3830 Claimed Scores | 2010 NS Winter Ladder I | Low Power

East of Mississippi Single Operator.

• W9RE | 54 Qs | 41 Mults | 2,214 Points [SMC].
  
• N4OGW | 52 Qs | 39 Mults | 2,028 Points [ACG].
• N4AF | 53 Qs | 36 Mults | 1,908 Points [PVRC].

n = 23 scores submitted in this division.

West of Mississippi Single Operator.

• N0KK | 42 Qs | 33 Mults | 1,386 Points [MWA].
  
• K0AD | 42 Qs | 32 Mults | 1,344 Points [MWA].
• WD0T (@KD0S) | 46 Qs | 29 Mults | 1,334 Points.

n = 18 scores submitted in this division.

NCCC Member (CA/NV) Single Operator.

• K6VVA | 41 Qs | 27 Mults | 1,107 Points.
• W6SX | 36 Qs | 25 Mults | 900 Points.
• N6RO | 35 Qs | 25 Mults | 875 Points.
  

n = 6 scores submitted in this division.

The fastest 30-minutes in RadioSport heats the shack relaxation zone with ham radio fun. Topics stoking one's competitive fire, metaphorically writing, is the Sport of Kings known as boxing at least for me. My comparison begins with heavy weight and welter weight divisions.

Certainly, the visual of a heavy weight champion in the ring with a welter weight champion, is mammoth mismatch. Who, ultimately, would win this fight? Would speed prevail against power? Who would outlast whom into the 12th round?

Perhaps, as the debate continues, are there competitive differences in RadioSport divisions tilting the match between contestants? One cannot compare the performance characteristics of tower mounted antenna systems against wire antenna systems.

It is all about antenna system, power, and location. Efficiency, effective radiated power after accounting for losses in feed line etc. in addition to height over terrain or take off angle are subtle engineering factors.

One may consider station configuration is much like the weight of boxing gloves, one's physical characteristics, and conditioning. RadioSport's welter weight division such as low power competes against other welter weights for example tower mounted antenna system versus wire antenna system.

Can I weight this as different gloves and/or physical characteristics given each boxer is equally conditioned? Or, what really matters at the end of the day, is the pair of hands inside the gloves?

RadioSport sponsors have done a good job separating competitive divisions such as high power versus low power. What is happening, at least from my perspective, is refinement within divisions in order to balance the fight. Sponsorship creates the ring of competition whereas I'm responsible for personal conditioning or station engineering. Essentially, I'm asking, "Are competitive divisions within RadioSport balanced enough for a fair divisional fight?"

Currently, divisions are primarily power weighted however physical characteristics are missing like antenna system. Overall, would refinement ultimately lead to the advancement of radio as an art, improve operator skill set, and further stoke the competitive spirit of RadioSport?

Furthermore, is it possible for a west coast station upset going into the 2010 CQ World Wide DX CW event in any one division? What if?

73 from the shackadelic on the beach.

This Weekend In RadioSport | RTTY And VHF

RadioSport UK | BARTG RTTY Sprint.
The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group (BARTG) is ready and RTTY is trending positive for operators across the globe. Sprint type events do not consume an enormous amount of time from one's limited weekend operating budget. I'm curious if a subtle shift is beginning to occur within RadioSport toward sprint like activities?

Whatever one's schedule this weekend with winter weather dampening outdoor activity then consider the shack as relaxation zone. Twelve hours total operating time is all BARTG RTTY Sprint is asking as a social interaction expenditure.

Rules (link).

RadioSport USA | 2010 ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes.
I have not heard from our local VHF RadioSport organizer regarding an effort at transmitting above 50 MHz this weekend. However I'll buzz the local network for a pulse on any VHF action within San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara counties.

The pressures beginning to build for spectrum space is a real motivator to get stations on the air moreso as a rally instead of a sweepstakes. Perhaps, if there are any VHF/UHF RadioSport organizers tuned into my blog; please consider 'rally' as method of organizing activity above 50 MHz going into the future.

Frankly, in this context, sweepstakes conjures an image of lotto scratching instead of amateur wireless communicators pitting themselves with their technology against sever winter weather. Rally, man, rally!

Rules (link).

Pour on the CQ!

SFI = 82 | A-index = 3 | K-index = 2 | Sunspot Count = 17 @ 0011UTC.

RadioSport History | CQ World Wide DX CW 1972

The year is 1972 and the ubiquity of personal computing was well over the horizon. Tubes and manually driven keys ruled the desktop of RadioSport operators. The yearly inflation rate in the United States was 3.72 percent, year end close of the Dow Jones was 1020, and gas was 55 cents a gallon.

Propagation.
Growing sideband popularity and a downward trending solar flux indice did not deter operators from competing. Frank Anazalone, W1WY commented, "[D]on't sell c.w. short. There is still a lot of activity on the low end of the bands."

I'm curious if CQ World Wide DX was vying for RadioSport event share? Anazalone mentioned, "[A]nd the 1776 logs received coupled to the 1710 received in the Phone contest puts us well above any previous record for this or any other contest."

Consequently, at the end of the day, RadioSport operators from across the globe gutted out butt in the chair time; propagation or not.

RadioSport Ethics.
Excessive dupe claims lingered despite the number of disqualifications in 1971 while some confusion existed regarding multipliers. It appears the sponsor included Worked All Europe list of countries in addition to sanctioned ARRL entities. However some operators according to the article claimed imaginative multipliers.

Trends.
A wave of minted Novice operators warranted its own category in the event. Is this the period when some of our top competitors in the 21st Century entered ham radio? The only mode available was Morse code with limited band allocations at that time.

Has the pendulum returned to its original position?

Club competition was full swing with the Potomac Valley Amateur Radio Club and Frankford Radio Club competing for top honors. Nineteen million points separated the Northern California Contest Club from the top slot in club competition whereas the Southern California Contest Club claimed third position.

Anazalone pointed out that the Caribbean/Central America and Africa plaques were not generating activity. A 75-watt Caribbean/Central American station, TI2WX, won the 1972 plaque. Who is dominating world record scores going into the first decade of the 21st Century?

Multi-Multi titans in 1972 were CW3AA, W3AU, and W4BVV.

The year was 1972 when gas was 55 cents a gallon and RCA developed the compact disc.

73 from the shackadelic on the beach.

Reference: Anzalone, F. W1WY (1973, September). CQ Magazine: 1972 CQ World Wide DX Contest: C.W. Results. pp. 39 - 47.

160m No Excuses Vertical

I'm inching toward the Top Band after purchasing required parts for the antenna system. We visited our only electronics store between Oxnard and Salinas. It is located in Santa Maria, California about 30-miles south of shackadelic.

I purchased an SO239 connector, binding posts, and block spades to complete the circuit. I plan on recycling what is left of #14 AWG solid core into additional radials for my 3BTV antenna system. There remains #22 AWG stranded wire at $10 per 100-feet to wind around three 10-foot sections of SCH40 PVC.

Wire is the most expensive portion of the project. I'm not surprised. Additionally we are brainstorming ideas on how-to support the base of the antenna and provide structural support at 10, 15, and 20-feet.

73 from the shackadelic on the beach.

3830 Claimed Scores | 2010 NS Winter Ladder I | Low Power

East of Mississippi Single Operator.

• N4OGW | 57 Qs | 44 Mults | 30min | 2,508 Points [ACG].
• N4AF | 54 Qs | 45 Mults | 2,430 Points [PVRC].
• K4RO | 48 Qs | 39 Mults | 30min | 1,872 [TCG].

n = 26 scores submitted in this division.

West of Mississippi Single Operator.

• KZ5D | 41 Qs | 34 Mults | 30min | 1,394 Points [CTDXCC].
• WD0T (@KD0S) | 42 Qs | 33Mults | 30min | 1,386 Points.
• W0BH | 39 Qs | 32 Mults | 30min | 1,248 Points.

n = 11 scores submitted in this division.

NCCC Member (CA/NV) Single Operator.

• K6VVA | 36 Qs | 28Mults | 30min | 1,008 Points.
• N6RO | 37 Qs | 26Mults | 30min | 962 Points.
• N6ZFO | 34 Qs | 26Mults | 30min | 884 Points.

n = 5 scores submitted in this division.

The fastest 30-minutes in RadioSport returns to the airwaves with a change in the rules. Multipliers are counted once per band unlike previous years, subsequently, Q to multiplier value improved resulting in an emphasis on one's search and pounce (SP) skill development versus rate alone.

Example of Multiplier Value.
Value of Q is (1-point x 1 multiplier) for a total of 1-point.

• 1 Q x 1 multiplier = 1 point.
  
• 2 Qs x 2 multiplier(s) = 4 points contrast 2 Qs x 1 multiplier = 2 points.
  
• 3 Qs x 3 multiplier(s) = 9 points contrast 3 Qs x 2 multiplier = 6 points.

Rate strategy alone may produce diminished returns whereas effective SP strategy combined with logging a multiplier and Q produces positive return into the score.

• 10 Qs x 5 multipliers = 50 points applying only rate strategy.
• 10 Qs x 8 multipliers = 80 points applying only SP strategy.
• 10 Qs x 10 multipliers = 100 points applying SP & rate strategy.
  

One can develop a root system of questions leading to which type of strategy is best given point value of multiplier to Q in the log. The question maybe, "Does rate produce multipliers in sprint-like competition or will effective and efficient SP strategy produce better results?"

The fastest 30-minutes in RadioSport has an answer.

73 from the shackadelic on the beach.