DOCSLIB.ORG

Contesting Tips for Little Pistols

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Contesting Tips for Little Pistols CQDX CQDX CQDX de W7DX CQDX CQDX CQDX de W7DX CQDX CQDX CQDX de W7DX July 2014 Contesting Tips for Little Pistols By Dan Zeitlin, K2YWE A Webinar Courtesy of the Worldwide Radio Operators Foundation (This is Part 2 of the webinar, with Part 1 shown at the June meeting.) July 2014 WWDXC Meeting Now only $20, including Tax and Tip! Robb’s 125th Street Bar and Grill North 125th Street and Aurora Avenue North Please RSVP your dinner plans to Adam, K7EDX [email protected] July 8, 2014 Dinner at 6:30 - Program at 7:30 DX Info Sources John Owens, N7TK ([email protected]) Discovering what countries (sorry, “entities”) are currently operating on the bands and getting a confirmation (QSL or LOTW) once you work them has become easier in one sense with the flood of electronic information and more difficult in another sense, as the amount of available information is almost overwhelming. Below are some very useful websites that will help solve these problems. If you have other sites that you have found helpful and think should be on this list, please send the info to me at [email protected] and I’ll include them in future issues. Useful DX Sites The Daily DX (www.dailydx.com) (subscription service but can’t be beat for timely info) The DX Zone (www.dxzone.com/catalog/) Internet Ham Atlas (www.hamatlas.eu) Announced DX Operations DX World (http://dx-world.net) (look for the “DXW Weekly Bulletin”) NG3K Amateur Radio Contest/DX Page (www.ng3k.com/Misc.adxo.html) DXing Info (www.dxing.info/dxpeditions) Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin (www.payays.com/opdx1044.html) QSL and Manager Info Pathfinder (Pathfinder.exe) (http://www.dxlabsuite.com) (Click on QSL Info) QSL Manager Lookup (www.IK3QAR.it/manager) K3WWP QSL Routes (http://home.windstream.net/johnsan/dx_ss_routes.html) HamQTH Callbook (www.hamqth.com/)_ ORCA DX and Contest Club (www.orcadxcc.org/index.html) (Good access to QRZ.com) Global QSL (Card design and bureau QSL service-print and mail) (www.globalqsl.com/) QSL Card Design—Maximizing Your Chances of a Getting a Return QSL Bill Everett, W7OO I have been sending out QSL cards in volume since the early 1980s. During that time, I have learned what works for me and what does not. The QSL design criteria below are not mandates—instead, they are just a compilation of what I have learned over the years and been told by others with more experience than I have about maximizing your chance of getting a much-desired QSL card in return. With today’s pricing everyone should have a full color card on the front and back. A color QSL front and back costs less than $0.10 each. Look at what you have spent on your station. You sure can afford a few cents for QSLs. All of the work is done on the back of your card. The front is just to catch someone’s eye or to look good if posted on a QSL brag wall. Everyone should be using a computer and logging program these days. It saves a bunch of time and is more accurate. When it comes time to send QSLs, you can just choose the label format you designed your card around and print labels. Front of Card Design Reason The front of the card should be a pretty Everyone likes a good picture. picture of your shack, antennas, or some Receiving interesting QSLs is the main picture of the local area that shows reason some exchange them. something of interest. Your call should be on the front of the You are proud of your call and want it card in a big font so it can be read from to be visible on the front of your card. at least 5 feet. Back of Card Design Reason The back of the card is the business The DX station or his manager receives side. All of the information needed to many QSLs. You want to make it as return a card to you should be here. easy as possible for him/her to return a card to you. On the left side of the back of the card If the DX station needs to return a card include the following: Your Call in a to you, this is where they are going to fairly large font, name and address. get your address. If you are DX, it is Include your country as part of the important to have your country on the address. card so there is no confusion about where you were located. Include your 4-digit grid square and There are many people that collect your county separated by some blank counties and grid squares. Make it easy space below your name and address. for them and include this information on The separation is needed so someone in your QSL. a foreign country does not think they are part of the address. In the lower left corner include a box for I have actually encountered one DX PSE QSL and one for QSL TNX. You station that says on his QRZ.COM page can also include the WWDXC totem that if you do not check a PSE QSL box pole, ARRL logo, and FOC logo in this on your card he figures you don’t need area. his card and does not send one back. In any case you want to tell the DX station that you expect a card in return for yours. In the lower right corner of the card put The more pictures (information) you a second picture that will be of interest include on your card, the more to your recipient. You can also use this interesting it is. area for text describing your equipment or giving more information about the area you are located in. In the upper right corner of the back, The ARRL bureau system asks that the leave room for a label with QSO call of the station you are sending the information. Hopefully the call of the card to be on the back upper right station you worked is at the top of the corner. They have accepted every card I label in bold print. have sent with the call on a label. Between the QSO label and the picture I can get four QSOs on a single label. in the lower right corner have your card For the big DX-expeditions where I printed with QSL Via with a line work them more than four times I can ___________________. Chose a type put two labels on a card and cover up face color so if you have to put a label part of the picture on the back and the over the QSL Via it will not show QSL Via line. through. Do not include a border around the label If there is a border the slightest miss- alignment of the label looks really bad. It is much better (and faster for you) to not have to worry about a border when you are applying the QSO label to the card. Again, this is just my thinking on how a QSL should be designed. There is nothing cast in stone. If you feel you have a better idea go ahead and use it on your cards. You are printing individualized cards and should include your own ideas. The W7KH/W7GUV QSL Card Collection: An introduction with AC4RF Tibet! Robert Gregory KD7H Recently I have been active on the relatively new digital modes of JT65 and JT9. Although I have made contact with some old timers, a large number of my contacts have been with new amateurs and many of them have wanted to confirm the contact via eQSL or LOTW. Only a few have been interested in a confirmation in the form of a traditional paper QSL card. Conversely, according to research presented in “LoTW, QSL Costs, and the Future of QSL Cards: Part II” in the November/December 2010 issue of the DX Magazine, while LOTW has gained in popularity and use, most DXers still use and prefer the traditional paper QSL card method for confirming DX contacts. Although I do support and use Logbook of the World and recommend its use, I was pleased to read that many DXers still prefer the traditional QSL card approach for confirming DX contacts. I am an inveterate collector and I’m very interested in the history of the artifacts I collect, in general, and in QSL cards, in particular. Thankfully, for those of us interested in the history of DX, our illustrious and legendary WWDXC member Mr. John Dack W7KH (SK) (ex. W7GUV) who worked and confirmed more “entities” than anyone else in the DXCC (398!), exchanged many QSL cards with DX and domestic stations and amassed an exemplary collection of diverse and important QSL cards. I have been honored to be temporarily entrusted with the W7KH QSL card collection. I would like to formally thank Mr. Dack’s daughter Kathleen for allowing me to scan, study and research the cards. I would like to thank W7KH’s dear friend Mr. Rod Linkous, W7OM, for his gracious assistance. Periodically, I will be pleased to present various cards from the W7KH collection, either in the Totem Tabloid or on the WWDXC Website. I hope WWDXC members and others will find the cards and related history and chronology interesting. Perhaps these cards will instill a desire to continue the wonderful tradition of exchanging real QSL cards-- artifacts that will continue to honor the traditions of our amateur radio pastime.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Amateur Radio Operations 2019 World Jamboree
    Amateur Radio Operations 2019 World Jamboree Version 6, March 2019 All changes from Version 5 are highlighted in red. Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... 2 Overview ................................................................................................................................ 4 Activities Overview ................................................................................................................. 5 Demonstration Station ........................................................................................................... 7 ARDF --- FoxHunting .............................................................................................................. 12 International Space Station .................................................................................................. 13 WV8BSA VHF-UHF Repeaters ................................................................................................ 14 Media Staff ........................................................................................................................... 14 Facilities ............................................................................................................................... 14 Staff ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Organization Charts .............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Beginner's Handbook of Amateur Radio
    FM_Laster 9/25/01 12:46 PM Page i THE BEGINNER’S HANDBOOK OF AMATEUR RADIO This page intentionally left blank. FM_Laster 9/25/01 12:46 PM Page iii THE BEGINNER’S HANDBOOK OF AMATEUR RADIO Clay Laster, W5ZPV FOURTH EDITION McGraw-Hill New York San Francisco Washington, D.C. Auckland Bogotá Caracas Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan Montreal New Delhi San Juan Singapore Sydney Tokyo Toronto McGraw-Hill abc Copyright © 2001 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as per- mitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 0-07-139550-4 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-136187-1. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trade- marked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringe- ment of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at [email protected] or (212) 904-4069. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • December 2020 Longpath
    December, 2020 Volume 44, Issue 12 The LongPath A North Alabama DX Club Publication Contents From the President ▪ From the President I normally only work DX and contests. Since DX ence. Since the group is small, everyone really was essentially cancelled for the whole year, my ▪ December Program needs to contribute more often. I know exactly station wound up spending far too much time who attends our zoom meetings. If you haven’t ▪ Retirement & COVID turned off. Well, the contest season is now un- contributed in the last two months, please con- Project Update 8 derway. November is the time for lots of con- sider it. If you’d like to contribute and don’t tests, and last weekend we enjoyed one of my exactly know how, I’ll be more than glad to ▪ Remote Starting Flex favorites, CQWW CW. Some of the bands were help. There aren’t any members I know of who just chock full of signals, every 200Hz from the aren’t able. Getting past your very first article ▪ For Sale top of the band to the bottom. Thank heavens for is the hard part. the assisted category, which made operating a I think most of you know by now, but we lost ▪ A Safer Method whole bunch more efficient for me. My Flex trans- long time member Ron Shaffer/W4VN to can- ceiver now shows spots from numerous sources ▪ QSL Card Collecting cer a few weeks ago. Ron attended many of right on its spectrum display! Some of the time our meetings, and was quite an outspoken guy ▪ VP’s Corner they are even correct.
    [Show full text]
  • D-Star for Dummies V2.3 August 5, 2010
    Includes Real Word Scenarios, handy tips, and some step by step instructions featuring Screen shots Expert Computer Advice Corrected errors! New information about the CODSN, Mailing list! Charles Johnston III W8KWA ([email protected]) Columbus Ohio USA Copyright 2009-2010 Table of Contents Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 2 Definitions & Expressions ........................................................................................................................ 3 D-Star (What is it?) ....................................................................................................................................... 4 History ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 What is it exactly? ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Signal VS Quality ..................................................................................................................................... 5 The Rig and things you need to know first before powering it up. ............................................................... 7 The Programming Cable ..........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 2 DX Nets the Beginning Dxer Can Get a Good Jump on DXCC by Frequenting DX Nets
    Activities 2 ne of the best things about this hobby we call Amateur Radio is its flexibility. In other words, Amateur Radio can be whatever you want it to be. Whether you are looking for relaxation, excitement, or a way O to stretch your mental (and physical) horizons, Amateur Radio can provide it. This chapter was written by Larry Kollar, KC4WZK. Let’s take a brief tour through the following topic areas: Awards — the individual and competitive pursuits that make up the tradition we call “paper chasing.” Contests — the challenge of on-the-air competition. Nets — both traffic nets, where amateurs pass messages on behalf of hams and nonhams, and the casual nets, where groups of people with common interests often meet on the air to swap equipment, anec- dotes and information. Ragchewing — meeting new friends on the air. Amateur Radio Education — Educating current and future hams brings in new blood (and revitalizes old blood!); educating our neighbors about ham radio is good for public relations and awareness. ARRL Field Organization — Amateur Radio in general, and the ARRL in particular, depend on the volunteer spirit. As part of the Field Organization, you can exercise your administrative, speaking and diplomatic skills in service of the amateur community. Emergency Communications — When disaster strikes, hams often have the only reliable means to communicate with the outside world. Practice and preparation are key to fulfilling this mission. DF (Direction Finding) — If you’ve ever wanted to know where a transmitter (hidden or otherwise) is located, you’ll find DFing is an enjoyable and useful skill.
    [Show full text]
  • Planning and Operating a Special Events Station
    Planning and Operating a Special Events Station There is an often overlooked tactic in adding some spice to QSL chasing and amateur contacts that exist in the world of amateur radio. The Special Events Station often sparks interest among QSL chasers and those who are interested in making contact with stations that spout an interesting purpose. It is associated with a significant public event and is only operated for a brief time. And the typical impediment to doing this is often, ‘I don’t know how to do it!’. Well, read on. When you finish this article, you’ll know exactly what to do. First, any licensed amateur can apply for a Special Events call regardless of his license class. It is best for someone that has a general class license or higher to request the call because the general class bands are the best place to operate Special Events Stations. With the advent of VOIP it is now easier than ever to run a special event station on the VOIP platform and you do not have to worry about what class of license you hold. Next, an event should be significant. Take on an event that gets some attention. Once you select an event such as "World Amateur Radio Day" which celebrates the formation of the I.A.R.U. in Paris, France in 1925. Once you’ve chosen an event that is likely going to get attention, it comes down to planning. The first thing is deciding what call sign to operate under. It is all right to use a club call for the special event.
    [Show full text]
  • May 2017 DETARC Newsletter
    MAY 2017, Volume #1, Issue # 5 NEWSLETTER Deep East Texas Amateur Radio Club © Copyright 2017, DETARC DETARC, Inc. Roger K0YY Editor, Lufkin, TX [email protected] is an old Ham radio tradition to send the new 1. DETARC INFORMATION licensee a QSL card as his/her first contact. Club Officers: President- Steve KG5ODZ, Vice Door Prizes: The Club meetings now have door President/Repeater Trustee- Mike WD5EFY, prizes thanks to Gary KI5LR. Secretary- RM K5AGE, Treasurer- Randy N5CRW. Door Prize Donation: Each attendee receives one Club Web Page: www.detarc.net free ticket for showing up. For each dollar donated to the prize fund you will receive one additional Email Reflector: To join send an email request to: ticket. See Gary KI5LR for additional details. [email protected] DETARC/ARES Upcoming Projects/Events: Meeting Times/Location: Fourth Thursday of the month at 7 PM at the old armory on Tulane Drive, NEW-- DETARC Social Gathering April 29th 10:30 across from Kiwanis Park. AM, location to be determined. Listen on the nets and at the meeting This is a monthly occurrence DETARC/ARES Net: 146.940 MHz-600, 141.3 on the Saturday after the meeting. Stop in and CTCSS. Every Tuesday at 8 PM, alternates visit with your Ham friends. Put it on your calendar 147.360+600 MHz, 141.3 CTCSS, or 146.42 now, don’t forget. Simplex. Hudson Fire Search & Rescue (SAR) Event May th st For additional information on DETARC/ARES see 20 & 21 . the web site at www.detarc.net We will again need 7-8 radio operators to support the SAR Teams and Marine Corp League heavy DETARC/ARES News: trucks used for high water rescue.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur 1
    EETTHHIICCSS AANNDD OOPPEERRAATTIINNGG PPRROOCCEEDDUURREESS FFOORR TTHHEE RRAADDIIOO AAMMAATTEEUURR Edition 3 (June 2010) By John Devoldere, ON4UN and Mark Demeuleneere, ON4WW Proof reading and corrections by Bob Whelan, G3PJT Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur 1 PowerPoint version: A PowerPoint presentation version of this document is also available. Both documents can be downloaded in various languages from: http://www.ham-operating-ethics.org The PDF document is available in more than 25 languages. Translations: If you are willing to help us with translating into another language, please contact one of the authors (on4un(at)uba.be or on4ww(at)uba.be ). Someone else may already be working on a translation. Copyright: Unless specified otherwise, the information contained in this document is created and authored by John Devoldere ON4UN and Mark Demeuleneere ON4WW (the “authors”) and as such, is the property of the authors and protected by copyright law. Unless specified otherwise, permission is granted to view, copy, print and distribute the content of this information subject to the following conditions: 1. it is used for informational, non-commercial purposes only; 2. any copy or portion must include a copyright notice (©John Devoldere ON4UN and Mark Demeuleneere ON4WW); 3. no modifications or alterations are made to the information without the written consent of the authors. Permission to use this information for purposes other than those described above, or to use the information in any other way, must be requested in writing to either one of the authors. Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur 2 TABLE OF CONTENT Click on the page number to go to that page The Radio Amateur's Code .............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Amateur Radio Technician Class Element 2 Course Presentation
    Chapter 6 Communicating with Other Hams • 6.1 Contact Basics • 6.2 Band Plans • 6.3 Making Contacts • 6.4 Using Repeaters • 6.5 Nets • 6.6 Emergency Communications • 6.7 Special Activities, Modes and Techniques 1 Chapter 6.1 Contact Basics Ham Contact (QSO) Structure • Greeting. • CQ CQ CQ this is KD0RIU … kilo, delta, zero, romeo, italy, uniform • Identify who is participating. • KD0RIU this is K0NK Jim in Colorado enjoying 4 feet of new snow. Over. • Exchange information, generally taking turns. • Hi Jim the name here is Larry. • Your RST is 59. • My QTH is Olathe, Ks. • You can keep the snow, give me summer. Over. • Oh, no winter is best. No bugs, no bears, no tourist. Over. • Salutations. • Well Jim, I’d better get some chores done. Hope to hear you down the log. • End the conversation. • Okay, I understand. 73 and good DXing. This is K0NK. • Enjoyed the QSO Jim. Take 2care. KD0RIU clear. Chapter 6.1 Identify Regularly An amateur station is required to transmit its assigned call sign at least every 10 minutes during and at the end of a contact. 3 Chapter 6.1 Phonetic Alphabet Use of a phonetic alphabet is the method encouraged by the FCC when identifying your station when using phone. A Alpha H Hotel O Oscar V Victor B Bravo I India P Papa W Whiskey C Charlie J Juliet Q Quebec X X-ray D Delta K Kilo R Romeo Y Yankee E Echo L Lima S Sierra Z Zulu F Foxtrot M Mike T Tango G Golf N November U Uniform 4 4 Chapter 6.1 Procedural Signals Use of procedural signals to let the other station know your intentions.
    [Show full text]
  • Hamradioschool.Com List of Common Ham Radio Terms
    A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Common Ham Radio Terms AGC: Automatic Gain Control – a radio circuit that automatically adjusts receiver gain AM: Amplitude Modulation Amateur Radio Service: The FCC-sanctioned communication service for amateur radio operators. Antenna Gain: An increase in antenna transmission and reception performance in a particular direction at the expense of performance in other directions; performance increase as compared to an isometric antenna or a dipole antenna. Antenna Farm: An impressive array of multiple amateur radio antennas at a station. Antenna Party: A ham radio tradition in which hams gather to assist in the erection of antennas or towers. AOS: Acquisition of Signal – Satellite signal reception that occurs when the satellite comes up over the horizon. APRS: Automatic Packet (or Position) Reporting System ARRL: American Radio Relay League – Organization promoting and supporting amateur radio in the United States. Barefoot: Operating a transmitter without an amplifier such that the output power is produced only by the base transmitter. BFO: Beat Frequency Oscillator – a receiver component used to mix the intermediate frequency down to an audio frequency. Bird: Informal reference to a satellite. Clipping: The leveling or flattening of the upper and/or lower portion of a waveform due to the driving signal exceeding the output limits of a circuit, particularly an amplifier. (AKA “flat topping”) Coax: Coaxial cable, commonly used as feedline between transceiver and antenna. CTCSS: Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System – AKA “PL Tone,” a subaudible tone transmitted with a signal to a repeater that opens the squelch of the repeater station in order that the signal is received.
    [Show full text]
  • Active Club Online Primer
    The online primer you're about to read is a compilation and updating of the best of ARRL favorites: The Club President's Workbook and the Special Service Club Manual. Because ARRLWeb contains hundreds of pages of current and frequently-changing information, no static book can quite match it for information that active clubs need. This primer is loaded with helpful links and ideas galore to get your club enlivened! Thanks go to Marjorie Bourgoin, KB1DCO, and Margie Bourgoin, KB1DCO, for editing assistance; Tom Hogerty, KC1J, and Mary E. Lau, N1VH, for technical assistance, and, Rick Palm, K1CE, for his authorship of original source materials. Active Club Online Primer "It shall be the policy of the League to affiliate with itself organized, non-commercial Amateur Radio groups or societies of kindred aims and purposes with a view to forming a homogeneous organization for unity of action in matters affecting amateur welfare." With these words the ARRL Board of Directors created the basis for ARRL affiliated clubs, now numbering more than 2000 strong. In this section we'll look at the affiliation process, and what affiliation means to a club. Categories of Affiliation Four types of clubs can affiliate with the ARRL: Local Amateur Radio clubs, regionally or nationally organized Amateur Radio groups, local school or youth groups or Amateur Radio clubs in homes-for-the-elderly or disabled, and club councils (clubs of clubs). These four types are defined as club categories one, two, three, and four, respectively. Benefits of Affiliation In addition to being associated with more than 2000 like-minded clubs with similar goals, being an affiliated club brings your group a number of tangible benefits, presented below: • ARRL Annual Report.
    [Show full text]
  • February 2019
    W2NPT The Resonator Official Newsletter of The Fair Lawn (NJ) Amateur Radio Club Volume 4, Number 2 www.FairLawnARC.org February 2019 From The President: Member Profile To FLARC members: NAME: Jim Joyce CALL: K2ZO What do you do/what did you do for a living? I am happy to announce that the club will be opening up on Thursday nights starting February I was in engineering sales and worked on process 7th. Two goals of this night are to make the club control and automation in power plants, chemical available for people who cannot participate on plants, refineries, and pipe lines. Friday nights along with supporting the training classes we are offering. This year we will continue I retired early and then became an adjunct professor with our CW classes being taught by Fred W2AAB at Stevens in the chemical engineering dept. and George W3EH. There is no requirement to build How did you get interested in ham radio? any code oscillators and it is open to all. Watch for email traffic from them as to when the class I had a friend who's father was a ham and worked with sessions will occur on Thursday nights. him to learn the code but never progressed to the point of getting a license. Station 5 has been set up with an interesting radio I took my Novice test in 1963 when I was in the army from the 80s -- the venerable Kenwood TS-830s at radio operator school , most of the instructors were Hybrid (no it's not a Prius)! Through donations to hams, I am probably one of the few people who took a the club from Glenn KB2MDR and Dave NK2Q, along Novice code test at 20 WPM.
    [Show full text]