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NEQP: ARI DX Contest Change

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As mentioned at a recent meeting by our Contest Manager, W1WBB, there has been a change in the Italian DX Contest (ARI) that runs concurrently with the NEQP. The TIME of ARI now runs through the entire time period of the NEQP.  This is significant. ARI is the source of DX multipliers, especially European.  This could mean more DX multipliers for us in the NEQP. 

ARI requires a serial number.  I find the easiest way to comply is to have a side pre-numbered sheet which I simply cross off as I work stations in the ARI contest.  Remember you still need to send them your COUNTY and STATE for the NEQP. 

In the past I have even called “CQ ARI” with some success in order to build up the multiplier.

So don’t pass up this opportunity to increase your score.

Good luck!

— John, W1M

NEQP 2012: Recommended Reading

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Just a reminder as you make your NEQP 2012 preps (10 days left & counting down!) that some great contest tips and advice from last year’s “1 Million or bust!” effort exists right here on this club website.   Just click on the “Index to Posts” icon, then the letter “N” and you’ll find some very helpful info, under titles beginning with “NEQP…”, provided by John W1XX and Ken K3IU, such as:

NEQP Strategy – How to Maximize Your Score

NEQP:  Utilizing the other Contests

NEQP:  Phone vs. CW

and…NEQP:  New England Mobiles

Additional contributors for *this* year are always welcome!

A significant change for this year is that the Italian ARI International Contest has changed its endtime to 1200Z on 6 May and thus will *not* overlap with NEQP on Day 2 (Sunday) as NEQP restarts at 1300Z.  Thus, you’ll need to capitalize on the DX mults that will be available in the ARI event (an everybody works everybody contest) on Saturday only.  Last year, with 100 watts and a wire doublet at around 45 ft, I worked 45 plus ARI contest participants adding many unique DX mults to the log.  We are worth 10 pts to Italian stations and 3 pts to non-North American ARI ops so they’ll be happy to have us in their logs!

ARI Contesters will need a serial number exchange from you…just send them a sequential serial # starting with 001 as well as your NEQP exch too (which they won’t care about but should still be sent).  I kept a prepared “tick” sheet handy (with the last sequential ARI # I provided to an ARI participant) right at the operating position and checked the next number off as I went along…low tech but it worked.

Good luck and I hope you find the past NEQP articles to be informative and helpful — happy reading.   Additional comments and questions re: NEQP 2012, as members make final plans, can be posted right here.

73,  Bill  W1WBB  

 

2011 ARRL 160m Contest results are on the web

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Results for the 2011 running of ARRL’s 160m ‘test can be found here:

  http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ContestResults/2011/2011-160M-Web-V1_0.pdf

Just a few of us slugged it out under less than stellar condx, with the first night being particularly brutal when it came to any type of DX comms.

Of note, our esteemed club Prez Mike K1DM earning 70,000 hard-fought pts as an LP stn — an excellent effort as one of the very top New England LP ops and just missing a “Top 5” box within the whole Northeast Region…well done Mike.

73,  Bill  W1WBB 

 

 

 

Fiberglass “Flag Pole”

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Here is the URL for the fiberglass flag pole that I demonstrated at Saturday’s meeting.  There are lengths from 16-ft to 28-ft.  Those who saw it know how light it was.  When I ordered it (from Ontario, CA which is east of Los Angeles about 20 miles) it was shipped UPS and arrived in less than one week.

The URL: http://www.flagsimporter.com/american/product_info.php/pName/28ft-fiberglass-telescoping-pole//

This one will take you to the flag pole page: http://www.flagsimporter.com/american/index.php/cName/flag-poles-accessories

Scroll down to page 3 and you can see all the possible lengths with prices ($40.00 to $70.00).  With shipping, mine was about $ 95.00.  I included a trailer hitch mount with mine that was heavier than the flag pole so it might be cheaper.  They accept Pay Pal!

I am going to order two more.  If someone else wants to order, let me know this week, and we can take advantage of the quantity discount!

73, Mike, K1DM

 

N1MM for NEQP, IND and W7 QSO Party Combo

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The correct selection of contests in N1MM for the NEQP can be found by choosing QSOPARTY for Log Type and then NEWE as State. The Indiana and W7 counties will be accepted as valid exchanges and the score should be accurate for the New England contest only. The cabrillo output should be OK to submit for all three contests. There are 475 different state/county multipliers. If I can find an easy way to list them, I will add to this post.

73,

John, W1AN

 

 

meetings

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Hello to all,

  Not sure if last post made it so trying again.

Just a short note to let you know why I haven’t been to meetings in the last few months. I have been out with a few medical problems that have curtailed many of my activities.  I thought I would be able to make yesterdays meeting but I couldn’t make it.  I just didn’t want anyone to think I just went away.  I plan on being active for the NEQP and stay on the air as long as possible and to also activate N1R ofr the two weeks in May. Hope to see everyone soon.

73’s

Norm

NR1H

1X1 SE LoTW and qrz.com Page

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I think I forgot to ask everyone using a 1×1 call sign if they are on LoTW. This is important for people to know if they need to confirm a QSO with you and don’t want to send a QSL card.

It’s last minute but will anyone who DOES NOT have a LoTW account or DOES NOT intend to upload their QSO data to LoTW please let me know here? That way I can let people know who is using it.

As for qrz.com, it would be great if everyone could edit their page to include information about the 1×1 SE operation. Below I have included what I wrote on my page, which you can use as a guide if you’d like to make it easy on yourself. Please make sure you edit the QSL info to specify MY call sign (NG1G) as the QSL address.

<pre>

CTRI 1×1 Special Event Information

I will be using the call sign K1W during this event. ***QSL to NG1G ONLY*** You can also look up any of our members’ 1×1 call signs on http://www.1x1callsigns.org/

Between May 1-15, 2012 the CTRI Contest Group will celebrate its 20th anniversary with 26 1×1 Special Event call signs. Operation will also coincide with the New England QSO Party, May 5-6. Club members will operate from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont, on various frequencies and modes. Work 10 call signs for the certificate. Send QSL card or log info plus large SASE and $2 to defray the cost of certificate. Submissions must be postmarked not later than June 1, 2012.

The following call signs will be activated: CT – K1C, K1Q, K1R, K1T, N1M, N1Q, W1A; RI – K1B, K1D, K1G, K1J, K1K, K1L, K1O, K1U, K1W, N1H, N1R, W1M, W1R, W1W, W1Y; MA – K1N, K1V, W1B; VT – K1M. All RI counties and several from CT and MA will be activated, as will Chittendon County in Vermont.

The CTRI Contest Group was formed by members of the South Coast Wireless Society who were interested in pursuing the radiosport aspect of amateur radio. From a core group of only a few hams, CTRI now has 25 or so active members who have made a substantial name for themselves as single-operator and multi-operator entries in many contests, including #1 World, #1 North America, and #1 US. Our list of accomplishments also include several North American and US records for various contests, in QRP, Low Power, High Power, and Multi-Op categories.

Over the years our club has been very active in supporting the ham and non-ham community, to include tower and antenna work, emergency communications, volunteer support for the New England Convention, presentations to local clubs, and other commemorative special event stations.

Please take the time to get on the air and work our members, especially during the New England QSO Party (www.neqp.org). It’s a fun contest even for non-contesters, and a great opportunity to work some fairly rare states and counties on various bands.

73,

Pat, NG1G

</pre>


 

Multi-op opportunities for NEQP 2012??

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For anyone planning a multi-operator effort in NEQP 2012 with open positions available to CTRI members, please detail your plans here including specific contact info.  This is a great way for the club to increase member participation for those seeking to be part of a team effort, as well as for those unable to operate from their home QTH in this event.

NEQP M-Op rules appear minimal, with use of DX spotting network permitted (ONLY for M-Ops!) and a second TX permitted only for hunting new multipliers.  In this multi-mode event (SSB, CW & Digital) whenever it gets a bit slow calling CQ as a Multi-Op, just change bands OR mode and keep on “running”!

Also, there are many M-Op county/state records that could be in jeopardy of being broken (or have yet to be established!)…check them out and you can likely set a goal for this year’s contest.

Good luck to the club multi-op teams in our NEQP 2012 “1 X 1 By One” effort!

73,  Bill  W1WBB

 

Meeting Notice, April 21, 2012

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It’s that time again.

If you are familiar with the interactive meeting notice skip down to “Topics“. This is an interactive meeting notice. What, you may ask, is an interactive meeting notice? As the phrase suggests, it is a meeting notice which requires interaction by the readers. For example: we need to have topics for presentation at the meeting; we need presenters; we need volunteers to provide lunch; we need to know who is coming to the meeting so the quantity of lunch portions may be determined, and so on. This post will be updated as interactions (comments) are appended.

Topics

  1. Contest Report
  2. ultrasonice powerline noise finder
  3. Discussion of meeting frequency
  4. Boxboro
  5. Plaques sponsored

Lunch provider:

Coffee and Drinks by: W1AN

Members who will attend: W1PN, W1AN, K1DM, KA1GEU
Venue: Crandall House, 1100 to about 1400

NEQP Results

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Results are official and there is a pretty interesting write up. So how come no one ever gets the name consistently correct? Good job all around.  I noticed not much mobile activity last year. Was anyone planning a big mobile effort in 2012?

73

 Jim KS1J

 

Sound Card Swap

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I’m trying to set up my computer to run RTTY on two rigs using two sound cards. I got a hold of two cheap identical SB0401 Soundblaster 24-bit (PCI) cards but discovered after trying to install them that I can’t have two of the same cards in the computer.

Is there anyone who has a cheap PCI sound card (a non-Soundblaster type) who’d be willing to swap theirs for my extra one? I tested it in my computer by itself and it worked fine, I just can’t get both cards to work together.

Also, does anyone have a USB to serial adapter they don’t want and are willing to sell cheap?

73,

Pat, NG1G