Tag Archives: On The Air

Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

April 2019 Contest notes

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Spring is here and not a moment too soon! In this last weekend before April we have the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest that is one of my favorites. The exchange is easy: just a serial number and a signal report (always 59, please). This is a contest where everybody can work everybody else, so there is always somebody to talk to. If you are new to contesting (and you can count!) this is a good one to try.

The big contests of the year are nearly behind us. Just the two WPX contests (one in March and another in May) remain. But, there are QSO parties and other small contests that are coming up. Remember, with the solar cycle in the doldrums this is a good time to be working on your Worked All States award or trying new operating modes (like FT8).

Missouri QSO Party [1400Z, April 6 to 0400Z April 7 + 1400Z-2200Z April 7th] The exchange is easy: RS(T) and state. Look for the special event stations W0MA and K0H for extra points.

Mississippi QSO Party [1400Z April 6 to 0200Z April 7] runs concurrently with part of the Missouri QSO Party and also has an exchange RS(T) plus state. This is a good opportunity to get on the air and get credit for multiple contests!

FT8 DX Contest [1200Z April 13 to 1200Z April 14] Digital modes like FT8 seem to get through when others do not. Perhaps you can work on your DXCC award this spring! The exchange is RST + state.

New Mexico QSO Party [1400Z April 13 to 0200Z April 14] The exchange is a little different in this contest: name + state (the RS(T) isn’t demanded by the rules).

North Dakota QSO Party [1800Z April 13 to 1800Z April 14] If you don’t have ND in your log, this is an excellent opportunity to get those states squared away. Both North and South Dakota have very few active hams, so try to get these folks on multiple bands. The exchange is RS(T) + state.

Georgia QSO Party [1800Z April 13 to 0359Z April 14 + 1400Z-2359Z April 14] Again, the exchange is just RS(T) and state.

ARRL Rookie Roundup, SSB [1800Z-2359Z April 14] The exchange is name + 2-digit year first licensed + state. I remember the first couple of years I operated. I was first licensed in 2002 so I would use “02” in my exchanges for contests like this. This confused the daylights out of many of the people I contacted, and I got lots of requests for repeats! Spend a few minutes and give these new operators some points.

Nebraska QSO Party [1300Z April 20 to 0200Z April 21 + 1300Z-2200Z April 21] The exchange is RS(T) + state. Nebraska was hard-hit by flooding this year, so I don’t know how many stations will be on the air. I’ve found this a hard state to get in the log in general, so this might be your best opportunity all year.

Michigan QSO Party [1600Z April 20 to 0400Z April 21] The exchange is a little different for this one: serial number + state.

Florida QSO Party [1600Z April 27 to 0159Z April28 + 1200Z-2159Z April 28] The exchange is RS(T) + state.

So many of the contests this month have just RS(T) and state as the exchange that you can usually get on the air, work people normally with this exchange, and enter multiple contests (or at least make other contesters happy for the points). Contesting is like regular operating without all the chit-chat {grin}.

The more you know! A contesting term you should know is “rubber clocking.” That’s when an operator begins the contest just  a little before the start time, or operates just a little past the end time in an effort to squeeze in a few more QSOs. In short: don’t do it. Begin on time, and when it is time to stop, finish your QSO and stop. Play fair.

Remember that you don’t have to turn in your log just because you operated during a contest. You can work stations in a contest just to have fun, or to collect QSOs for awards. Contest sponsors appreciate your entries (they help make sure the other operators copied the exchanges properly), but they can’t demand it. Get on the air. Put some Q’s in the log, and have fun. Maybe pick up an operating award along the way. Perhaps you’ll then write about it here on the N1FD website!

As always, you can get a complete rundown of all the contests this month (and this year) at the www.contestcalendar.com website.

73 and good luck in the contests.

Scott, NE1RD

Antennas, Education and Training, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

New Ham Boot Camp – Sessions 1 – 3

We have held the first three sessions of New Ham Boot Camp the past few weeks to help our newly licensed members learn the skills they need to get on the air.

Session 1 was held at Fred, AB1OC’s and Anita, AB1QB’s QTH.   The session focused on UHF/VHF.  The following activities were part of this session:

  • HT Programming
  • Station Tour including Antenna Towers and Mobile Stations
  • Echolink Setup and Use
  • Satellite Operating Demo
  • Antenna Demo
  • Practice QSOs and Repeater Net
Jamey, AC1DC, elmers Randall, KC1KSY as he makes an HF Contact
Jamey, AC1DC, elmers Randall, KC1KSY as he makes an HF Contact

Session 2 was also held at AB1OC/AB1QB’s QTH.  During this session, members were able to Get on the Air to make contacts via HF SSB, Satellites, and HF Digital.

70 cm Ground Plan Antenna
70 cm Ground Plan Antenna

In addition,  we built a 70 cm ground plane antenna and members got kits to build their own antenna. and Jamey, AC1DC spoke about SOTAs and demonstrated a Buddipole antenna.

Fred Advises on Selecting Wire Antennas
Fred Advises on Selecting Wire Antennas

Session 3 was held at Ham Radio Outlet in Salem, NH. Peter, KI1M opened HRO during the evening of March 19th exclusive to NARS New Ham Boot Camp members.  Fred and Peter advised members and answered questions on selecting HTs, Transceivers, Antennas, Headphones, Microphones, Coax and other Amateur Radio components.

Peter shows us the repeater
Peter shows us the repeater

We have two more sessions of New Ham Boot Camp to be held in April:

  • Session 4: – Saturday, April 6 –   How to set up your first station,  Getting on 6 meters, What do all the buttons and knobs on my HF Transceiver do?  How do I use them to work DX
  • Session 5:  Date TBD – Building  and Tuning up HF Wire Antennas

Stay tuned to the General Information Forums – we will post there when Session 5 is scheduled.

Digital, DX, Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

DXing and Operating Award Tips

We’ve been pretty active in DX Operating Award programs since we built our station a few years back. Operating Awards provide incentives to get on the air and chase all kinds of contacts and they also help us to understand our station’s and our personal operating strengths and weakness. They also provide motivation to improve the latter.

Yesterday was a banner day for me in terms of completing Operating Award goals. I was able to make the needed contacts to complete two that I’ve been working on for quite some time:

  • Worked All Japan – Requires working and confirming all 47 Prefectures (similar to US states) in Japan
  • Top Band DXCC – Working and confirming 100 DXCC Entities (basically countries) on 160m

Both of these goals were completed using the FT8 digital mode for the remaining handful of contacts. I wanted to take a little time and share some of the techniques that have worked for me in hopes that it might help our readers have more fun and meet their operating goals on the air.

Here are some general techniques and tips for working DX (in no particular order) … You can read the entire article via the link which follows.

Source: Our HAM Station – DX’ing and Operating Award Tips

Fred, AB1OC

Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide