welcome to northern california dx club february 19, 2009

Welcome to Welcome to Northern Northern

California DX ClubCalifornia DX Club

February 19, 2009February 19, 2009

NCDXC Feb 09NCDXC Feb 09 Slide 2

Tonight’s AgendaTonight’s Agenda• Club Business

– Introduction of Officers– K5D status– Introductions of Members– New members– DX news– QSTs

• The status of the sunspot cycle (still)• Feature – Logbook of The World• NCDXC Raffle


Introduction of OfficersIntroduction of Officers

• Officers– President Craig Bradley AE6RR– Vice Pres Risto Kotalampi W6RK– Secretary Russ Bentson K6KLY– Treasurer Jose Picazo Jr. WT6X

• Directors– Steve Jones N6SJ – Jim Abraham W6EB – John Eisenberg K6YP


K5D NewsK5D News• KP5 Desecheo Island

– Leaders: Dr. Glenn Johnson, W0GJ & Bob Allphin, K4UEE

– Web Site: http://kp5.us/ – Dates: February 12 to 26, 2009– Stations: 8 HF + 6M– Online log: Yes– Heading: 96 deg– Distance: 3531 miles– Operators: 22– Radios: 10 + Amps


Propagation to KP5Propagation to KP5Feb 09Feb 09

18 MHz

22:00 UTC

43 dB SNR

14 MHz

22:00 UTC

40 dB SNR


K5D QSOsK5D QSOs as of 18 Feb 00:01 UTCas of 18 Feb 00:01 UTC

Statistics SSB CW RTTY Band

6M · 19 · 19

10M 85 · · 85

12M 214 18 · 232

15M 2605 2865 2 5472

17M 4770 2635 · 7405

20M 6451 5639 320 12410

30M · 5860 1345 7205

40M 2119 3187 · 5306

80M 2804 3597 · 6401

160M 2 2863 · 2865

Totals 19050 26683 1667 47400


Who Has Worked K5D?Who Has Worked K5D?

• How many are in the log?

• How many have more than 1 QSO?

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

• etc


IntroductionsIntroductions• Let’s Go Around the room…

– Introduce yourself & any guests– Tell us what new DX you have bagged

• H44MS?

– K5D stories?– Any other news you wish to share?

(please keep it brief)


New members?New members?

• Secretary - Russ, K6KLY

– He has applications are available…– Voting


DX News - DXpeditionsDX News - DXpeditions

• MOZAMBIQUE, C91TX – – Texas DX Society Mar 25 – Apr 5– 6 Ops, 3 Stations– 160 through 10m

• Western Sahara, S04R – – Apr 12 – 17– 3 Stations with amps– 160 through 10m


DX ContestsDX Contests

• ARRL Intl DX Contest CW– Feb 21 -22

• ARRL Intl DX Contest SSB– March 7-8

QSTsQSTs


Happy BirthdayHappy BirthdayWalt Johnson, W6MZQWalt Johnson, W6MZQ

• Walt turned 91 on Saturday the 14th

• Walt has been a member for 30+ years

• Walt is active every day working DX

• Walt has been a great supported of NCDXC


IDXC VisaliaIDXC Visalia

• IDXC 2009 (the 60th year) will be held April 17- April19, 2009 at the Visalia Holiday Inn

• News from the committee?– John, K6YP

– Steve, N6SJ


NCDXC NetNCDXC Net• Net coordinator - Don, AA6W• If you would like to be a net control,

please see or contact Don• Please Remember - NCDXC Net

– Every Thursday 8pm – Except on monthly meeting nights (3rd Thurs)– On W6TI repeater, 147.360 MHz, PL 110.9


DXer MaterialDXer Material

• Editor - Phil, K6TT• If you have suggestions for articles, etc.

please see or contact Phil• If you would like to contribute (photos,

articles, etc.), Phil will be very happy to talk to you!

• This is your newsletter – help make it great!


Tonight’s RaffleTonight’s Raffle• Mike W6WZ & Carolyn WB6ABC have some great prizes!

– 1st Prize

• Choice of Registration to IDXC at Visalia– $95 value (does not include a hotel room

• OR Yaesu VX 150 150/83B 2M HT including – Ni-MH 7.2V 1400 MA Battery Charger– Yasue EDC-5B Filtered Cigarette Mobile Charger

– 2nd Prize: Diamond X-30 2m/440 Outdoor Antenna.

– 3rd Prize: Set of 4 High quality FAIR-RITE Beads

– 4th Prize: A Multi-Tool Pocket Set

– 5th Prize: A Roll RESCUE TAPE

– Door Prize: Key Chain Flash Light

• Need Tickets – see Carolyn or Mike – 6 for $5 - 12 for $10 - 24 for $20

• GOOD LUCK!


Additional QSTsAdditional QSTs

• Does anyone have any other announcements they would like to make?

Our Sunspot CycleOur Sunspot Cycle

Still going nowhere…Still going nowhere…


Last Night ConditionsLast Night Conditions


The Last Couple of MonthsThe Last Couple of Months


Cycle 23/24 ProgressCycle 23/24 Progress- - thanks to Chuck, AA6Gthanks to Chuck, AA6G


SOHO MDI Continuum Latest SOHO MDI Continuum Latest Image Image

ARRL ARRL Logbook of The World Logbook of The World

(LoTW)(LoTW)ByBy

Craig Bradley – AE6RRCraig Bradley – AE6RR


BackgroundBackground

• The ARRL created LoTW and it began operation in Sept 2003

• I was relicensed as AE6RR in Sept 2004• After a couple of months of operation and one

major contest, I decided the paper logs were not the way to go– See Computer Logging Programs (Mar 2006 NCDXC

meeting)

• Once I had a computer log, I signed up for LoTW– Password card received Dec 2004


How Many Here Use LoTW?How Many Here Use LoTW?

• How many have signed up?

• How many have submitted logs?

• Do you keep your LoTW log up to date?

• How many have applied for an award online with LoTW?


AE6RR ExperiencesAE6RR Experiences

• I currently have 3240 QSOs in the database with 935 QSLs (29%)– Many of these are from contests

• As they use computer logging programs, many contesters submit their logs after each contest

• I have worked new entities in a contest and have had them confirmed the next day on LoTW

• I have applied for DXCC and WAS awards on LoTW


Who Needs LoTW?Who Needs LoTW?

• Contesters looking for DX awards– Do you have years of computer contest logs and

wonder if you have a multiband DXCC?– The most active LoTW stations are contest stations

• HC8N has 112,000 QSOs in LoTW• PJ2T has 105,000 QSOs in LoTW

• DXers working on new awards– GM3POI has achieved 9 Band DXCC using only LoTW– K4DY has confirmed 302 entities in LoTW


Use LoTW to Keep Your DXCC Use LoTW to Keep Your DXCC Record CurrentRecord Current

• The DXCC Yearbook is sent to all DXCC award holders that have made a submittal in the last year

• To maintain Honor Roll status you must submit yearly

• The DXCC desk gets swamped with paper application near the end of each year and delays can be well over a month

• LoTW can make this painless – some submittals are done the same day!


LoTW Can Save You Big $$$LoTW Can Save You Big $$$

• Sending QSLs card can get expensive– Postage going up to $0.98 (foreign)– Cost of cards– Cost of envelopes– Cost of return postage

• Sending a foreign QSL direct can cost over $3.00 each

• Buro cards take forever• 5 Band DXCC requires 500 cards (>$1500)

– If you get them all back, 50% would be over $3000• Challenge award requires at least 1000 cards


LoTW Can Save TimeLoTW Can Save Time

• Instant gratification– QSLs can appear within a few hours of your

QSO– QSL cards can take years

• Quick processing of applications– Paper DXCC submittals can take many weeks– LoTW online submittals have been processed

on the same day as the submittal


Triple Play AwardTriple Play Award

• New WAS award– 50 States on all 3

modes– Phone, CW, Digital

• LoTW QSLs only• Only QSOs after

January 1, 2009• 173 awarded so far…• Anyone here have it?


What if I Don’t Have a Computer What if I Don’t Have a Computer Log?Log?

• DXCC credits after 1993 can be added to your account– If you have the cards, the ARRL will enter

checked QSLs

• The LoTW TQSL program allows you to create records – you don’t need a logging program

• You only need to enter the QSOs that you need credit for – not the whole log


What do I Need?What do I Need?• A valid Amateur Radio License

– FCC record up to date with current address

• You need a computer– Windows 95 through Vista– Mac – Linux

• You need to know how to use your computer• An Internet connection• An hour or so to get started• A willingness to read the ARRL instructions


ARRL Support Docs & InfoARRL Support Docs & Info

• Logbook of the World: 75 Million QSO's Can't Be Wrong! (Sept 05 QST)– http://www.arrl.org/lotw/silver.pdf

• Getting started guide– http://www.arrl.org/lotw/getStartedGuide.pdf

• The web site will lead you through it– http://www.arrl.org/lotw/start.html


ARRL LoTW Slide ShowARRL LoTW Slide Show

• The following slides are available on the ARRL web site

• http://www.arrl.org/lotw/LoTW_SlideShow.ppt– Go to http://www.arrl.org/– Look for Logbook of The World under the

blue banner at the top• http://www.arrl.org/lotw/

– You are there!

ARRLARRLLoTW PresentationLoTW Presentation

ARRL Web SiteARRL Web Site

http://http://www.arrl.org/lotw/LoTW_SlideShow.pptwww.arrl.org/lotw/LoTW_SlideShow.ppt

LoTW Questions?LoTW Questions?

Until 9:15Until 9:15


The NCDXC Raffle!The NCDXC Raffle!• Does anyone need tickets before we start?• Prizes

– Door Prize: Key Chain Flash Light– 1st Prize

• Choice of Registration to IDXC at Visalia– $95 value (does not include a hotel room

• OR Yaesu VX 150 150/83B 2M HT including – Ni-MH 7.2V 1400 MA Battery Charger– Yasue EDC-5B Filtered Cigarette Mobile Charger

– 2nd Prize: Diamond X-30 2m/440 Outdoor Antenna.

– 3rd Prize: Set of 4 High quality FAIR-RITE Beads– 4th Prize: A Multi-Tool Pocket Set– 5th Prize: A Roll of Self-Fusing, Permanent Seal

RESCUE TAPE


Thanks for Coming Tonight!Thanks for Coming Tonight!

• Remember the net next Thursday night!

• Drive safe!

• Pray for sunspots!

• 73 & Good DX!

welcome to northern california dx club february 19, 2009

Documents

new dx

rd prize

arrl intl dx contest

c91tx texas dx society

k5d qsos

k5d stories

roll rescue tapedoor

great prizes