RSGB CONTEST COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 6

DATE: JUNE 2013

RSGB CONTESTS FOR JUNE / JULY 2013 (by Quin G3WRR & John G3XDY)

Further details including rules are available here (HF) and here (VHF).

OTHER UK CONTESTS IN JUNE (by John G3XDY)

The UK Microwave Group has a 1.3/2.3/3.4GHz Contest on 2nd June from 1000 – 1600 UTC, and a 5.7/10/24GHz Contest on Sunday 30th June, from 0600 – 1800 UTC.
Rules are at: UK Microwave Group Contest Rules

OTHER EUROPEAN VHF/UHF CONTESTS IN JUNE (by John G3XDY)

Details of French events (English translation can be obtained by clicking on the “Translate” box in the Google toolbar)

Details of German events (English translation can be obtained by clicking on the “Translate” box in the Google toolbar)

The NAC Contests in Scandinavia

Czech Activity Contest

RECENT RESULTS (by Quin G3WRR & John G3XDY)

The following results have been published or updated since the previous Newsletter:

50MHz UKAC

70MHz UKAC

1.3GHz UKAC

SHF UKAC

Overall UKAC

1st 70MHz

80m CC CW

80m CC SSB

80m CC data

80m CC overall

ROPOCO SSB

HF Championship

CHANGE OF CONTEST COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIP (by Quin G3WRR)

Ed GW3SQX has now completed (indeed has significantly exceeded) his 3 year term as CC chairman. His place will be taken by existing CC member Ian G0FCT from 1 June. I’m sure all readers will wish to thank Ed for his chairmanship at a turbulent time, and to wish Ian good luck for his upcoming stint!

50MHz CONTESTS 15TH – 16TH JUNE (by Steve G8GSQ)

The weekend of June 15th /16th sees the 50MHz Trophy and IARU R1 50MHz contest. This contest often presents some unusual situations regarding logging.

Hopefully the band will open and there will be interesting DX to be worked. Some stations outside Europe will have no knowledge of, or interest in, the contest here and might not be interested in providing full, or even partial, locators and/or serial numbers - some will not even know their full 6 character locator. Contest entrants must always send the full contest exchange, but please put in your log only what you receive. The RSGB CC takes a practical view regarding such contacts and copes, e.g., where a DX station starts sending serial numbers or full locator after a while when they realise that's what callers want to receive, all contacts are rescored to a common standard as part of the checking process. If your logging programme requires you to enter a full locator in order to enter a contact, then please try to edit your log before submission so it contains what was received off air. At the very least, provide a list of such contacts in the soapbox or by email to vhf.query@rsgbcc.org .Alternatively, switch to a logging programme which is designed to cope with the variations that VHF throws up. Regrettably, IARU R1 takes a less flexible view and only contacts with a full 6 character locator are valid.

The combination of crowded band and fleeting openings can lead to incomplete contacts. Do not be tempted to use databases to fill in anything you don't hear off air. A number of instances of database use were apparent in last year's logs where the locator entered (a) could not plausibly have been a misheard version of what the other station was sending and (b) was linked with the station in previous logs or online databases. Penalties will be applied where this is seen.

For this, as with most, VHF contests there's no specified mode – phone or CW both count, even when mixed within a contact. Please try to make sure that the log you send in has the correct RS(T) – programs intended for HF use might not always switch easily between modes. If you have problems with producing the finished log, at least please send some comments to indicate which contacts are mixed mode. If you change modes within a contact, stick with the first report you send or receive. Similarly, incomplete contacts should be logged as such. If you send a serial number to someone and the contact is lost, don't reuse that number for someone else.

If any readers are members of other worldwide 6m discussion groups, it might be helpful to broadcast that during the contest (1400UTC 15th June - 1400UTC 16th June) many EU stations will appreciate receiving a serial number and 6 character locator.

ROBOT CHANGE (by Ian G0FCT)

In several recent contests, some entrants have submitted their logs for a contest section that do not match their declared power output. For example, in the 80m CC a few entrants submit for QRP section yet declared their power output as 100W during the log submission process. In all such cases, the adjudicator will move the entry to a section that matches the declared power!

To assist entrants in making sure they have completed the submission process correctly and that the entry section matches the declared power output, the receipt that is sent to every entrant now has attached a version of the submitted log after it has been processed by the robot.   

The following statement is now included in the submission receipt:

"Also attached is the version of your log after it has been processed by the robot. This may differ from your uploaded log. The robot adds or changes the content of some of the header lines from those you entered during the submission process. It may have also changed the format of the lines containing your contest QSOs. This is done to create a consistent format across all received logs ready for adjudication. I recommend that you check this version of your log and inform the adjudicator (see email address below) if you find any anomalies."

A further new robot feature will be introduced soon. This will allow entrants to be notified by e-mail when contest results are published. It will consist of a check box on the log entry page bearing the text “Tick this box if you would like to receive an e-mail when the contest results are published". By default this box will be ticked on the principle that most contesters will wish to know when the results of contests they have entered are published! When the results are published, all entrants who have left the box ticked will receive an e-mail containing a link to the results.

ACCESSING UBNs (by Pete G4CLA)

Just a reminder that the process for obtaining individual adjudication reports (UBNs) has been changed. These are no longer e-mailed to entrants but are available via links from the contest results web pages. To reveal these links (one for each contestant) click on the “UBNs” link in the “Callsign” column of the contest results table. The results table will now contain a link at the right hand side of each row.  Choose and click the link on the row containing your entry to access your UBN.

To view your UBN you will need the email address you used when you uploaded your log and a Passcode.  Your Passcode will have been created by the log entry robot and sent to you in the confirmation email for your contest entry. The Passcode for your email address is fixed and can be used for all contests that are submitted using this email address. You can change your Passcode using the link given in the confirmation email.

Enter your email address in the User Name field and your Passcode in the Password field.  It is possible to then allow your browser to remember your Passcode so any future UBNs can be viewed more easily. However it should be remembered that if this is done, other users of the same computer will be able to see your UBNs: this may be a disadvantage – perhaps in a house occupied be several amateurs…..

If you have any problems accessing your UBN then email Pete at G4CLA@rsgbcc.org  Any queries on the contents of individual UBNs should go to the adjudicator of the contest.

CENTENARY AWARDS (by Ed GW3SQX)

Last month’s Newsletter contained an announcement that special Centenary awards would be available for VHF NFD and the IOTA contest. Detailed information on these, and how they may be earned, are given here.

HF (CW) NFD (by Quin G3WRR)

Registration for HF NFD has now closed, and it is pleasing to note that the numbers of registrations is up by 25% compared with the same date last year. However don’t forget that it is possible to enter NFD without having registered (although entrants doing so will not be eligible for awards). So if the weather for the weekend of 1st / 2nd June looks promising (perhaps the CC should ask Michael Fish to make a statement that it will be terrible, which should ensure a mini-drought and balmy temperatures), why not put on a simple station (a mobile rig in the car and a whip antenna have been successfully used on the past) and join the fun?

And in the context of joining in the fun, club members who are not attending the NFD site themselves often come on to give the club station a few points (frequently on several bands). Supporting the local club in this way is to be encouraged. However when such members only give points out to their own club station, that can be seen as not being in accordance with the spirit of the contest: so please encourage your members to come on – but also to spread the extra points round a bit!

VHF NFD REGISTRATION (by Quin G3WRR)

Looking a month further out, don’t forget that registration for VHF NFD is now open, and can be done on line here.

AND FINALLY

Activity at the WRR QTH has been focussed on getting ready for NFD – bit of a long face right now, as the antenna switchbox I’ve just made up (using a nice clunky switch from a WW2 era Collins US Navy transmitter) is showing an SWR on 1.4:1 on 10m: guess I need to reduce the length of the wires from the switch itself to the connectors as much as I can – but hey, that’s what the hobby is all about……

That’s all for this month – good contesting to you all!

73, Quin G3WRR

For RSGB Contest Committee