AA8U wrote:
>
> I noticed the usual assortment of anti-contest "turf protectors" this
> weekend during SS SSB.
>
> This is not news, but I think I found a new "SSTV window" at or about > 3812.
I was tuning around on 75 last night and listened in for quite a while
on 3813 +/-. Looks like the usual assortment of W5 pig farmers and
hanger-on wanna-be farmers. One guy was bragging about bypassed TX SSB
filters in his TS-xyz and how he can send an SSTV signal that's over 15
KHz wide. He was demo'ing it too !
It sounds like they have a beef with the "anti-farmers" on 3815 and with
contesters in general. I guess they were sending unflattering pix of
both groups to each other.
I don't think we've heard the last of THIS bunch. What ever happened to
peer pressure ???
Oh, at least they all seem to be pretty puny-weak compared to the REAL
professional QRM'ers from roughly 82 KHz higher...if they trash you,
laugh at 'em and tell 'em to get a signal.
---------------------------###-----------------------------
PROBE ELECTRONICS 100 Higgins Road, Park Ridge IL 60068 USA
Keith J. Morehouse / W9RM / Society of Midwest Contesters
847-696-2828 FAX: 847-698-2045 e-mail: blckhole@ripco.com
---------------------------###-----------------------------
>From aa9ax@iglou.com (Steven Sample) Tue Nov 19 17:22:24 1996
From: aa9ax@iglou.com (Steven Sample) (Steven Sample)
Subject: Incomplete exchange
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.961119121317.4398A-100000@iglou2>
On Mon, 18 Nov 1996 rkaufman@magic.mb.ca wrote:
>
> I found most people generally adhered to the "proper excchange"
> in the "proper order" rule. Before criticizing some of the stuff
> you heard on the bands, it is important to remember that some
> stations may omit the call when doing a "fill".
> eg/ VE4GV to W1ABC
>
> VE4GV to W1ABC - "You're 456 A VE4GV 72 MB"
> W1ABC to VE4GV - "QRM , all again , please."
> VE4GV to W1ABC - " This is VE4GV, 456 Alpha, Check 72 Mike Bravo"
> W1ABC to VE4GV - "Qsl tnx"
<snip>
Rob...I have no problem with that either. We are not talking about
"fills" or "newbies". We are talking about experienced, seasoned
contesters who omit the call in the exchange
time-after-time-after-time-after-time.............This was not an error. I
(and apparently others) mentioned that the call is a part of the exchange,
but were not graced with a response. Not seeking a confrontation or
argument on the air, I simply went on. I heard the same station doing the
same thing several times for good periods of time. I was just playing
around and teaching others, so I had time to listen. It was very
annoying.
Thanks,
Steve / N9FD
> > Personally, I have no problem doing this because I have sent the
> correct exchange at least once. The rest is fills. I did also
> notice that many who did NOT use the proper format had low
> scores, were newbies or just dabbling. I do agree that NOT
> sending your call at ANY time in the exchange defeats the purpose
> of the original intent of the contest. ie/ Message handling.
> Experienced contesters should not "cut corners".
>
> As a sidenote: I'd be interested to know how many of us
> Sweepstakes types actually have handled "traffic " (with a
> message number) in the last year. I know I haven't. ( Shame on
> me) While we retain this exchange as a part of the contest, its
> relevance to its original intent probably has been lost on
> contest types.
<snip>
It's a challenging and fun "skill-builder" which sets the tone for the
contest season. It is extremely popular, hence I wonder if it really
needs to have any changes considered. I think not.
Steve / N9FD
...
> >
Rob VE4GV > SS SSB
> 1505 x 77 SO LP
>
>
>
>From zlau@arrl.org (Lau, Zack, W1VT) Tue Nov 19 17:25:00 1996
From: zlau@arrl.org (Lau, Zack, W1VT) (Lau, Zack, W1VT)
Subject: Subj:Re: Are QRP skills transferrabl
Message-ID: <m0vPtxL-000fDAC@mgate.arrl.org>
Steve K7LXC wrote:
> Class Q ops are used to rejection, Class B ops aren't. I think the
>list goes on and on. It might be a good excercise for everyone to try Q
>once. The lessons might be very interesting. Hey, anyone can run 1.5KW
and
>sit on one frequency for hours, right? Anyone going to pick up the
guantlet?
>
I did that last year with KH6CP/1/QRP and W1AW/QRO.
I had no trouble running stations on 20 meter SSB from the HQ club
station with the little tribander and a kW. Much easier than working
guys on 75M with the QRP station. Even picked up a couple
tough mults on scatter--so I even tried for the sweep... despite
not having the 40/80 meter antennas available.
20 meters was a lot of fun with QRP this year--even worked
VY1JA, who did a great job of controlling the pileup. I seemed
to work everyone I heard! The challenge was deciding whether
to work on the sweep or pile on the points. Normally, by Sunday
morning some 7 or 9 lander has already blown me away, but this
year I didn't find any QRPers with huge numbers to automatically
decide the issue.
Since I'm usually competing against guest ops at
N6BV, K1EA, K1DG, K1VR, or some other big station, this
year I used the club station's tribander for 6 hrs instead
of the usual wire out the apartment window.
Just 7 months till I get to try out the call in June VHF test from
Vermont--Zack W1VT. 346 x 74 (no AK, KH6, SB, KY)
>From becker@SPRINTMAIL.COM (Tony and Celia Becker) Tue Nov 19 16:31:58 1996
From: becker@SPRINTMAIL.COM (Tony and Celia Becker) (Tony and Celia Becker)
Subject: W6BIP turned 85 / FLA CQWW op. available
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19961119163158.3a470da0@pop.a001.sprintmail.com>
Hi All!
I am indebted (as are many Bay Area hams over the past several decades) to
Wilbur (Bip) Bachman for much useful advice on reducing RFI and neighbor
relations obtained two weeks ago during the SS CW M/S operation at W6BIP in San
Francisco. My job was to listen to Bip lecture on technical topics while
Scott, N1EE, passed out the SF multiplier for the CW faithful. Bip has not
been well with a back problem and so was only able to operate for a few of
those famous side-swiper CW QSOs. The hospitality was superb for the entire
weekend, ending with a concert by YF Elsie, who plays a mean set of 88 keys
too.
Lets all remember to say a loud THANK YOU to Bip and wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
as Bip turned 85 last Saturday, the 16th, then overcame these obstacles last
Sunday morning to pass out the SF multiplier on SSB!
Wilbur E. (Bip) Bachman
880 Dartmouth Street
San Francsico, CA 94134-1828
TEL: 408-808-2200
CQWW CW: I will be arriving at the Tampa Bay airport on Saturday afternoon, and
can make time to relieve the weary revelers before joining YF and her parents
for the holiday in Sarasota. Please email me if interested.
AE0M, Tony Becker - becker@sprintmail.com - Silicon Valley, U.S.A.
>From k5na@bga.com (Richard L. King) Tue Nov 19 17:39:52 1996
From: k5na@bga.com (Richard L. King) (Richard L. King)
Subject: Incomplete exchange
Message-ID: <199611191739.LAA14801@zoom.bga.com>
Some SS operators have always done things to the SS exchange to speed it up
and enhance their final score.
Back in the days when the Sweepstakes covered two weekends of operating the
same mode, the date was a part of the exchange. For example, if the SS
started at 2100Z on Saturday - November 2th, you would send send "Nov 2" at
the end of the exchange. At 0000Z, you would switch to sending "Nov 3", and
so forth.
Then some rule-twister got the bright idea of just sending "DATE" on all
three different days of the SS. This reduced the sending station's paperwork
(remember it was paper logs back then) and put the burden of filling in the
date on the receiving station. This practice caught on to the point where
almost everyone was just sending "DATE".
Then the ARRL tried to correct this practice by changing the date to be sent
from the current date to the operator's birthday. This eliminated the
practice of just sending "DATE" in the exchange because the date became a
variable and you heard all kinds of dates being sent. Years later I was
talking with a well-known SS contester in Houston and he made a comment that
today was his "SS Birthday". I asked, "What do you mean?" He replied that he
had never used his real birthday because he didn't like sending it on CW and
had chosen a birthday more suited to keeping his rate up in the SS contest.
I guess I was naive because I had never thought about the possiblitiy of
doing this and had never heard of anyone doing it before. But from my
conversation with him, I deduced that it was a fairly commonplace occurance.
I'm sure that's one of the reasons that the ARRL eventually dropped sending
the date in the SS exchange.
I guess the moral of the story is that some contesters will ALWAYS look for
loopholes.
73, Richard
K5NA@BGA.COM
http://www.realtime.net/~k5na
>From rlboyd@CapAccess.org (Rich L. Boyd) Tue Nov 19 17:57:09 1996
From: rlboyd@CapAccess.org (Rich L. Boyd) (Rich L. Boyd)
Subject: call in SS exchange
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91-FP.961119125245.973J-100000@cap1.capaccess.org>
The other side of giving the call as part of the exchange is that it may
eliminate the need to give the call after the QSO. If you've just given
your call 5 seconds earlier in the exchange, when the other stations QSLs
you can come back with "QRZ?" If anyone says "Call?" which they
occasionally do, those who came upon your frequency in that last 5
seconds or somehow couldn't pick it out from the chaff of the rest of the
exchange, you give your call, no problem.
The best thing about giving the call as part of the exchange is that it
keeps the rhythm, which is very helpful to people logging. The call is
a part that definitely needs a fill anyway, and even if you don't need a
fill, hearing it again to confirm you got it right doesn't hurt.
Sending the entire exchange in the order it's expected and that all the
logging programs are set up for definitely helps keep the guy on the other
side on track. If you keep it all standard you can rip it off quicker
too. Otherwise you may have to slow the whole thing down. 73 - Rich Boyd,
KE3Q
>From tree@lady.axian.com (Larry Tyree) Tue Nov 19 18:02:25 1996
From: tree@lady.axian.com (Larry Tyree) (Larry Tyree)
Subject: Omitting callsigns
Message-ID: <199611191802.KAA16206@lady.axian.com>
K0WA noted:
> Thanks for the "nice" response. I'm sure glad that we did the "right" way
> for 99.999999 percent of all contacts. In the late 70s....almost all the
> top gun contesters were omitting the call...saying, "455 B 12 Ohio" I
> really didn't hear very much of this on the air this weekend. But, we have
> to have someting to talk about here on the reflector.
Yes, I can remember some people doing this. However, it seems most
people have come to realize it makes sense and do it.
I think a larger percentage of the QSOs where all the information isn't
sent at one time are the QSOs with people who are not in the contest.
Are the following two cases really any different?
CQ CONTEST K7RAT
n6tr
N6TR 123 QUEBEC K7RAT 67 OREGON
roger 37 B 67 oregon
Thanks K7RAT contest
versus
CQ CONTEST K7RAT
n6tr
N6TR 123 QUEBEC K7RAT 67 OREGON
what do you need for the contest?
I NEED YOUR QTH?
oregon
I NEED THE YEAR YOU WERE FIRST LICENSED?
1967
HOW MUCH POWER ARE YOU RUNNING?
4000 watts
AND AM I YOUR FIRST CONTACT IN THE CONTEST?
yes
GREAT THANKS FOR THE CONTACT 73 K7RAT
I doubt anyone has a problem with the second example being a
valid two way QSO.
I argue that in both cases, all the information that was necessary
to count the QSO was exchanged. I don't believe the rules are trying
to tell you the information has to be exchanged in one transmission.
While I am not trying to suggest not saying your call is a good idea
(I think it is what people are expecting and is a good idea), but
I think that pretending these QSOs are "illegal" and should be removed
from your log is going too far.
On a different note, concerning working dupes - ALL of the top
contenders don't work dupes if we don't have to. It takes less time.
On CW, I think there was a total of three logged dupe QSOs amongst
the top three stations. These typically occur when a callsign was
copied wrong at the start of the QSO and after correcting it (because
the guy sent his call during his exchange) it becomes a dupe. I
had two of them, Gator had one and Todd had zero.
I take great care to make sure people are calling me, and not someone
next to me. If I suspect this might be happening, I will ask for a fill
even if I already know it just to make sure (the best one to ask for is the
number as it is less confused than check/section/prec).
The date for the next SprINT has been picked. It will be on Saturday night
(USA local time) on December 21st - probably at 02Z on 40/80 meters. Complain
to N5KO who was in charge of picking the date this time. Whoever complains
the loudest gets to pick the next date. I continue to work on K2MM to get
the results out from the last one (so we can find out who came in second),
but so far, to no avail. This advanced information is your reward for
reading to the end of this message!
73 Tree N6TR
The ham previous known as WB6ZVC
The ham sometimes masquerading as K7RAT
The ham not known as N7TR
tree@contesting.com
>From jjr@databook.com (Jim Reisert) Tue Nov 19 18:09:53 1996
From: jjr@databook.com (Jim Reisert) (Jim Reisert)
Subject: QSO B4!!
Message-ID: <9611191809.AA06456@sttng.databook.com>
On Tue, 19 Nov 1996 10:33:13 CST, Scott Ellington K9MA wrote:
> Just work the dupes, claim zero points, and get on with the
> contest!
Besides, it keeps the rate meter up!
- Jim AD1C
--
Jim Reisert <AD1C@tiac.net>
http://www.tiac.net/users/ad1c/
>From lenrev@wwa.com (Len Revelle) Tue Nov 19 18:20:18 1996
From: lenrev@wwa.com (Len Revelle) (Len Revelle)
Subject: 40 meters and SS SSB
References: <1.5.4.32.19961118200038.006f09ac@southwind.net>
Message-ID: <3290fce3.9351349@sashimi.wwa.com>
On Mon, 18 Nov 1996 14:00:38 -0600, you wrote:
>Ladies........and Gentlemen
>
>
>What are people's experience with 40 meters this weekend? I am =
interested
>in comments as to band conditions on 20-40-and-80. Any 160 meter =
activity? =20
>
>Seven-trees
>
>Lee
>k0wa@southwind.net
>
>
Checked 160 during both sessions and never heard any SS traffic.
********************************
| Len Revelle lenrev@wwa.com |
| Illinois CIS 72607,1320 | =20
| KE9YR AMA 60055 |
********************************
>From n4to@ct.net (Victor A. Dubois) Tue Nov 19 18:41:02 1996
From: n4to@ct.net (Victor A. Dubois) (Victor A. Dubois)
Subject: Harbach Electronics
Message-ID: <3.0.16.19961118181636.1a0fd8de@ct.net>
Contesters and DXers may want to check out the new web page from Harbach
Electronics. You will find info on the popular SB220 and SB200 upgrades, as
well as some neat stainless antenna hardware including great boom to mast
brackets and element to boom saddles, etc., for those that like to "roll
their own".
The e-mail address is:
http://www.harbach.com
For the record, I have no connection to Harbach Electronics, other than
that of a very satisfied customer.
73,
Vic N4TO
n4to@ct.net
>From Bill.Gallier.KQ4GC@postoffice.worldnet.att.net (Billy R. Gallier) Tue
>Nov 19 18:55:08 1996
From: Bill.Gallier.KQ4GC@postoffice.worldnet.att.net (Billy R. Gallier) (Billy
R. Gallier)
Subject: Vanity calls
Message-ID: <19961119185506.AAA21875@LOCALNAME>
Called FCC today and was advised that all applications received after
day one of Gate 2 are being held. It is understood that a couple hams
have filed litigation claiming their courier delivered their applications
prior to gate 2 opening.
Now, I am one of the few hundred that did not get a vanity call. None of
my choices were available when my application came up. I re-submitted on
the 7th of November with another 25 choices. My first application was there
at 0001 on the 23rd. I just was not lucky in the lottery!
It is not my fault that someone picked a courier that delivered their
application too soon or to late! It is not the fault of the FCC.
Thousands of calls have been issued and
hundreds of others are patiently waiting in hopes of a new call.
Your help is needed! Let us not have to wait any longer for something
that we have already waited too long for. A couple of cry babies and sore
losers shouldn't be allowed to hold up gate 2 any longer. Your swift and
timely action is required.
de KQ4GC ARRL member!!
Bill Gallier
KQ4GC
bill.gallier.kq4gc@worldnet.att.net
>From HWDX09A@prodigy.com ( ROBERT REED) Tue Nov 19 18:13:20 1996
From: HWDX09A@prodigy.com ( ROBERT REED) ( ROBERT REED)
Subject: SSTV Window
Message-ID: <199611191813.NAA26628@mime4.prodigy.com>
Isn't it wonderful that an SSTV'r could come on, warn you, then take
over the frequency.
With everything else, times and technology change. SSTV is in the
phone portion only because of the bandwidth it occupies. As a
functional item it should be relegated to a seperate area such as
RTTY, Packet and Amtor.
SSTV operators have for many years shown a lack of respect for Part
97 by starting up transmissions as QRM to SSB signals. To expect
respect from an SSTV operator is a joke.
I wonder the responce at the FCC to a proposal to restrict SSTV to
the higher less active bands especially VHF. We now have almost
double the amateur population from when SSTV started. Some form of
control is needed as respect obvisouly doesn't work.
I've often thought of buying SSTV gear just to create a closed loop
tape telling SSTV'rs just my opinion of their actions.
____
73, Bob Reed, W2CE, ex WB2DIN
1991 Route 37 West - Lot 109
Toms River, New Jersey 08757
>From oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu (Derek Wills) Tue Nov 19 19:12:47 1996
From: oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu (Derek Wills) (Derek Wills)
Subject: Subj:Re: Are QRP skills transferrable?
I can just imagine the pile-ups, with people shouting "QRO STATION!!
QRO STATION!!! QRO STATION!!!!!"".
I'd have a lot more respect for QRP ops if they didn't do their "QRP
station!!!" thing. I realize they don't all do it, but enough of
them do that it annoys me. If I am QRP, the most I'll do is thank
someone with a 72 rather than a 73.
They say Englishmen never boast, so long as they can make it quite
clear what it is they are not boasting about.
Derek G3NMX, AA5BT (ex-AA5BT)
oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu
|