CONTESTING WHY WE DO IT.. · CONTESTING . WHY ARE THESE MANIACS USING “MY “ BAND . Efficiency Quicker way To work For awards . Working for Paper •States (50) WAS •DX (100

FOCUS

Black Iguana 4 ft long, can do 21.7mph!

Fortunately only eats Herbs.. Belize

CONTESTING

WHY & HOW

We do it..

HB_2012

First The

“Wife“ Slide

WHO I AM • KT7G,

• Rick Smith, • ZK1 TTG, V31 TB, vp5/KT7G

• First licensed in 58

• at the age of 1 5…

Don’t bother

to do the math,

I’m 69 …and counting

Disclaimer The information presented is thought, by

me, to be accurate and complete. However No Warranty is expressed or

Implied And Batteries are not included.

What is

DX?

DXing,

making two way radio contact with distant stations in amateur

radio

DX

Generally Refers to

A Station Not in the Same

country that you are.

Contesters & DXers Are somewhat the same!

•You Will work DX while Contesting

•While you are working DX, some of it only shows up around

Contests. •Dxpeditions usually are centered

around a contest

•Not just for obsessed ADD operators with no life.. Well maybe it is..

•A very efficient way to get new countries, states.

•DX stations are there for the contests, and you

CONTESTING

WHY ARE THESE MANIACS

USING “MY “ BAND

Efficiency

Quicker way To work

For awards

Working for Paper •States (50) WAS •DX (1 00 of 328) DXCC •Counties (3077) USA CA

WAS Worked all States • Single Band or Mixed • Specific Mode or Mixed

5BWAS Proven Communications

with 250 fellow U. S. amateurs.

….12 years

of

Sweepstakes

contests,

before

LOTW.

250 actual cards!

DXCC DX Century Club

Proven contacts with 100

DXCC entities

QSL cards or LOTW Credit

5BDXCC •Also a plaque and certificate

•I don’t have one to show

•Just Four bands do not count.

• Need 40 more on 80 meters

8BDXCC I know of one in Vancouver, could be more. No actual award,

yet

Contests • Are held in several modes. • RTTY • CW • SSB • PSK-31

Contests • Have specific exchanges.. • Sweepstakes, running @ 2100Z, Today being the most complex..

– Serial # 1 – Precedence- (Q/A/B/U/M/S) B – Your callsign KT7G – Year first licensed. 58 – Section WWA

How Do I know what contest is on?

I hear someone I want

but he is in some contest!

I wonder if there is

something on the

“WEB”?

If you email me

Kt7g at arrl.net I will send you a file with the web links

In a perfect world,

you can click on them and go there

Resources for contesting

•There is a website detailing what contests are currently running and what is coming, WA7BNM contest calendar.

WA7BNM contest calendar

“Unlimited” allows spotting assistance.

Contest Specific Awards •Plaques •Certificates.

•“Clean Sweep” Mugs

•“Participation” Pins

was I able to work all 80 sections?

I brought a friend along who is almost continous

transmit. . and

HOW

I was invited to use more

aluminum than I had ever seen

together.

•PINS or Participation in November Sweepstakes.

•Clean Sweep Mug for working all Sections.

•Both “Available for purchase”…..

To Have Fun at This..

You can do this on paper…

But It is a whole lot easier

With a computer.

Spotting

Networks

Spotting •Packet Spotting Network

Dxscape from Japan

•Easy to access

from the internet

•My browser

home page. .

Running within

A contesting

Program..

N1MM

N1mm Logger

• Designed as a contesting program.

• Will keep track of dupes & points. • Will generate required files for

submission.

N1mm Logger

•Will generate Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF) •-----for export to your actual logging database program. •Does not function well as a log database.

What is ADIF? •Amateur Data Interchange Format •Defines the fields and language for log programs and sharing data between them •<CALL:5>K4GMH <TIME_ON:4>0421 <QSO_DATE:8>20070128 <MODE:4>RTTY <BAND:3>80M <FREQ:7>3.58943 <RST_SENT:3>599 <RST_RCVD:3>599 <QSL_RCVD:1> n <FREQ_RX:7>3.58943 <EOR>

Log Window

Input Window

Check & Score

Bandmap

•Populates from the spots

•Click on one and …

•The radio moves there

General rules for Any Contest

• Always download the rules Before it starts.

• Actually READ them before it starts. • I save them as a PDF on my desktop, so

I can find them, if I have questions during contest.

More General rules for Any Contest •Do not Spot yourself.

•Do not work just one. . You will be

A “unique”.

•No WARC band activity 1 2M, 1 7M, 30M,

Frequencies to avoid

• NCDXF beacons 14.100… • Slow Scan TV 14.230 • Maritime Net 14.313 • County Hunters 14.336 • Any obvious Net activity..

WPX Series • 48 hours 00:00 Saturday- 23:59 Sunday • Did you catch that? • Work Prefixes (KE7, KF7, v31, vp5…) • You could be a multiplier and wanted.. • Exchange is RST plus Serial # • CQ Magazine has an award for working all

prefixes.

WPX Series • RTTY Feb 11-12 2012 • SSB March 24-25 2012 • CW May 26-27 2012

Certificates Available

Sometimes. . It is a matter of what

category you pick. .

#9 world…#5 North America with Barbara, Phil and Jake

ARRL DX series

•48 hours 00:00 Saturday- 00:00 Monday •Did you catch that? •You work DX including KL7, KH6. •DX incl KL7, KH6 works 48 states.. •Ur Exchange is state, DX is power. •Includes 160M.

ARRL DX series

•CW third full weekend in February

•SSB first full weekend in March

IARU HF series • 1 2 hours 1 2:00 UTC Saturday- Sunday • Use of spotting nets, packet, or multi-

channel decoders (such as CW Skimmer) is not permitted. Single- operator stations that use spotting nets, packet or multi- channel decoders will be reclassified to the Multi- operator, Single Transmitter category.

IARU HF series • Work anyone • Exchange signal report & ITU zone • Must remain on a band and mode for at

least 1 0 minutes before changing bands or modes.

• Violation of the band change rules will reclassify the entry as a checklog.

• This is definitely a read the rules event.

IARU HF series • The second full weekend of July.

• Can enter SSB, CW or Mixed. • Includes 160 meters

CQWW series • 48 hours 00:00 Saturday- 00:00

Monday. • Work anybody Mults are zones,

countries. • Allows spotting assistance, assisted

category. • Allows Team @ different stations. • Includes 1 60 Meters

CQWW series • RTTY last weekend in

September • SSB last weekend in October • CW last weekend in November

Rookie Roundup • The Rookie Roundup is a contest aimed at

Amateurs licensed for three years or less. • six-hour event • April, August & December. • Rookies can contact anybody, while "Old

Timers" make contact with only Rookies. • Mentoring is a big part of this event.

RTTY Roundup • First full weekend in January after new

years. • Digital modes only • NO 160M • 1800 UTC Saturday to 2400 Sunday. • Work anybody, once per band.

Field Day • Last full weekend in June. • Not a contest but looks like one - - - - Work sections. - - - - US and VE only. - - - - Multi Multi • Watch W7AIA. org for details. .

State QSO Parties

• 7 land QSO party. (7QP) • Salmon Run, Washington QSO

Party. • Many others…

7QP • WA, OR, ID, MT, UT, AZ, WY, NV. • First weekend in May. • 6 am to midnight local on Saturday. • Good chance to pick up paper.

– Highest score in county, state. • Good chance to pick up States &

counties for your awards.

7QP • I usually run Mobile in some

lesser populated Oregon Counties.

Oregon County Populations

•Hood River - 21 , 533 •Wasco - 23, 71 2 •Gilliam - 1 , 775 •Sherman - 1 , 699 •Morrow - 1 1 , 753 •Umatilla - 72, 928

Not Hams, total people!

Salmon Run • Washington QSO Party.. • First started by BEARS, Now done by

WWDXC, and Redmond Top Key.

• Some prizes are Smoked Salmon. • Good chance to pick up Washington

Counties. For WA-WAC.

Salmon Run • The 3rd full weekend of September • from 1600Z Saturday through 0700Z

Sunday (about 09 am-midnight pacific) • Then from 1600Z – 2400Z Sunday. • 2012: September 15-16

Salmon Run • FREQUENCIES • Contest Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10,

and 6 meters

Salmon Run • Contest Modes: SSB, CW, and Digital

(Any computer-to-computer mode is digital (excluding CW) and only one digital contact may be made with a station on each band).

• Mixed-mode entries are required to make at least 10 contacts on each mode for which the log is submitted.

Salmon Run • Suggested Frequencies: • CW 1850, 3550, 7045, 14050, 21050,

28040 kHz and 50.095 MHz

Confirmations • If you want some of these pieces of

paper you need Cards or LOTW credit. • You need to keep track of what cards

you have sent and received. . • You need an electronic Logging program!

DxKeeper • Part of DXLAB suite of programs • Database made for Ham logging

– Tracks awards – Tracks Cards sent & received – Interfaces to LOTW, EQSL – Exports & Imports ADIF

– prints labels, cards...

DXLAB Suite •Commander, Controls your radio •DXKeeper, see previous slide •DxVIEW, Tracks awards, beam headings •Pathfinder, Finds the QSL route for the card •Spot Collector, Gets packet spots. •WinWarbler, Operates digital modes •PropView, checks propagation

PATHFINDER

Spot collector

OVERWHELMED? • Feel like a mosquito in a nudist colony..

– Don’t know where to begin?

• Dxlab has a launcher. • Pick the launcher

– Only download what you want • When you are ready to use it..

Paper Awards

Usually require some

Contact Confirmation,

QSL Card,

LOTW…

QSL Cards • Direct ---Print or get yours printed. • Electronic --- EQSL, LOTW • Bureau ---bulk Mail ---Global QSL

Direct QSLing • Print Cards • Print Labels or hand print on them. • Nesting envelopes. • $1.05 out bound to most of world. ---VE, XE slightly less

Direct QSLing • Return Stamps or $2 or $3 for postage. • $0.45 domestic. • Usual return a Month or less.

W7NN • Hamstuff by W7NN

• Offers blank card stock • Program to make your own

cards • Prints QSL Info with the Card

Print.

LZ1JZ

UX5UO

Plum DX

Electronic QSL • EQSL 1. Not accepted by ARRL. 2. Allows you to match submissions. 3. Allows fishing… 4. Good for CQ magazine awards. 5. Have their own awards.

Electronic QSL • Logbook of the World (LOTW) 1. Arrl administered. 2. Good for WAS, DXCC. 3. Blind Match, no fishing. 4. Saves Postage costs!

Bureau System • Sorting & distribution center for

the bulk mailing of DX cards. • ARRL and 1 0 Radio Clubs in U. S. • WVDXC in Portland for “7” • Usually Radio club in DX countries. • Not all countries

Bureau System • You provide or buy Envelopes and Postage

from Bureau to you, inbound. • Can do Outbound, if a league member. • Sorted by Entity. • Pay by Weight. • Pay postage to ARRL. • 6 months to……. .

Bureau alternative • Global QSL 1. You design card with their editor. 2. Upload ADIF information. 3. They Print and Bulk mail to Bureaus 4. $13.50 per 100, less per 1000

General rules for Any Contest

• Always download the rules Before it starts. • Actually READ them before it starts. • I save them as a PDF on my desktop, so I can

find them, if I have questions during contest.

General rules for Any Contest

. Do not Spot yourself.

• Do not work just one. . You will be unique. • No WARC band activity 1 2M, 1 7M, 30M.

• Don’t expect me to answer your questions

during the contest…. B4 or After. .

That’s’ it,

Thanks!

QRZ?