I could _almost_ say that I look forward to returning to work on Monday
morning to see what has popped up on the reflector over the weekend. I must
say that the talk of IOTA and 10-X 'scam' got me annoyed: firstly the
original posting had nothing to do with contests. The volume of items
appearing on the reflector has caused G3SXW to unsubscribe again: please
can we limit stuff to contest-related topics? Since it was raised on this
forum I have to say that no-one who knows the facts could believe that the
IOTA programme is done to make money. The charge for the directory is done
to cover costs, no more. G3KMA and his team put in a vast amount of effort,
unpaid, to provide a popular award programme. Please don't knock it. By the
way I am not an award chaser or DXer, I'm a contester.
The RX noise floor figures were interesting. I always like to read claimed
scores and am interested to see what rigs and antennas people are using. A
while ago on here, someone said he was going to upgrade his rig and wanted
to know which rig contesters would recommend, Icom Yaesu or Kenwood. Why
do most of you Americans ignore Ten-Tec, your indigenous producer? It seems
me that with the likes of GW3YDX, G3OAY, G4BUE, G4BUO, G3LNS, G0IVZ all
using Ten-Tec, these rigs are more popular over here than they are in their
home country. Are American contesters really beguiled by pretty front panels
rather than good RX performance?
Dave G4BUO
>From Rich L. Boyd" <rlboyd@CapAccess.org Tue Jun 13 04:02:45 1995
From: Rich L. Boyd" <rlboyd@CapAccess.org (Rich L. Boyd)
Subject: Summary: Tower Cement
Message-ID: <Pine.3.07.9506122343.B6724-8100000@cap1.capaccess.org>
Friend of mine says the Rohn book specifies square OR round holes.
Round is easier if you have a tractor with PTO or other piece of gear to
use -- or you can rent a power augur I guess.
Rich Boyd KE3Q
>From becker@shell.portal.com (Tony and Celia Becker) Tue Jun 13 02:31:23 1995
From: becker@shell.portal.com (Tony and Celia Becker) (Tony and Celia Becker)
Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT: INTERNET FIELD DAY CHALLENGE RULES
Message-ID: <199506130432.VAA23556@nova.unix.portal.com>
INTERNET FIELD DAY CHALLENGE
The Internet FD Challenge is a separate competition within the existing ARRL
Field Day event. This contest-within-a-contest has two objectives for the
experienced operator: providing a more challenging contest operating
experience combining FD rates with section multipliers, while attracting and
training new contest operators by over-the-air example and direct mentoring.
To encourage this mentoring and entice you all to enter, the competition is
limited to Multi-Single and Multi-Two categories with extra transmitters
allowed if they are operated by new operators in a manner similar to the
existing Novice station Field Day rule. Defining who is a new operator is
left to the honor system. Basically, if you are a consistent winner, you are
an expert operator. We decided not to adopt the rating system described in
the May/June 1995 issue of NCJ, but you may refer to it to help you decide
whether you are already an expert.
The IFDC scoring rules retain all of the standard FD scoring of QSO points,
including the CW X2 multiplier and the power level multipliers. Bonus
points are not included. Standard FD logging procedures are used to
determine the QSO points, which are then multiplied by the SS style section
multiplier to calculate the IFDC score.
To enter the Internet FD Challenge, here is what you have to know and do:
1. OPERATOR CLASSES: New Operators are defined as operators who have never
won a major contest award. Expert Operators are those of you who have been
listed, either singly or as part of a multioperator group, in QST, NCJ or CQ
in a Top-Ten box, or as a Divisional, Sectional or County Leader in SS, CQP
and other regional QSO Parties (Novice Roundup leaders are considered new
operators). Use your good judgement and remember, we all get to see your
choices. You know who you are.
2. ENTRY CATEGORIES: Competition is open to all Class A and Class B
groups including the 5W battery-powered option, with no limit to the number
of transmitters. (The A and B classes are defined in FD rules, pg. 133, May
QST). To enter in the Multi-Single category you must limit yourself to 24
expert operator hours, (27 if you setup after the contest starts). To enter
in Multi-Two you must limit yourself to 48 expert operator hours (54 if you
setup after the contest starts). For example, you and your regular MS buddy
can go out with the local 5A club, limit yourselves to 27 hours each, and
enter the IFDC as a Multi-Two. The Internet FD Challenge does not include a
Single-Operator category.
Once an expert operator has initiated operation at a transmitter, a minimum
of 15 minutes must be logged. Any outside assistance (packet spotting,
etc.) may be used, and the results of a Novice Station as defined in the FD
rules may be included in the scoring. Except for SS-type multiplier scoring
and limited entry categories, all other ARRL Field Day Rules apply. You
must have submitted your regular entry to ARRL.
3. MENTORING NEW OPERATORS: During the contest look for some serious
contesters doing serious rates in the usual places, show a little extra
patience and QRS when asked. Put in the effort to show the new guys and
gals how to log and maximize both QSOs and Multipliers and let them have the
operating time to do it. Keep track of your operating hours for each
expert operator. You can use the OpOn or Note features of CT, NA, TRLog, or
WriteLog to keep track of operating time, and learning how to use the
computer is part of training New Operators (See Appendix). It OK to use
paper logs and transcribe to electronic form later too.
The participation of one or more expert operators is encouraged but the
Internet FD Challenge is open to all operators with no limit on operating
time of new operators. Time used by expert operators coaching or assisting
new operators does not count toward the expert's time limit, so long as the
new operator is doing the operating.
4. SCORING: The Internet FD Challenge multiplier is the number of sections
worked; the sixty-nine ARRL sections are listed on Pg. 8 of any QST, and the
RAC sections are MAR, PQ, ONT, MB, SK, AB and BC plus NWT/Yukon. Each
station can be worked for scoring credit on as many band/modes as possible,
but multiplier credit is given for each section only once, regardless of band
and mode. (like SS). A Clean Sweep is 77 sections, for which there is a
separate award.
The Internet FD Challenge score is the number of FD QSO points multiplied by
the number of ARRL/RAC sections worked. FD QSO points are the same as
defined in the FD rules: 2X the number of CW contacts plus 1X the number of
SSB contacts made on any of the FD bands and modes, multiplied by the FD
power multipliers (X5 for 5W battery, X2 for 150W maximum, X1 otherwise).
QSOs and multipliers by a Novice Station as defined in the FD rules may be
included in the Internet FD Challenge score.
No Bonus points will be credited for the Internet FD Challenge.
5. REPORTING: Make up a summary sheet, showing the number of sections
worked and separate lists of new operators and expert operators, with expert
operating times identified. Don't forget to include number of transmitters
and their power levels, including any novice station. E-mail the summary
sheet with the above information to AE0M, at the e-mail address below by
midnight, PDT, Sunday, July 2, 1994 (the following weekend).
6. AWARDS: A modest plaque will be awarded to the top scorers in the M/S
and M/2 classes. Certificates will be sent to the top-scoring group in each
ARRL/RAC section. A suitable trinket will be sent to each group reporting a
clean sweep, subject to receiving $5 to cover costs by U.S. mail with a copy
of the summary sheet.
A summary will be posted on the contest reflector and a full report sent to
the NCJ editor ASAP.
Appendix A
Tracking operator time with Computer Logging Programs
TRLog doesn't track operator time automatically, but there is a feature that
allows you to add a note to the log where you can indicate when the operator
has changed. After the contest, you just manually tally up the times.
(Thanks Tree, N6TR)
WriteLog has no automatic facility to track operator time, but it can be
used as follows: Add a column to the log, as you may for any contest in
WriteLog, enter the operator start/stop times into these columns and add
them up after the contest manually. (Thanks Wayne, W5XD)
CT by K1EA will automatically track your expert operating time. Just
remember to do an OPON and enter the operator each time you change
operators. CT enters the operator and the time interval in the .OPR file,
and then helpfully displays the current operator in the summary window. At
the end of the contest just add up the times for the expert operators.
NA has a note function which may be used to track the operator. Do an
(Alt-N) and enter the operator each time you change operators. NA adds a
timestamp and and stores both in the .NOT file. At the end of the contest
just compute the times for the expert operators.
If your favorite is not listed here, you can probably figure something
similar out or you can even use paper and pencil.
The Internet FD Challenge rules are the result of numerous inputs from
contest club members and contest reflector subscribers, and were developed
in consultation with W6QHS and WN4KKN.
E-MAIL address: (for summary sheet)
AE0M, Tony Becker - becker@shell.portal.com - Silicon Valley, U.S.A.
U.S. mail address: (enclose $5 for clean sweep trinket and allow 6 weeks)
Tony and Celia Becker
3273 B Rocky Water Lane
San Jose, CA 95148
>From Brian Short <ke7gh@PrimeNet.Com> Tue Jun 13 06:47:23 1995
From: Brian Short <ke7gh@PrimeNet.Com> (Brian Short)
Subject: VHF Contest Score
Message-ID: <199506130547.WAA13826@usr1.primenet.com>
ARRL VHF QSO PARTY -- 1995
Call: KE7GH Category: Single Unlimited
BAND QSO QSO PTS GRIDS
50 297 297 132
144 12 12 4
222 0 0 0
432 11 22 5
903 0 0 0
1.2 2 6 1
2.3 0 0 0
3.4 0 0 0
5.7 0 0 0
10G 0 0 0
24G 0 0 0
LHT 0 0 0
-----------------------------------
Totals 322 337 142 = 47,854
Equipment Description:
Very modest station, satellite equipment, antenna regulations.
YAESU FT-736R (50, 144, 432, 1296). Mirage A1015 (50), B1016 (144), D1010 (432).
M2 6m5 (50) 5el @ 35'. KLM 22C (144), 40CX (432), 44LBX (1296) @ 20'.
CT 9.10 w/DVP.
73 de KE7GH
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