Heard of the Google Lunar X Prize? The first privately funded team of explorers who successfully land a robotic craft on the moon wins $30 million in prizes. The robotic craft must successfully rove at least 500 meters and transmit video, images, and data back to Earth.
Talk about cutting edge technology. Any Ham Radio operators involved?
Big stuff at Google Lunar X Prize.
If you're not in the contest this weekend, why not, view the action at Live Amateur Radio Scores. This is back-to-back with CQ 160 SSB and NAQP RTTY and that spells Ham Radio fun. Check Top Band action or if you're a fan of RTTY see whose who in the NAQP.
73 from the shack.
Stadium Earth fans, this is our mission, name the new W1HQ mascot. The stuffed yellow python mugged with ARRL Membership Manager Katie, W1KRB and Contest Branch Manager Sean, KX9X before slithering behind the plasma screen at the club station.
The League crew requested a G-rated name for the mascot. Read more.
G-Rated Mascot Names.
My club station mascot names are on their way. Have fun and may the best Stadium Earth fan win!
Thinking about contest exchanges and cut numbers.
Contest Exchanges.
Am I a contest exchange clone? Yes and I don't like it. Why? I like a challenge and the cloning of exchanges especially a signal report (i.e. 5NN or 5N) is dull and redundant. Everyone under the ionosphere is 5NN or 5N and I have yet to receive anything less than that. In fact, during the last contest once I logged the station, the software took care of the rest. It simply filled in the information and I confirmed it with my ears specifically the other operator's callsign.
Is it time to retire the signal report from contest exchanges? A 5NN or 5N report doesn't make sense to me especially when I'm running 50-watts. I bet my signal report is more like 559, 549, 449, or 349 in any given contest. And, I would like an authentic signal report but, it just does not happen. A real-world signal report would give me a good idea about the performance of my station as well.
What are we holding onto? Tradition? But this is a segway into another topic.
Perhaps our contest sponsors might consider loosing the signal report in favor of serial numbers or variants thereof. My brain tunes out the signal report and I like a good challenge in the exchange such as NCJ's Sprint or the ARRL Sweepstakes. My CW skill significantly improved after Sweepstakes and running the Sprint for a second time. But, during the ARRL DX CW, I morphed into a keyboard exchange clone.
This leads me into my second topic.
Cut Numbers.
I remember well using cut numbers as a Novice or while operating as DV2/KA3DRR back in the mid-80s. A cut-number is anything that shortens the otherwise official exchange for example, sending 5NN is a cut for 599 or OOA or TTA for 001 and so on. The idea is to improve one's run rate. However, I thought about this, "What would happen if someone brand new to contesting tuned into an operator sending cut numbers?"
My conclusion? Cut numbers are counter productive for the new contester. The cut number operator just might miss that one QSO or one needed multiplier because the other doesn't understand what is going on within the exchange.
Secondly, cut numbers might suggest stagnation creeping into various contest exchanges as well. We've become this mass mind accustomed to 5NN or 5N in an exchange.
I'm going to program my contesting software to send the full exchange in the next contest. I'll try to remember this pledge as well. It's just an extra 6-dahs to do so and this is for the contesting newcomer.
Contest on.
I'm thinking about a few RadioSport questions in the post-2008 ARRL International DX CW environment. What do you think?
Questions?
I copied a few cut numbers (e.g. shortened exchange during a contest for example, 5NN KW, 5NN AK, and so on) during the International and still thinking about its practical purpose. Am I a supporter, don't really care, or a staunch advocate against the use of cut numbers? I'm just not sure, yet.
On the other hand, there is something to be said about re-thinking traditional contest exchanges as a matter of increasing the fun factor. I really like the Sprint format. It is complex but doesn't push the frontier like the exchange in Sweepstakes. Thoughts?
By the way, the National Contest Journal released the February 2008 CW Sprint Preliminary Results, read more here. I placed 53rd out of 60 low-power entrants.
--... ...--
I wanted to share a few 'firsts' resulting from the ARRL International DX CW contest. My sleep cycle is well on the road to recovery, my bones are warmed, and a few electronic QSLs were confirmed within 1-day. That's cool and I'm using both Logbook of the World (LoTW) and eQSL services. Both serve their purpose and I'm satisfied with each.
My meta-log is the central source for my QSOs, confirmed QSLs, and award chasing stats. I'm a big fan of DXLab Suite, as a freeware program, it is versatile, easy to navigate, built-in spot collector with automated spot announcements, and more useful utilities.
Firsts For the Meta-Log.
I wonder, when the sun finally gets into full swing, how much more Ham Radio fun will follow? By the way, I ran 50-watts into a doublet made of copper wire at 30-feet and the fun meter hit the red zone.
-.-. --.- - . ... -
I checked the VP6DX log which validated my three band net effort. The confirmation is in the QSL card and that's in the near future.
On the other hand, are you ready to take the next leap in RadioSport contesting, WebCam technology move over and welcome--Ustream.tv. This is the future.
Contest on.
I had Ham Radio fun this weekend working operators from all around the world. Friday night was fast and furious. Saturday was the kilowatt wall. Sunday belonged to the low-powered i.e. less than 100-watts with wire antenna systems.
I operated 50-watts for the International without complaints but the shack never warmed above meat locker.
A few factoids from the log--first in the log was KH6NF, last in PJ4O, and best moment belonged to VP6DX on three bands. Never give up on a multiplier because I followed PJ4O all around the band until the operator finally heard me.
Results.
Band (Raw)--Valid--Pts--Pts/Q--Countries
-------------------------------------------------------------------
10
15--27-- 26--78--2.89--12
20--44--44--132--3.00--12
40--21--21--63--3.00--8
80--1--1--3--3.00--1
160
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals--93--92--276--2.97--33
Final Score = 9,108
Total Qs = 93
Total Mults = 33
Operating Time = 5:25 (off times shown in log) however butt-in-the-chair (BIC) time 30-hours.
Rig : Yaesu FT100 at 50-watts
Antennas : Doublet @ 30 ft.
Stadium Earth fans, it is time for sloppy joes, potato chips, a big gnarly bowl of ice cream, and sleep.
Contest on.
Yes, three bands baby! These guys are going to set astronomical numbers after their operating storm. Can you imagine their fatigue at this moment? Hours and hours of operating beneath the cover of tents out in the wild blue of the Pacific cut off from civilization. No Big Macs just antennas, keyers, the sound of Morse code, and a seagull. Farout. Their operation is like one big monster energy blanketing the ionosphere.
I can't wait to see the final tally.
Today is dedicated to all low-power to QRP powered stations all across our great planet. May the giants of RadioSport hear our signals through the noise. The kilowatts are all worked and what remains is the love of low-power Level-3 and -4 stations with dipoles, inverted-vees, verticals, random wires, bed springs, and rain gutter antennas.
All ears are on us. Have ham radio fun as the final 12-hours of the ARRL International DX CW contest rolls off the software clock. Good day and good luck.
Contest on.
