The recent discussion about contest exchanges bubbles up now and
again. Keep in mind that many of the new contests created today
do have meaningful exchanges. Among them is GridLoc. The exchange
is a name and grid square, which provides personal information and
location information that is more exact than country or zone. For
those interested, the rules of GridLoc are below:
----------------------------------------------------------------
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 rhummel@monad.net (Rob Hummel) Mon Apr 8 17:58:20 1996
From: rhummel@monad.net (Rob Hummel) (Rob Hummel)
Subject: RFC: New CONTEST station
Message-ID: <199604081658.MAA05763@top.monad.net>
Hi. Well, I suppose it's my turn to impose on the sage audience here and
solicit some advice. I recently aquired a new QTH with the idea of building
a high-performance single-op contest station. I'm working with available
materials and antennas and a great many preconceived notions, but am very
open to advice and suggestions.
The site is the peak of a mountain-ette, approximately 1600 ft ASL. The
highest object on the general horizon is approximately 3 degrees above
horizontal. One mountain, 30 miles due south, is approximately 7 degrees
above horizontal. The house sits on the southern slope. The ground rises
about 35 feet as you travel to the north and is fairly flat for about a 400'
x 1200' area at that elevation. The 1600ft area is very rocky (granite
ledge); the NE portion of the property is flat and level pasture that sits
at about 1500 ft elevation. I do not want towers in the pasture. Here's a map:
-----------------------------------------+
| ( ) |
| House ( +1600ft ) |
| ( ) |
| |
|-------------------+ |
| B |
| | . flat & level|
| | . |
| | . |
v | . +--------+
NE | . |
| . |
| |
| |
| |
|-----------+
Here's what I have planned for my initial setup this summer.
Tower 0:
60' aluminum attached to house
VHF/UHF h/v/circ pol beams for non-HF contest weekends
Tower 1:
140' of Rohn 25G located at the SE part of the 1600ft area.
At 140', a Tennadyne 10-element log periodic (10/12/15/17/20) (already own it)
Above that a 40-2cd (own it)
Yaesu SDX-1000 rotator (own it)
Feedline is 1" catv hardline with a ameritron coax switch at top of tower
(own it)
At 60' a 10-4cd fixed to EU or carribean, can't decide. (own it)
At 120', a 30' pipe through the tower pointed NW/SE holding a 2-el 80m delta
loop switchable phased array in a cardiod pattern, hardline fed.
Tower 2:
140' of Rohn 25G located about 300' NW of Tower 1.
At 140', a Sommer multi-element beam (10/12/15/17/20/30/40) (own it)
Fed with 1" catv hardline.
Yaesu SDX-800 rotator (own it)
At 120', a 30' pipe through the tower pointed NE/SW holding a 2-el 80m delta
loop switchable phased array in a cardiod pattern, hardline fed.
Probably a beverage to EU on the pasture and a sloper for 160?
Left Over (any ideas?):
R5 vertical
90' Rohn 25G
72' Wilson tubular crank-up
1/2-mile 3/8 catv hardline (possible feed for beverage?)
Hardline up the wazoo (incl 1/2" alum and 7/8 50-ohm andrews stuff)
Eventually, I plan to evolve to stacked monobanders on 4 towers. But this is
what I thought might get me through to the next sunspot maximum.
Please direct any ideas, comments, or criticisms to rhummel@monad.net.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Rob -- WS1A
Rob Hummel (WS1A) <rhummel@monad.net>
>From aa4lr@radio.org (Bill Coleman AA4LR) Mon Apr 8 19:25:31 1996
From: aa4lr@radio.org (Bill Coleman AA4LR) (Bill Coleman AA4LR)
Subject: Another Attack on Contesting and non-contest QRG
Message-ID: <v01540b04ad8f084de804@[206.28.194.40]>
>I think non-contest frequencies is, much to my (and others) dismay, an
>issue we are going to have to deal with soon. There has already been a
>precedent for non-contest freq's set with the elimination of 28.300 to
>28.350 during the ARRL 10 Meter contest. I imagine this elimination of
>spectrum during contest weekends will likely increase, despite what I
>think are reasonable arguments why there SHOULDN'T be restrictions.
If there are going to be non-contest segments, then there should be
non-net, non-ragchew, contest-only segments.
There are ALREADY 250 kHz of non-contest band segments on HF. They are
called the WARC bands -- 30m, 17m and 12m. 12m is pretty useless at this
point in the sunspot cycle, and 30m is CW and digital only. But 17m is
relatively underused and has virtually the same characteristics as 20m. If
these folks REALLY want to get away from contest QRM -- there's a place
they can go.
I don't see why we contesters have to change OUR practice of the hobby on a
few weekends a year to suit those who are too lazy to avoid the problem in
the first place.
Bill Coleman, AA4LR Mail: aa4lr@radio.org
Quote: "Not in a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
>From Tony Brock-Fisher <fisher@hp-and2.an.hp.com> Mon Apr 8 19:41:48 1996
From: Tony Brock-Fisher <fisher@hp-and2.an.hp.com> (Tony Brock-Fisher)
Subject: measuring coax cable loss
Message-ID: <9604081841.AA23432@hp-and2.an.hp.com>
>However, I would expect that at some frequency
>within measurement range the SWR of the antenna itself would almost always
>be high enough that cable loss down to a fraction of a dB could be measured
>quite accurately.
>Scott K9MA
...but how do you know when you're at that frequency? Just because you may
have found an SWR peak doesn't mean you can tell if the loss is in the
cable, or due to real radiation...
-Tony, K1KP, fisher@hp-and2.an.hp.com
>From Sante ( IK0HBN )" <ik0hbn@isa.it Mon Apr 8 21:05:25 1996
From: Sante ( IK0HBN )" <ik0hbn@isa.it (Sante ( IK0HBN ))
Subject: EL2PP RISKS HER LIFE!
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19960408185738.26c7b726@net.isa.it>
>From Italian TV news we know that in Liberia people are fighting in the roads.
Monica and her family have their house surrounded by local fighters who have
just killed a person in her garden.
No water, no food, no power: she is trying to charge car batteries to supply
radio equipments.
In this evening tv news we heard her asking (in a phone call to italian
government) help to abandone that house....
We hope they will save their life. If things would be worse, stay tuned..may
be radio would be the only chance to contact putside helps.
See you in pile up!
73 de Sante
Sante LILLO (IK0HBN)
Localita' Saineta, 3
01030 Bassano in Teverina (VT) Italy
home telephone: +39 (0) 761-407543 (FAX on request)
E-mail: ik0hbn@isa.it
packet adr: IK0HBN@I0INU.IUMB.ITA.EU
DX cluster : IK0HBN > I0JBL-6
>From Bill Fisher KM9P <km9p@akorn.net> Mon Apr 8 20:37:40 1996
From: Bill Fisher KM9P <km9p@akorn.net> (Bill Fisher KM9P)
Subject: Yaesu Reflector update
Message-ID: <Pine.BSD/.3.91.960408153611.20887B-100000@paris.akorn.net>
1000@xyzoom.alegria.com
For FT1000 owners.
990@xyzoom.alegria.com
for FT990 owners.
However, there seems to be sentiment that these are inactive. If popular
opinion is that these are dead, I will start a yaesu reflector. Email me
please.
73
Bill, KM9P
>From Sante ( IK0HBN )" <ik0hbn@isa.it Mon Apr 8 22:49:58 1996
From: Sante ( IK0HBN )" <ik0hbn@isa.it (Sante ( IK0HBN ))
Subject: EL2PP RISKS HER LIFE!
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19960408204220.2547919e@net.isa.it>
>From Italian TV news we know that in Liberia people are fighting in the roads.
Monica and her family have their house surrounded by local fighters who have
just killed a person in her garden.
No water, no food, no power: she is trying to charge car batteries to supply
radio equipments.
In this evening tv news we heard her asking (in a phone call to italian
government) help to abandone that house....
We hope they will save their life. If things would be worse, stay tuned..may
be radio would be the only chance to contact outside helps.
Last news from Liberia say that other peoples tried and saved themselves
refuging in Monica EL2PP house......
See you in pile up!
73 de Sante
Sante LILLO (IK0HBN)
Localita' Saineta, 3
01030 Bassano in Teverina (VT) Italy
home telephone: +39 (0) 761-407543 (FAX on request)
E-mail: ik0hbn@isa.it
packet adr: IK0HBN@I0INU.IUMB.ITA.EU
DX cluster : IK0HBN > I0JBL-6
|