[SMCARA] ARRL Rookie Roundup Contest

[Tom Shelton]

Next weekend is the ARRL Rookie Roundup...  Next Sunday (18 April) will be the SSB version of the contest...  RTTY is in August and CW is in December...

This contest replaces the old Novice Roundup, which was the first contest I ever participated in (back in the day)...  So, it has a special place in my memories.  As I recall, I only made about 25 or 30 contacts, all on 10 meters, using a Collins KWM-2A tranceiver (I wish I still had that rig) and an inverted-V mounted about 10 feet above my roof on PVC pipe and tied off to my fence.  

The rules are here: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2010/rr.html

The stated purpose for the contest is:  "For newly-licensed operators in North America (including territories and possessions) to experience competitive Amateur Radio by exchanging information with as many other stations as possible on the 80, 40, 20, 15, 10 and 6 meter bands.  Experienced operators are strongly encouraged to participate and help new operators - either on the air or in person."

I'd like to see the club really embrace this - If you received your ticket in the last 3 years (2008-2010) and would like to do this contest - please let the folks on the reflector know.  If you have your own HF and/or 6M station and would like to use that for the contest, or if you don't have an HF/6M station and would need to work from someone else's station, please let us know.

More experienced hams, when someone posts here and asks for help (and if you can provide it) please hook up with them and do what you can to get them on the air...

Tom Shelton 

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