AmateurRadio.com

Diana Eng at the QRP Ham Radio Convention from make magazine on Vimeo.

How-To: Set up an HF portable radio while hiking from make magazine on Vimeo.

Diana Eng, KC2UHB is gifted talent. I have watched a zillion ham radio related videos and, like SQ8X, Diana is well spoken in addition to an editing team who crafts a crossover message that is a credit to ham radio.

Sometimes, serious talent is found outside the box of conventional thought and, Diana is not industry standard. In fact, because she is not inside the box, her passion for ham radio exceeds that of the tired formula. Her biography speaks to a highly motivated individual who has taken on the establishment and wins.

If CQ and QST have not then Women’s Wear Daily, Wired, and Craft magazine have.

73 from the shack relaxation zone.

See Also.
Diana Eng | Fashion Nerd.

Photograph One is a retired Dell Dimension 2350 after my catastrophic hard disk failure. I could not depart with the machine keeping in mind the frugality of my Grandparent’s generation. I wondered why Grandpa collected those old screws, nails, nuts, bolts, and washers in baby food jars and his sensible wisdom is hot conventional wisdom in the shack relaxation zone.

Photograph two taken of salvaged memory, fire wire card, ether net card, and video card. The only tool required was a Philips head screw driver, a flashlight for my tired eyes, and my pair of hands.

Photograph three looks at the central processing unit heat sink and hinged ducting for cooling air. The collection of dust on the components was astounding at least for this neophyte geek. An annualized desk top computer cleaning program goes into motion inside the shack.

Photograph four reveals all plug-in cards removed in addition to the power supply and fan.

Photograph five illustrates how much dust really collects on one’s fan across several years. I recommend taking a serious look at cooling fans, especially, if one cannot recall its last scrubbing.

Additionally, rather than donate the Surfboard SB4100 Cable Modem as directed by Charter Communications, why not re-purpose this device? I want to thank NYC Resistor for their inspiration and my Grandfather for his relevant wisdom.

73 from the shack relaxation zone.

RadioSport USA | Florida QSO Party.
This weekend presents a great opportunity to practice, practice, and practice one’s RadioSport skill set. Perhaps, instead of operating from the function keys, give those paddles a good workout — make’em sweat. I’d encourage trading the band map feed for spinning the dial — find’em and log’em but listen first.

State QSO parties are much like a beach club house party. Everyone is a little more relaxed and easy going. This is the time to work on skill development when there is less pressure not to make a mistake.

Rules (link).

RadioSport USA | Nebraska QSO Party.
We’re in good shape this weekend with Nebraska filling the gap between the coasts. I remember logging W0BH/M during this event and how much fun it was when Robert activated a new county. Likewise, I logged a sense of satisfaction because mobile operators are pushing an envelope using vertically polarized antenna systems and battery power.

I’m going to challenge my station this weekend and log as many mobile stations as possible.

Rules (link).

SFI = 75 | A-index = 9 | K-index = 1 | Sunspot count is 0 @2111UTC.

See Also.
Radio-Sport dot Net | Sunshine State Showdown Looms With 2010 Florida QSO Party.

The rise of RadioSport talent begins in earnest and record makers are found throughout the pages of this article. Talent incubates somewhere albeit in the second chair while engaged in building the station that takes one or a team into the Box. They were younger men whose competitive spirit still burns brightly even today.

Operator Skill.
The captains of RadioSport like K3LR, K1AR, and N6RO are positioning themselves for long term success, essentially, as Cox and Brockman (1980) pointed out, “[I]ncreased operating skills were needed to cope with the onslaught…” (p 46)

Skill is an irreplaceable asset in any competitive sport. Technology continues augmenting and/or enhancing the enjoyment of our sport however it cannot diminish the importance of developing one’s RadioSport skill set. Physically sending Morse Code, listening before jumping into the swarm, understanding the vagaries of propagation, constructing antenna systems from one’s hands, are a few examples of skill building activities.

Controversy Rages On.
There is not much distance between 1979 and 2010 when reading about problems that plague competitive sports. RadioSport is not much different neither are we terminally unique when there are those who flagrantly violate the rules. Cox and Brockman cited infractions such as excessive power, unsportsmanlike operating techniques, and violations of the single operator category as problematic (1980).

I particularly like this quote, “When the statement you sign on the summary sheet becomes meaningless, it only serves to diminish the satisfaction of the achievement.” (Cox and Brockman, 1980, p 46).

Technology is now delivering the capacity to enforce rules from software defined receivers to audio recordings. I want the statement that reads I followed the rules to have credibility and meaningfulness at the end of the day.

Multi-Multi Titans in 1979 were K5RC, N4AR, and W3BGN.

Single Operator All Band in the United States was K1AR.

Single Operator All Band World was EA8AK.

Top Three Clubs in the United States were Frankford Radio Club, Yankee Clipper Contest Club, and Potomac Valley Radio Club.

Top Three International Clubs were Rhein Ruhr DX Association, Lithuanian Contest Club, and Voroshilovgrad Radio Club.

I’m still curious if any club west of the Mississippi garnered a top three position in the United States for at least two consecutive years? RadioSport history suggests otherwise and may explain the competitive importance of Sweepstakes for the West Coast.

73 from the shack relaxation zone.

Reference: Cox, B. K3EST, Brockman, L. N6AR (1980, October). CQ Magazine: 1979 CQ World Wide DX Contest: C.W. Results. pp. 46 – 64.

Atlantic Single Operator.

• NO3M | 45 Qs | 34 Mults | 1,530 Points [NCC].
• K4BAI | 44 Qs | 33 Mults | 1,452 Points [SECC].
• W4OC | 43 Qs | 32 Mults | 1,376 Points [SECC].

n = 10 scores submitted in this division.

East Central Single Operator.

• N4OGW | 54 Qs | 34 Mults | 1,836 Points [ACG].
• W9RE | 49 Qs | 31 Mults | 1,519 Points [SMC].
• K9BGL | 48 Qs | 30 Mults | 1,440 Points [SMC].

n = 14 scores submitted in this division.

West Central Single Operator.

• N3BB | 55 Qs | 40 Mults | 2,160 Points [CTDXCC].
• WD0T (@KD0S) | 51 Qs | 34 Mults | 1,734 Points.
• W0BH | 49 Qs | 30 Mults | 1,470 Points.

n = 9 scores submitted in this division.

West Single Operator.

• W7WHY | 41 Qs | 26 Mults | 1,066 Points [WVDXC].
• VA7ST | 25 Qs | 22 Mults | 550 Points.
• NG7M | 25 Qs | 17 Mults | 425 Points [Utah Contest Club].

n = 3 scores submitted in this division.

NCCC in CA/NV Single Operator.

• N6RO | 50 Qs | 34 Mults | 1,700 Points.
• W0YK | 48 Qs | 34 Mults | 1,632 Points [Loma Prieta Contest].
• N6ZFO | 46 Qs | 32 Mults | 1,472 Points.

n = 7 scores submitted in this division.

Thursday Night Madness resumes its eighth season and the fastest 30 minutes in RadioSport is better than ever. This week’s club banner position goes to the Central Texas DX and Contest Club lead by the looming 100 foot tower himself — Jim, N3BB.

His accomplishment was not a given with N4OGW and W9RE competing in round one of the NS Spring Ladder. Undoubtedly, Jim’s commitment to the mantra of practice, practice, practice paid handsome dividends both for himself and the club. An accomplishment well executed from his location.

Please take note, the fastest 30 minutes in RadioSport affectionately known as Thursday Night Madness, reorganized its divisions this season — West, West Central, East Central, and Atlantic.

Contest on!

The genesis for this project is local. The Union Express video captures a pair of surfers traveling the coastline of California from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back. The premise is anyone can do this, the trip is cost effective, and there is a story around every corner. Enjoy.

Live to surf, surf to live.

P.S. Still getting worked on the inside near beach break however I paddled into a reform wave that shaped up into a juicy right north of Pismo Pier. My session summed up as good exercise both cardiovascular and anaerobic.

Vision. Leadership. Commitment.
World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization, “Dedicated to improving the skills of amateur radio operators around the world, utilizing education, competition, advancement of technology and scientific research, promoting international friendship and goodwill, and preparing them to better serve society in times of communication need.”

Board of Directors.

• Doug Grant, K1DG, Chair, Founding Director.
• John Dorr, K1AR, Vice Chair, Founding Director.
• Ralph Bowen, N5RZ, Treasurer, Founding Director.
• Tom Lee, K8AZ, Secretary, Founding Director.
• Mark Beckwith, N5OT, Founding Director.
• Bob Cox, K3EST, Founding Director.
• Tim Duffy, K3LR, Founding Director.

Believe in your signal.

See Also.
Radio-Sport dot Net | Formation of New Contest Operators Group Announced At 2010 Visalia DX Convention.