2009 Missouri QSO Party (MQP) Hits Ionosphere

Just a friendly reminder that the 2009 Missouri QSO Party (MQP) is underway.

Missouri QSO Party is sponsored by the Boeing Employees' Amateur Radio Society (link). CW frequencies are 40 kHz from the lower band edge. SSB frequencies are 1880, 3980, 7180, 14280, 21380, and 28380. Exchange is RST, serial number, Missouri county, or state, province, country.

MQP Objective.

• The object of the contest is to work as many stations as possible during the contest period, to provide all licensed radio amateurs outside the state of Missouri the opportunity to work Missouri counties, and to provide all licensed radio amateurs in Missouri an opportunity to work other states and countries.

Fascinating rule(s) for example,

• The use of spotting assistance or nets (operating arrangements involving other individuals, DX-alerting nets, packet clusters, etc.) not physically located at the station will be permitted.
• Contacts through repeaters, digipeaters, and gateways will not be permitted. However, the use of these means to solicit a simplex contact during the contest period will be permitted—stations may spot themselves.

Contacts are not permitted using repeater, digipeaters, and gateways although solicitation or scheduling a Q is permitted. That is an interesting twist and I'm curious about the results?

Contest on!

N1MM Logger Version 9.3.7 Available For Download

N1MM Logger version 9.3.7 fixed the following bugs according to the website (link).

Version 9.3.7.

• Bug #260: A run time error occurs when loading a database with US Windows regional settings created with German regional settings. (DK8NT) (coded by K3CT)
• Bug #254: Manual radio (no radio) updates: save mode for program restart, add AM/FM modes when the mode label is clicked in the Band map, detect mode when using the File Open numbered database list for single mode contests. (PH2M, N5RA, NU6T) (coded by K3CT)
• Bug Fix: Band map right click with Manual radio, Go to Top of Band isn’t correct when the mode is FM and the band is 2 meters. (PH2M) (coded by K3CT)
• Bug Fix: Band map right click when mode is RTTY/PSK, Go to Top of Band isn’t correct when digital sub-band table is blank. (coded by K3CT)
• Bug Fix: When previous spots are listed with SH/DX, don’t place the station call sign in the Band map preventing it from popping into the Entry window. (coded by K3CT)
• Bug #259 - QSO's not logged if SO2R, SSB and Run F3 or S&P F2 are blank (W4AU) (coded by N2IC).
• Bug 256 - In Russian DX Contest, don't prefill number from other bands (coded by N2IC).

I'm grateful to each contester who voluntarily takes time out from their schedules to correct any problems in N1MM Logger. Thank you for making RadioSport the best niche in ham radio.

73 from the shackadelic.

RadioSport Eu | LZ Open 40m Sprint Contest

The LZ Open 40m Sprint this weekend and the exchange is king kong kule.

LZ Open Sprint Contest 2009 Rules and Results (link).

73 from the shackadelic.

3830 Claimed Scores | NS Ladder VI

East of Mississippi Division Single Operator Low Power.

• N4OGW | 58 Qs | 28 Mults | 1,624 Points [ACG].
• N9CK | 51 Qs | 28 Mults | 1,428 Points [SMC].
• NO3M | 7 Qs | 6 Mults | 42 Points.

West of Mississippi Single Operator Low Power.

• N9RV | 58 Qs | 29 Mults | 1,682 Points.
• W0BH | 48 Qs | 30 Mults | 1,440 Points.
• WI0WA operator N0AC | 17 Qs | 11 Mults | 187 Points [Iowa DX and Contest].

Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) Low Power.

• N6RO | 50 Qs | 27 Mults | 1,350 Points.
• W0YK | 51 Qs | 26 Mults | 1,326 Points.
• K6UFO | 36 Qs | 19 Mults | 684 Points.

NS Ladder VI completed round one and what a difference a multiplier makes.

Contest on!

Inspiring The Future Of RadioSport | OH8X Radio Arcala

Most if not all sporting activities provide some type of statistical information measuring athletic performance. In this case, OH8X Radio Arcala, channeled logging information much like Live Amateur Radio Scores during any given contest. The difference is graphical. I believe, given the level of transparency and station configuration, the essence of RadioSport is revealed.

Success at this level competing against other stations similar in construction really comes down operators and experience, at least for me.

On the other hand, OH8X Radio Arcala, opened their station to the Internet and welcomed visitors with the goal of at least inspiring one individual. Their logging information might spark further curiosity and an individual may seek out its meaning.

Radio Arcala opened a digital door and I'm hoping that someone on this planet is asking about ham radio and RadioSport. Likewise, gaining essential experience only improves one's RadioSport skill set especially if one's goal is the box.

Contest on!

Thursday Night Madness | NS Ladder VI Begins

Thursday night madness sponsored by the Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) begins as NS Ladder VI goes ionospheric later this evening.

• Thursday Night Contesting (link).
• Rules (link).

If one is interested and wants to improve their sprint skill set, NS Ladder VI, is the opportunity. Additionally, task one's low-profile antenna and push performance during the fastest 30-minutes in RadioSport.

Contest on!

Inspiring The Future Of RadioSport | OH8X Radio Arcala

Energizing the future of RadioSport is OH8X Radio Arcala. Visionary? Yes. Inspirational? Absolutely. The team is "on target" and I'm one-hundred percent into the OH8X vision for RadioSport going into the mid-21st Century. They "get it" and I dig it.

Their work begins even though the different kind of contest is over. Finally, at least for me, a group of competitive operators are challenging our current paradigm. That is, OH8X Radio Arcala conceptualized a future where RadioSport and Internet converge while recognizing the future depends on a serious Millennial uptick interested in high frequency (HF) contesting.

OH8X transmits positive attitude in all directions. They have taken on a serious challenge at home yet, they are willing to share their experience with others with zero understanding of amateur radio concepts. They "get it" and I dig it.

I applaud their effort to move RadioSport forward beyond the walled garden and open our sport to the possibilities of Internet. They are preparing for a sport 20-years down the road while building infrastructure, right now. I do not know the look of our sport in 2020 however given the nature of today's innovation, RadioSport of tomorrow is going to be truly inspirational.

Stay tuned to one's digital signal processor as I share my first meeting with OH8X Radio Arcala during the 2009 CQ WorldWide WPX [SSB] last weekend.

73 from the shackadelic.

2009 Missouri QSO Party (MQP) Sponsored By The Boeing Employees' Amateur Radio Society

Add a little fun while working on the spring time antenna project or pass out a friendly Q to an operator in Missouri. If one is chasing counties then MQP is slated for ionospheric action this weekend. Turn on, tune, and operate.

Missouri QSO Party (MQP) link.

Contest on!

3830 Claimed Scores | 2009 CQ World Wide 160m v.SSB | World Low Power (Final Scores)

World Single Operator Low Power.

• KP4KE | 536 Qs | 55 State(s)/Province(s) | 58 Countries | 349,823 Points [BCC].

World Single Operator (Assisted) Low Power.

• OK1DF | 144 Qs | 3 State(s)/Province(s) | 46 Countries | 36,064 Points.
  

Is anyone noting a score difference between low power and low power assisted? Or, is time in the chair, one difference maker for low power RadioSport operators?

Contest on!

3830 Claimed Scores | 2009 CQ World Wide 160m v.SSB] | Low Power (Final Scores)

USA Single Operator Low Power.

• K1HTV | 776 Qs | 53 State(s)/Province(s) | 17 Countries | 127,680 [PVRC].
  

USA Single Operator (Assisted) Low Power.

• N7ON | 45 Qs | 13 State(s)/Province(s) | 2 Countries | 1,530 [NCCC].
  

Contest on!

3830 Claimed Scores | 2009 CW WorldWide WPX [SSB] | World Low Power

World Low Power Single Operator All Band (Assisted).

• NP2KW | 1563 Qs | 525 Prfxs | 1,877,400 Points.
  

World Low Power Single Operator All Band.

• PY2NY | 1324 Qs | 637 Prfxs | 2,470,286 Points [Araucaria DX].
  

World Low Power Single Operator All Band (TS).

• VE3JI | 135 Qs | 106 Prfxs | 48,336 [CCO].
  

Contest on!

3830 Claimed Scores | 2009 CQ WorldWide WPX [SSB] | USA Low Power

USA Low Power Multi-2.

• AA6YX | 521 Qs | 298 Prfxs | 268,498 Points [NCCC].
  

USA Low Power | Assisted | Single Operator All Band.

• W4EE | 410 Qs | 307 Prfxs | 300,246 Points [FCG].
  

USA Low Power TriBander | Single Element (TB Wires) Single Operator All Band.

• N6UWW | 480 Qs | 280 Prfxs | 248,360 Points [SCCC].
  

USA Low Power Single Operator All Band.

• NV1N operator N1UR | 1564 Qs | 721 Prfxs | 2,512,685 Points [YCCC].

USA Low Power Single Operator All Band (TS).

• NX6T operator K6AM | 1456 Qs | 533 Prfxs | 1,344,226 San Diego Contest Club.
  

East coast advantage is notable into the Eu multiplier grid with AA6YX and NX6T butt-in-chair (BIC) for the west coast.

Contest on!

Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) | NS Ladder VI

The Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) announced NS Ladder VI on CQ-Contest Digest. If one is looking for great sprint practice then look no further than Thursday night. It is said that some put on photon powered sprint shoes just for this occasion while others inadvertently melted capacitors due to an overload of ham radio fun.

NS Ladder VI is an awesome competitive field from entry to expert level. Code speed is not a qualifier rather gain valuable contesting experience, improve code speed, learn how to fix software glitches in seconds, and join the fastest 30 minutes in RadioSport.

NS Ladder VI.

• NCCC Thursday Night Contesting (link).
• 2009 NS Ladder Competition (link).
• Schedule (link).
• Score Results (link).
• NS Logging Software (link).
• Rules (link).

NS Ladder VI will push the envelope of one's contesting station creating a great opportunity to experiment with different wire antenna configurations. I do not know if anyone has operated at the 1-watt level into a wire antenna system? Any software defined radio (SDR) contesters? Read about the Locust X-Prize and take this opportunity to integrate innovative ideas into one's contest station configuration. As said, low-power, low-profile contest operators are game changers, are you ready for the game changing weekday contest?

Contest on!

Future Of Ham Radio | Radio Spectrum Inventory Act

Many thanks goes out to Jack, K4SAC for transmitting Radio Spectrum Inventory Act (reference link) into ham radio's blogosphere.

I'm not surprised given current trends and the number of mobile devices competing for spectrum space in conjunction with white space devices. The effect is cumulative and valuable ionospheric real estate perhaps is underutilized.

The Radio Spectrum Inventory Act requires measuring the number of intentional radiators and/or end-user intentional radiators between 300 MHz and 3.5 Gigahertz. Additionally, 1). Type of intentional radiators operating in the band, 2). Type of unlicensed intentional radiators authorized to operate in the band, 3). Contour maps illustrating signal coverage and strength and, 4.) Approximate geo-location of base stations and fixed transmitters.

Economic innovation leads the way as a centralized website may facilitate the creation of spectrum database(s) for efficient spectrum management within mobility technologies from one's Blackberry, netbook, or mobile phone, after all; the new personal computer is the cell phone. Furthermore, white space device allocation allows non-line of sight and sufficient bandwidth which may drive useful mobile applications in the near future.

73 from the shackadelic.