and Bob
N6TV)

Another on-line tool that you'll have fun using is LogView by Tim
EI8IC.  A live version is now on-line at
http://www.mapability.com/ei8ic/logview/.  It will take a
Cabrillo-format log and display all kinds of information about it
from individual QSOs to the overall performance.  You can also
compare the results of a number of contests.  Tim is to be
congratulated for creating such a useful tool.  It should also be
noted that having a standardized file format such as Cabrillo enables
software developers to create applications that work independently of
the software that creates the log.  LogView would be much harder
without Cabrillo.

QRPers, exult! XG Technology demonstrated a 2 Mbits/sec link that
used a 3 nanowatt signal to span 40 feet in a wireless network. 
That's 2.5 million miles per watt or about 100 trips around the
globe. Check out this feat at 
http://www.techworld.com/mobility/news/index.cfm?NewsID=4722&inkc=0.
(Thanks, Gary, KJ5VW)

VA7IRL reports that he is taking over the reins of the iCal contest
calendar site http://ical.mac.com/arodgers/Contests created by Luc
VA2KSH.  MS Outlook users can try to import the calendar by clicking
the "Download" link.

The next production of Super Check Partial database files will be
Thursday, Nov 17.  Randy K5ZD is looking for as many CQ WW Phone and
ARRL Sweepstakes logs as he can get before then.  Please send your
Cabrillo format log file to k5zd@contesting.com.  There's more info
at http://www.k5zd.com/scp. (Thanks, Randy K5ZD)

Those of you that like shortwave listening and scanning might want to
check out a couple of magazines from the UK - SWM ShortWaveMagazine
and radioACTIVE. (http://www.pwpublishing.ltd.uk/) I enjoy reading
both for the perspective from "across the pond" and for good reviews
of radios, antennas, and software.  PW Publishing is also home for
Practical Wireless, a popular UK amateur magazine.  I really enjoy
thumbing through radio magazines from around the globe - it's a great
way to spend some club dues so that the members can share the
expense.

WRTC Corner - I have several WRTC-2006 items this week from
co-chairman Oms PY5EG:

Reservations are now open for the Headquarters Hotel for WRTC 2006.
Go to the WRTC-2006 page http://www.wrtc2006.com/ and click the
"Costao do Santinho" banner for reservations. You also can go
directly to the reservation Web address at
http://www.costao.com.br/versoes/ingles/reservas/reservas.php. The
rates are US $85 per person per day including 3 (three) meals,
breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the window  "package" you should
choose your preferred option. As in past events, there will be a
special package for the referees and teams.

In order to keep applicants and the contest community aware of the
status of submitted applications an applications-received list is
available on the WRTC-2006 home page, http://www.wrtc2006.com/ or
directly from PY2YP's Web site at http://www.py2yp.ws/wrtcapp.htm.

The WRTC-2006 committee has also released a Contest Results Checking
System for all contests allowed for WRTC-2006 applications. It is not
a automated submission Web page, only a score listing database with
some special filters. The committee kindly asks the competitors to
navigate through the tool and to submit any suggestions to the Web
page's author SM0CXU at thomascarl@gmail.com or PY2YP at
py2yp@py2yp.ws. On the WRTC-2006 home page http://www.wrtc2006.com/
click on the banner  "Contest Results Checking System".  Ben DL6FBL
reports that if Internet Explorer has trouble with the Web page or
the application, try logging directly into the actual host location,
http://www.ictecsolutions.com.br/wrtc2006.

One of the unique aspects of a ham radio QSO is the long process of
saying goodbye.  It's as if we can't quite let the contact come to an
end.  Here's how to stretch it out in Portuguese:
Thank you very much for a very enjoyable QSO.
    Muito obrigado pelo muito agradavel QSO.
It was a great pleasure to meet you.
    Foi um grande prazer encontra-lo.
I wish you good health and success.
    Eu lhe desejo boa saude e sucesso.
I wish you good luck and lots of DX.
    Eu 1he desejo boa sorte e muitos DX.
I hope to meet you [soon] again.
    Eu espero encontra-lo [brevemente] outra vez.
Thanks to the Radio Amateur's Conversation Guide by OH2BR and OH2BAD

RESULTS AND RECORDS

The ARRL Contest program is looking to find additional sponsors for
the popular ARRL RTTY Roundup plaque program. Participation in the
ARRL RTTY Roundup has almost doubled since 1998 - from 471 entries to
934 in 2005.  The ARRL is soliciting individuals and clubs to sponsor
plaques. The cost of sponsorship for each plaque is $67, which
includes shipping and handling. Contact Dan Henderson N1ND, ARRL
Contest Manager, at n1nd@arrl.org or 860-594-0232. You can also
contact Dan's faithful assistant Kathy Allison KA1RWY at
kallison@arrl.org or 860-594-0295.

Dan also reminds us that the ARRL Online Soapbox is available after
each ARRL Contest at http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox.  This is a
great place to post your post-contest photos and stories.  It also
makes for an interesting read by competitors and non-combatants
alike. Writeup authors also find it fertile ground for stories about
the contest.

The logs-received list for the JIDX-Phone contest is now available at
http://jidx.org/2005ph-loglist.html.  If your score is not listed,
please send an email to the JIDX contest committee chairman, Tack
Kumagai JE1CKA/KH0AM, at jidx-chairman@jidx.org.

Plaque and Award winners for the GACW World Wide South America CW
Contest are listed at http://gacw.no-ip.org/.  There is also a PDF
version of the World-Wide South America 2005 results that includes
pictures and remarks. (Thanks, Alberto LU1DZ)

TECHNICAL

Our lead story in this issue is a Web site about an important shack
accessory that foils the bad guys who might want to access your
personal information.  Be sure to check out the references as well,
at http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet.

A few years ago, WE6W published some interested designs for resonant
speakers that act as narrow CW filters.  These designs are now on the
Web at http://www.io.com/~n5fc/res_spkr.htm and
http://www.qsl.net/n5iw/RESONANT.htm.  Additional information and
design notes are available in the QRP-L archives
(http://www.kkn.net/archives/html/QRP-L) between 7 and 9 May 2000.
(Thanks, Jim AL7FS)

While wandering the aisles of the local truck stop, Stew KD5DL
discovered something called a Truck-Spec brand TS139AD Vice-Grip
Antenna Mirror Mount for $14.99. This might be handy to have for
remote and emergency communications operations. The mount consists of
a pair of locking pliers with a right-angle piece of stainless steel
welded to it. The angle has a hole in each side, permitting an
antenna to be mounted in-line with, or at right angles to, the jaws
of the grip with the included SO-239 to 3/8-24 adapter. Erik N0EW
also owns one and says to be careful when removing a PL-259 because
the center pin is a tight fit.  He reports that the mount will rust
if left out in the weather.

One of my favorite catalogs to thumb through in amazement is that of
Small Parts, Inc. (http://www.smallparts.com/) They have an astounding
collection of mechanical doo-dads and gadgets. There is no minimum
order and same day shipping is available causing techie tinkerers to
think tantalizing thoughts! (Thanks, Garey K4OAH)

Ah - my favorite category of tip - "How to Do Hard Things Without
Hurting Yourself". This time the subject is pulling ground rods out
of the, um, ground.  Roger K8RI says to start by using a pair of pipe
wrenches to form a "T-handle" and try the "armstrong" method to twist
and pull the rod out manually. If the rod still can't be pulled out
by hand, put a jack (with suitable support) under each wrench handle.
(This requires substantial wrenches.) The jack must be placed far
enough out on the handles so the pressure will cause the wrenches to
grip tighter. Pat K8PC suggests using a brass ground rod clamp on the
rod.  A car jack hooked to the clamp can then be used to pull the rod
out of the ground.

Bill W4ZV provided the URL for a summary of the "slinky" coiled
Beverage written by its inventor, Carl KM1H. These might be worth a
try if you don't have space for a regular Beverage.
http://lists.contesting.com/archives/html/Topband/1997-07/msg00150.html

K5KA's CBS program analyzes Cabrillo format logs and outputs a text
file of the analysis results. Download CBS from
http://www.kkn.net/~k5tr/software/Cbs.exe. When you run CBS, you're
asked for the input file name (include the .LOG suffix), and the
output file - a new file to hold the analysis data.  You can then
look at or print the data using Notepad or any editor. (Thanks, Bob
N6TV and George K5TR)

Here's an interesting PowerPoint presentation called "Effects of
Trees on Slant Propagation Paths" that looks at signal attenuation
through trees. It  covers VHF and above but you can probably make
some inferences for HF. It can be downloaded at 
http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/isart/art99/slides99/vog/vog_s.pdf.  A
more complete version is available at
http://www.utexas.edu/research/mopro. The original paper was written
by Theodore Tamir, "On Radio-Wave Propagation in Forest
Environments", IEEE Trans on Ant and Prop, Vol AP-15, #6, Nov 1967,
pp 806-817.  It covers 1-100 MHz with lots of experimental and
theoretical analysis. (Thanks, Jim W6RMK)

The Web site of Nuts & Volts magazine offers a paper by Tektronix
titled "The XYZ's of Oscilloscopes" at
http://www.nutsvolts.com/ftpindex.htm. The 64 pages of info are full
of great info about electronics' MVP instrument.

CONVERSATION

All I Want For Christmas

As we approach the holiday season, non-ham spouses are once again
filled with dread as they contemplate the task of choosing a gift for
the ham in their life.  Will this year's selection once again be
greeted with a quizzical expression and a mumbled, "Gee, it's
really...nice!"  This after agonizing over the selection for days.

Surely this is not so difficult, eh?  All they have to do is pick up
a copy of the most dangerous publication on earth - a ham radio store
catalog - and select a suitable prize. Can this be so hard?  My
friends, you don't know the half of it!

Aside from the obvious choice - a brand new multi-k$ radio - picking
your present can be a daunting task.  Each of us is highly
specialized, having honed our skills over many years, an expert in
our chosen field.  Every item in the shack has been carefully
selected and installed, possibly modified, and likely gleaned from a
long line of predecessors discarded as a result of one subtle fault
or another.  How does one choose just the right thing for such a
person, when we take months to choose gadgets ourselves?

My long-suffering spouse, Nancy, has made diligent efforts and
finally settled on not getting equipment at all, but rather making
curtains for the shack, a FB wall hanging with the N0AX call sign, or
even a desk map.  She gave up on picking techno-trinkets long ago
after not generating the desired zing from her ham.  But consider the
poor spouse still learning the hard way!

She or he may pore over your magazines and flyers for weeks, chewing
fingernails to the quick. Then they nervously dial the 1-800 number
to order the Chosen Item, a 2005 Channelblanger, only to be met with
the dreaded, "What options do you want with that?"  Options?  There
are options?  "Yeah, a 245XL feldstormatic comes standard, but you
can substitute the Pi-over-2 ditzmonger or the Ethermangler 7th-order
bi-chuck suppressor."  A long pause ensues before the harried orderer
works up the nerve to ask what they cost. "They're all $49.95." 
Dang! No clue there, can one order them all? "No, you can only
install one."  Since the spouse has no idea what you would do with
the Channelblanger anyway, panic sets in. Eventually, a quasi-random
Channelblanger option is selected and a good stiff drink is poured
knowing that the chances of success are as slim as the chances of
getting the feed lines tidied up before the relatives come for
dinner.

On the day of days, you open your present with trembling fingers,
hoping for that new Zorborator Field-and-Stream Mark Fifty-leven. 
Yes!  The box is from YaeKenComTec and it's heavy! 
And...it's...a...save the paper...a...  Oh.  It's a Channelblanger. 
Um.  "Gee, it's really...nice!"  You can hear the fizz leaking out of
all parties as dreams are dashed on the sharp rocks of
incomprehension and dismay.

What to do?  Personally, "just buying my own darn present" doesn't
have a lot of appeal.  After all, I manage to sneak enough stuff into
the house throughout the year. (No, Nancy doesn't get this
newsletter...)  Leaving things up to random chance has a vanishingly
small chance of success.  Strategically leaving magazines open with
certain items circled in black felt-tip is no guarantee of getting
the desired result either.  I've settled on writing "suggestions" on
slips of paper (along with a vendor) and putting them in a jar.  I
don't expect to get them all (well, there's always hope) and so the
element of surprise is preserved. The thrill of the hunt is still
present, but without that awful downside.

You may have your own methods of achieving spousal harmony at
present-time.  For those new to the hobby or to domestic bliss, I
offer the preceding tale as your e-Elmer, one ham to another. If you
are considerate and can devise a suitable system, your spouse will
appreciate it.  Perhaps even to the tune of a new Zorborator!  Need I
say more?

73, Ward N0AX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Contester's Rate Sheet wishes to acknowledge information from the
following sources:
WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page -
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal
ARRL Contest page - http://www.arrl.org/contests
SM3CER's Web site - http://www.sk3bg.se/contest