[Elecraft] It's Halloween, and you KNOW what that means. Yep, it's W0O at Frankenstein

Wed Oct 31 09:28:52 EST 2007

Halloween Greetings...

As in the past several years, the Mid-MO ARC (Jefferson City MO), and the
Warrensburg Area Amateur Radio Club, Inc. (Warrensburg MO) will operate
Special Event Station W0O... that's W - ZERO - O, as in "WOOooooo!" from
historic Frankenstein MO, today and tonight. The WAARCI operation should
be in full swing already on SSB, mostly on 15/20/40 meters, I believe.

The MMARC effort begins later today, about 2000Z, October 321, through
about 1400Z, Thursday, Nov 1. Our operation will be mainly on CW, but we
will also operate phone if any phone ops show up to operate. Our planned
CW operating frequencies will be (centered around):

   3.540, 7.040, 10.113, 14.040, and 21.040 MHz.

We will also be active (locally), on 6M CW/SSB and 2M FM (147.00 -600,
127.3 PL).

We will have two stations (both Elecraft K3s) operating, generally on the
two highest frequency bands decently open at the time.

FOR THE MID-MO ARC W0O OPERATION (ONLY)...
------------------------------------------
   IF you work us, PLEASE MAKE CERTAIN WE HAVE YOUR MAILING
   ADDRESS _IF_ YOUR ADDRESS IS NOT OK AT QRZ.COM... Please DO NOT
   send us a QSL or ANYTHING in the mail!!! We have no way to
   manage QSLs! We plan to QSL ALL CONTACTS 100% via your address
   as shown at QRZ.COM. If your address has changed, BE SURE TO
   TELL US when you work us. Also, don't let us bust your
   callsign!!! If we don't have it right, don't sign off until we
   confirm that it's correct.

FOR THE WAARCI W0O OPERATION (ONLY)...
--------------------------------------
   I believe WAARCI WILL require at least an S.A.S.E., possibly more
   in order to obtain a QSL from them. Please ASK the WAARCI operator
   about how to obtain a QSL for their operation.
_______________

Finally... from 0100Z to 0300Z Wednesday night (actually Nov 1 Zulu),
W0O will also participate in the QRP Barbershop Contest as a 'Goblin'
station. Visit: http://www.io.com/~n5fc/barbershop_contest.htm for
further info on this neat contest.

Here's a bit more info regarding the 'special' GOBLIN stations in
tonight's contest.

   Goblins:

   If you're getting this e-mail, you're a designated goblin in
   the QRP Barbershop Contest Wednesday Evening (Holloween).
   You're among an elite group of 16 ("elite" because you were
   smart enough to figure out how to register HI HI). [The
   announcement below shows the order received - note that n0ss,
   k9ztv, wa0zog, and w4rk are operators for the W00 station]

   Five of you have been designated by random index (generated on
   random.org) as GHOSTS, worth 1000 points to those who work you
   (same as Barbers). But you won't find out which (witch?) until
   after the contest. Because you are all a target among
   "customers" (participants), and because you can likewise work
   other goblins (and barbers, we hope), you may stand the best
   chance of scoring high in the contest. A few guidelines before
   the contest starts:

   1. Run 3-5 Watts, CW only, 14060, 7040, 3560 +/- 5 KHz

   2. Familiarize with the Time, Rules, and Exchange:

      http://www.dit-dididit-dit.com/barbershop_contest.htm

   3. Operate as much of the 2 hour contest as you are able; after
      all, people are looking for you.

   4. Call CQ ESE (or pounce on unsuspecting victims)

   5. Keep a written log, for cross-checking later if we have a
      close outcome. Report your results to the AutoLog on the
      Barbershop homepage (just a summary, as you'll see)

   6. Be merciful... I already know we have some CW beginners
      planning to participate.

   7. Hope for decent propagation.

   8. Put on your Superman costume, relax, and HAVE FUN!

   I plan on starting on 20 Meters. Usually, it's spotty with fast
   QSB, but if you don't dally, you can complete an exchange. 40
   Meters has its own set of challenges lately, especially around
   7040 - RTTY. Near as I can tell, RTTY'ers make a habit of
   tuning up for 10-30 seconds on "their" frequency, and then
   making their call. If they listen at all, they sure don't
   listen for QRP'ers. And I've never heard one call "QRL?" in CW.
   HarRUMPH! 80 Meters has been getting quieter lately, and I'll
   probably try to spend the last half-hour there, unless things
   are just hoppin' on 40.

   Looking forward to working all of you.

   Please read below for the announcement made to QRP-L.

   72,

   Monty N5ESE

   ----------------------------------
   SENT TO QRP-L 30 Oct 2007 2117 CST:
   ----------------------------------

   BOO!

   Goblins and Ghosts (and Barbers) are all about, and you can
   help find them, and earn yourself a whole buncha Holloween
   bonus points. Join us for a one-time special QRP Barbershop.
   We've had the straight razors honed to a superfine edge, and
   we're just itchin' to lower your ears - er - cut your hair.

   As is our Barbershop tradition, "Barbers" are identified by
   their "shave-and-a-haircut" call suffix (ESE). Working a barber
   earns one a 1000-point bonus, per band. Barbers participating
   this time around are:

     K3ESE (Lloyd, in MD)
     K5ESE (Joe, in SC)
     N5ESE (Monty, in TX)
     W5ESE (scott, in TX)
     K6ESE (Trevor, in CA, our designated QRPp Crewcut Barber)
     K0ESE (Jim, in MO)
     and there could be others...

   But work customers, too, because the outcome of the winning
   score often hinges on those extra QSOs and SPCs, which multiply
   together.

   Exchange RST-SPC-NAME-POWER. (SPC means state-province-country)
   Get the call and exchange complete - both ways - or please
   don't count it as a contact.

   BUT WAIT! There's more... MWwaAAh-haa-haaa...

   Holloween only falls on a fifth Wednesday once in a burnt
   orange moon, and this Holloween IS IT! We've identified 16
   GOBLINS, of which 5 are dead -eeEWWWEee - making them GHOSTS.
   Working a Goblin earns you a 100 point bonus (for each goblin
   worked) but if that goblin's really a GHOST, you earn 1000
   bonus points (each). Here's the twist - you won't know which of
   the 16 designated goblins are ghosts; in fact, even the Ghosts
   don't know they're ghosts... SPOOKY, huh? [OK, you'll find out
   after the contest HI HI]

   Goblins can call CQ ESE (just like the barbers). Customers
   normally call CQ BS. But we're all in the same contest.

   The 16 designated goblins are:

      K7QO     Chuck
      K5WX     Keith
      K9IS     Steve
      VA3SIE   Martin

      W5TA     Dick
      NK6A     Don
      WC7S     Dale
      KB5JO    Curt

      K7TQ     Randy
      AB9CA    Dave
      W0UFO    Mert
      WB8LZG   Gregg

      K4AVX    John
      N5SEZ    Ray
      AE5X     John
      W0O      MMARC

   Mid-MO ARC gets supreme honorable mention, because, let's face
   it, look at their callsign - "W0O"? How eerily perfect! And I
   wouldn't be surprised if Elvis shows up from time to time...
   (oh, wrong contest ;-)

   QRPp has a special role in the QRP Barbershop... if you manage
   to dig Trev, K6ESE out of the noise, you'll earn a 2500 point
   bonus! With Trev on the left coast, it could be a real
   challenge for many of us.

   You milliwatters have a special incentive. To the best of my
   knowledge, we are the only contest that truly levels the
   playing field with our power multiplier (as long as you run 5
   watts or less). Also, QRPp stations (running less than one
   watt) can earn a special QRPp certificate by working 3
   different barbers.

   After the slaughter - ahem - contest, complete the super-easy
   AutoLog Summary online, which is accessed from a button on the
   QRP Barbershop Home Page (where you'll also find the rules):

   http://www.dit-dididit-dit.com/barbershop_contest.htm

   CU Wednesday eveni --- HEY! WHAT WAS THAT? ---

   72, Monty N5ESE