The 2015 CTRI Meeting Schedule and Contest Calendar is attached.

CTRI 2015 Meeting Schedule 12.11.2014

Summarized:

10 Jan 1000-1230  NK Library

7 Feb Holiday Luncheon TBD

14 Mar 1000-1200 NK Library

4 Apr 1000-1230 NK Library

9 May 1000-1230 NK Library

20 Jun 1000-1230 NK Library

11 Jul TBD

8 Aug TBD

5 Sep TBD

3 Oct TBD

14 Nov TBD

73 James K1SD

 

(Posted by K3IU for W1XX)

W1AW/1 Rhode Island Report for November 12 – 18

   Rhode Island measures only 48 miles long by 37 miles wide – ideal for importing hired gun operators from nearby Connecticut and Massachusetts.  This was successfully done during our July operation to the tune of 36K QSOs, and with an even better result in November:  45,419 QSOs. ’Lil Rhody did it again!

   The effort was led by super-station KI1G operating multi-2 with only three ops (W1UE, N1RR and KI1G) contributing nearly 21K Qs alone.  Connecticut imports K1XA and W1AN helped the multi-single W1XX operation to a total of 9K QSOs. Providence Radio Association club station W1OP was omni-present with several operators.  

   Not to slight the FB efforts of several modest single-op RI stations who contributed mightily to the overall Team RI effort.  This was a great learning  experience for some ops not used to handling high volume callers.

   As the leaders well know, when the W1AW/x program was first announced, no one had any idea how popular this would become – your RI coordinator no exception.  The November date was selected based on “how neat would it be to operate Sweepstakes phone signing W1AW/1.”  Neat it turned out to be but not without some modification of thought.  Owing to the W1AW/x popularity, tying up all the “contest” bands for the SS duration was out of the question.  So a 20-meter single-band multi-op SSB effort from W1XX was planned – thus freeing up all the other bands and modes to continue with normal “59(9) RI” reports.  Logging accommodation was made for DX and a handful of folks who couldn’t be talked into a full SS exchange.  All readable callers got in the log for W1AW/1 RI credit.   With 3 operators 1634 contacts made it into the SS log…even though 20 meters totally  shut down for 11 nighttime hours.  Neatest part?  ….sending the check of “38” corresponding to HPM’s first year licensed for W1AW.

   Team RI had fun! Hope you did also. Logs have been submitted to ARRL for uploading to LoTW. 73!  — John, W1XX – RI Coordinator for CTRI Contest Group 12/8/2014

  

    W1AW/1 Team RI Final Report for November 12 – 18

   Attached are the final QSO totals per station for the W1AW/1 RI November operation.  With an over 45K QSO total, what can I say?  Tremendous!  We did our ‘lil state proud!  Besides our in-state operators, we got some great help from MA and CT.  Attached also is a copy of my report to the W1AW/x leaders nationwide.  We compare quite favorably to the efforts of the other states.

   I wish to acknowledge the efforts of others not mentioned in that report:  NG1G who operated Sweepstakes from W1XX; KB1RFJ who operated from W1XX; CTRI prez K1DM (de CT) who scrutinized the logs for submission to ARRL; WA1UWU who supported the effort by the PRA, W1OP.  And W1AN who hosted the all-important scheduling app on his DXUSA website. 

   I am also forwarding to you an e-mail soliciting photos etc. for a QST story.  Feel free to respond directly.

   CTRI Contest Group president K1DM invites Team RI to its regular January meeting – Saturday the 10^th at 10 AM at the North Kingstown Free Library (100 Boone Street, Wickford)…also to the CTRI Holiday Luncheon at Gregg’s Restaurant in NK, date in late Jan/early Feb not yet announced (date to follow).  W1AW/1 RI discussion will be featured.

  TNX Team RI, it was a pleasure to work with you as your coordinator. 73!  — John, W1XX in Wakefield (the capital of South County)                                                         12/8/2014

 

QSOs PER STATION

 

Just wanted to let you know I had some work tree done in my yard by Silver Leaf Forestry (401-529-8558) of Peace Dale RI .  For a small fee they installed a pulley way high in a tree for a future low band dipole.  There we reasonable, quick & clean – You should keep them in mind if you have any future tree work and/or a potential dipole or two.

73 Mike KB1RFJ

Please post your results for this contest here and don’t forget to submit your score to the ARRL. There seems to be a pretty good amount of activity on the top band and I have even made some Qs using my low, NVIS 80 meter dipole.

73, Ken K3IU
Keeper of the CTRI Champions Leaderboard

Please post your results for the CQWW CW contest here for inclusion in the CTRI Champions competition. I didn’t hear/work any other club members,  but I suspect that there were others out there.

73, Ken K3IU
Keeper of the Leaderboard

PS: Don’t forget the deadline for submitting your score. This from the Rules…

XI. LOG DEADLINE:

1. All entries must be sent WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS after the end of the contest: no later than 2359 UTC October 31, 2014 for SSB and 2359 UTC December 5, 2014 for CW. Resubmitting an entry after the deadline will result in it being considered as a late log.

The most recent edition of the 2014-2015 Leaderboard is now available. The reported results through the first five(5) contests (through ARRL SS Phone contest) of the season are presented. This version now also displays the handicapped scores (based on the decisions made by the members at a recent meeting) on a spread beginning at Row 35 on the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is an Excel 97-2003 format and can be viewed or downloaded by clicking on the link below. The next contest in the series is the CQWW CW DX contest on the 29th and 30th of this November.

2014-2105_CTRI-Champions-Leaderboard_20141122_PROTECTED

To learn more about the handicapping, see this posting on the club website…

http://ctri.club/2014/09/07/a-proposal-for-handicapping-scores-in-the-ctri-champions-competition/

73, Ken K3IU
Keeper of the Leaderboard

Those of you who participated in the Phone Sweepstakes this weekend, please post your results here so I can include them in the CTRI Champions leaderboard.

Thanks…

73, Ken K3IU, Keeper of the Leaderboard

Please post your ARRL SSCW results here for inclusion in the CTRI Champions Leaderboard.

73, Ken K3IU
Keeper of the Leaderboard

Hello gentlehams,

 

Some time ago I sold off my radio gear (boy, what an idiot!) and am now trying to build myself back up again.  I presently am using a Icom IC-718 with no filters.  I tried to play in the CQWW-SSB recently and it was just so utterly miserable I actually shut the radio off in anger.  Don’t get me wrong, the 718 is a nice little starter radio for rag chewing, but if there is anyone nearby to you, forget it.

 

In the past I had a Kenwood TS-2000 and thought with the adjustable DSP filters it was pretty good.  Since then I have listened to you all and believe there may be something better out there for a contester that would like to play without getting my ears burned off with QRM.

 

As the holidays are approaching soon to be followed by hopefully a nice tax refund check, I will be searching for a nice contest radio.  What are your opinions with pros and cons on what I should get?  What kind of budget should I set?  I was thinking around $1,000 to $1,500.  I think I should find something nice in that range.  If I look at certain models, are there options I should verify it has?  Have you upgraded to the new Binford 6100XLT and maybe thought you would keep your old 756Pro3 around as a back up and now think you may sell it?  I will be combing the QRZ ads as well as a likely trip to NEAR-Fest this spring.

 

FWIW, I am hoping to pick up 6 meters in the new radio also, but not a deal-breaker.  I see many of the later radios do that already.  You should probably know, I want an amp too!  I am tired of sitting there trying to bust pileups with 100 watts!  Baby steps!

 

Thanks to all for your consideration,

Chuck -ka1cqr-

   It was thought that “The Drill” — otherwise known as re-raising a vertical antenna at W1XX — was not needed this season.  The recent “Big Wind” thought otherwise in taking direct aim on the 80 meter vertical.  Last Tuesday with hailstones the size of dimes, thunder, lightning, and gusts over 50 mph bent over the top third of the antenna.  With the W1AW/1 RI operation looming, being without 80 meters would not be good. Please bring hardhat(s).

   Thanks to prez K1DM accepting my plea to change the venue and host the November meeting at my W1XX QTH.  Thus, I am asking if members could show up about a half hour early — around 9:30 — and assist in putting the antenna back vertical.

Refreshments will be provided.  Please reply to this message so we can get a count of those attending.  Thanks as always to CTRI for coming to my antenna rescue.  73!  — John, W1XX

    

  

Wow! Ten meters has been wide open for this contest. Even I have put in about 4 hours, all 10 meters, and worked DXCC on that band. If you haven’t participated, then you have really missed out on a great opportunity.

Please post your results here so that I can include them in the CTRI Champions competition spreadsheet and please don’t forget to submit your results at the end of the contest on time. This from the Rules…

1. All entries must be sent WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS after the end of the contest: no later than 2359 UTC October 31, 2014 for SSB and 2359 UTC December 5, 2014 for CW. Resubmitting an entry after the deadline will result in it being considered as a late log.

73, Ken K3IU
Keeper of the Leaderboard

 

If you haven’t heard the CQWW Phone Test starts tonite! I hope we can get some activity. I will have the station here open if you get the urge to put in a few hours. Come on down!
73, John, W1AN

By John Lindholm, W1XX

   Ken, K3IU, recently did an analysis of the club’s Champions competition that determined the number of members participating in each contest.  Also during a recent meeting, we discussed which contests we wished to continue sponsoring a plaque.  A number value of 1 to 3 was assigned – with   1 being the most desirable.  As has often happened with such discussions, nothing seems to ever come of it.  Anyway…looking at Ken’s analysis and using the 1 to 3 ranking, the following contests – with a little stretch – earn a 1 ranking:

CQ WW RTTY
CQ WW DX SSB
CQ WW DX CW
ARRL 10
ARRL RTTY RU
CQ WPX RTTY
ARRL DX PHONE
CQ WPX SSB
NEQP

The next question is:  which of these contests in the most recent year available did CTRI sponsor a plaque?  Surprisingly, there are only three:  2013 ARRL RU New England Single Op Low Power; 2013 CQ WPX RTTY Multi-2 USA; 2013 NEQP Rhode Island Single Op.  Plaque programs for 2014 for both ARRL and CQ seem to be in somewhat administrative disarray. Of the other six high value contests to CTRI members, only ARRL 10 does not offer plaques.

So what’s the point?  Well, now that the club treasury is in the process of being refurbished, do we as a club want to expand our plaque commitment to other #1 contests…or even reach down to some #2 ranked contests such as Sweepstakes?

Food for thought and perhaps a meeting agenda item that hopefully will go somewhere.

PS (from K3IU): To see the analysis John referred to above go to this link:
http://ctri.club/2014/08/03/small-analysis-of-the-ctri-champions-competition/

By John Lindholm, W1XX (Amigo #3)

Discussion continued up to the last minute of decision on Thursday night: Do we go to NEARFest on Friday with good weather forecast, or take a chance on Saturday and 50% chance of rain?

James (K1SD), John (W1AN), and John (W1XX) – penned “The 3 Amigos” by Mike KB1RFJ – met van driver John (W1AN) at the exit 7 commuter parking lot off I-95 at 5 AM Saturday morning.  The van was packed with gear from the KA1GEU estate. A poster advertised the big ticket items which were left home at the W1AN QTH.

The drive up was rather uneventful…overcast but no rain.

We set up in a good spot near the entrance which caused a feeding frenzy as we unloaded stuff in boxes from the van.  The bux were flying fast and furious.  Couldn’t keep up with the accounting and equipment list.

AN was hard-nosed on pricing while XX kept trying to almost give stuff away.  SD tried his best to keep those two apart. Things got really testy when XX sold a whole box of toroids for $100.  AN predicted that the buyer would re-sell them at 5 bux apiece at his venue a short distance away.  He was right.  Oh well, a hundred bux is a hundred bux. The high-ticket items poster drew little interest…simply the wrong venue for towers, amps and such.

After a couple of hours it did start to rain – not hard but a steady drizzle.  Meanwhile, AN found a bucket of needed tower parts for Mike, KB1RFJ, for 10 bux. We tarped the tables and concluded around noon or so that we were about done.

The three amigos stopped for lunch on the way home at a bar-restaurant in Methuen.  Food and drink was good.  We missed the 93 to 95 exit so continued on through Boston to pick up 95 south of Boston. We were all home by about 5 PM.

The Deerfield turn-out was perhaps a little disappointing…but overall we were satisfied and glad we went.  We turned the radio gear assets into $ 660 cash for the club.  Not bad.

Thanks to John, W1AN, for driving. The three amigos had a good time kibitzing with the folks.

P.S. – Posted by K3IU for W1XX

Tom, N1MM, recently sent out a reminder about logging info in the Sweepstakes contest.   Thought you all might find this helpful.

73, Ken K3IU

Re SS: Make sure you understand the parsing for the SS exchange. In
general, it's best to enter the data in pairs, like 39A and 61CT. That
way there is no ambiguity between the number and the check.

You may repeat exchange elements rather than correcting them. If you
enter 122A 61CT 123 it will be interpreted as 123A 61CT. The frame
around the exchange textbox will tell you what the program thinks you mean.

You may also enter the call in the exchange if you miscopied it, or go
to the callsign textbox and correct it there.

73,
Tom - N1MM