[SFDXA] The ARRL Contest Update for June 19, 2013

[Bill]

Preview

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2013-06-19

The ARRL Contest Update

June 19, 2013
Editor: Ward Silver, NØAX <mailto:rate-sheet at arrl.org>
/Contest Update/ Archive <http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/>
Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contests/calendar.html>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2013-06-19&t=t>
IN THIS ISSUE

  * Field Day Arrives - Get Out and About! <#Contests>
  * North of the 49th - Canada Day Contest <#Contests>
  * CQ World Wide - New Rules and Survey Results <#News>
  * A VHF+ Website of Fun
    <#Newsweek>
  * On the Border - WØW <#Sights>
  * Three New ARRL Extended Results Packages <#Results>
  * Batteries Aloft - Rules of the Road <#Tech>
  * Low-Band Receiving by AA7A <#Techweek>
  * Meet the Managers <#Conversation>

NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO

Field Day - not really a contest unless you want it to be a contest - is 
a two-way opportunity for hams new to HF. Opportunity number one is to 
learn more about HF operating! You can get "chair time" on phone, CW, or 
digital as an operator or assistant so have at it. Opportunity number 
two is to mentor (a.k.a. "Elmering") another new ham, whether licensed 
for HF or not, so they learn about HF, too. You understand their 
questions and need for information better than any of us old-timers, so 
help another ham onto the HF Express!

BULLETINS

Tree N6TR writes in to note that the log-checking robot for the Summer 
Stew <http://www.kkn.net/stew/> contest has been properly re-configured. 
If you sent in a log and got a reject message - please resubmit.

BUSTED QSOS

The URL for the Amateur Radio High-Altitude Ballooning 
<http://arhab.org/> website is arhab.org, not arhab.com. (Thanks, Art W4AA)

CONTEST SUMMARY

Complete information <#Contests> for all contests follows the 
Conversation <#Conversation> section

*June 22-23*

  * *ARRL Field Day*
  * SARL Top Band QSO Party (Jun 20)
  * NAQCC Milliwatt Sprint--CW (Jun 20)
  * His Majesty King of Spain--Phone
  * Marconi Memorial HF Contest--CW

*June 29-30*

  * Worldwide EME Contest
  * Full Day of Hell--Digital
  * Canada Day Contest (Jul 1)
  * Ten-Ten Spirit of 76 QSO Party (Jul 1)

NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST

CQ World Wide Contest Director, Randy K5ZD reports, "On May 31 the CQ WW 
DX Contest Committee released a preliminary draft of the 2013 contest 
rules and asked for public review and comment. We are very happy with 
the interest and feedback that we have received. There have been enough 
changes made based on the feedback that we want to release a second 
draft <http://cqww.com/blog/?p=164> in order for review." In addition, 
he also notes that, "The results of the CQWW Participant Survey 
<http://cqww.com/blog/?p=150> are now available for public download. The 
PDF file contains 222 pages of results and the comments submitted along 
with the survey. It provides some interesting insights into how 
contesters view the CQWW from the perspective of various geographic and 
operating interests. Thanks to everyone that responded to the survey. 
The inputs did influence the new 2013 rules draft that are currently 
under public review."

Dramatic weather didn't prevent Dave NN1N/R from activating DN64 on 6 
meters from just west of Buffalo, Wyoming during the June VHF Contest. 
(Photo by KB1GAT)

The W9DXCC Convention has reached the tender age of 61 and will be held 
on September 21^st at the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. 
The banquet speaker will be ham radio's notable Nobel laureate, Joe 
Taylor K1JT. There will also be a session of DX University on September 
20^th from 9 AM to 5 PM - contact Jack W9MU <mailto:jack at W9MU.net> for 
registration information. The full convention details and registration 
mechanics can be accessed online <http://www.w9dxcc.com/>, as well. 
(Thanks, Jim N7US)

If you have a Curacao QSL in your collection, it's likely that Jeff K8ND 
has a copy. As an unofficial historian of contest operations from 
PJ-land and frequent PJ2T operator, he refers us to "an article in the 
October 1968 issue of CQ Magazine by John Thompson W1BIH (SK) about the 
winning PJ3CC operation from Curacao 
<http://www.k8nd.com/Radio/CQ_1968Oct_HowToMake5MillionPoints_PJ3CC_smaller.pdf> 
in the 1967 CQWW CW Contest. Operators included W1BIH, W4KFC, W3GRF, 
W4GF, W1TX, and W1FJJ (now W1FJ). This was the first of many, many 
successful multi-op efforts from Chet Brandon's (PJ3CC and PJ3EE) Coral 
Cliff Hotel, which opened in January 1964. It started off a long history 
of contesting from Curacao and Bonaire, and was W1BIH's first exposure 
to the island that he made his second home (as PJ9JT). John had Chet 
build his house on the property adjoining the Hotel grounds soon after 
this contest operation."

Stop. And this time we really mean it! From the Daily DX 
<http://dailydx.com/>, "Come July 15, one of India's oldest 
communication services - the telegram - will become history." This 
online story 
<http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bsnl-to-shut-down-telegram-> 
relates some of the history of the service and the decision to close it. 
Although the concepts behind the telegraph were developed in the 1820s 
by Faraday and others, Samuel Morse is credited with building the first 
working telegraph system, sending the first telegram 
<http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/atthtml/morse2.html> from Washington, DC to 
Baltimore on 24 May 1844. Thus, nearly 170 years of brass pounding over 
the wires comes to a close - that's an extraordinary lifetime for a 
communications service, especially considering the rapid pace of change 
today.