RSGB CONTEST COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 17
DATE: MAY 2014
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| Saturday | 3rd May 2014 | 432MHz Trophy Contest | 1400 - 2200 UTC |
| Saturday | 3rd May 2014 | 10GHz Trophy Contest | 1400 - 2200 UTC |
| Saturday - Sunday | 3rd - 4th May 2014 | May 432MHz - 248 GHz Contest | 1400 - 1400 UTC |
| Monday | 5th May 2014 | 80m Club Championship Contest (SSB) | 1900 - 2030 UTC |
| Tuesday | 6th May 2014 | 144MHz UK Activity Contest | 1900 - 2130 UTC |
| Sunday | 11th May 2014 | 70MHz CW Contest | 0900 - 1200 UTC |
| Tuesday | 13th May 2014 | 432MHz UK Activity Contest | 1900 - 2130 UTC |
| Wednesday | 14th May 2014 | 80m Club Championship Contest (data) | 1900 - 2030 UTC |
| Saturday - Sunday | 17th - 18th May 2014 | May 144MHz Contest | 1400 - 1400 UTC |
| Sunday | 18th May 2014 | 1st 144MHz Backpackers Contest | 1100 - 1500 UTC |
| Sunday | 18th May 2014 | SHF UK Activity Contest | 1800 - 2030 UTC (see note) |
| Tuesday | 20th May 2014 | 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest | 1900 - 2130 UTC |
| Thursday | 22nd May 2014 | 80m Club Championship Contest (CW) | 1900 - 2030 UTC |
| Sunday | 25th May2014 | 70MHz Cumulative Contest #3 | 1400 - 1600 UTC |
| Tuesday | 27th May 2014 | 50MHz UK Activity Contest | 1900 - 2130 UTC |
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| Monday | 2nd June 2014 | 80m Club Championship Contest (data) | 1900 - 2030 UTC |
| Tuesday | 3rd June 2014 | 144MHz UK Activity Contest | 1900 - 2130 UTC |
| Saturday - Sunday | 7th - 8th June 2014 | HF NFD (1.8/3.5/7/14/21/28MHz CW) | 1500 - 1500 UTC |
| Tuesday | 10th June 2014 | 432MHz UK Activity Contest | 1900 - 2130 UTC |
| Wednesday | 11th June 2014 | 80m Club Championship Contest (CW) | 1900 - 2030 UTC |
| Sunday | 15th June 2014 | 2nd 144MHz Backpackers Contest | 0900 - 1300 UTC |
| Tuesday | 17th June 2014 | 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest | 1900 - 2130 UTC |
| Thursday | 19th June 2014 | 80m Club Championship Contest (SSB) | 1900 - 2030 UTC |
| Saturday - Sunday | 21st - 22nd June 2014 | 50MHz Trophy Contest | 1400 - 1400 UTC |
| Sunday | 22nd June 2014 | SHF UK Activity Contest | 1800 - 2030 UTC (see note) |
| Tuesday | 24th June 2014 | 50MHz UK Activity Contest | 1900 - 2130 UTC |
| Sunday | 29th June 2014 | 50MHz CW Contest | 0900 - 1200 UTC |
| Sunday | 29th June 2014 | 70MHz Cumulative Contest #4 | 1400 - 1600 UTC |
Note - the dates & times for the highlighted contests are still provisional. Clarification will be provided once firm agreement had been reached.
The full 2014 contest calendars and rules for the above contests are available from here (HF) and here (VHF).
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OTHER UK VHF/UHF CONTESTS IN MAY 2014 (by John G3XDY)
The UK Microwave Group 1.3 / 2.3 / 3.4 GHz contest takes place on Sunday 4th May 2014 from
0800 - 1400 UTC, and the 5.7 / 10 / 24GHz contest on Sunday 25th May 2014 from
0600 - 1800 UTC. Rules are
here.
OTHER EUROPEAN VHF/UHF CONTESTS IN MAY 2014 (by John G3XDY) A consolidated list of IARU Region 1 contests can be found here.The CC has been advised by IZ5HQB (Contest Manager for the Florence Section of ARI) that the "50MHz Marathon - Memorial Roberto Rossi I5RRE" commences on 1st May 2014. For sure this counts as a marathon as it runs until 31 August 2014! The Marathon website is here, and a set of rules in English is here.
For more data on a wide range HF contests, the SM3CER website is a very useful source of information.
RECENT RESULTS (by Quin G3WRR & John G3XDY) The following results have been published or updated since
the previous Newsletter:
50MHz UKAC
Entrants in the 2013 Marconi Memorial VHF Contest may wish to note that Participation Certificates are available and
can be downloaded from the ARI Bologna A DUBIOUS PRACTICE..... (by Quin G3WRR) The CC has noticed a growing trend for a station who has just been sent the appropriate contest exchange to read it back to the sender. This is presumably on the principle that the sender can then confirm that it was correctly received. The CC believes that this logic is flawed, and that it is bad practice, as: * it slows down the contact, which can be important (eg. under conditions of transient sporadic E) * over a marginal path, it is just as likely that the original sender will miscopy the readback and unnecessarily resend it - with scope for further confusion * it is in any case the responsibility of the recipient, not the sender, to ensure correct reception of the contest exchange. Accordingly the CC recommends that entrants should not read back the contest exchange, but instead ask for a repeat if they are unsure that they have correctly received it in the first place.
RESCHEDULING OF SHF UKACs (by Quin G3WRR) As a result of the recent OFCOM review of amateur access to the 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz bands, changes are required to the SHF UKACs with immediate effect, to minimise the risk of interference to primary users in certain parts of the country. As notified in the recent "stop press" issue of the Newsletter, special arrangments were made for the April 2.3GHz event. The CC is currently considering the optimum changes needed for the longer term (ie. from May 2014 onwards). The initial proposal considered (to retain the existing timing but move the date to the Sunday of the 3rd full weekend of the month) results in a clash with a significant number of other VHF/UHF contests. The CC is therefore considering a broader range of options, including keeping to Tuesday but at a later time, and retaining the existing timing on alternative days. It is intended to discuss this at the Martlesham Microwave Round Table this coming Sunday (27th April) where many of the affected individuals will be present. However, other views are welcome, and these should be made to editor@rsgbcc.org, preferably by 27th April. Once a decision has been made, it will be communicated via the usual channels, including this Newsletter. Readers who are interested in the detail of the OFCOM review can see it here.
Readers are reminded that registration for both HF NFD VHF NFD is now open, with registration for HF NFD closing on 11th May. That’s all for this month - good contesting.
73, Quin G3WRR For RSGB Contest Committee |