Category Archives: CW and QRP

Articles related to CW and QRP (low-power) operating and equipment. Articles related to learning and using Morse Code are also included here.

CW and QRP, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

October Contest Notes

It Begins!

October marks the unofficial beginning of the radio contesting season. In the next few months, we’ll have CQ WW SSB, CQ WW CW, ARRL Sweepstakes CW, ARRL Sweepstakes SSB, ARRL 160m, ARRL 10m, and a whole bunch of little but fun contests like ARRL School Club Roundup. There are still QSO parties to chase on a random weekend, too, including CA, NV, AZ, PA, SD, NY and, IL.  If you’ve been having trouble making time to get on the air (as I have!) then there are a lot of excuses to put yourself in the saddle and make some Qs!

October Contest Highlights

CQ Worldwide SSB [0000Z, Oct 26 to 2359Z, Oct 27]

Exchange: RS + CQ Zone (5905 for New England)

This was the first contest I ever entered. It was 2002 and the bands were hopping. I had just hung a stealth antenna and was curious about what I could hear. It was amazing. The bands were full, all the other guy wanted was “5905”, and he was off to work the next one. No microphone jitters here—there wasn’t time! If you’re new to contesting give this a try. Do search-and-pounce (S&P), listen, listen, listen, then work them. By the end of the weekend, you might have DXCC!

California QSO Party [1600Z, Oct 5 to 2200Z, Oct 6]

Exchange: CA: Serial No. + County; non-CA: Serial No. + (state/VE area/DX)

Nevada QSO Party [0300Z, Oct 12 to 2100Z, Oct 13]

Exchange: NV: RS(T) + “NV” + county; non-NV: RS(T) + (state/province/”DX”)

Arizona QSO Party [1600Z, Oct 12 to 0600Z, Oct 13 and 1400Z to 2400Z, Oct 13]

Exchange: AZ: RS(T) + county; non-AZ: RS(T) + (state/province/country)

Pennsylvania QSO Party [1600Z, Oct 12 to 0500Z, Oct 13 and 1300Z-2200Z, Oct 13]

Exchange: PA: Serial No. + County; non-PA: Serial No. + ARRL/RAC Section

South Dakota QSO Party [1800Z, Oct 12 to 1800Z, Oct 13

Exchange: SD: RS(T) + county; non-SD: RS(T) + (state/province/country)

New York QSO Party [1400Z, Oct 19 to 0200Z, Oct 20]

Exchange: NY: RS(T) + county; non-NY: RS(T) + (state/province/”DX”)

Tip: Sometimes those close-in states like VT, NY, ME, and MA are hard to get on the higher bands. They tend to be in the skip-zones a lot of the time. Take advantage of these QSO parties to fill in the close-in states on the high bands.

Illinois QSO Party [1700Z, Oct 20 to 0100Z, Oct 21]

Exchange: IL: RS(T) + County; non-IL: RS(T) + (state/province/country)

Wrapping up

These contests give you your last big change to test and repair station equipment and antennas before the weather gets uncomfortable. (My poor SteppIR has died of neglect, for example!) So, don’t be like me! Get on and tune up your station for the long winter ahead.

Pumpkins image courtesy of
Aaron Burden

Scott, NE1RD

Antennas, CW and QRP, Education and Training, Featured, General, Homebrewing, Newsletter, On The Air, Space, Youth Activities

Plans for HamXposition @ Boxboro 2019 – We Need Your Help

The Nashua Area Society will be part of the fun at HamXposition @ Boxboro again this year. We will be adding some new things this year as well as providing the Ham Radio Expo display that we did last year. Our contributions will include:

  • An expanded Ham Expo Display
  • Ham Bootcamp – a new activity for prospective and recently licensed Technician and General Class Hams
  • An Expanded Kit Building Activity
  • Several Forum Presentations featuring some of our recent projects and NARS Activities leading to our recognition as Club Of The Year

We will need a lot of help from NARS members to make our contribution to HamXposition successful. More on this later in this article.

Ham Radio Expo Display

HamXposition @ Boxboro
Ham Expo Display

Our Ham Expo display will cover many activities that you can do with Amateur Radio. Our display will also include three GOTA stations:

  • A Computer Controlled Satellite GOTA
  • A Remotely Controlled High-Power HF GOTA
  • A Repeater GOTA

We will also be adding a radio programming clinic where you can get your HT programmed at the show.

Ham Expo Layout

The diagram above shows the planned layout for our Ham Expo display. It will cover the entire back wall of the main exhibit hall in the vendor area and will include the Satellite GOTA station in the bar area as we did last year.

Ham Bootcamp

HamXposition @ Boxboro
Ham Bootcamp Activity

Ham Bootcamp is a new activity this year. Ham Bootcamp is a hands-on activity for folks interested in getting a Ham Radio License and folks who have gotten their Technician or General Class License and would like so help to get on the air or to upgrade their station to take advantage of their new General Class privileges. Our planned activities are outlined in the chart above. Most will be hands-on in small groups of 10 or less so we can answer questions and demonstrate how to have fun with Ham Radio. Ham Bootcamp will take place from 9 am to noon on Saturday and will accommodate up to 100 HamXposition attendees on a first-come-first-served basis.  We will also provide a $5 discount coupon to all Ham Bootcampers to use toward one of the kits that are included in our kit building activity at HamXposition.

Kit Building Plans

HamXposition @ Boxboro
Morse Tutor Kit

The popular Morse Tutor kit will be back again this year and we’ll have folks on hand as well equipment so that folks can build their kit and get it working at the show. You can find more about our Morse Tutor kit here.

We will be adding a second kit at our kit build – a 70 cm ground plane antenna. This is an antenna that you can build and use to help your HT or base rig get out better on the 70 cm band. We’ll have an analyzer and folks who can help you to tune your antenna for the best operation after you complete your kit.

Forum Presentations

NARS Forum Presentations

The Nashua Area Radio Society has had a pretty amazing year and we will have the opportunity to share some of our experiences at HamXposition via forum presentations. You can see the topics for our planned presentations above.

We Need Your Help

NARS HamXposition Teams

HamXposition is an important undertaking for us and for the northeastern Amateur Radio Community as a whole. We need your help to plan and execute our plans. Please reach out to Dave, Jerry, Scott or myself and join our HamXposition Team. It will be a lot of fun and a rewarding change to give back to the northeastern Amateur Radio Community.

Fred, AB1OC

CW and QRP, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

August Contest Notes

Warm up for Contesting Season

The “official” kick-off for contesting season is really CQ WW SSB at the end of October, but many of us clear our throats here in August with a set of North American QSO Party events sponsored by the National Contest Journal. We have CW and SSB in August; the RTTY event was mid-July. See the August Contest Notes below for some opportunities to “warm up” for contest season this fall.

August Highlights

10-10 International Summer Contest [0001Z Aug 3 to 2359Z Aug 4]

Exchange: 10-10 members: Name + 10-10 number + SPC, non-members give a zero for their 10-10 number (same format)

[Remember SPC is State, Province, or Country]

This might be an interesting contest, if only to see whether 10m comes alive. Go to a band like 10m and listen nearly anytime during the low point in the solar cycle and you’ll likely hear nothing at all. But, put a big contest on the air and suddenly 10m is alive with activity. (Maybe not, but you might be surprised how often this is true!) Check out the rules, of course, as I always recommend, but this seems like a pretty easy contest. Remember, the 10m band has more spectrum than all the other HF bands put together! Everybody gets to spread out. It makes for a very relaxing experience. Try it!

North American QSO Party, CW [1800Z Aug 3 to 0559Z Aug 4]

Exchange: Name + SPC

Hey, look at that! Lots of overlap with the 10-10 contest. And, it has almost the same exchange (the 10-10 contest wants a zero between your name and SPC). Here’s yet another change to work on your WAS award.

Maryland-DC QSO Party [1400Z Aug 10 to 0400Z Aug 11]

Exchange: entry class + SPC

Entry classes are Standard, Mobile, Club, and QRP. Read the rules for more.

North American QSO Party, SSB [1800Z Aug 17 to 0559Z Aug 18]

Exchange: Name+ SPC

At risk of repeating myself, if you are new to contesting, or if you just like to do something relaxing, and you can speak at all, this contest is your speed. Put some states in the log!

Hawaii QSO Party [0400Z Aug 24 to 0400Z Aug 26]

Exchange: HI: RS(T) + QTH, non-HI: RS(T) + SPC

I’m highlighting this contest because for many of us moping our way through the doldrums of this solar cycle Hawaii is a tough place to reach. It is the world’s most isolated island chain, after all. So, a whole contest chock-full of Hawaiians sounds like a great opportunity to put them in the log. Remember, Hawaii isn’t just a state, it’s a DXCC entity, too. Two-Fer!

That’s All for This Month

Remember that contesting.com always has great stuff, including the complete list of contests for this month (and every month).  Even if you’re a little shy, even if you feel inexperienced, even if you don’t think contesting is for you, get on the air, listen for a bit, then make a few QSOs, and see if it doesn’t put a smile on your face.

73 de

Scott, NE1RD

Note: Top image was from Yellowknife Online, NWT

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