ADXA W5UR

Bill Mader, K8TE

Welcome!

Good DX &Good Luck in the

Contest!

ADXA W5UR

Presentation Notes

21 March 2012

DXing—why we operate radios. Contesting—testing our systems against others’. Combing the two, or doing them separately, leads to endless fun, non-stop challenges, stiff competition, and heartwarming camaraderie.  Whether you’re a little pistol or a big gun, A beginner or an old timer,DXing and Contesting can provide more opportunity to enjoy amateur radio than you have time, money, or room for antennas, radios, and awards.   

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This Morning’s Agenda

Chasing DXDX Awards; LOTW; QSLs; DXpeditions; Finding DX;Albuquerque DX Association; DX Resources

Contesting—RadiosportCompetition; Types of Contests

Which Mode?; Hardware; SoftwarePropagationGoal SettingBill Mader, K8TE@ARRL.netAlbuquerque DX Assn

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Presentation Notes

21 March 2012

Last night you heard Bruce, K0BJ, mention that in spite of a poor showing by Old Sol,

Contest logs submissions are on the increase.

DXCC submissions are up too.

I would suggest that if you haven’t tried either or you haven’t done much with one or the other,

Take a look at what they have to offer.

I enjoy watching road course racing on TV—drivers turning both ways.

But I really enjoy getting behind the wheel and racing wheel-to-wheel with my Mazda Miata on a road course.

Reading or talking about ham radio is fun. Getting on the air and doing it is great!

This presentation will be available in PDF next week on the Duke City Hamfest web site.

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Nice, But Not Necessary

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Presentation Notes

21 March 2012

George, W9EVT, Washington Island, WI

Mark, K5LXP, from here just spent two days with George touring this site and listening to George’s stories.

George is obviously ready to chase DX!

However, your and my antennas farms don’t need to look like this to chase DX or Contest.

First, let’s answer the question: “What is DX?”

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Chasing DX

Ham Radio’s BeginningOver the HillThe Next CountyThe Next Grid SquareThe Next StateThe Next ContinentThe Next CountryTo the Moon and BackDX is different for each of us.

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Contesting

CompetitionWith OthersWith Ourselves

ChallengingPropagationPower LevelsModesAntennasQSO RatesMultipliers

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DX Awards

ARRL DX Century Club (DXCC)

CQ Worked All Zoneswww.dxawards.comwww.ac6v.com/hamawards.

htm2012: DXCC Challenge

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2012: DXCC Challenge

1937 DXCC ListWork 100 from the ListEndorsable: 125, 150, 175, 200, and 225No QSLs Required! On-Line TrackingHonor Roll—9 Less than W1AW WorksSpecial Award for working ALL 231

(revised) Entities!http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-diamond-dxcc

-challenge

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There’s a Lot to Work Out There!

W5JMW 14253 RT3DX 0202 03 Aug European Russia

WA5NTI 14072 TA4AUL 0235 03 Aug Asiatic Turkey

W5MT 14010.0 4Z5IW 0152 03 Aug IsraelW5UHQ 18084.9 OM0FAL CW 2315 02 Aug

Slovak RepublicW5GA 18094.2 C31CT 02 Aug AndorraW5OZI 18142.0 JX9JKA 2216 02 Aug Jan

MayenWA5NTI 14071.5 IB0/IK2ZJR 0242 03 Aug Italy

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ARRL DX Bulletin #031/2 Aug 12

SPRATLY ISLANDS. John, 9M6XRO and Steve, 9M6DXX will be QRV as 9M4SLL from Pulau Layang Layang, IOTA AS-051, from August 7 to 13. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY with two stations. QSL via M0URX.

PAKISTAN, AP. Tariq, AP2TN has been active on 30 meters around 2000z. QSL via DJ9ZB.

COMOROS, D6. A group of operators will be QRV as D64K from Ngazidja Island, IOTA AF-007, from August 8 to 21. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters, and possibly 60 meters, using CW, SSB and RTTY with five stations. QSL via IV3DSH.

ALBANIA, ZA. Tevfik, TA1HZ is QRV as ZA1TC from Durres until August 7. This includes an entry in the European HF Championship. QSL to home call.

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Logbook of the World (LOTW)

A must!Save on QSL ExpensesIt’s “Easy.”Computerized Logging

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Getting Your QSLs Dos

5X7 or 6X9" SASEs at Your Bureau (K8 for me)Respond Quickly to Bureau RequestsNew Call? New Envelopes! Old Call Too!Notify Them of Your Address ChangesARRL Outgoing QSL Costs:

$2 for 10 or fewer cards in one envelope,$3 for 11-20 cards in one envelope, or75 cents per ounce, for packages with 21 or more cards.

http://www.arrl.org/outgoing-qsl-service

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QSL Bureau Don'ts

No Outgoing QSLs!Be Patient (for Me)No K8TE Envelopes at 5th Bureau!

No SASEs to ARRL Outgoing Service

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Where is the DX?

Listen, Listen, Listen!Spotting NetworksVE7CC Interface to LoggersFilter Spots for Your LocationPropagation & DX BulletinsListen, Listen, Listen!Patience (for me)

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DXpeditions

Individual ChallengeIntra-Club CompetitionSeptember: NH8S Swains Island

Very Expensive Operations!ADXA Donates to the NCDXF

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Albuquerque DX Association

AA5B, Bruce, former Contest Journal Editor

N7KA, Arne, DXAC, QSL CheckerWF5T, Paul, T32C Doctor & CW OpMany ADXA Members Worked 25+FD 2011 #12 Overall, 4,163 QSOs in 4AFD 2012 #5 Overall? 5,147 QSOs in 6A

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DXing Resources

ARRL Operating ManualQST, CQ Magazine, World Radio

DX ColumnsThe Weekly DX by W3URDX Clubs (ADXA) 3rd Wednesdays

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adxa/

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More DXing Resources

https://sites.google.com/site/dl2nbycontestcalendar/ Add 400 contests to your Outlook or Google Calendar!

The Complete DXer by W9KNIUp Two! by G3SXWWhere do We Go Next by OH2BH

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DX News Services

www.dailydx.comwww.dxpub.comwww.425dxn.orgwww.papays.com/opdx.htmlhttp://www.njdxa.org/dx-tools/dx-news.phpARRL Weekly DX Bulletin

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Racing and Contesting

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Presentation Notes

21 March 2012

My second racing weekend ever!

My first pole position ever!

My most frightening first two minutes ever!

Racing and Radio Contesting are strikingly similar. 

Maybe it's just me, but competition motivates me. 

Most of all, I compete with myself. 

In racing, I derive the most enjoyment from racing someone than I do winning. 

I also recognize it's more fun to be a Big Fish in a Little Pond than a Small Fish in a Big Pond;

i.e.; being a Little Pistol in a minor contest can turn us into seemingly Big Guns. 

For example, last year's Colorado QSO Party plaque.

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Racing and Contesting

Contest pileups are often less unruly than DX pileups simply because there are often more of them.

“A Zen contest master knows that the reward is not in the win, but in the pursuit.” Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Get on the Air with HF Digital

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Presentation Notes

21 March 2012

Both require practice, practice, and more practice.  Each requires stamina.  Endurance racing is much like contesting since each requires intense concentration for an extended periods of time.  Both require us to be in good physical condition, perhaps racing even better

physical condition.  The more on top of our game we are, the better are results will be.  Even so, each relies on a certain amount of luck.  I've had some bad luck in contesting as well as racing.  Still, we need to be in control of as many of the aspects of competition to the

greatest extent possible.  Certainly, unlimited funds are valuable in both racing and DXing/Contesting.  However, I don't know many in either hobby who have all they could spend.  So using what resources we have to the best of our abilities is critically

important.Chair Time vs. Seat Time.  Do it, rather than just talking about it.

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." Attributed to both de Snepscheut and Yogi Berra...I prefer Berra.

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My Humble Beginnings

1972 ARRL November Sweepstakes SSB WA8WWM + WB2REM 5th in OH 66,640; 476Q; 70 Sec; 24 hrs.

1974 ARRL November Sweepstakes SSB KZ5WA Clean Sweep (one only 40 Single Ops) 156,150; 1,041Q; 75 Sec; 21 hrs.

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My Humble Beginnings cntd.

1979 ARRL 10 Meter Contest K8TE + W5VBO (now K7RE) 1st in NM Multi-op 446,896; 2,108Q; 106M; 25 hrs.

1980 ARRL Field Day W5VBO (now K7RE) + K8TE (NERDs) #1 Overall in 1B Battery

2011 Colorado QSO Party#1 Out of State SSB Low Power5,280; 81Q; 33M; 90 minutes

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CW vs. SSB for Little Pistols

More Narrow BandwidthBetter Signal+Noise/Noise RatioReverse Beacon Network—My Signal?More S+N/N per Watt (QRP)Less Expensive GearFaster Exchanges Possible with Experience100 Watts is a Reasonable Power LevelQRP Useful for Experienced Operators

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K8TE Antenna Farm

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Hardware?

Like Racing, How Much Can You Afford?Antenna, Antenna, Antenna!“Can’t work ‘em if you can’t hear ‘em.”Yamaha CM500 Headset $49.95Ergonomics—Chair, Monitor, Glasses,

Keyboard Ht.Computer--$59.95 Specials (Desktop)Jump Drive Back-ups!!!Second Monitor HelpfulFocus on Monitor/Keyboard—NOT Radio!

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K8TE Operating Position

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Know Your Receiver Well

FiltersDigital Signal Processing (DSP)RF Gain & Noise Blankers Often Generate

IMDRIT/XITA/B VFOsSecond ReceiverEVERY Feature and Control—RTFM!Audio EqualizationAGC & RF Gain in Pileups

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Software??

Daily Loggers:N3FJP Amateur Contact LogHam Radio Deluxe (free or $59.95 w/support)DXLabs Suite

Contest Loggers:N1MM—Free, Versatile, Great Support

N3FJP Contest-Specific VersionsK1EA’s CT for DOS (no longer supported)Win-TestWriteLog

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Operating Techniques

You are - no you're not! When giving out exchanges, why say "You

are..." And then give your own section? The right words are:"Roger" or "Thank you" Followed by your class and section WITHOUT ANY EXTRA VERBIAGE!Use a Script or DVR/CW Memories.“Time, time, time, what’s become of you?”

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Fall line-up of DX Contests. 

http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html

European HF Championship 4 AugustAll Asian DX Contest, Phone 1-2 SeptemberCQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY 29-30

SeptemberCQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB 27-28

OctoberAll Austrian 160-Meter Contest 17-18

NovemberCQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW 24-25

NovemberARRL 10-Meter Contest 8-9 December

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Contest Scheduling—WA7BNM

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Get Your Feet Wet Contests

Maryland-DC QSO Party 11-12 AugustNorth American QSO Party, SSB 18 Aug 12 hoursARRL Rookie Roundup, RTTY 19 August 12 hoursHawaii QSO Party 25-26 AugustKansas QSO Party 26 AugustOhio QSO Party 25-26 AugustColorado QSO Party 1-2 September 0600-2000Tennessee QSO Party 2-3 SeptemberARRL September VHF QSO Party 8-10 SeptemberARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW 3-5 NovemberARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB 17-19 November

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Goal setting is essential.

Your Goals are NOT Others’.Challenging, but AttainableConsider Your Personal Constraints.Short and Long TermYear Over Year for Each Contest/AwardMerge (not take over) the Rest of Your Life.Nobody, almost nobody, has enough time,

money, or real estate.Unlike racing, operating costs are minimal!CQ WW Log Submission: Within 5 Days!!

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Propagation

Reverse Beacon Network (CW)“Propagation doesn't matter; knowing how to use it to your advantage does.”

Grey LineARRL Weekly Propagation BulletinW6EL Propagation Predictionshttp://www.hamqsl.com/solar.html

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Contesting Resources

ARRL Operating ManualQST, CQ Magazine, World Radio

Contesting ColumnsARRL Contest Update

http://www.arrl.org/contest-update-issuesContest Clubs (ADXA) 3rd Wednesdays

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adxa/http://www.contesting.com/

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Final Words

Be Safe; Have Fun.Expand Your Horizons.Partner with Another Ham or Hams.

Challenge Yourself.It’s About Your Personal Best.Questions?