CQ WW DX: CATEGORIA "EXTREME"

Una Nueva Categoría "Extrema" está siendo agregada al concurso CQ WW DX para fomentar el desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías en las comunicaciones de radioaficionados en general y en los concursos en particular. De acuerdo con el director del CQ WW, Bob Cox, K3EST, esta nueva categoría ha sido establecida para permitir a los aficionados participar en el CW WW mientras experimentan creativamente con estaciones vinculadas por internet y otras tecnologías nuevas no permitidas en ninguna de las demás categorías. Las reglas de la categoría "Extrema" tal cual han sido aprobadas por el comite del CQ WW, siguen a continuación, junto con una detallada explicación de como se funcionará el sistema de puntajes. Esta nueva categoría será efectiva en el concurso CQ WW de 2009 a desarrollarse más adelante este año.

REGLAS PARA LA CATEGORIA "EXTREME" del CONCURSO CQ WW

Panorama General

Una amplia gama de tecnologías han emergido en la radioafición, incluyendo radios definidas por software, estaciones remotas, sitios para recepción conectados por internet, decodificadores de CW multi canal, estaciones "robot" completamente automatizadas, etc. Algunas de estas tecnologías no están actualmente permitidas bajo las reglas del CQ WW DX Contest para las categorías existentes.

Por ejemplo, las reglas del CQ WW establecen lo siguiente:

"Todos los transmisores y receptores utilizados por el participante deben estar ubicados en un único círculo de 500 metros de diámetro, o dentro de los límites de la propiedad del titular de la licencia si esta es más extensa"

N de la T: Tengo alguna duda sobre la traducción de este párrafo. "..whichever is greater"...se puede interpretar de dos formas completamente distintas. Utilicé el criterio usado en las reglas publicadas por los editores de la revista CQ Española.

"Todas las antenas deben estar físicamente conectadas a los transmisores y receptores utilizados por el participante".

Esta nueva categoría se ha establecido, para permitirle a los aficionados participar en el concurso CQ WW mientras experimentan creativamente con estaciones vinculadas por internet y otras nuevas tecnologías.

Las reglas del concurso CQ WW DX aplican en todo lo referente a duración del concurso, intercambios, y puntaje. Además de las reglas básicas, la categoría extrema incluye lo siguiente:

1. Categorías de participación: (a) Mono-Operador, en la cual un radioaficionado con licencia sirve como operador de control, llevando a cabo o supervisando todas las actividades de operación y registro de QSOs. , y, (b) Multi-Operador, en la cual varios operadores llevan a cabo la supervisión de la operación y registro de contactos. En la categoría multi-operador los mismo pueden estar ubicados en distintas locaciones. Un mono operador puede remitir varias logs (planillas) utilizando distintos sitios remotos en diferentes países. Cada planilla será clasificada en forma separada.

2. Assitencia de Alerta para QSOs: La assistencia de alerta para QSOs utilizando packet-radio, internet, artefactos tipo skimmer locales o remotos, etc., está permitida tanto para mono operadores como para multi operadores. El auto spoteo o el requerimiento de ser spoteados no está permitido.

3. Locaciones: Los sitios de transmision del participante deben estar ubicados en un mismo país. Tal como lo defina la autoridad que autoriza la licencia y dentro de una misma zona (no aclara si zona CQ, ITU o qué tipo de zona). Las estaciones remotas para recepción pueden estar ubicadas en cualquier parte.

4. Transmisiones: Sólo se permite transmitir UNA SEÑAL en una misma banda al mismo tiempo. El ancho de banda máximo no debe exceder el ancho de banda normal de una unica señal de SSB voz (durante el fin de semana de SSB) o de CW (durante el fin de semana de CW). Esto prohibe la utilización de señales multi-carriers o multiplexadas por tiempo que ocupan varios canales en una misma banda.

5. Notificación anticipada: Los participantes deberán notificar al comité del CQ WW DX Contest por email al menos con una semana de anticipación sobre su intención de participar en esta categoría. Esta notificación debe incluir una breve descripción de las tecnologías y la señal distintiva a utilizar. Los participantes deben dar testimonio de que la operación que planean llevar a cabo cumple con las regulaciones del país donde el/los transmisor/es están ubicados. Notificaciones anticipadas y preguntas referente a estas reglas deben ser enviadas por email a xtreme@cqww.com

6. Operadores de control: Es responsabilidad de los operadores de control humanos que sea han tomado las precauciones necesarias antes de transmitir. Como por ejemplo escuchar si una frecuencia está o no ocupada antes de llamar CQ. Cualquier estación que se encuentre generando interferencia por no obedecer esta regla será pasiva de descalificación.

7. Envío de Planillas (logs): Los logs deben ser enviados por email a las direcciones habituales. ( or ). Los logs deben estar en formato cabrillo e incluir la linea CATEGORY: SINGLE-OP-XTREME or CATEGORY:MULTI-OP-XTREME, según se trate de mono o multi operador.

8. Puntaje: Los puntajes serán evaluados en dos dimensiones: puntaje e innovación. Para el primero un puntaje normal será computado en base a las estaciones trabajadas y a los multiplicadores de zona y país comunicados. Se requiere un mínimo de 100 QSOs. El log será evaluado con el mismo software que se utiliza para el resto de los participantes y las penalizaciones serán las mismas. La segunda parte del puntaje resultará de evaluar la innovación tecnológica utilizada por el participante. Esta evaluación será llevada a cabo por un panel de jueces del comité del concurso CQ WW. En caso de empate, el log con la menor reducción de puntaje luego del proceso de verificación de planillas será declarado ganador.

9. Diplomas: Los ganadores de las categorías mono y multi operador recibirán una placa.

10. Puntajes para Clubes: Las planillas de estaciones participando en esta categoría pueden contribuir con su puntaje al de su Club/Grupo, de acuerdo a las reglas de la competición por clubes. Las estaciones remotas fuera del area del club pueden contar como DX-peditions.

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The Sunspots Mistery!....

June 17, 2009: The sun is in the pits of a century-class solar minimum, and sunspots have been puzzlingly scarce for more than two years. Now, for the first time, solar physicists might understand why. At an American Astronomical Society press conference today in Boulder, Colorado, researchers announced that a jet stream deep inside the sun is migrating slower than usual through the star's interior, giving rise to the current lack of sunspots. Rachel Howe and Frank Hill of the National Solar Observatory (NSO) in Tucson, Arizona, used a technique called helioseismology to detect and track the jet stream down to depths of 7,000 km below the surface of the sun.

The sun generates new jet streams near its poles every 11 years, they explained to a room full of reporters and fellow scientists. The streams migrate slowly from the poles to the equator and when a jet stream reaches the critical latitude of 22 degrees, new-cycle sunspots begin to appear.

Read more at: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/17jun_jetstream.htm?list44459

Type rest of the post here

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2009 ARRL DX CW @ ZW5B

Wow!!! Being here at ZW5B was the most shocking experience in my contesting life!!! Everything was just wonderful. People, place, station, food, hospitality! Everything. Originally planned to enter SOAB, but I found Thomas PY2ZXU was here at the station so I thought it was great to invite him to stay with me and do two single band entries. That we did! We had lots of fun. I learned a lot here. Thomas simply rules!!! Another highlight was the visit to Don's (PY5ZBU) station. Don is devoted to EME mostly and having the opportunity of meeting a world class EME station and operator was very impressing.

Propagation was down from last year I guess. Trans-ecuatorial had somec effect here on 15 too when sunspots are down. So it was kind of strange to listen to southern stations run big piles while here the band was almost closed.

I must thank Oms PY5EG for letting this dream of mine come true! His passion for our hobby is all around this beautiful station. What he does to encourage new people to join this beautiful hobby can be touched with your hands and can be seen in everybody here willing to help with a truly fantastic team spirit!

I must thank also to PY2ZXU's XYL Laura for allowing Thomas to stay and operate and for all the nice chats we had about life in general.

Thanks Thomas for being such a super fantastic mate! I only hope we can share more contests in the future. Thanks Luciano PY5KD for all his help prior to the contest. Thanks Maia PY5CA for all his kind help and hospitality.

Thanks also to Sonia, and all the people here at the house for being just great and for making me feel like at home all weekend long!

Thanks again from heart!

-

ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: ZW5B

Operator(s): LU5DX

Station: PY5EG

Class: SOSB/15 HP

QTH: Curitiba

Operating Time (hrs):

Summary:

Band QSOs Mults

15: 1552 59

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Total: 1552 59 Total Score = 274,704

Club: ARAUCARIA DX GROUP

Martin, LU5DX op at ZW5B - 2009 ARRL INT'L CW CONTEST

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ZW5B - 2009 ARRL DX CW CONTEST - DIARY

Thursday, Feb 19th 2009. Arrived in Sao Jose Dos Pinhais Airport (Curitiba) at 23:30 GMT. It was already dark and I directly headed for PY5EG's station. At the house I first met Maia PY5CA who was there waiting for me. We went to the shack where he was tuning 40 m running a big pile up of European stations. He invited me to operate SSB for a while. The pile up was tremendous! It was hard to pick a single letter out of the pile.

After a while Maia told me that Thomas SM0CXU (PY2ZXU) of HZ1AB fame was there at the station working on the 80 m 3el Yagi. I spent half an hour looking at the countless WAEDC, CQ WW, ARRL DX contests plaques won from ZW5B whilst Maia was updating me on the station description.

The stations is build around several towers for assorted monoband yagis and yagi arrays. The 80 m 3 el yagi was down at ground level being modified for improved performance. Very nice mods indeed using W6ANR-type high unloaded Q coils. Much better directivity pattern and gain than with linear loaded elements.

After an hour or so at PY5EG's I found Thomas whom I first met at WRTC 2006 in Florianopolis. I asked him to stay so we could make two single band efforts from the station. He and his XYL Laura invited me out to have dinner. During dinner we decided to enter 40 m (Thomas) and 15 m (me).

After a couple of delicious pizzas and good conversation we returned to the station. I spent some time making QSOs on 40 and then went to bed.

Friday, Feb 20th 2009. I got up early in the morning we had breakfast with Thomas, Laura and Maia. Then we went where the 80 m antenna was and we kept working on the antenna till noon. I was glad I was allowed to help. This was the first big 80 m yagi I had the opportunity to see at ground level. It's a very impressive and big antenna. After a while we took a break and we headed for the shack where we called Oms on the phone. We talked about our plans for the contest and he was happy we were going to enter in two different bands. We got back to the 80 m yagi and worked till lunch.

After lunch we headed for PY5ZBU's station about an hour and a half away from PY5EG's. Don is devoted to EME and we enjoyed our visit very much. Thomas took an FT 1000 MP for Don to check on the front end performance. We talked about Don's EME activities and I was there listening amazed at all the knowledge and passion he was sharing with us.

Don built a full fledge EME stations. He was the first to claim DXCC via EME. In his professional carrer he conducted part of the IRIDIUM satellite phone system among other major projects. Part of his equipments is home made in a totally professional way. You can see transverted Collins for use in either 432 Mhz and 1.2 Ghz. Yaesu FT-736, Kachina, etc, etc. Don's station is a unique place to be for all those who love EME communications. Around 21 GMT we finished our visit thanking Don for such a great opportunity of meeting a world class EME station.

We got to the station around 23 Z. Just an hour or so before the contests tarted. Thomas spent some time hooking up his computer. I kept warming up on 15 meters. 21 Mhz already sounded punk even b4 the contest started. But I felt really happy doing single band. ZW5B is a big station so you better go there a couple of times before doing an all band effort.

Saturday, Feb 21st 00 GMT. Thomas had a great start on 40 m. My first hour on 15 m was really slow netting only 62 Qs. At 02Z I went to bed because the band was completely dead. I actually kept sending CQs till 03z but no takers at all. I woke up at 9 Z and the band was dead send several CQs for about 30 mins. Thomas was working Ws on 40 at a really good pace.

15 started to open at 12 Z only 4 Qs were worked. Best two hours were 14 and 15 z totalizing 146 Qs each. They rest of the day was slow reaching the half way mark with 1101 Qs. Signals were really unreadable at time and some Qs required many repeats.

Thanks everyone for the patience! I experienced the same deep QSB several times on 15 and 10 m during the past few sunspots-less years.

Sunday, Feb 22nd. It was even harder than Saturday. Signals were even down at RCVR noise floor levels. Both Thomas and I finished the contest at 10 pm local time. We talked a lot before, during and after the contest.

On Monday. Thomas drove me to the airport and spent a couple of hours talking about our hobby and about our lives.

I'll never forget this weekend. It was a dream come true for several reasons:

I was able to experience the unsurpassed Hospitality, Friendship and Team Spirit of all the people involved with the Araucaria DX Group. I believe that's Oms's biggest achievement: The group of people he encouraged and got involved in our beautiful hobby is just fantastic. I also had the opportunity of spending a weekend with one of the ops I admire since I started contesting in 1988. At that time Thomas (SM0CxU/PY2ZXU) was active from HZ1AB in every possible contest. Thomas was also one of the hard working friends who made possible WRTC2006.

I was able to operate from ZW5B. A unique station, a unique place and unique friendly people.

I met Don PY5ZBU and visited his world class EME station.

I met Luciano PY5KD and Maia PY5CA to great friends who really helped us lot.

I believe there are now words to express how happy I was. I only can say thanks from heart to Oms, Thomas, Maia, Luciano, Sonia, Laura and all the people at ZW5B.

More pics available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/LU5DX.CW

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