[SFDXA] The ARRL Contest Update for July 2, 2014

Wed Jul 2 09:36:06 EDT 2014

Preview

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2014-07-02

The ARRL Contest Update

July 2, 2014
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=2014-07-02&t=t>
IN THIS ISSUE

  * World Radiosport Team Championship 2014 - At Last! <#Contests>
  * Digital auf Deutsch - DL DX RTTY <#Contests>
  * WRTC2014 - Real-Time Scoreboard Online <#News>
  * ERTC2014 - A Virtual WRTC from Europe <#Newsweek>
  * WRTC Webinar <#Sights>
  * RTTY Roundup Results Released <#Results>
  * Small But Mighty Coax <#Tech>
  * Ten Free Software Tools <#Techweek>
  * WRTC2014 - It's For You, Too! <#Conversation>

NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO

The biggest event out there for you is, of course, WRTC2014 which runs 
in parallel with the IARU HF Championship. The upcoming two-week period 
also has a large number of short CW and digital "sprints" lasting from 
30 minutes to 6 hours. Find one to fit your schedule and give it a try!

BULLETINS

The RTTY NS Sprint Contest will continue including 15 meter operation 
into September. (Thanks, N6RO)

BUSTED QSOS

Nothing out-of-line in the previous issue was reported.

CONTEST SUMMARY

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

*July 5-6*

  * CWops Weekly Mini-CWT Tests (Jul 3)
  * MI QRP July 4th Sprint--CW (Jul 4)
  * 070 Club 40 Meter Firecracker PSK31 Sprint
  * DL DX RTTY Contest
  * DARC 10 Meter Digital Corona
  * OK1WC Memorial Contest
  * QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew--CW

*July 12-13*

  * */IARU HF World Championship/*
  * ARS Spartan Sprint--CW (Jul 8)
  * NS Weekly Sprint--CW (Jul 11)
  * FISTS Summer Sprint--CW (Jul 11)
  * Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon
  * CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush--CW

NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST

After four years of preparation, it's time for the teams to go head to 
head! Don't miss the fun as WRTC returns to the United States.

Organizers of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship have announced 
that there will be a live scoreboard for tracking the team standings 
during the event on July 12-13. The Live Scoreboard 
<http://sb.wrtc2014.org/> will be directly accessible online or from a 
link on the WRTC2014 website <http://wrtc2014.org>. The site uses 
responsive design principles to provide maximum usability on desktop, 
tablet, and mobile platforms.

The scoreboard uses an innovative data collection method developed by 
Dave Pascoe, KM3T and Bob Raymond, WA1Z. Each WRTC2014 team will be 
using networked computers to log the contest. The score collection 
system will "sniff" the network traffic to obtain the latest score and 
QSO breakdown information. This data will be transmitted by cellular 
modem every five minutes back to the score processing web site.

Previous WRTC events used manual score submissions on an hourly basis. 
This will be the first to use automation to present scores in near 
real-time. The web site will show the scores of all teams ordered by 
score. The team's band breakdown, hourly rate sheet, and position for 
each hour of the contest will also be available. A leader board page 
will list the top five teams by CW contacts, SSB contacts, multipliers, 
and points per QSO. Another innovation is the ability to select multiple 
teams and compare their scores on a graph vs time. This will reveal how 
the fortunes of teams change over the 24 hours as they follow their 
various strategies for building their score.

Here's a call from the Wayback Machine - Rob Ford was a famous British 
operator who was assigned to Lhasa, Tibet after WWII. This fine story 
<http://www.wwdxc.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/July-2014-PDF.pdf> from 
the Western Washington DX Club's /Totem Tabloid/ newsletter by Robert 
KD7H tells the tale.

Teams will be shown by the calls of the team members rather than their 
over-the-air call sign. This is done to maintain fairness by keeping the 
team identity behind each call sign a secret. The teams are not allowed 
to identify themselves over the air except by their competition call sign.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

While you're at WRTC or maybe visiting New England in the future there 
is "lots of other radio/electro-geek history in the area, " such as the 
Marconi and Maritime Center <http://chathammarconi.org> in Chatham, 
although the original Marconi station is nearly lost to erosion.

  * Reginald Fessenden's tower base in Brant Rock
    <http://www.radiocom.net/Fessenden/> from which the first voice
    transmission was made.
  * Location in Boston where Alexander Graham Bell made the first
    telephone call <http://www.celebrateboston.com/first/telephone.htm>
  * Birthplace of Ted McElroy
    <http://www.telegraph-office.com/pages/mcelroy.html>, world's
    fastest telegrapher)
  * MIT Radiation Labs
    <https://www.ll.mit.edu/about/History/RadLab.html> site of so much
    radio and microwave innovation during WWII
  * And in Connecticut, the 1BCG site
    <http://www.radioclubofamerica.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65:1921&catid=38>
    at which the Radio Club of America assembled an all-star station and
    team, becoming the first to conduct a two-way trans-Atlantic QSO.
    (Thanks, Doug K1DG)

Force 12 <http://force12inc.com/> / InnovAntennas America 
<http://www.innovantennas.us/> reports doing land-office business during 
the first part of this year with 198 orders equaling the Force 12 
bookings from all of 2013. Bill AA7XT acknowledges the surge in orders 
took them by surprise. As much as he regrets anyone having to wait for 
their antenna, however, the backlog is steadily being eliminated, having 
filled 82% of all orders as of June 30. The new XR Series of Yagis 
designed by Justin GØKSC are doing quite well and the goal is to build 
up inventory to support same-day shipping of XR-3, XR5-T, and XR6 
antennas. To that end, two new permanent factory staff are on the job in 
Grand Junction, CO under the supervision of factory manager, David McKay.

The public preview period for the CQ WW DX Contest rules for 2014 ended 
on July 1 but you can see the proposed rule changes 
<http://cqww.com/blog/?p=337> on the CQ WW blog of CQ WW Director, Randy 
K5ZD

For those of you who remember the legendary W3CRA site, Bill W4ZV once 
created a model for the site and evaluated it using HFTA. His discussion 
<http://users.vnet.net/btippett/w3cra.htm> includes some interesting 
anecdotes and photos as well as the HFTA results.

Ever wonder where the phrase "The Deserving" came from or perhaps who 
invented the Big Bass Bongo? Wonder no more because /The West Coast DX 
Bulletin /is back! Written by the legendary Hugh Cassidy WA6AUD, the 
bulletins are now available for everyone to enjoy online 
<http://ncdxc.org/pages/wcdxb.html> including very issue from Volume 1 
number 1 up to and including the very last issue from 1979. Made 
available by the Northern California DX Club 
<http://ncdxc.org/pages/wcdxb.html>, the collection will be moved to its 
permanent home in the W6CF Memorial Library 
<http://www.californiahistoricalradio.com/>at the California Historical 
Radio Society in Alameda, CA. (Thanks, Rusty W6OAT)

After a bit more than four years, the NCDXF-IARU Beacon 4U1UN has 
resumed transmitting. The beacon was deactivated during the UN HQ 
Building renovation and was put back on the air Wednesday, June 18 by 
James K2QI, the 4U1UN station manager and President of the UN Amateur 
Radio Club. If you are not near a radio, you can see NCDXF Beacon System 
activity on the Reverse Beacon Net 
<http://www.reversebeacon.net/beacons/beacons_ncdxf.php> system. 
(Thanks, Steve K6UM)

Louis Frenzel W5LEF's /Electronic Design/ blog, Communiqué 
<http://electronicdesign.com/blog/make-more-electronics-diy-business-booming>, 
discusses the booming business of Do It Yourself electronics and its 
effect on encouraging students to take an interest in STEM careers. 
Sounds a lot like ham radio, doesn't it?

Larger than Mt Everest? These giant sprites are found above 
thunderstorms - I'll bet hams can bounce a signal off of them, don't 
you? (Photo courtesy of NOAA)

Recently, backyard photographers have been observing gigantic red 
sprites flickering over the USA. These electrical discharges, which 
occur high above thunderclouds, resemble enormous jellyfish and their 
glow can often be seen hundreds of miles away. One specimen highlighted 
recently on the Space Weather website 
<http://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=25&month=06&year=2014> 
would dwarf Mt. Everest, reports the photographer, Thomas Ashcraft. It 
would be interesting to see whether sprites sometimes masquerade as 
sporadic E clouds and if meteor scatter communication via sprites has 
any identifiable characteristics distinguishable from true Es.

Barry W6YE discovered this Dutch website called the Cryptomuseum 
<http://www.cryptomuseum.com/>. The site includes a lot of information 
on old radios, spy sets, and you can even order a kit to build your own 
Enigma machine!

*Web Site of the Week* - In parallel with WRTC, a European team has 
created an online "virtual" competition, the European Radiosport Team 
Championship <http://www.hamsphere.com/read.php?4,32226,32226> (ERTC). 
100 young operators will be traveling to Finland to take part in 
Youngsters On the Air (YOTA) on July 19-20. A new gateway to ham radio 
for people accustomed to the online environment, the event is held under 
the auspices of the European Union and IARU Region 1 during the weekend 
immediately following WRTC 2014.

Amanda WH6DUB kept her cool while operating at the spectacular 
ocean-side site of the Maui Amateur Radio Club, KH6RS. (Photo by NØDQD)

For the ERTC event, teams of young hams from fifteen European countries 
will get together to compete under WRTC-like rules. The only difference 
is that equipment and technology will be harmonized to an even greater 
extent than at the present-day WRTC as the games take place locally but 
in Virtual Reality within a framework which is exactly the same for all 
teams and which allows participants to concentrate fully on the secrets 
of operating prowess. But how about understanding the behavior of radio 
propagation on various bands? Not to worry since the ERTC platform 
simulates existing VOACAP-based propagation profiles on a real-time 
basis. This knowledge remains real even in Virtual Reality.

A virtual WRTC will make it easier to deal with logistical requirements; 
you only need to have access to sufficient Internet bandwidth. In a 
virtual environment, it is possible to set up e.g. qualifying races with 
no need to establish 50 radio stations for the purpose of singling out 
the teams that will ultimately enter the actual serious race. This kind 
of "ERTC radio game" is also in line with the need to reach out to young 
people comfortable in their own element as a potential source of 
newcomers to the wonderful world of Amateur Radio. The Finnish team at 
Radio Arcala <http://www.radioarcala.com/?page_id=217> (OH8X) has 
drafted a roadmap for the revitalization of Amateur Radio based on the 
concept of linking the past with the present and the future. (Thanks, 
Martti OH2BH)

WORD TO THE WISE

*/AC/* - who or what are the AC stations you might work during the IARU 
HF Championship contest? They are the IARU Administrative Council 
stations that count as multipliers along with the HQ stations. You'll 
also find stations handing out the R1, R2, and R3 multipliers from all 
three ITU regions.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&t=i&i=2014-07-02&p=0>
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

Mike K7ULS enjoyed operating under these spectacular blue skies above 
his 9000-foot elevation Powder Mountain Field Day site in Utah. (Photo 
by K7ULS)

Randy Thompson, K5ZD, one of the organizers of WRTC2014, will provide a 
WRTC 2014 Preview <https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/718400050> in 
an online webinar. It's an opportunity to look behind the scenes at the 
work that has been going on to prepare for this Olympiad of Amateur 
Radio. Randy will preview the week's schedule, the teams, the 
competition, and what you can do from home to join in the fun. A few 
competitors and other organizers may drop in as well. (Thanks, Ken K4ZW)

Check out K1DG's (operating WR1TC) historic QSO 
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/princess-elettra-marconi-praises-wrtc2014/> 
with Princess Elettra Marconi (operating KM1CC) a few days ago! But will 
she QSL? (Thanks, Randy K5ZD)

RESULTS AND RECORDS

Several new items are available from the ARRL Contest Branch: Jeff 
WK6I's writeup of the RTTY Roundup results 
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-results-articles> are online. 10 Meter 
Contest line scores <http://www.arrl.org/contest-results-articles> have 
been created by writeup author, Scott K7ZO. And Bob K3PH has contributed 
updated records <http://www.arrl.org/contest-records> for both modes of 
the ARRL International DX Contest. Thanks to these volunteers who 
support the ARRL contest program. PDFs of /QST /writeups are also being 
uploaded to the ARRL's Contest Results Articles 
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-results-articles> web page.

Which was hotter - the bands or the 108° F temperature? WD9EWK kept his 
cool and had a great time operating Field Day last weekend, even with 
the heat. (Photo by WD9EWK)

Answering several recent inquiries about availability of results from 
the 2014 GA QSO Party, complete results and a list of plaque winners are 
available on the GQP website <http://www.georgiaqsoparty.org/>. Any 
questions should be sent to the GA QSO Party Manager, Norm, WA4ZXV. 
(Thanks, John K4BAI)

The Oceania DX (OCDX) contest committee is pleased to announce that the 
results of the 2013 OCDX contest 
<http://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/2013_Results.htm> are now available. 
The organizers report a notable increase in the number of logs from 
Australia in the CW section, and from Indonesia, New Zealand and other 
countries in Oceania in both the Phone and CW sections. Certificates 
<http://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/2013_Results.htm> are now downloadable, 
as well, and the full list of records 
<http://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/2013_Results.htm> since new scoring 
rules were implemented in 2001 has also been published. (Thanks to the 
Oceania DX Contest committee of VK3MI/ZL1AZE, VK3TZ, ZL3GA, VK7GN, 
VK2HN, and VK6DXI)

OPERATING TIP

*/Don't/* - in this case meaning "Don't log it!" One mark of a seasoned 
operator is knowing when /not/ to log a QSO. When unsure of the call or 
exchange, ask for a repeat or ask the station to call later, but don't 
put a questionable QSO in your log and risk a penalty, no matter how 
juicy the multiplier might be!

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&t=i&i=2014-07-02&p=1>
TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION

Larry WØQE recommends RG-400/U for coaxial cable connections inside 
amplifiers where larger cable might not fit. It's about .200" diameter, 
PTFE dielectric, stranded (silver plated copper) center conductor, braid 
(silver plated copper) outer conductor, reasonably flexible, takes 
extreme heat and no problem with legal limit power even at 10:1 VSWR. 
Another option is RG-142 which is the same size as RG-58 and is rated at 
30MHz and 1:1 SWR to handle 3.1 kW of average power.

In many areas, it is not a good idea to use aluminum wire to expand your 
ground system due to corrosion loss of the aluminum metal in direct 
contact with the soil. Aluminum is very electronegative compared to most 
other metals and will become sacrificial as a buried component in your 
ground system. In fact, aluminum is sometimes intentionally used as a 
buried sacrificial anode for cathodic corrosion protections systems. 
(Thanks, Matt KM5VI)

Sometimes the tool boxes have to come out at Field Day. Your editor and 
Bob ADØGF were put to work making a switchable Field Day Stub - see 
Hands-On Radio <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/Hands-On-Radio/> 
Experiment #22 for complete details. (Photo by WØKAH)

As more and more of us take our operating to the highways and byways, 
the automotive environment just gets more and more complex for 
electronics. This /EDN article 
<http://edn.com/design/analog/4430561/2/Automotive-electronics--A-future-road-to-be-well-traveled>/ 
on the subject makes for some thought-provoking reading.

Larry WØQE recommends RG-400/U for coaxial cable connections inside 
amplifiers where larger cable might not fit. It's about .200" diameter, 
PTFE dielectric, stranded (silver plated copper) center conductor, braid 
(silver plated copper) outer conductor, reasonably flexible, takes 
extreme heat and no problem with legal limit power even at 10:1 VSWR. 
Another option is RG-142 which is the same size as RG-58 and is rated at 
30MHz and 1:1 SWR to handle 3.1 kW of average power.

Wow - an amplifier with one of these 3400 F (not μF, but F) 
supercapacitors 
<http://edn.com/electronics-products/other/4431249/Ultracap-boasts-3400-Farads--boosts-transportation-reliability> 
in the filter section would sure have a pure dc supply. But the bleeder 
resistors would take /forever /to discharge it! (Point of order - it's 
only rated at 2.85 V.)

 From the /Electronic Design /magazine website, here's a handy function 
generator circuit 
<http://electronicdesign.com/analog/audio-function-generator-provides-three-simultaneous-square-triangle-sine-waveforms> 
that does triple duty: square, triangle, and sine waves.

Just about the time we think vacuum tubes might finally be on their way 
out, another application of "field emission technology" (aka - "steam 
radio") makes its appearance. In this case, as a high-speed transistor 
<http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/devices/introducing-the-vacuum-transistor-a-device-made-of-nothing> 
operating in the THz region!

Ham radio operators - devices for turning coffee into contacts, of 
course! And what do we do with the coffee cans? Put stuff in them, of 
course! This project from Instructables 
<http://www.instructables.com/id/Storage-bin-rack-from-recycled-plastic-coffee-cont/> 
shows a new way to put all those empties to work.

Get ready to trim those dipoles because the speed of light 
<https://medium.com/the-physics-arxiv-blog/first-evidence-of-a-correction-to-the-speed-of-light-65c61311b08a> 
is not quite what we thought!

The WRTC committee reports that Stu, K6TU, has created hourly 
propagation forecast maps 
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/resources/propagation-forecasts/wrtc2014-4-per-page_01-jul-2014/> 
for the WRTC2014 teams. These are computed for July, SSN 80, and the 
WRTC2014 antennas and heights in central MA. And they work in reverse, 
too! Stu's propagation prediction service 
<https://k6tu.net/?q=node/add/dx-prediction-wrtc> is also available to 
home stations.

*Technical Web Site of the Week* - More free tools for the technically 
minded are listed in the /EDN/ online article "10 Free Math Analysis and 
Design Tools for Engineers 
<http://edn.com/design/diy/4431757/5/10-free-math-analysis-and-design-tools-for-engineers>."

CONVERSATION

WRTC2014 - It's For You, Too!

Four years after WRTC2010 in Moscow, WRTC2014 is almost here. A week 
before the event, as this newsletter hits the Internet, competitors and 
visitors are already on their way to Boston. The WRTC2014 team, 
consisting of nearly 500 volunteers, is hard at work putting into place 
what has been carefully planned and rehearsed. The Opening Ceremony is 
one week away on July 10^th .

Up goes the 6 meter beam at the KOØA Field Day for the St Charles 
Amateur Radio Club. That's teamwork! (Photo by WØKAH)

Even though most of the /Contest Update/ readership will be at home when 
the starting gun fires at 1200 UTC on July 12^th , WRTC is for 
everybody. In this international competition, you can do much, much more 
than just cheer. Like all radiosport, the success of these events 
/depends/ on there being as much widespread participation as possible 
from stations just like yours.

Let's get this party started! Begin with these easy ways to get up to speed:

  * Watch the 5 minute WRTC2014 intro video
    <http://www.wrtc2014.org/promo-video/>.
  * Watch the "pregame" webinar
    <https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/718400050> on Sunday, July 6,
    at 1800 UTC.
  * Read the profiles <http://www.wrtc2014.org/participants/> of the
    WRTC2014 participants - have you worked them before?
  * Ham Nation <http://twit.tv/hn> visits with WRTC2014 on Wednesday
    evening, July 9, at 9 PM EDST.
  * Watch <http://www.wrtc2014.org/video-streaming/> the Opening
    Ceremony and other social events.

Feeling that WRTC spirit, yet? Ready to get on the air and have some 
fun? Get on the air and work the teams during the IARU HF Championship 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests>!

  * Each contact with a WRTC2014 team
    <http://www.wrtc2014.org/competition-callsigns/> earns 5 points for
    the ARRL Centennial QSO.
  * Join the "WRTC2014 Chase
    <http://www.wrtc2014.org/competition/participation-awards/>" to work
    all 59 teams or the most band modes.
  * Keep an eye on the live scoreboard <#News> during the contest.
  * Quick! Send your Cabrillo-formatted log to iaruhf at arrl.org
    <mailto:iaruhf at arrl.org> within six hours - become an Assistant Judge!

Finally, after you've cleaned up the shack and gotten back to regular 
life, you can watch the video of the Closing Ceremony 
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/video-streaming/> to see who won.

This is the most-connected WRTC yet. We've followed the event as it grew 
from the 22 teams visiting Seattle in 1990, to the West Coast six years 
later in San Francisco, sailed over the Atlantic to Slovenia in 2000 and 
Finland in 2002, across the Equator in 2006 to Brazil, and in 2010 to 
the plains of Moscow. After 18 years, as it returns to the United 
States, you, too, can be a member of the WRTC family. We'll be listening 
for you - don't miss the chance to be part of it!

73, Ward NØAX

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&t=i&i=2014-07-02&p=2>
CONTESTS

*July 2 through July 15*

An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral in PDF format 
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> is available. Check the sponsor's 
Web site for information on operating time restrictions and other 
instructions.

*HF CONTESTS*

*/IARU HF World Championship--Phone,CW, from Jul 12, 1200Z to Jul 13, 
1200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RST and IARU zone. Logs due: 30 
days. Rules <http://www.arrl.org/contests> /*

CWops Weekly Mini-CWT Tests--CW, from Jul 3, 1300Z - See website. 
Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Weekly on Wednesday, 28 to 
38 kHz above band edge. Exchange: Name and member number or S/P/C. Logs 
due: 2 days. Rules <http://www.cwops.org/cwt.html>

MI QRP July 4th Sprint--CW, from Jul 4, 2300Z to Jul 5, 0300Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and QRPMI number or power. Logs 
due: 30 days. Rules <http://www.miqrp.org/>

070 Club 40 Meter Firecracker PSK31 Sprint--Digital, from Jul 5, 8 PM to 
Jul 6, 2 AM. Bands (MHz): 7. Exchange: RST and S/P/C. Logs due: Jul 19. 
Rules <http://www.podxs070.com/>

DL DX RTTY Contest--Digital, from Jul 5, 1100Z to Jul 6, 1059Z. Bands 
(MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST and serial. Logs due: Aug 9. Rules 
<http://www.drcg.de/>

DARC 10 Meter Digital Corona--Digital, from Jul 6, 1100Z to Jul 6, 
1700Z. Bands (MHz): 28. Exchange: RST, serial. Logs due: 14 days. Rules 
<http://www.darc.de/referate/ukw-funksport>

OK1WC Memorial Contest--Phone,CW, from Jul 6, 1630Z - See website. 
Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5, 7. Weekly on Monday, see 
website for bands. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. Logs due: 5 days. Rules 
<http://www.memorial-ok1wc.cz/>

QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew--CW, from Jul 6, 2000Z to Jul 6, 2359Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, QRP number or power. Logs due: 14 
days. Rules <http://www.qrparci.org/contests>

ARS Spartan Sprint--CW, from Jul 8, 0200Z to Jul 8, 0400Z. Bands (MHz): 
3.5-28. Monthly on the first Monday evening. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and 
power. Logs due: 2 days. Rules <http://www.arsqrp.blogspot.com/>

NS Weekly Sprint--CW, from Jul 11, 0230Z to Jul 11, 0300Z. Bands (MHz): 
1.8-14. Exchange: Serial, name, and S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days. Rules 
<http://www.ncccsprint.com/>

FISTS Summer Sprint--CW, from Jul 11, 2000 EDT to Jul 11, 2400 EDT. 
Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, name, FISTS number or pwr. 
Logs due: 30 days. Rules <http://www.fists.org/operating.html#sprints>

Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from Jul 12, 1200Z to Jul 13, 
2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, member nr if 
member. Logs due: 5 days. Rules <http://www.skccgroup.com/>

CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush--CW, from Jul 13, 2000Z to Jul 13, 2159Z. 
Bands (MHz): 14. Exchange: RST, serial, category, CQC member nr. Logs 
due: 30 days. Rules <http://www.cqc.org/contests>

*VHF+ CONTESTS*

MI QRP July 4th Sprint--CW, from Jul 4, 2300Z to Jul 5, 0300Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and QRPMI number or power. Logs 
due: 30 days. Rules <http://www.miqrp.org/>

Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from Jul 12, 1200Z to Jul 13, 
2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, member nr if 
member. Logs due: 5 days. Rules <http://www.skccgroup.com/>

LOG DUE DATES

*July 2 through July 15*

  * July 5 - CWops Mini-CWT Test <http://www.cwops.org/cwt.html>
  * July 7 - AGCW VHF/UHF Contest
    <http://www.agcw.org/index.php/en/contests-and-cw-activities/vhf-uhf-contest>
  * July 7 - Alabama QSO Party
    <http://www.alabamaqsoparty.org/2014/2014Rules.pdf>
  * July 7 - Stew Perry Topband Challenge <http://www.kkn.net/stew/>
  * July 7 - Ukrainian DX Classic RTTY Contest
    <http://urdxc.org/rtty/rules.php?english>
  * July 10 - ARS Spartan Sprint <http://www.arsqrp.blogspot.com/>
  * July 11 - Marconi Memorial HF Contest
    <http://www.arifano.it/contest_marconi.html>
  * July 13 - WAB 50 MHz Phone
    <http://wab.intermip.net/Contest%20Rules.php#OtherRules>
  * July 14 - His Maj. King of Spain Contest, SSB
    <http://concursos.ure.es/en/s-m-el-rey-de-espana-ssb/bases/>
  * July 14 - RSGB 80m Club Championship, CW
    <http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2014/r80mcc.shtml>
  * July 15 - REF DDFM 6m Contest
    <http://concours.ref-union.org/reglements/actuels/reg_ddfm50_fr_201303.pdf>

ARRL Information

Click here <mailto:ads at arrl.org> to advertise in this newsletter, space 
subject to availability.

Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information

*Join or Renew Today!* <http://www.arrl.org/join>**

ARRL membership includes /QST/ <http://www.arrl.org/qst>, Amateur 
Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox 
each month.

Subscribe to /NCJ/ - the National Contest Journal 
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj>. Published bimonthly, features articles by top 
contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.

Subscribe to /QEX/ - A Forum for Communications Experimenters 
<http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bimonthly, features technical 
articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to 
radio amateurs and communications professionals.

/Free of charge to ARRL members:/ Subscribe 
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#%21/edit-info-email_subscriptions> 
to The ARRL Letter (weekly digest of news and information), the ARES 
E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), 
Division and Section news -- and much more!

/ARRL offers a wide array of //products/ 
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store>//to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur 
Radio. Visit the site often for new publications, specials and sales.

Donate <https://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form> to the fund of your 
choice -- /support programs not funded by member dues!/

Reprint permission can be obtained by sending email to 
permission at arrl.org <mailto:permission at arrl.org> with a description of 
the material and the reprint publication.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's 
Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal> and SM3CER's 
Contest Calendar <http://www.sk3bg.se/contest>.

	Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2014-07-02&t=r&p=0>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2014-07-02&t=r&p=1>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2014-07-02&t=r&p=2>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2014-07-02&t=r&p=3>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2014-07-02&t=r&p=4>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ARRL Contest Update is published every other Wednesday (26 times 
each year). ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by 
editing their Member Data Page as described at 
http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/.

www.arrl.org <http://www.arrl.org/>