FOCUS Black Iguana 4 ft long, can do 21.7mph! Fortunately only eats Herbs.. Belize CONTESTING WHY & HOW We do it.. HB_2012 First The “Wife“ Slide WHO I AM • KT7G, • Rick Smith, • ZK1 TTG, V31 TB, vp5/KT7G • First licensed in 58 • at the age of 1 5… Don’t bother to do the math, I’m 69 …and counting Disclaimer The information presented is thought, by me, to be accurate and complete. However No Warranty is expressed or Implied And Batteries are not included. What is DX? DXing, making two way radio contact with distant stations in amateur radio DX Generally Refers to A Station Not in the Same country that you are. Contesters & DXers Are somewhat the same! •You Will work DX while Contesting •While you are working DX, some of it only shows up around Contests. •Dxpeditions usually are centered around a contest CONTESTING •Not just for obsessed ADD operators with no life.. Well maybe it is.. •A very efficient way to get new countries, states. •DX stations are there for the contests, and you WHY ARE THESE MANIACS USING “MY “ BAND Efficiency Quicker way To work For awards Working for Paper •States (50) WAS •DX (1 00 of 328) DXCC •Counties (3077) USA CA WAS Worked all States • Single Band or Mixed • Specific Mode or Mixed 5BWAS Proven Communications with 250 fellow U. S. amateurs. ….12 years of Sweepstakes contests, before LOTW. 250 actual cards! DXCC DX Century Club Proven contacts with 100 DXCC entities QSL cards or LOTW Credit 5BDXCC •Also a plaque and certificate •I don’t have one to show •Just Four bands do not count. • Need 40 more on 80 meters 8BDXCC I know of one in Vancouver, could be more. No actual award, yet Contests • Are held in several modes. • RTTY • CW • SSB • PSK-31 Contests • Have specific exchanges.. • Sweepstakes, running @ 2100Z, Today being the most complex.. – Serial # 1 – Precedence- (Q/A/B/U/M/S) B – Your callsign KT7G – Year first licensed. 58 – Section WWA How Do I know what contest is on? I hear someone I want but he is in some contest! I wonder if there is something on the “WEB”? If you email me Kt7g at arrl.net I will send you a file with the web links In a perfect world, you can click on them and go there Resources for contesting • There is a website detailing what contests are currently running and what is coming, WA7BNM contest calendar. WA7BNM contest calendar “Unlimited” allows spotting assistance. Contest Specific Awards •Plaques •Certificates. •“Clean Sweep” Mugs •“Participation” Pins HOW was I able to work all 80 sections? I brought a friend along who is almost continous transmit. and I was invited to use more aluminum than I had ever seen together. •PINS or Participation in November Sweepstakes. •Clean Sweep Mug for working all Sections. •Both “Available for purchase”….. To Have Fun at This.. You can do this on paper… But It is a whole lot easier With a computer. Spotting Networks Spotting •Packet Spotting Network Dxscape from Japan •Easy to access from the internet •My browser home page. Running within A contesting Program.. N1MM N1mm Logger • Designed as a contesting program. • Will keep track of dupes & points. • Will generate required files for submission. N1mm Logger •Will generate Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF) •-----for export to your actual logging database program. •Does not function well as a log database. What is ADIF? •Amateur Data Interchange Format •Defines the fields and language for log programs and sharing data between them •<CALL:5>K4GMH <TIME_ON:4>0421 <QSO_DATE:8>20070128 <MODE:4>RTTY <BAND:3>80M <FREQ:7>3.58943 <RST_SENT:3>599 <RST_RCVD:3>599 <QSL_RCVD:1> n <FREQ_RX:7>3.58943 <EOR> Log Window Input Window Check & Score Bandmap •Populates from the spots •Click on one and … •The radio moves there General rules for Any Contest • Always download the rules Before it starts. • Actually READ them before it starts. • I save them as a PDF on my desktop, so I can find them, if I have questions during contest. More General rules for Any Contest •Do not Spot yourself. •Do not work just one. You will be A “unique”. •No WARC band activity 1 2M, 1 7M, 30M, Frequencies to avoid • NCDXF beacons 14.100… • Slow Scan TV 14.230 • Maritime Net 14.313 • County Hunters 14.336 • Any obvious Net activity.. WPX Series • 48 hours 00:00 Saturday- 23:59 Sunday • Did you catch that? • Work Prefixes (KE7, KF7, v31, vp5…) • You could be a multiplier and wanted.. • Exchange is RST plus Serial # • CQ Magazine has an award for working all prefixes. WPX Series • RTTY Feb 11-12 2012 • SSB March 24-25 2012 • CW May 26-27 2012 Certificates Available Sometimes. It is a matter of what category you pick. #9 world…#5 North America with Barbara, Phil and Jake ARRL DX series •48 hours 00:00 Saturday- 00:00 Monday •Did you catch that? •You work DX including KL7, KH6. •DX incl KL7, KH6 works 48 states.. •Ur Exchange is state, DX is power. •Includes 160M. ARRL DX series •CW third full weekend in February •SSB first full weekend in March IARU HF series • 1 2 hours 1 2: 00 UTC Saturday- Sunday • Use of spotting nets, packet, or multi- channel decoders (such as CW Skimmer) is not permitted. Single- operator stations that use spotting nets, packet or multi- channel decoders will be reclassified to the Multi- operator, Single Transmitter category. IARU HF series • Work anyone • Exchange signal report & ITU zone • Must remain on a band and mode for at least 1 0 minutes before changing bands or modes. • Violation of the band change rules will reclassify the entry as a checklog. • This is definitely a read the rules event. IARU HF series • The second full weekend of July. • Can enter SSB, CW or Mixed. • Includes 160 meters CQWW series • 48 hours 00: 00 Saturday- 00: 00 Monday. • Work anybody Mults are zones, countries. • Allows spotting assistance, assisted category. • Allows Team @ different stations. • Includes 1 60 Meters CQWW series • RTTY last weekend in September • SSB last weekend in October • CW last weekend in November Rookie Roundup • The Rookie Roundup is a contest aimed at Amateurs licensed for three years or less. • six-hour event • April, August & December. • Rookies can contact anybody, while "Old Timers" make contact with only Rookies. • Mentoring is a big part of this event. RTTY Roundup • First full weekend in January after new years. • Digital modes only • NO 160M • 1800 UTC Saturday to 2400 Sunday. • Work anybody, once per band. Field Day • Last full weekend in June. • Not a contest but looks like one ----Work sections. ----US and VE only. ----Multi Multi • Watch W7AIA. org for details. State QSO Parties • 7 land QSO party. (7QP) • Salmon Run, Washington QSO Party. • Many others… 7QP • WA, OR, ID,MT,UT, AZ, WY, NV. • First weekend in May. • 6 am to midnight local on Saturday. • Good chance to pick up paper. – Highest score in county, state. • Good chance to pick up States & counties for your awards. 7QP • I usually run Mobile in some lesser populated Oregon Counties. Oregon County Populations •Hood River - 21 , 533 •Wasco - 23, 71 2 •Gilliam - 1 , 775 •Sherman - 1 , 699 •Morrow - 1 1 , 753 •Umatilla - 72, 928 Not Hams, total people! Salmon Run • Washington QSO Party.. • First started by BEARS, Now done by WWDXC, and Redmond Top Key. • Some prizes are Smoked Salmon. • Good chance to pick up Washington Counties. For WA-WAC. Salmon Run • The 3rd full weekend of September • from 1600Z Saturday through 0700Z Sunday (about 09 am-midnight pacific) • Then from 1600Z – 2400Z Sunday. • 2012: September 15-16 Salmon Run • FREQUENCIES • Contest Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters Salmon Run • Contest Modes: SSB, CW, and Digital (Any computer-to-computer mode is digital (excluding CW) and only one digital contact may be made with a station on each band). • Mixed-mode entries are required to make at least 10 contacts on each mode for which the log is submitted. Salmon Run • Suggested Frequencies: • CW 1850, 3550, 7045, 14050, 21050, 28040 kHz and 50.095 MHz Confirmations • If you want some of these pieces of paper you need Cards or LOTW credit. • You need to keep track of what cards you have sent and received. • You need an electronic Logging program! DxKeeper • Part of DXLAB suite of programs • Database made for Ham logging – Tracks awards – Tracks Cards sent & received – Interfaces to LOTW, EQSL – Exports & Imports ADIF – prints labels, cards... DXLAB Suite •Commander, Controls your radio •DXKeeper, see previous slide •DxVIEW, Tracks awards, beam headings •Pathfinder, Finds the QSL route for the card •Spot Collector, Gets packet spots. •WinWarbler, Operates digital modes •PropView, checks propagation PATHFINDER Spot collector OVERWHELMED? • Feel like a mosquito in a nudist colony.. – Don’t know where to begin? • Dxlab has a launcher. • Pick the launcher – Only download what you want • When you are ready to use it.. Paper Awards Usually require some Contact Confirmation, QSL Card, LOTW… QSL Cards • Direct ---Print or get yours printed. • Electronic --- EQSL, LOTW • Bureau ---bulk Mail ---Global QSL Direct QSLing • Print Cards • Print Labels or hand print on them. • Nesting envelopes. • $1.05 out bound to most of world. ---VE, XE slightly less Direct QSLing • Return Stamps or $2 or $3 for postage. • $0.45 domestic. • Usual return a Month or less. W7NN • Hamstuff by W7NN • Offers blank card stock • Program to make your own cards • Prints QSL Info with the Card Print. LZ1JZ UX5UO Plum DX Electronic QSL • EQSL 1. Not accepted by ARRL. 2. Allows you to match submissions.