 November 22, 2023 Editor: Paul Bourque, N1SFE | ||
In this Issue: Your Editor, Paul Bourque, N1SFE, is on leave. While he's out, Brian Moran, N9ADG, will be filling in as ARRL Contest Update Editor.
Upcoming Contests - Things to Do The main event for the weekend of November 25 is the CQ WW CW Contest. Those who want to prepare for this one could review the comments and scores from last year's event, and the SSB event held recently, on www.3830scores.com. Weekend four of the ARRL EME Contest is also on tap. You might be equipped to make a few contacts in this contest if you have a "good 6-meter antenna and a kilowatt (or more)." See below for more information on how one station encourages casual 6-meter operators. During the weekend of December 1, look for the ARRL 160-Meter Contest to provide challenges for CW operators. Contest Summary See the "Contests" section below for complete contest information. November 23- December 6, 2023 November 23 November 24 November 25 November 27 November 28 November 29
November 30 December 1
December 2 December 4 December 5 December 6
News, Press Releases, and Special Interest Registration for the 2024 International DX Convention opened on November 15, and the convention takes place April 12 - 14, 2024, in Visalia, California, at the Visalia Convention Center. This is the 75th year of this event, and it's sponsored alternately by the Southern California DX and the Northern California DX clubs. DX University and Contest Academy are held the day before the start of the DX Convention. Contest club membership eligibility is usually defined in terms of a circle with a specified mile radius. It's even become a contest, of sorts, to define your club's contest circle center to encompass stations that are favorable to the club score totals. Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, suggests using the mapdevelopers.com website, which uses Google Maps to draw a circle using a point and a radius. Marshall Williams, K5QE, and Peter Van Horne, KA6U, like to make contacts on VHF and UHF, especially during contests. They make it super easy for people to know how to contact them when they write emails like the one below, which was sent to the VHF Contesting Reflector on www.contesting.com in advance of the ARRL EME Contest: "I would like to invite those contest stations with a good 6-meter antenna and a KW (or more) to run with us in the EME Contest. You don't have to have EL to work us, as you can just utilize the rising or setting moon. Here is our announcement for this contest...please try to work us if you can. Thanks. "The K5QE EME station will be on full time for the ARRL 2023 EME Contest (Oct 28 & 29 and Nov 25 & 26). Those are the weekends reserved for 6 meters [through] 1296. We plan to have a station active on each and every band for the entire time that the moon is up for us. "K5QE EME station details: 6M: 4 x 7el M2 with 1450W. 50.192 Q65-60A second Chat ON4KST EME chat page 2M: 8 x 18el M2 with 1500W. 144.142 JT65b second Chat on the EME-1 chat page off PingJockey 222: 8 x 222XP40s with 1300W. 222.085 Q65-60B second Chat HB9Q 222 page 432: 16 x 28el(H-pol) M2 and 700W Q65-60B second 8 x 28el(V-pol) M2 and 700W Chat HB9Q 432 page 902: 2.4M dish with 250W. Q65-60C second Chat HB9Q 902 page 1296: 4.5M dish with 400W. 1296.080 Q65-60C second Chat HB9Q 1296 page "The chat pages are a great resource, so USE THEM!! "We want to work all the normal EME stations, but we want also to work the many stations that have a good tropo station with no elevation, by utilizing your rising or setting moon. If you have a good Yagi pointed at the horizon and 300-400W (or more) of power, then we should be able to work you. We do want to run with you for your state. "If you are to the west of us, you should just point your antenna at the AZ of the rising moon. If you are to the east of us, you should point at the setting moon. You should have good moon time for about 30 - 45 min as the moon rises or sets. "Please give us a try in the contest. We would love to get you into the logs. Thank you. 73 Marshall K5QE Peter KA6U" Note that per the rules changes for VHF+ contests from a number of years ago: "All entrants, regardless of category, are permitted to use spotting assistance or nets, including DXalerting nets, internet chat rooms, packet, reverse beacon networks, and repeaters to identify stations available for contacts and to announce (self-spot) their availability for contacts. Coordination via email and other means is allowed in ARRL VHF/UHF Contests. Announcements shall be limited to call sign, location, band or frequency, mode, and -- if applicable -- transmitting sequence. Such assistance may not be used to facilitate the completion of any contact once the contact has commenced. This means such assistance may not be used to convey receipt or nonreceipt of any required element of a contact or to request a repeat of any required element of a contact." Much of the software that we use for logging, propagation forecasting, grid management, and so on, is free software. Like any other free or paid software, programs occasionally may have bugs. If you encounter an issue or need support, there are usually email lists or forums that you can go to for help. You should make it easier on the people providing this help by providing a good description of the problem, and if appropriate, a screenshot of the application showing the issue. Though it may be tempting to take a picture of your screen with your phone, a screenshot is better. In Microsoft Windows, you can do this by using the Windows + PrtSc key on your keyboard. For additional ways to create a screen capture, see this article from CNET. Larry Gauthier, K8UT, a member of the N1MM Logger+ development team, would like you to check the version of N1MM Logger+ you're using if you downloaded it in the past 1.5 weeks to make sure you don't have version 1.1.8200. If you do, he would like you to download an update "using the program's > Tools > Check for New Program Version and Install menu selection." If you continue to use version 1.1.8200, you will not receive any prompts for subsequent updates. Word to the Wise Diversity reception is the technique of using two or more receivers with differences in direction, antenna phase, or other characteristics to provide more consistent reception in the face of changing propagation conditions. The use of different antennas can reduce signal fading, especially on the 80- and 160-meter bands. Sights and Sounds Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, presented, "Topband: Solar Cycle 25 Update," to the Madison DX Club. You can watch a recording of the presentation on the club's Programs web page. When two amateurs in the ARRL Eastern Washington Section compete with tower project videos, we all win! Brian Nielson's, W7BJN's, project features a collapsible tower and a SteppIR antenna. The videographer is Randy Foltz, K7TQ. (via Mark Tharp, KB7HDX)
Results and Records Ed Muns, W0YK, writes that the 2023 WW Digi DX Contest results have been published. The results article (PDF) is also available. Certificates for the 2023 JIDX CW Contest are now available on the JIDX website. Operating Tip Check the long path. Sometimes your competitors forget to do so, and you will have the advantage. José Nunes, CT1BOH, found this to be the case when vying for a DX contact on 12 meters. Technical Topics and Discussion Lance Collister, W7GJ, notes that the VE7BQH Antenna Comparison tables for VHF/UHF antennas have been updated. "Added in this issue is the ability to read the Figure of Merit as G/T or S/N, as well [as] the addition of a WD5AGO 13 element in the 432 MHz band." The table is on Lance's website: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/6mTable.htm. Gerry Hull, W1VE, tweeted that he has new software available to control IP relays using N1MM Logger+. These inexpensive boards are available from multiple vendors on Amazon and from other sources. He also promises to soon have a version that "supports the inexpensive Chinese Rs232 AT-command boards and Tuya Wi-Fi relays." Bob Witte, K0NR, suggests using the FAA's weather webcams to check weather in the vicinity of planned SOTA operations. He notes that some summits in the western US have cameras, and they're generally available across the country. The article, "Anomalous propagation and the sinking of the Russian warship Moskva," suggests that unusual microwave propagation conditions allowed for a ground-based radar to be used well beyond its normal radar horizon to target the warship. Sal Al, 9K2GV, blogged about "Elevated Tropospheric Ducting" with some useful illustrations. As the new owner of a Milwaukee M12 palm nailer and ratchet, I'm impressed by the battery choices and capacities available in this line of tools, and they can be repurposed for radio use! Search for 3D-printed models. You can even get a premade socket with a fuse by searching "M12 Adapter with Fuse Battery Adapter" on Amazon. Lynn Burlingame, N7CFO, wondered if his RYOBI 40 V battery packs (usually used for a lawnmower) could be more practically applied to our hobby. You can find out how he was able to get 12 V out of them on his website. That's all for this time. Remember to send contesting-related stories, book reviews, tips, techniques, press releases, errata, schematics, club information, pictures, stories, blog links, and predictions to contest-update@arrl.org. 73, Brian, N9ADG (filling in temporarily for Paul, N1SFE) Contests November 23 - December 6, 2023 An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral is available as a PDF. Check the sponsors' website for information on operating time restrictions and other instructions. HF CONTESTS Contest Details CWops Test (CWT) , Nov 23, 0300z to Nov 23, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Nov 25. VHF+ CONTESTS ARRL EME Contest , Nov 25, 0000z to Nov 26, 2359z; CW, Phone, Digital; Bands: 50 MHz and up; Signal report; Logs due: Dec 26. VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest , Dec 6, 1700z to Dec 6, 2100z; FT8; Bands: 144 MHz; 4-character grid square; Logs due: Dec 11. Log Due Dates November 23- December 6, 2023 November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26
November 27 November 28 November 29 November 30
December 1
December 2 December 3 December 4 December 6 ARRL Information Click here to advertise in this newsletter, space subject to availability. Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information ARRL membership includes a choice of one print magazine: QST, the monthly membership journal, or On the Air, ARRL's new bimonthly publication for beginner and intermediate hams. All ARRL members can access all four ARRL magazines - QST, On the Air, NCJ, and QEX - digitally. Subscribe to NCJ - the National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, it features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO Parties. Subscribe to QEX - A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly, it features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals. Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to The ARRL Letter (weekly digest of news and information), the ARES Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), Division and Section news, and much more! ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio. Visit the site often for new publications, specials, and sales. Donate to the fund of your choice - support programs not funded by member dues! Reprint permission can be obtained by emailing permission@arrl.org with a description of the material and the reprint publication. Acknowledgements ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's Contest Calendar. | ||
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