Tag Archives: CW

OPERATING TIP

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OPERATING TIP

CQ WW RTTY Director, Ed WØYK, shares the log submission issues experienced by all contest sponsors. “It is apparent that many people do not read the robot email reply they receive. At the bottom of that email, the robot lists the format errors in the log. If you don’t understand what the robot is telling you, then simply compare that specific QSO line with the format specified on the Logs web page. The problem should be obvious.

“Major logging programs like Win-Test, N1MM Logger and WriteLog all create compliant Cabrillo files … IF you enter your data correctly. For example, if you enter your sent exchange as ‘CA 03′ in N1MM Logger (which is backwards from the required order for CQ WW RTTY), it will come out in that (incorrect) order in the Cabrillo file.

“You can easily edit your Cabrillo file with a text editor. Since is it common to add, change or move the same parameter field in every QSO line, a column editor is invaluable. I recommend the freeware Crimson Editor.”

So read that robot message! If it tells you there is something wrong with your log – do something about it and resubmit it. Double- and triple-check your operating category and all of the information for your station. Once you have a happy robot and you are a happy log submitter – save the confirming message in an easy-to-find location. My email software has a folder named “Contest Log Submissions” for all of my log submission confirmation messages. It’s easy and helps avoid the dreaded “forgot to send in my log” disease.

DX Bulletin 43

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This week’s bulletin was made possible with information provided by NC1L, W3UR, QRZ DX, The Weekly DX, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites.  Thanks to all.

ZAMBIA, 9J.  Gert, ZS6AYU is QRV as 9J2GR from the Mama Out of Africa lodge at the Zambezi river near Livingstone until October 22.
Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using CW.  Continue reading →

DX Bulletin 42

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ARLD042 DX news

This week’s bulletin was made possible with information provided by NC1L, W3UR, QRZ DX, The Weekly DX, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites.  Thanks to all.

RODRIGUES ISLAND, 3B9.  A group of operators will be QRV as 3B9SP from October 16 to 23.  Activity will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK with three stations active.  QSL via HB9ACA.

NIGER, 5U.  Stations 5U5U, 5U6E and 5U8NK are QRV Continue reading →

CONTESTS 26 September through 9 October

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CONTESTS

26 September through 9 October

An expanded, downloadable version of QST’s Contest Corral in PDF format is available. Check the sponsor’s Web site for information on operating time restrictions and other instructions.

HF CONTESTS

SKCC Straight Key Sprint–CW from Sep 26, 0000Z to Sep 26, 0200Z. Monthly on the 4th Wednesday UTC. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, SKCC nr or power. Logs due: 5 days. Rules

CQ WW RTTY Contest–Digital from Sep 29, 0000Z to Sep 30, 2400Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, CQ zone and State/VE area (US/VE). Logs due: Nov 1. Rules

Texas QSO Party–Phone,CW,Digital from Sep 29, 1400Z (multiple operating periods, see website). Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, Frequencies (MHz): CW–20 to 50 kHz above band edge; Phone–25 kHz above edge of General segment. Exchange: RS(T), county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules

ARS Spartan Sprint–CW from Oct 2, 0200Z to Oct 2, 0400Z. Monthly on the first Monday evening local time. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and power. Logs due: 2 days. Rules

OK1WC Memorial Contest–Phone,CW from Oct 2, 1600Z (see website). First through fourth Monday of each month. Bands (MHz): 3.5, 50, 144, see website for bands. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. Logs due: 7 days. Rules http://www.hamradio.cz/ok1wc

SNS and NS Weekly Sprints–CW,Digital from Oct 5, 0200Z to Oct 5, 0300Z. Weekly on Thursday evenings local time. Bands (MHz): 1.8-14. Exchange: Serial, name, and S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days. Rules

DX/NA YLRL Anniversary Party–Phone,CW,Digital from Oct 5, 1400Z to Oct 7, 0200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: Serial, RST, and section/province/country. Logs due: 30 days. Rules

PSK Rumble – The Fall Classic–Digital from Oct 6, 0000Z to Oct 6, 2400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: Name and call area (see website). Logs due: Oct 31. Rules

Worked All Provinces of China–Phone,CW from Oct 6, 0000Z to Oct 6, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RS(T) and serial or province abbreviation. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules

EPC Russia DX Contest–Digital from Oct 6, 0400Z to Oct 7, 0359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: EPC member nr or serial and grid square. Logs due: Oct 22. Rules

Oceania DX Phone Contest–Phone from Oct 6, 0800Z to Oct 7, 0800Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS and serial. Logs due: Nov 7. Rules

Worked All Britain HF Contest–Phone from Oct 6, 1200Z to Oct 7, 1200Z. Bands (MHz): 14-28. Exchange: RS, serial, DXCC entity or WAB area. Logs due: Oct 28. Rules

California QSO Party–Phone,CW from Oct 6, 1600Z to Oct 7, 2200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: Serial and state/prov/”DX” or CA county. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules

EU Autumn Sprint–Phone from Oct 6, 1600Z to Oct 6, 1959Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-14. Exchange: Both call signs, serial, name. Logs due: 15 days. Rules

RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest–Phone,CW from Oct 7, 0700Z to Oct 7, 1900Z. Bands (MHz): 21,28. Exchange: Serial and UK district. Logs due: Oct 22. Rules

VHF+ CONTESTS

ARRL EME Contest–Phone,CW,Digital from Oct 6, 0000Z to Oct 7, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 2.3G+. Exchange: Call signs, sig rpt, acknowledgement. Logs due: Jan 1. Rules

902 MHz Fall VHF Sprint–Phone,CW,Digital from Sep 29, 7 AM to Sep 29, 1 PM. Bands (MHz): 902+. Exchange: 6-character grid locator. Logs due: 4 weeks. Rules

432 MHz Fall VHF Sprint–Phone,CW,Digital from Oct 3, 7 PM to Oct 3, 11 PM. Bands (MHz): 432. Exchange: 4-character grid square. Logs due: 4 weeks. Rules

Texas QSO Party–Phone,CW,Digital from Sep 29, 1400Z (multiple operating periods, see website). Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, Frequencies (MHz): CW–20 to 50 kHz above band edge; Phone–25 kHz above edge of General segment. Exchange: RS(T), county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules

OK1WC Memorial Contest–Phone,CW from Oct 2, 1600Z (see website). First through fourth Monday of each month. Bands (MHz): 3.5, 50, 144, see website for bands. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. Logs due: 7 days. Rules

PSK Rumble – The Fall Classic–Digital from Oct 6, 0000Z to Oct 6, 2400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: Name and call area (see website). Logs due: Oct 31. Rules

California QSO Party–Phone,CW from Oct 6, 1600Z to Oct 7, 2200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: Serial and state/prov/”DX” or CA county. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules

LOG DUE DATES

26 September through 9 October

 

New KX3 Raffle – starts at the September 7th meeting!

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We were one of the first clubs in the world to give away an Elecraft KX3 – and we’re doing it again! Tickets will be available starting September 7th during our kick-off meeting at the Holyoke Medical Center. A $10 donation puts you in the running. Only 250 tickets will be available and the drawing will be held March 1st, 2013.

Mark your calendars now for September 7th. You don’t want to miss our very first meeting at the new location. We’ve other surprises scheduled for the meeting too – stay tuned!

Palm Paddle on a KX3? No problem!

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Palm Paddles on a KX3

Well, I bit the bullet back in March, caved in and ordered a KX3 kit. It arrived August 9th via my friendly postlady and was on the air that evening. Overall the build process was painless – maybe 3.5 hours to complete without working very hard.

One of the major reasons for purchasing the radio was SOTA activations, primarily using CW (Morse code). The radio was a major purchase and since I already own a set of Palm Mini Paddles I chose not to order the Elecraft paddles that screw directly to the front of the transceiver.

Of course the magnetic base of the Mini Paddles does not work very well on the KX3′s aluminum case. A quick internet search didn’t turn up an ‘aluminum magnets’ so I was forced to find a different solution. I mocked up a cardboard version of a thin steel end panel that would slip over the RH side of the KX3 and held in place by the thumb screws. I took a few photos and bounced the idea off Frandy/N1FJ, Jeff/NT1K and Barry/N1EU.

First idea, scrapped quickly the following morning!

After sleeping on it I thought it could be accomplished more simply by a single strip of steel, perhaps stuck to the radio with double stick tape. I opened up my email and Frandy had already done the deed, using one of those metal strips that mounts electrical boxes in sheet rock. They’re called ‘F’ brackets, or by the slang term ‘battleships’. Damn, I have a bunch of those in stock, why didn’t I see them last night?

Anyway, a half hour later or so my Palm Paddles are mounted neatly on the RH side of the rig. I choose to counter sink the screw holes and use slightly longer FH screws (1/4″) to mount the steel strip, a sturdy method and still allows dis-assembly without having to peel off the strip. I could have elected to drill the holes larger than the bolt heads, and use double stick tape with the same result. I guess I just like to screw things together!

Here’s a short step by step of the process. The battleships cost maybe 25 cents, there were extra screws in the spare parts bag that fit perfectly, total time maybe 1/2 hour or so. I still may send my strip to the paint shop (rattle can) – but not today. We’re going on an activation tomorrow!

First, find yourself a ‘battleship’ and modify. Most any hardware store/home center will have these in their electrical department.

A ‘battleship’ ready for modification.

Cut where indicated, drill to fit, file the edges to a nice shape. Polish with one of those 3-M finishing pads, paint to match if desired. Sorry for the reflection in the photo, there is a vertical cut line just to the left of the ‘cut at arrows’. The easiest thing to do is remove the side panel from the KX3 and use it as a template.

Mounted on the RH side of the KX3

I added a piece of vinyl electrical tape on the back (not shown) so it won’t mar the case, then took out the original screws and attached the strip with two 1/4″ long screws that came in the spare parts bag. The original screws will just fit but I had these so why not use them?
Warning! Choose your screw length carefully, you don’t want them to extend too far into the KX3 and cause damage!

Another view of the paddles on the KX3

That’s all there is too it. Less than $1 in materials, maybe an hours time and your Palm Mini Paddles are ready to make lots of CW QSO’s Thanks to Frandy, Barry & Jeff for all their ideas.
Jim/KK1W