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Announcement: GridLoc '96

Subject: Announcement: GridLoc '96
From: barron@liant.com (Robert Barron)
Date: Fri Mar 29 16:05:17 1996
For those of you who wondered,  yes,  there will be a GridLoc
contest again this year.  Here are the details.  George and
I are toying with the idea about prizes for the winners...

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

International HF Grid Location Contest (GridLoc)

I. Announcing
    Second annual International HF Grid Location 
(GridLoc) contest.

II. Objective
    For Amateur Radio operators around the world to 
contact other Amateurs in as many Maidenhead grid 
squares as possible during the contest period.

III. Contest Period
    1200 UTC April 13 to 1200 UTC April 14, 1996 
(Second full weekend of April).  All entrants may operate a 
total of 18 of the contest's 24 hours.  Off periods must be 
no less than 30 minutes.

IV. Operator Classes
    There is only one power class (less than 150 watts).
    1. Single Operator, phone only, CW only and mixed 
mode.  One person performs all operating and logging 
functions.  Use of spotting nets, DX Alert Packet Systems, 
telephone, etc., is not permitted.
    2. Multi-Operator, Two Transmitter.  Mixed mode.  
Only 1 signal per band permitted.  Once a transmitter has 
made a contact on a given band it may not change to 
another band for at least 10 minutes.  All transmitters and 
receivers must be located within a 500 meter diameter 
circle or within the property limits of the station licensee's 
address, whichever is lesser.  The antennas must be 
physically connected by wires to the transmitter.
    3. Rover.  Mixed mode.  One or two operators of a single 
station moving between two or more grid squares during 
the contest, and making contest contacts, using the same 
equipment and antennas at each site.  A rover station should
sign "rover" after their callsign for voice and "/R" for CW.

V. Modes
    Contacts may be made using CW or SSB.

VI. Bands
    All HF bands (160-10 M) excluding the WARC bands 
(30, 17, 12 M).

VII. Valid Contacts
    A given station may be contacted only once per band 
mode from a given grid square.  Rover stations may be 
worked once per band mode in each grid square they visit.

VIII. Exchange
    All stations must transmit a proper Maidenhead grid 
square (i.e. EM10) and an operator name.  If the 
Maidenhead grid square is unknown stations may be 
counted for QSO credit only.

IX. QSO Points
    Count 1 QSO point for each valid contact made during 
the contest.

X. Multiplier Points
    Count 1 multiplier point for each Maidenhead grid 
square worked per band, not per band mode.  Stations not 
supplying valid Maidenhead grid squares do not count for 
multiplier credit.

XI. Final Score
    Total QSO points times the total multipliers equals the 
total claimed score for all entrants except rovers.  Rover 
stations must add the total number of QSO points from 
each grid,  add the total multipliers from each grid and 
multiply these to produce the final score.

XII. Score Submission
    Log submissions should be sent within 30 days of the 
end of the contest to:
Internet: geoiii@bga.com  Mail: GridLoc
                                P.O. Box 180703
                                Austin, TX 78718-0703
GridLoc is an Open Log contest and all log submissions 
become the property of the GridLoc organizers.

XIII. Awards
    To be decided.

Q. Are there any rules changes this year?
A. Yes.  This year stations may be worked once per band 
mode instead of just once per band.  This rule change 
aligns GridLoc with other multi-mode contests (like the 
IARU HF Championships).  For example,  mixed mode 
stations may work each other on 20M phone and then again 
on 20M CW.  Both QSO's count for 1 point but any 
multiplier credit applies only once.

Q.  Why use Grid Squares as multipliers?
A. More common than countries and zones,  Grid Squares 
provide a large number of multipliers which can be worked 
on each band.  This makes the flavor of this contest 
different from any other since WPX multipliers can not be 
worked on each band.

Q.  How do I determine my Grid Square?
A. There are a number of ways to determine this.  Ask 
other amateurs in your area (especially VHF operators) 
what the grid square is.  If no is knows either consult the 
ARRL grid square map (which will be useful only if your 
community is clearly within a grid's boundary) or type in 
the BASIC computer program available from the ARRL 
Operating manual.  It will determine your grid square 
based on longitude and latitude.

Q.  Why is the contest 24 hours long?
A.  To give everyone around the world equal opportunity 
to operate at peak propagation hours.

Q.  Why does it start at 1200UTC (7AM CST)?
A.  This start time gives everyone around the world ample 
time to get home from work on Friday and prepare for the 
contest the next day.  The contest ends before Monday all 
over the world.

Q.  Why limit stations to 150 watts of power?
A.  One hundred fifty watts is more than enough to work 
stations around the world.  Higher power would raise QRM 
levels on the bands and result in complicating the GridLoc 
rules with the additional categories.

Q.  What are the suggested frequencies?
A.  There are no suggested frequencies.  However it is 
expected that most activity will be centered around the 
lower edge of the general sub-bands and the Novice/Tech 
portions of the 10 meter phone band.

Q.  Are there any DX awards for HF Grid contacts?
A.  Yes.  The Japanese Amateur Radio League offers the 
Worked All Grid award to Amateurs who work stations in 
100 or more Grids.  Endorsements are available for 
multiples of 100 additional grids.  For more information 
write to:
    The Japan Amateur Radio League, Inc.
    Award Desk
    14-2, Sugamo 1-Chome, Toshima-ku,
    Tokyo 170, Japan

Q.  Why are packet spotting systems not allowed?
A.  Packet is not allowed for single operators only.  An 
entry using a packet spotting network would be part of the 
multi-two category with "net" as one of the operators.

Q.  What is an "Open Log Contest"?
A.  An Open Log Contest is a contest in which operating 
logs submitted for entry to the contest organizers are made 
available to the public.  It is the intention of the GridLoc 
organizers to make all of the submitted logs available 
electronically.  This allows everyone to study the 
techniques of the top operators and to analyze logs using 
common software tools.

Q.  Do any logging programs support GridLoc?
A.  N6TR's logging program TRLog supports the GridLoc 
contest starting with version 5.19.  W5XD's logging 
software WriteLog (for Windows) now includes a GridLoc 
multiplier module.

Q.  Will there be any awards?
A.  Yes.  The organizers will produce awards based on the 
amount of activity for the contest.  At this time it is certain 
that continental winners in each operating category will 
receive certificates as will the top ten scorers in each 
division worldwide.  Certificates for the top college clubs 
are also planned.

Q.  Where will the results be published?
A.  There are several possibilities being investigated.  The 
organizers hope to have the results published so as to reach 
the most Amateurs as possible.

73,

Robert Barron, KA5WSS                 barron@liant.com
Liant Software Corporation            Hook 'Em Horns!

>From Keith Morehouse-WB9TIY <blckhole@ripco.com>  Fri Mar 29 22:26:26 1996
From: Keith Morehouse-WB9TIY <blckhole@ripco.com> (Keith Morehouse-WB9TIY)
Subject: OH2BH Solid-State Amp?
References: <Pine.3.02.9603282318.A17278-b100000@solaria.sol.net>
Message-ID: <315C6392.650B@ripco.com>

Gary Schwartz wrote:
>
> It is stated that this amplifier covers 160M-10M and uses a switching 
> power supply.  The whole thing weighs in at only 20 pounds and fits in 
> a suitcase.
> 
> Does anyone have any details of this amplifier that could be
> shared with the multitudes? 

Yeah sure...no problem.

Its a special amp, made in Finland with a once-a-year production run, 
usually toward the first week of April.

It uses special, state of the art transistors, patented by Nokia, that 
operate on 150V DC and are proven to be 300% efficient.  The special 
switching power supply also runs at efficiencies greater then 100% by 
using ferrites doped with Absolute Vodka mixed with raindeer dung.

Rumor has it that one can be bought off-the-shelf in Hong Kong for under 
HK100,000 as long as you know the secret VS6WO handshake and can produce 
the proper platinum SIM card to power up Steve's DCS1800 portable phone.

Any OTHER questions ?

---------------------------###-----------------------------
PROBE ELECTRONICS 100 Higgins Road, Park Ridge IL 60068 USA
Keith J. Morehouse / WB9TIY / Society of Midwest Contesters
847-696-2828  FAX: 847-698-2045  e-mail: blckhole@ripco.com
---------------------------###-----------------------------

>From Brian K. Short" <ke7gh@primenet.com  Sat Mar 30 01:09:31 1996
From: Brian K. Short" <ke7gh@primenet.com (Brian K. Short)
Subject: ETO 91B Amplifier?
Message-ID: <01BB1DD5.95B61BC0@ip010.phx.primenet.com>

Anyone have any comments on the new Alpha?
Any problems with key down RTTY 1.5kw RTTY
contesting?  Any other pros/cons?

73 de Brian


>From Fred Hopengarten" <k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com  Fri Mar 29 02:03:13 1996
From: Fred Hopengarten" <k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com (Fred Hopengarten)
Subject: Power
Message-ID: <315b44e7.k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com>

On Fri, 29 Mar 1996 00:01:53 +0100 (MET), jirka@jimaz.cz wrote:

> While writing this there is one legendary station - I5NPH, he was probably the
> EU beacon having larger antennas than anyone else and also running much much
> bigger power than anyone else, I have not heard him or of him for years now,
> does someone know what happend with the station ???

>                             Jiri - OK1RI     jirka@jimaz.cz

K1VR:  I had occasion to visit I5NPH once.  Next time you
are in the Boston area, ask to see the photos.  The
antennas, as you suggest, were  REALLY BIG.  So was ONE
amplifier.  The rest were Alpha clones ~1500-2000 w.  I
believe that he has returned to working in the construction
industry (roads and bridges) in the Arab Middle East.  Nice
guy.  Soft spoken.  Amazing ability to think large, and in
my lifetime, I've seen a lot of large.
-- 
                      Fred Hopengarten K1VR
           Six Willarch Road * Lincoln, MA 01773-5105
     home + office telephone:  617/259-0088 (FAX on demand)
                   internet:  k1vr@k1vr.jjm.com
            "Big antennas, high in the sky, are better
                       than small ones, low."

>From Big Don <bigdon@eskimo.com>  Sat Mar 30 02:52:52 1996
From: Big Don <bigdon@eskimo.com> (Big Don)
Subject: Super QRO contesters.
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.92.960329184720.27490C-100000@eskimo.com>

On Wed, 27 Mar 1996 lun!shawn.lightfoot@lis.ab.ca wrote:

> It seems lately there has been a few threads about the use of over legal
> limit power use on the major contests.
> Anyone that is going to dispute this had better get their head examined,
> because I have personally talked to some 'testers who admit to using as
> much as 5 KW. These are just the ones I have talked to.
>
> It's really no wonder the young guys are skeptical about contesting.
> Every contest is ladended with signals that park in one spot and seem to
> be the only ones heard from dawn to dusk during bad condx.
> I have a modest setup, but certainly never run over legal limit. I don't
> even own an amplifier that is capable of HALF the leagl limit.
> The FUN is gone out of contesting for some people, as it seems that the
> focus has shifted from haveing fun to win win win at all costs.
> [...]

Big Don was at a ham convention back in the 70's where a representative
from, uh, a company that manufactured a 2X8877 (~ 5KW) amplifier allegedly
for "export," was asked how many of these did he think were in use in the
USA (one of them was on display...).

"Hundreds..."




>From Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@avana.net>  Sat Mar 30 04:23:26 1996
From: Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@avana.net> (Ed Tanton N4XY)
Subject: More Power
References: <960329101337_457845148@mail06>
Message-ID: <315CB73E.796@avana.net>

I don't know that 5KW is all THAT shocking, but feel compelled to point 
out it is absolutely illegal. I have never understood the morals, or 
character, or whatever, of people who can be proud of a so-called 
achievement obtained by illegal means. It isn't a grey area. The law 
allows a certain power level, and that is that for me. No offense to 
those who are discussing the subject abstractly-and full offense 
intended to those who regularly ignore those regulations. Presumably, 
those willing to cheat in one category would be perfectly willing in any 
other. I guess that says what they are. 
-- 
        Ed Tanton  N4XY  (770) 971-0436  Marietta, GA
        email: n4xy@avana.net   URL: Coming Soon

>From Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@avana.net>  Sat Mar 30 04:47:11 1996
From: Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@avana.net> (Ed Tanton N4XY)
Subject: QRO
References: <v01540b09ad805c91e056@[206.28.194.40]>
Message-ID: <315CBCCF.2B38@avana.net>

You are wrong Bill. I personally know three two-hole Alphas in regular 
use within 5 miles of my QTH. I think it IS incorrect to pick on 
contesters alone for only 2 of the three EVER contest, and only 1 of 
those is a SERIOUS contester. The one who does not really contest is the 
only one who DOES-to my knowledge-use RG-17, the occasional contester is 
thinking about it (and having QRO-related problems), and I simply do not 
know about the third-just his amplifier brand. NONE of the three are 
involved in RTTY, so it ain't a duty cycle thing. I have to 
suspect/expect ANY non-RTTY 'player' who buys (or builds) an amplifier 
having 3000W plate dissapation plans to use it-occasionally or often, 
it's still against the law and cheating, contest-wise. Personally I just 
couldn't enjoy a falsely obtained award. I guess 'they' don't feel like 
that. 73
-- 
        Ed Tanton  N4XY  (770) 971-0436  Marietta, GA
        email: n4xy@avana.net   URL: Coming Soon

>From ni6t@ix.netcom.com (Garry Shapiro)  Sat Mar 30 06:21:50 1996
From: ni6t@ix.netcom.com (Garry Shapiro) (Garry Shapiro)
Subject: Power
Message-ID: <199603300621.WAA05229@dfw-ix11.ix.netcom.com>

You wrote: 
>
>How about a contest for real worl ops:
>
>Tribanders at 50 feet
>NO amps allowed
>Wire sloper or dipole on 40 & 80 (one for each band allowed)
>and minimum S7 noise on all bands.
>
>We might find some REAL operators !!!
>
>gl in WPX to all de Bob AA9DX
>
>
 Ther IS such a contest!

It is called the World Radiosport Team Championships. Except for the 
minimum noise level, your suggested requirements are quite close to 
what the invited teams will have to work with. Of course, there is no 
such scrutiny on everyone else who enters, but you get the picture. 
That's in July, and it is sponsored by the Northern California Contest 
Club with over 50 invited teams. The updates appear regularly on this 
Reflector.

Garry, NI6T

>From markom@medphys.ucl.ac.uk (Marko Munih)  Sat Mar 30 09:56:21 1996
From: markom@medphys.ucl.ac.uk (Marko Munih) (Marko Munih)
Subject: Multi kW power
Message-ID: <9603300956.AA11091@medphys.ucl.ac.uk>


It is one very funny thing, 

As was pointed out earlier ...

I can not sustain not to laugh always when I see
multi kW user with tiny (aka RG214) coax leads, 
and it happened quite a few times until now.

>From my experience, it is usually possible to make good 
score or win with legal limit power, and also being infront
of multi-heat user with approx. equal anntenna setup.

Marko

G/S50K

>From w7ni@teleport.com (Stan Griffiths)  Sat Mar 30 13:31:30 1996
From: w7ni@teleport.com (Stan Griffiths) (Stan Griffiths)
Subject: More Power
Message-ID: <199603301331.FAA14049@desiree.teleport.com>

>Presumably, 
>those willing to cheat in one category would be perfectly willing in any 
>other. I guess that says what they are. 
>-- 
>        Ed Tanton  N4XY  (770) 971-0436  Marietta, GA
>        email: n4xy@avana.net   URL: Coming Soon

I don't think it follows that those who would exceed the speed limit in
their cars would necessarily cheat on their wives . . . nor would those to
smoke a joint necessarily file a fraudulent tax return . . . nor would those
who run 5 kw necessarily operate sibeband in the cw segment . . . etc. etc. etc.

Stan w7ni@teleport.com


>From fhays@agt.net (Franklin M. Hays VE6NU)  Sat Mar 30 16:56:43 1996
From: fhays@agt.net (Franklin M. Hays VE6NU) (Franklin M. Hays VE6NU)
Subject: No subject
Message-ID: <199603301656.JAA26623@agt.net>

nomail


>From silver@ax.apc.org (Carlos Augusto Silveira Pereira)  Sat Mar 30 17:56:03 
>1996
From: silver@ax.apc.org (Carlos Augusto Silveira Pereira) (Carlos Augusto 
Silveira Pereira)
Subject: TS850S Filter
Message-ID: <199603301756.OAA09487@fama.ibase.br>

If you have to buy just one IF Filter for the TS850S (limited budget
reasons) for CW operation, which filter would you buy? Why?

YK-455-C1
YK-455CN-1
YK-88C-1
YK-88CN-1

Thanks for the info in advance!

73,


Carlos - PY1CAS
E-mail: silver@ax.apc.org


>From Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@avana.net>  Sat Mar 30 20:05:27 1996
From: Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@avana.net> (Ed Tanton N4XY)
Subject: More Power
References: <199603301331.FAA14049@desiree.teleport.com>
Message-ID: <315D9407.249F@avana.net>

Ah but Stan, speeding has nothing to do with cheating on your wife, and 
marijuana little to do with tax returns. Excessive/illegal power run 
while contesting (or DX'ing) has a direct relationship with ham 
radio-after all, why buy it if you're not going to use it, etc. I simply 
mean to imply that SOME contesters and SOME DXers DO intentionally defy 
the rules, and with that defiance willingly flaunt their disrespect for 
the rest of us. Hence I have little or no use for them. Sooner or later 
maybe it'll catch up to them, but even if it does not, THEY know they 
didn't do it legitimately. It's a matter of character-or the lack 
thereof. 73
-- 
        Ed Tanton  N4XY  (770) 971-0436  Marietta, GA
        email: n4xy@avana.net   URL: Coming Soon

>From Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@avana.net>  Sat Mar 30 20:16:48 1996
From: Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@avana.net> (Ed Tanton N4XY)
Subject: More Power
References: <m0u345g-00021AC@cleese.nas.com>
Message-ID: <315D96B0.47FB@avana.net>

Hi Dale... I understand your position... but I also believe that you 
either obey the laws or choose to operate outside them. I CHOOSE to obey 
them-and to try very hard to change those I really dislike. Often it 
gets back to that old saying about worrying about the things you can 
change, and not worrying about the ones you cannot. I picked on this 
topic to pursue mostly because all this power stuff IS unnecessary. It 
IS NOT something that limits our ability to QSO in a contest. It ONLY 
determines the order in which we may contact a certain difficult 
station, or hold down a certain frequency-neither of which matters one 
bit EXCEPT to several greatly inflated egos. I do not personally believe 
there is EVER a situation where 1.5KW will not eventually result in a 
QSO, nor is there a situation where 5KW will get through when 1.5 NEVER 
would have. I can wait my turn, legally. We very well may have too many 
laws... but a society without laws is not a society at all. It is 
anarchy. Everything after that is a matter of determing the least 
intrusive laws that will provide the highest degree of freedom. 5-10 kw 
output just isn't in that category. Thanks for your comments & 73.
-- 
        Ed Tanton  N4XY  (770) 971-0436  Marietta, GA
        email: n4xy@avana.net   URL: Coming Soon

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