[SFDXA] Fwd: The ARRL Contest Update for August 31, 2011

[Bill Marx]

> If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
> http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2011-08-31
> 
> 
> 
> August 31, 2011Editor: Ward Silver, NØAX
> Contest Update ArchiveContest CalendarARRL Home Page
> IN THIS ISSUE
> End Summer Sporadically - ARRL VHF QSO Party
> Faster, Faster - North American CW Sprint
> Webinars Return - PVRC & NCCC
> SMC Grand Prix Competition
> A New Way to Climb Down
> Rookie RTTY Roundup Results
> Measuring Unknown Ferrite Cores
> Common-Mode Choke Testing by KØTO
> Would You Know?
> NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO
> 
> Why not give some of the short holiday CW sprints a try this weekend? The Adventure Radio Sprint has the "heavy-light" theme, the NS sprint begins with a slow-speed period, and there is the Labor Day Sprint, as well. The high-speed North American Sprint is on the following weekend - if you dare!
> 
> BULLETINS
> 
> There are no bulletins in this issue.
> 
> BUSTED QSOS
> 
> Your editor got a good log checking report last time!
> 
> CONTEST SUMMARY
> 
> Complete information for all contests follows the Conversation section
> 
> Sep 3-4
> 
> SNS and NS Weekly Sprints--CW (Sep 2)
> All-Asian DX Contest--Phone
> Russian Radio RTTY WW
> DARC 10-Meter Digital "Corona"
> Colorado QSO Party
> IARU Region I Field Day--Phone
> AGCW Straight Key Party
> QCWA Fall QSO Party
> Tennessee QSO Party
> Labor Day Sprint--CW (Sep 5)
> ARS Spartan Sprint--CW (Sep 6)
> Sep 10-11
> 
> ARRL September VHF QSO Party
> North American Sprint--CW
> 070 Club KA3X Memorial Sprint--Digital (Sep 9)
> Worked All Europe DX Contest--Phone
> Arkansas QSO Party
> Ohio State Parks On the Air
> QRP ARCI VHF Contest
> SKCC Straight Key Weekend Sprint
> Classic Exchange--CW
> NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST
> The contest season begins anew - get rolling this coming Thursday evening with a joint PVRC/NCCC Webinar on the basics of Sprint contests with Hank Garretson W6SX. This presentation will be particularly helpful for newcomers to Sprinting. The webinar begins at 0100 UTC, Sep 2, and registration is free. The first webinar will conclude no later than 10 :00 PM EDT (0200 UTC) so that attendees can take a short break and roll right into the 30 minute NS (NCCC Sprint), which begins at 10:30 PM EDT (02:30 UTC). (Thanks, Ken K4ZW)
> 
> 
> Bragging rights for the 2011-12 contest season in the Pacific NW went to the Williamette Valley DX Club in the annual competition among NW clubs. Dink N7WA (L) keeps the scores and WVDXC President Brad K7ZSD (R) keeps the trophy...this year! (Photo by NØAX)
> 
> WRTC2014 is pleased to announce that it has received a Letter of Determination from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service granting 501(c)(3) status as a tax-exempt public charity. This means that contributions to WRTC2014, Inc. by U.S. taxpayers are deductible to the extent allowed by law. Contact info at wrtc2014.org or visit the web site for information on WRTC2014, and details on how to contribute. In addition, WRTC2014 has been recognized and endorsed by IARU at their recent meeting in South Africa!
> 
> Eric K9GY/T6MO reports receiving word that Industrial Communications Engineers (ICE) Radio Products has been restructured and is once again producing the entire ICE product line. The name of the new company is Morgan Manufacturing Sales and the new website has just been launched.
> 
> 
> Here's Eric K9GY in Afghanistan and active as T6MO. Eric is being transferred to a new location - catch him while you can! Thanks for your service, Eric! (Photo from K9GY)
> 
> Mike Wetzel W9RE is looking for the contact information for contest coordinators from the US and Canadian contest clubs. If your club has not been contacted, get in touch with Mike.
> 
> The all-important Country (CTY) Files were updated on 27 August 2011. Used by your logging software to keep prefixes and DXCC entities and CQ zones straight, it's important to have the latest version. To install the file, follow the link to your software at the top of the page. (Thanks, Jim AD1C)
> 
> Thanks to K6TD, the Cabrillo Statistics program originally developed by K5KA (SK) and now maintained by Bob N6TV, has just been ported to the Mac OS X environment. This program generates hour-by-hour rate sheets and valuable SO2R statistics from a Cabrillo-formatted file. It creates a simple text file that can easily be pasted into a reflector post. You may now download CBS version 10e for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. CBS Version 10e adds new support for NAQP-RTTY and CQ-WW-RTTY logs, as well as a number of bug fixes and minor improvements. This is a simple command line utility written entirely in C and is small enough to download from a slow dial-up connection (<100 kbytes). Please contact N6TV directly with a copy of your Cabrillo file if you run into any problems using the program.
> 
> Jim K5ND notes that one good way to publicize ham radio is through Scouting's Jamboree on the Air held this year on October 15 and 16. It is the world's largest Scouting event with 2010 results coming in at over 700,000 participants from nearly 6,000 stations around the world. Please engage your local Boy Scout council to help them with a planned operation or to start one. This year JOTA stations have an opportunity to pre-register their events. Several are doing fox hunts as well. You can find lots of information online and on the ARRL site. This is a great way to not only reach the public but to expose youth to Amateur Radio.
> 
> From AMSAT bulletin ANS-240, we learn that Kentucky Space, a consortium of Kentucky-based colleges and universities and Make Magazine announced the First annual hackerSPACE Workshop focused on CubeSat class satellites to take place in Lexington, Kentucky, November 11-12.
> 
> If you do a lot of tower climbing or are otherwise interested in being trained in tower safety by professionals, check out this class. (Thanks, Bob N6TV)
> 
> Dress for success takes on a whole new meaning when talking about wearable antennas as reported in Gizmag. Developed at Ohio State University, this is just the latest in "smart fabrics". There is even a bikini with integrated solar cells!
> 
> 
> Mike W9RE explained a 4-element receiving array for 160 and 80 meters at 'ZO Fest 2011. (Photo by K9ZO)
> 
> The Society of Midwest Contesters occasionally annual general meeting, known to some as the 5th ZO Fest, was held at the QTH of K9ZO in Bloomington, Illinois on Saturday, August 13. Many folks travelled over three hours just to be near the center of the Black Hole. It was satisfying to renew old friendships and welcome new folks. What a great way to have an annual meeting!
> 
> Peter Dahl, KØBIT, legendary for his transformers that powered big signals around the world, died recently at the age of 71. He opened his own business in 1986, designing and manufacturing transformers for the military, TV and radio stations and hams. Many of those transformer designs are still available from Harbach Electronics.
> 
> Web Site of the Week - On the Society of Midwest Contesters website you will find a link to their new club award/activity, the Grand Prix. The competition between club members encourages activity throughout the year. There are two VHF+ contests, three possible RTTY, two DX, domestic and two 160 meter contests. Up to nine contests can be counted for any one Grand Prix entrant. Maybe this could give your club some ideas to stimulate activity!
> 
> WORD TO THE WISE
> 
> Interlock - a software or hardware device that prevents transmitting more than one signal at any one time. This is an important new rule for multioperator stations in this year's CQ World-Wide contest. The old YSW method (Yelling, Swearing, and Waving) just doesn't cut it. Note that alternating CQs on two frequencies in the same band has been banned, as well.
> 
> 
> SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
> You know the old saw about towers and antennas, "If it stayed up last winter, it wasn't big enough!