The Jug

Newsletter of the Northern California Contest Club

October 1997

Sept 97-- JUG Index -- Nov 97

George Daughters, K6GT, Editor

(N6NZ and FrontPage take the blame in equal measure for any formatting weirdness caused by conversion from George's original copy.)

In this issue:

• Next NCCC Meeting
• Andy's Dandies
• Goodies Available
• The SS Handbook
• Mun's Meeting Minutes
• CQP Volunteer Needed!
• Contest Calendar
• 5 Meg Award Update

NEXT NCCC MEETING! DATE: October 15th

TIME: 6:30 P.M.

AT HP SANTA CLARA

DIRECTIONS BELOW!

The program will be a Sweepstakes "Pep Rally" with secrets on how to bring the gavel back to its rightful home, NCCC! The meeting will be in the cafeteria of building 50 at HP Santa Clara. (That’s the "usual" HP place.) That’s on Stevens Creek Road, between Lawrence Expressway and Interstate 280.

NCCC OFFICERS

President .... Andy Faber, AE6Y .... ae6y@aol.com
Vice President/CC ....... Bob Wilson, N6TV ... n6tv@vnet.ibm.com
Secretary/Treasurer ... Ed Muns, W0YK .. w0yk@msn.com

Directors ....
Carl Cook, AI6V ... ai6v@aol.com
Bruce Sawyer, N6NT ....n6nt@worldnet.att.net
Ken Silverman, K2KW .. ken.silverman@airtouch.com
Jim Hollenback, WA6SDM .. jholly@cup.hp.com

JUG Editor .... George Daughters, K6GT .. gdaught6@leland.stanford.edu

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ANDY’S DANDIES

September meeting

What a surprise! The September meeting turned out to be just marvelous, not the disaster that naysayers were predicting. The supposed problem was the location: at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Jack London Square in OAKLAND. What’s the matter with Oakland, you might ask? Well, on September 8th, the problem was a double whammy: the BART strike which had absolutely paralyzed traffic that morning, PLUS the Oakland Raiders Monday night home game at the Coliseum. Now maybe we should have foreseen the football game (though please tell me why the Raiders, once the darlings of NFL Monday Night Football, deserve to be on it at all these days), but the BART strike surely was an Act of God, as we lawyers say.

But here’s the surprise: there was no traffic problem at all! I carpooled with Tom, N6BT, and Garry, NI6T, and we left my office in downtown San Jose at 5:00 p.m. for the 6:30 social hour. Cowards that we were, we took the long route, up 680 to 580, rather than the shorter but presumably more crowded 880. Amazingly, we had zero traffic problems, and arrived at 6:15. Perhaps more amazingly, Bob, N6TV, who carpooled up 880 with Bonnie Schiller and Ed, W0YK, also arrived on time. The real hard luck story was Kit’s, W6ISO, who went from Redwood City to Oakland via the Bay Bridge and ended up smack in the horrendous traffic jams that we all read about.

Anyway, the restaurant, which had been scouted out and arranged by Kenny, K2KW, was a delightful meeting site, with a pleasant meeting room (that could hold 150 people), very good food at a very reasonable price, and even a cash bar.

The meeting itself was a great success. We inducted three new members and had an entertaining program about CQP – details elsewhere in the JUG. It just shows to go ya – it’s more fun to go through life pleased that the glass is half full than worrying that it’s half empty.

We’re having a lot of fun at meetings this year. If you’re not attending, you’re missing out. How about supporting your club officers and BOD, who are working very hard this year to move the meetings around and to arrange entertaining programs? See you in October??

California QSO Party Musings

As I have mentioned before, I will unfortunately be missing CQP this year (due to vacation in Bhutan and Nepal that weekend). This circumstance, coupled with the program at the September meeting, got me thinking about what I like so much about CQP. Here are some of the factors that make it so enjoyable:

1. It’s the ultimate friendly contest. You meet a lot of the same faces year after year, and they always give you a friendly greeting. Furthermore, because you can work the same guys on different bands and modes, you can chat several times during the contest. It’s very easy to compare notes with locals to see how everyone is doing, and the rates aren’t so high that you feel bad about chatting for a moment.

2. There’s lots of activity, but not so much that you get into frequency fights or are afraid to check another band/mode for fear of losing a choice run frequency. There’s absolutely none of the cut-throat behavior so prevalent in, say, CQ WW.

3. Hey, it’s fun to be wanted. This is one of the very few times in a year that we lowly 6’s can get pileups. People out there really want to work us. Even non-contesters will queue up if you act friendly. For example, in 1994, I received QSO number one from over 100 stations!

4. Finally, it’s a great event for low in the sunspot cycle. Although we miss the seemingly endless supply of KB4’s and WB8’s that flock to ten meters in sunspottier times, we can profitably use 40, 80 and even 160 and 2 to keep the rate up, and can have fun switching back and forth to keep foraging for new ones. Here’s a pome about CQP:

Ode to CQP

The friendliest party in town,

The contest of worldwide renown,

The fall season’s best,

THE CQP TEST,

Is UP when the sunspots are DOWN!

So, don’t forget to get on October 4th and 5th for CQP, starting at 0900 local time on Saturday. You can print out full rules and answers to FAQ’s right off our own web site, at http://www.contesting.com/CQP. BTW: that web site just keeps getting better and better. Dave, N6NZ, is going bananas with new improvements and upgrades, including the on-line JUG. You gotta see it to believe it. For those who want hard copy, rules, a sample log sheet, and a summary sheet are in this JUG!

Sweepstakes

We took SS pledges at the last meeting. If the rest of the Club does as well as the attendees promised to do, we’ll have no trouble icing PVRC. I pledged a KB-2000 (i.e., to get over 2000 qso’s both modes combined, something I’ve never actually done in SS. It’s the equivalent of something over 300k points for the Club). Last year, I operated low power and, due to work commitments, couldn’t mount a major effort either mode. This year I’m gonna clear the calendar come hell or high water, and go high power. Unless the tower is cut down by angry neighbors, 2000 q’s should be reachable.

There were many other comparable pledges, and Ken, N6RO, pledged 500 kilopoints!! What can YOU do? We need everyone’s logs to win this year. Let’s go all out to win it all back for the Club.

SS Handbook

It’s official. The new, updated, third edition NCCC SS handbook is done, thanks to a monumental effort by Bob, K6XX, with help from a number of us kibitzers. You can download it in living color from his web site: http://www.jps.net/K6XX. Remember, the pdf file is password-protected. The confidential password is on September’s JUG mailing label. Don’t reveal either the password or the contents of the handbook to non-Club members on pain of an attack by vengeful rettysnitches! A limited number of hard copies are available. Contact me by e-mail, phone or packet, and I’ll be happy to send you one. If this doesn’t get you stoked up to go all out in SS, nothing will!

73, andy

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NEAT STUFF AVAILABLE!

As part of an irregular service to NCCC members, we offer the following components (no, they’re not just components, they’re downright goodies!) which will be of considerable interest to amplifier builders.

Tubes: (data sheets are available)

3 - 1000Z Zero Bias Triode (one available)

3 - 500Z (We all know what they are! Here’s your chance to get a pair and a spare!)

4 - 125A (Glows - in - the - dark tetrode: one available)

4 - 65A (A smaller version: one available)

4X150A (Non - glowing tetrode: good at VHF! several available)

Vacuum Variable Capacitors:

Various values with maximum capacitance from 250

to 1000 pf; working voltages 5kV to 20kV

If you are interested in purchasing, or have questions about any of these items, please call George, K6GT, at (408) 732-2676.

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THE SS HANDBOOK

I am too shy to write about how wonderful it is , of course, but it would be great to get some publicity for the stupid (?? No way, Bob!! It’s "awesome" as the kids would say!... ed.) Handbook. Features are:

* Available now on JZAP & K6XX web sites:

http://www.jzap.com/nccc

and

http://www.jps.net/k6xx/sshb.htm

(a password is required--your password was on the September JUG’s mailing label)

* 48 Pages of "all you need to know to KB in SS"

* Now in color (whoopee?)

* Also available (hard copy) from Andy, AE6Y, if you don't have internet access

* Contents:

SS and Advanced Operating Techniques

Station Equipment and accessories (antennas, computers, station layout, etc.)

NCCC's SS success and competition

Rules, forms, band planning, etc.

Plus the usual "miscellaneous"

73 de Bob, K6XX

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Muns' Meeting Minutes

The September meeting took place at yet another new location, this time in the East Bay at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Jack London Square. Twenty-eight people attended--26 members, 2 new members and two guests! Jon Utley, K7CO, and his father, Dennis, AF7Y, were voted into membership. Congratulations and welcome Jon and Dennis! The club also voted Bonnie Schiller (she hangs around with Tom Schiller, N6BT) into "Provisional Membership," probably a first for the club. Bonnie has certainly demonstrated both an interest and participation in contesting particularly in contest expeditions. She is pursuing a license, so the August meeting attendees accepted her NCCC application contingent on her successfully obtaining her Ham Radio license. Good luck, Bonnie!

President Andy took the following SS pledges from those present: N6RO-500K, AE6Y-KB2000, K6AW-KB2000, K6GT-100K each mode, K6WG-KB1000, KM6F-800 QSOs, K2KW-1500 QSOs, N6BT-1501 QSOs(!), N6TV-300K, NH7A-KB1000, NI6T-KB2000, W0YK-KB2000, W6WG-200K, W6EI-200K SSB and "the best I can on CW" (that’s the spirit!!), AI6V-KB2000, W6ISO-100K SSB, W6BSY-KB2000, N6UUG-200K, K6WG-KB1000, and W6PLJ-KB1000.

ARRL Sweepstakes is our number one priority this year and we want to win the gavel back for top club in the unlimited club category. To do this, every member needs to operate as much as possible on each weekend. The winning club makes it mostly on the widespread participation of its members, not just the top scores of the big guns. Two small SS efforts can net as many points as a big gun who makes the Top Ten. If you want to operate, but need a station, contact N6TV. Similarly, if you have a station you won’t be using (?) contact N6TV.

For the main program, we exchanged CQP strategies and hints through a panel discussion, with Andy-AE6Y on low power, Tom-N6BT on county expeditions, Garry-NI6T on guest operating in a rare county and Bob-N6TV on big gun rate.

Andy noted that on low power he can start out at 70/hour and average 55/hour for the 24 hour period. This compares to 90-100/hour for a big gun high power station. With low power, you have to carefully select your CQ frequency and be prepared to move as needed to keep in the clear. Since CW QSOs count 3 points vs. 2 for SSB, a good balance is to work about 70% phone; the point is to maximize your score.

Garry's primary advice in guest operating is to bring your own spares, both equipment and parts. He has done much refurbishing and repairing of stations where he has operated. Don't make assumptions about what is there, because it is often too remote to get replacements.

Tom shared some of his experiences in doing county expeditions, including the one where they were actually Multi-multi-2 transmitter MOBILE with a 2 element beam!! Carefully pick your spot or path so that there is gas, a hotel and restaurants nearby. Drive to the most remote point on your itinerary the night before and stay in a hotel to get a good rest. Then begin your trip back home as you operate the contest. Treat yourself to some good restaurant experiences along the way. Stick to the same operating frequencies so people can find you as you change counties, and always remember to start a new log in each county with serial number 1. Finally, don't forget that your laptop computer may need more cooling (such as a fan) than your normal radio equipment and a sun shield may be needed to make the screen legible. Always be prepared for "unfriendly people" since you may be remote from common civilization at times. It is always prudent to call the Sheriff’s office to let them know the particulars about what you are doing.

General tips included pointing your beams at 70 degrees (Washington DC) most of the time, turning them for directional CQs on multipliers you need toward the end. Think about making your CQ as attractive as possible to as many listeners as you can, including non-contesters. Refer to the contest as the "California QSO Party" rather than a "contest" when CQing. Use your county name when signing your call if it is even slightly rare. Be polite but expedient when trying to move away from rag chewers by talking them through the exchange and thanking them profusely before moving on to your next QSO. High power stations will want to CQ most of the time, and everyone should develop a "begging" technique on phone to draw out QSOs from the casual listener who generally wouldn't jump into a contest. Make it fun for the listener ... and, for yourself!

Thanks to Kenny, K2KW, for making the meeting arrangements. The October meeting will return to the familiar HP Santa Clara site on WEDNESDAY, 15 October. Please note the day change.

73, w0yk

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear NCCC Club members,

For the past five or six years I have been doing the certificates for CQP and have done mailings, both for the fall and spring. I wish to move on to do other things and I am looking for a volunteer to take over the CQP duties I have been doing in the past. If you feel like you would like to help the club run a really KB contest, please see me during a meeting, send me e-mail (jholly@cup.hp.com) or give me a call (at work 408-447-0725, or at home 408-258-0128)

Thanks! and 73,

Jim Hollenback, WA6SDM

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CONTEST CALENDAR

Oct 4-5 California QSO Party

Oct 25-26 CQ World-Wide Phone

Nov 1-2 ARRL Sweepstakes, CW

Nov 15-16 ARRL Sweepstakes, Phone

Nov 29-30 CQ World-Wide CW

Dec 5-7 ARRL 160 meter

Dec 13-14 ARRL 10 meter

Whatever rig you’ve got, prepare to fire it up for SS! We want to bring the gavel home! The photo below shows a copy of Marconi’s original spark-gap transmitter which was used to send the first transatlantic radio message. Surely each NCCC member can come up with a rig at least this good!

Look at the happy faces on the NCCC members below! The NCCC sponsored the "World Radiosport Team Championship" last summer. On the left, Rusty, W6OAT, who is also a board member of the NCDXF, accepts a check from Dave, W6NL, who was the chief financial officer of WRTC. The check is to return some of NCDXF’s advance to WRTC. These guys can now concentrate on SS, and help return the gavel to NCCC. When that happens, we’ll ALL have grins like this, even if we don’t get a check!

<picture missing>

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5 MEG!

The Five Million Point Award Program

The 5 Million Point award has generated a lot of interest since it started in July '86. From time to time, the rules and standings will be published in the JUG. Any questions about the rules, or of any points totals should be addressed to the VPCC and/or AD6E.

PURPOSE:

This award is intended to give recognition for sustained efforts by NCCC members. All too often club members compete with moderate stations, year-in and year-out without a reasonable chance actually to win a contest or major awards. The Five Million Point Award is designed to help rectify this situation. This award will is issued on a once- per - person basis.

HOW TO ENTER:

Send a copy of the Summary Sheet (which you submit to the contest sponsors,) to the VPCC, N6TV. In the case of contests which we are entering as a club, two summary sheets should be submitted, one for the club entry and a second marked "Five Million Point Award," or simply "5Meg."

RULES:

This award requires the accumulation of a total of five million points.

Point totals shall be accrued by the VPCC from copies of Summary Sheets in which the contestant has submitted a valid contest entry.

Any contest entry may be used for submission as long as the entrant is competing from within NCCC territory.

It is not necessary for the NCCC to be participating as a club for your point totals to count towards this award.

5. Participation with a Multi/Multi or Multi/Single station can count for this award. To calculate your portion for this award, divide the total score by total number of operators. Submit a copy of the summary sheet claiming that portion of the effort.

The following club members have already achieved this worthy goal!

The new contest season is upon us. Sunspots are becoming active! Check out your score totals shown below and get on the air! Who will be the next to get the coveted 5 Meg Award?

These are the present score totals as of 9/20/97:

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