By W0IW Joe Leto Waterloo Iowa December 14 th 2013

1. By W0IWJoe LetoWaterloo IowaDecember 14th 2013 Introduction to DXing & Contesting

2. What we’re covering tonight… • What kind of ham enters a contest? • What’s the object? • Getting started in contesting • The variety of contest types • How to win a contest • Online contesting resources

3. Contesting Even though you may be just a Pup, you can still have fun contesting with the Big Dawgs!

4. You…!!! N0NI Rippey Iowa Big Gun or Little Pistol WHY CONTEST…!!! You built the best station you could engineer. You have worked for years to become a ham.. Now contesting tests you and your station to its upper limits…

5. The W0IW contest station…

6. Even Iowa has a few world classcontesters The N0NIsuper station near Boone, Iowa

7. Aerial photo of N0NI’s antenna farm…

8. CQ Contest! Who enters a contest and why? • The Casual Contester A desire to just have some fun, improve operating skills, and work new countries, states, counties, etc. from the smorgasbord of participating stations • The Feisty Contester A desire to compete • The Committed Contester Able to leap tall buildings with a single bound Able to master the art of sleep deprivation Joe W0IW in action

9. Benefits of Contesting • It’s just FUN • Gets the competitive juices flowing • Improves operating skills • Excellent preparation for emergency operations • An excellent use of our allocated spectrum Remember: “Use it or lose it.”

10. What makes a super Station? • Multiple radios usually Yaesu ft-1000 or Elecraft k3’s • Legal limit amps .. Alpha auto switching amps • Multiple towers stacks 5/5/5 monos/ prop pitch rotors • Serious station automation stack matchesrun top/bottom/all ants at once flip-flop bip-bob • Massive listening arrays and curtains.. Receive beverages thousands of feet sometimes miles long… But …You don’t have to be a Big Gun to have.. Big …Fun… contesting!

11. What makes a Little Gun Work • You buy the best radio you can afford! ( Cry once buy Once ) or upgrade as you can !!! • Own at least a three element tri band beam with good SWR and get it up in the air… • The biggest amps you can afford ! You will need a amp for 40/80m /160m… • Use N1MM and get familiar with it everyday logging and spotting

12. How You can “Win a Contest” • Work a lot of stations • Work as many “multipliers” as possible • Work smart • Make good band change decisions • Use efficient operating techniques • Don’t waste time or words (( Let dupes happen )) • Work em all sort em later when you run dupe checks…(similar to emergency operations) work fast fastfast • Know when to “Run” and when to “Search & Pounce” • Know when to take a break … • If you get a run stick with it till its done !!!

13. The Dirty lil secrets that win contests • Multiple Antennas already pointed in selected directions using high end antenna switches like the Array solution 6/8 pakThe Ability to switch directions in seconds not waiting for rotors and antennas to find contacts… EAST WEST

14. N0NI Rippey Iowa HEIGHT MAKES MIGHT !!! • Different antennas at different heights allow for different take off angles… • Having a tall tower and running Monoband antennas at 30ft /60ft/ 90 ft/ 120ft/ 200ft • Using stack antennas sound like stereo compared to mono audio • Its all about the take of angles • To let you work them all…

15. FIRE IN THE WIRE…

16. A Contest for All Seasons/Tastes Beginner to Expert ARRL RTTY Jan ARRL 10m contest TODAY Iowa QSO Party ARRL DX Winter fieldday CQ WPX ARRL Field Day NAQP ARRL VHF ARRL UHF IARU HF World Championships State QSO Parties (Many) Sprint CQ WW DX ARRL Sweepstakes ARRL Schools on the Air YL ISSB Contest ARRL 160 Dec 160m top band challenge

17. Multiple categories . . . designed to let you compete on a level playing field  Single operator  Assisted/unassisted  Power  QRP, low, QRO • Single band and/or mode (some contests)  Multi-op, single transmitter • Multi-op, multi-transmitter

18. When are contests run?  Usually on weekends • Starting/ending times vary by contest • Durations as short as 4 hours • As long as 48 hours • Max operating hours also vary  Good on-line contest calendar: www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/

19. Online Contesting Resources • ARRL www.arrl.org • ARRL Rate Sheet newsletter http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/ • Contesting.com www.contesting.com • National Contest Journal www.ncjweb.com

20. Best contests to get your feet wet • Field Day • Straight Key Night • Iowa QSO Party in October… • Many to choose from • 10-10 meter contest • CQ WPX ssb free for all • Work everybody…!!!

21. What’s Req’d to Get Started?  A radio and antennas  A logging system  Pencil & paper o Tried and true, but hard to keep track of dupes  Computer based logging software o Many options from freeware to networked  DOS-based: TR Log ($60-75) www.trlog.com  Windows-based  N1MM (free) www.n1mm.com  Writelog (~$75) www.writelog.com  N3FJP ($39-49) www.n3fjp.com o Some like N1MM can even trigger pre-recorded voice, CW, or RTTY exchanges

22. Advanced Operation:Interfacing Your Radio • Serial, USB and Parallel Options • Why do it? • Logging automation: less work for you = higher QSO rates • Date/time • Freq/mode • Contest exchange • Integrated “point-and-shoot” DX cluster operation • Trigger transmitted exchanges

23. How do I report my results? • Officially • Snail mail • Email • Cabrillo file generated by most computerized logging programs (may be req’d to be declared a winner) • Unofficially • 3830 • On the air • http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/ • At the Club

24. What Can I Win? • Trophies, plaques, certificates • Goodies • Example: WA State QSO Party “Salmon Run • category winners receive smoked salmon • QSOs toward non-contest awards • The awe and respect of your fellow competitors (aka “bragging rights”)

25. The Iowa QSO Partyran by theOTTUMWA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB The purpose of the Iowa QSO Party (IAQSO) is to encourage contact with Iowa amateur radio stations by other Iowa hams and hams worldwide. Stations outside of Iowa work Iowa stations only. Iowa stations work everybody, including other Iowa stations. See the rules for the rest of the details. You can enter as aSingle or multi op or mobile operator… http://www.wa0dx.org/IAQSO/

26. Credits But really…. the real reason you should contest is… ???

27. Chicks really dig contesters…!

28. Do we have any questions..? .. -- .. ??? ??? ? ..--.. ..--.. ??? ? ??? ?

29. TNX for your time tonight !!! Best 73 de W0IW Joe Leto RADIOHAM@GMAIL.COM good on QRZ… SEE U ON THE HF BANDS