[MAMS] 10GHz contest results online at ARRL

Sun Feb 13 13:05:23 EST 2011

Zack, Jack, everyone,

I enjoyed the 10 GHz and up cumulative this last year. Lots of rain scatter to play with. Some interesting propagation. Lots of stations to work. Wonderful efforts. Thanks guys! Across Lake Michigan with Gary K3SIW on 24 GHz. Likely I will be on again this year. Always sorking on the equipment. Yes, Bob K2YAZ is a great host up here. Biggest thing, seldom mentioned, is all his efforts coordinating activity on 144.260 USB. Always there on 10/24 GHz to try anything. 

It is really nice to read the results here, what people did. Contacts made. Lots of excellent stories. 

I for one really would like to see a 3rd weekend in the Cumulative contest. It has been mentioned several times. The second or third weekend in October. The weather is usually still nice, and not the big summer crowds. Then it would also be nice to get a weekend to relax between September VHF and the September Cumulative weekend. One weekend right after the other, is hard. Have to work on the VUAC. If you think so, please, send them a note. Let them know. 

January VHF, did not get out. Bad weather and roads. Sunday PM, by the time things cleared a little, I was too tired from hours of shoveling snow, and like everyone says, No body on. Too many watching the game. So, I too could have driven 300 miles, only to work a couple of stations. 

I was hoping by now, the Leauge would have fixed their problem with their new website. Windows 7, does not support old computer programs, such as this windows XP, or ME. Those operating systems are too old. Microsoft marketing dept supports sell more new product. Not support keep using old. Designed in obsoselecense. So, I cannot download or open any of the contest files from their new, revamped web site. So, I cannot read the rules, results, or get any of the forms. One good hearted ham, spent hours yesterday, trying to convert some of those files to older .pdf from the newer 7 version .pdf files. So I could see them. Print them out. After hours of trying, no success and gave up. Next time I am in town at the cyber cafe, I will have to see if I can open them, and see them. No printer is available there. 

That is why, I did not send in contest results last year for most contests. No rules, no forms. Can't send in a log. 10 GHz, I found and used some really old forms. Mailed them in. I am still hopeful, that the League, will find the fixes and impliment them. Not leave out a pile of hams who would like to participate, hanging. 

Cabrillo. Does not work on this computer. So, I cannot send in contest results. The 20 times I have tried. It has failed every time. So, when I see talks looking at the number of participants each year. I wonder what the error factors are. Talking with other VHF+ hams, many have had the same experience. Active in the contest. Sent in results. Then nothing. At my previous job, with the resources to find and fix such problems. Learned that each brand of computer, has differences in the compiler programs. So some programs, will just not run right on them. So, an expert spends 3 weeks, to find one trouble making characteur in the code which causes an error. Colon instead of a semi colon or something. Fix it, then it runs as advertised. 

Went to a meeting a few years back, which featured Bob Cabrillo, talking about all his fine efforts to produce the ham contest program. He got it right and left from the audience. Common complaints of lack of performance. All I did, was raise my hand, when he asked the audience, if they had ever experienced any problems. 

That might make a good project for one of the VHF conferences. Ask how many ops participate, but gave up trying to send in things. How many have had problems. Look into the problems. Survey them. Detail them. 

Another option. My tight fixed budget, looks like it will not allow the purchase of a newer computer, or software upgrades for the next year or two. Then, I would also have a choice then. 2,000 miles of gasoline to rover, or computer upgrades. Which?

This year, if the ARRL does not fix things, I will post around my results here. What I managed to do. Fun I had. Some of the fun contacts and stories. And there will be no official contest entry. 

If you look back at the reason we lost WW8M to our contest activity. Simple, sad story. For several years running, Don took first single op place in the UHF contest. No computer, paper log and dupe. Done all by hand. Paper and pencil. Some years back, Don ran the UHF contest. QST listed him as multi operator. When he in fact entered as single op, high power. QST made a mistake. SNAFU. Well QST later printed a correction. Everyone has forgotten that correction. He has the contest winner award on the wall to prove it. Single op, high score. But, in the last few years, everyone looking at the contest results, has refered to him as not the single op winner, but as another multi op entry. He has taken this personally. Rubbing salt into an open wound. Finally, had enough. I doubt if we will ever see him back. All he will do now, is get on, work a few stations. Pass out some points, go back to watching the NASCAR race and never ever send in a log for anything. 

Don has offered a couple of times, if someone else, a group, cares to come out and opperate, he would have to arrange things. But, they would need to contact him a couple months in advance of the contest, and come out a few times prior to the contest, to learn how to run the station. 

Well, from descriptions of things, reads like many did not send in logs for the 10 GHz and up cumulative for one reason or another. 

I am planning ahead to work harder and put more into Microwave Activity Days. This year, starting in May or June. I am planning to drive much further South, to get within range of Zack, Jim, Mark and Garry and all. And make some other rover changes. 

This 2011 VHF+ contest season, things so far, have not been looking up. So, will see what the rest of this year brings. Microwave snow scatter, has been a bit thin so far this year. 

73, Lloyd NE8I/r
EN74 etc
Life Member ARRL

--- On Sat, 2/12/11, Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com> wrote:

> Date: Saturday, February 12, 2011, 8:52 PM
> I'm just glad I was in the contest! I
> almost didn't make it this year.
> 
> I was active in the January VHF SS.  I was Single-Op
> QRP Portable from
> my favorite hill in EN50rl. I was active from about 2:30 to
> 10 pm CST
> on Saturday and 7 am to 1:30 pm CST on Sunday. Conditions
> were mostly
> miserable. Weather was OK, my most dreaded weather
> condition (high
> winds) didn't exist. I did hear K2YAZ and K8MD at one point
> for a
> minute or so on 144 and also heard W4ZRZ on 222. All faded
> into the
> noise rather rapidly.
> 
> I went QRT early Sunday afternoon because I hadn't heard
> anyone new to
> work for almost an hour and the upcoming Bears-Packers game
> promised
> to draw everyone else's attention (at least around here)
> off the
> contest. I didn't feel like sitting out in the cold for 2
> hours with
> no one to work.
> :-(
> 
> I hope to have 24 GHz going by the Spring Microwave
> Sprint.
> 
> 73, Zack W9SZ
> 
> 
> On 2/12/11, Jack Ancona <k8ja at comcast.net>
> wrote:
> > Hi James
> >
> > WEll , IF I Wasn't Such a " IDIOT "  I Would Have
> Sent In My Score For The
> > 10 Ghz CUM Contests And Would have been Up There
> >
> > SomeWhere In The Standings Too ... Oh Well...Next
> Time...
> >
> > What Mountains Are You Thinking
> About....Vermont....West Virginia Or
> > Tennessee....Long Trip For Only One Day !!!! 
> Just Curious...
> >
> > Not Sure About Dayton This Year....Have To Wait and
> See If Finances Are
> > There When The Time Comes....
> >
> > Looked For You During The Last ARRL VHF Contest Last
> Month...But Did Not
> > Hear You ...
> >
> > My Operating Time Was Limited Due To Equipment
> Failures....Murphy's Law
> > Rides Again...
> >
> > Jack / K8JA
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "James French" <w8iss at wideopenwest.com>
> > > Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2011 2:52 AM
> > Subject: 10GHz contest results online at ARRL
> >
> >
> >> If it hadn't been for WA3TTS having 3 more qso's
> and an additional 1000
> >> kms to
> >> his score, I might have placed first this year in
> the 10 GHz only category
> >>
> >> for
> >> the 8th call sign area....:)
> >>
> >> Well, there is this years contest coming up and if
> I keep up like I have
> >> been
> >> doing over the past few years, I may just get
> there...:) Here's to the
> >> propagation gods to help me with that goal.
> >>
> >> I am surprised that K2YAZ didn't do better but
> with playing at being a
> >> WONDERFUL host and GREAT cook as usual (even got
> mentioned in the QST and
> >> expanded article about the September gathering), I
> can understand. We'll
> >> all
> >> have to do better this year and help Bob out to
> make that mark.
> >>
> >> As for this years contest, I am working on plans
> for the August weekend to
> >> head to the mountains on Saturday and head back
> along Lake Erie on Sunday.
> >>
> >> I
> >> know they are lofty but I have been known to do
> crazy things before. We'll
> >>
> >> see
> >> as it gets closer. It also helps that I work third
> shift and don't have to
> >>
> >> be
> >> back until Monday night for work.
> >>
> >> Plus I need to work on my plans for the MUD trip
> in October.
> >>
> >> Might as well make mention, what are the plans of
> everyone for Dayton this
> >> year? Currently it looks like I will be able to go
> for the weekend.
> >>
> >> James W8ISS
> >> PS - pass this around to those that I don't have
> in my sending.
> >> =====
> >> QST article:
> >> http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ContestResults/2010/2010_ARRL_10GHZ_QST.pdf
> >>
> >> Expanded results:
> >> http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ContestResults/2010/2010_ARRL_10GHZ_Web.pdf
> >>
> >> Printable Line scores:
> >> http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Contest%20Line%20Scores/2010/2010_ARRL_10GHZ_LineScores.pdf
> >>
> >>
> >> -----
> >> No virus found in this message.
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> >> Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1435/3436 -
> Release Date: 02/11/11
> >>
> >
> >
>

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