tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16285475996527272262024-03-21T13:01:11.473+00:00Fi-Ni ReportFor Big Gun DXers & Contesters
' -
cause life's too short to enunciate; --
All the news that isn'tBig Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-49019534486979379742019-06-04T00:01:00.001+01:002019-06-04T00:01:39.162+01:00LIDS Field Day Plans<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The May gathering of the Lost Island DX Society was starting
to wind down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 807s were either empty
or getting warm, which was the sure sign that it was time for the meeting to
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just before the president could
call for an adjournment motion, Skinny Dennis stood up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Before we adjourn, I want to talk about Field Day.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Silence meaning acquiescence, Skinny continued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Every year it’s the same routine. Charlie
and I show up on Friday afternoon to set up. Four or five others promise to show
up and help out, but nobody ever does. So Charlie and I sweat out the day
putting wires in trees and setting up tents and trying to get the generator to
crank.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking around the
room, Skinny saw a few members discreetly avert their eyes in a sign of guilt.
He continued, “Saturday morning we’re back at getting radios running and coaxes
run. A few of you guys show up around 10 or 11 o’clock, but by then we’re
usually about finished."<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Someone will show up with a big sub and a cooler full of
807s around noon and the crowd falls into it, between telling ‘war stories’. At
2 o’clock when the opening bell starts, it’s just Charlie and I sitting in
front of the radios trying to crank out some Qs while the rest of you blather
on.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maybe around 3 or 4 somebody might offer to relieve us, but
they usually get bored after about a half hour and wander off to see about
helping with the grill for dinner.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“If we want to have any kind of score, Charlie and I are
pretty much stuck at the radio. By dinner 10 or 12 others have shown up to see
what Chef Arnie has on the grill. After eating they all sit around telling lies
about the DX they worked and draining more 807s. If I try to get one of them to
operate for a while, they’ll usually say, ‘Oh, no, you got right ahead. I don’t
want to take away any of your fun.’”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“By 7 o’clock most of them have cleared out and headed home
for the evening. Charlie and I are getting tired listening to thunderstorm
crashes while hearing the hub bub of the crowd enjoying their 807s behind us. But
Charlie and I are stuck there the rest of the night trying to put Qs in the log
while everyone else is sleeping in their air-conditioned beds at home.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“By morning someone will usually show up and bring Charlie
and I some coffee, but will they take a turn at the radio? Noooooooo.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“By lunch some more have shown up with another sub and more
807s in a cooler. But by 1 o’clock they’ve all disappeared. At 2 o’clock when
Field Day ends, Charlie and I are by our lonesome again, left to take it all
down and drag it home where we collapse.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Skinny Dennis looked around the room, where few would meet
his gaze. He hoped he had shamed them into showing up and actually helping out
this year. Just then the president spoke up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, I guess the Field Day plans are all in order, so do I
hear a motion for adjournment?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The din of movedsecondedallinfavorayetheeyeshaveit erupted
in the room, followed by a quick departure of the membership by every exit
available. Skinny Dennis was left standing while Charlie still sat in his
chair. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Guess I’ll see you in a couple of weeks, Charlie,” Skinny
said as he turned toward the door.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-6242918437195718062019-05-30T21:55:00.000+01:002019-05-30T21:55:30.344+01:00The TRUTH About Hara!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippqghJe4mvCw5pyjk2wfiIagiVLretPY6n51X0DdKhLHAAlC5OVMoR8piclNADTsJEL7PkoThbA12hgoOh6xFF_3TH3aPys3GCX3ks7ZBGpy7IDsvyqigRiwLjKeYre3xrnqRBYPKxCM/s1600/thrush_hara1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippqghJe4mvCw5pyjk2wfiIagiVLretPY6n51X0DdKhLHAAlC5OVMoR8piclNADTsJEL7PkoThbA12hgoOh6xFF_3TH3aPys3GCX3ks7ZBGpy7IDsvyqigRiwLjKeYre3xrnqRBYPKxCM/s320/thrush_hara1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo via WHIO.com</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
News out of Dayton Tuesday revealed that the aftermath of severe storms and tornadoes on Monday caused extensive damage in the Dayton area. News reports showed that the historic Hara Arena of past Hamvention fame was extensively damaged with roof and walls torn completely off. This damage has been blamed on the storms and tornadoes, but the Fi-Ni Report has learned that is not the truth.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The damage at Hara was actually the result of a post-Hamvention K9PG extracurricular Hooters party. K9PG and assorted compatriots still hanging around the region post-Hamvention snuck into the deserted arena and threw a Hooter's catered shindig that literally 'blew the roof off' of the place.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There would have been an investigation and, no doubt, criminal charges pressed if the damage had been done under normal circumstances. But, 'PG and party were spared embarrassment when a line of storms came through shortly after the party broke up and caused significant damage in areas around Dayton. When the Hara damage was discovered, authorities assumed it had been cause by one the storms or even a tornado. With all of the winds associated with the storms, almost all evidence of the 'PG led soiree was blown away. The only incriminating piece of evidence that remained was a hideously ugly green Hawaiian shirt which got speared on a roof rafter, the significance of which eluded local authorities.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Elsewhere, some long time Hamvention attendees viewed photos of the arena and were convinced that there had actually been some improvements made to the buildings.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-60436161358065813842019-05-27T23:52:00.002+01:002019-05-27T23:52:21.475+01:00Hefty Ate<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Leche, it is time.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Time for what, Macho?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Time for us to return to the bands. With the sunspots
growing weak, many have lost faith in the possibilities of DX.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How will we do that, Macho?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We have time before the great WW in the fall when the world
can witness the greatness of Macho Cueso, so in the meantime we will take a new
opportunity to demonstrate our DX prowess.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What is that, Macho?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We will use the Hefty Ate to work all the DX.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What is the Hefty Ate?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It is a new digital mode.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Digital? You mean fingers? Like cw?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, it uses a computer.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Computer? So like RTTY?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not exactly. The Hefty Ate doesn’t decode errors like RTTY.
It is always accurate.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No errors? Where is the fun in that? Leche likes trying to
decipher DSDHJCNWITRZM,QWP457NVL to pull out a QSO. Perfect copy is boring.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Leche, it is the way of the future. As spark gave way to
CW, AM gave way to SSB, we must make way for the Hefty Ate.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“But Macho, they say you can’t run more than 20 watts with
the Hefty. What will we do with the amplifiers?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Leche, worry not. The Hefty is a weak signal mode. That
does not mean it is low power. The QRPers are used to being weak; they think that
weak automatically equals QRP.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It doesn’t?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Leche, you’ve been on 160m. You know better.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Si.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Macho, the word on the grapevine is that Hefty Ate will destroy
ham radio.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Leche, is this the same grapevine that said that
eliminating the code requirement would destroy ham radio? Is it the same
grapevine that said that incentive licensing would destroy ham radio?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maybe.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Is it the same grapevine that said that computer logging
and sending would destroy ham radio? I think your grapevine grows sour grapes.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Macho, I hear there is now a Hefty Fore. How will that
affect things?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We will have to wait and see on that one, Leche.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Macho, I am confused. Is Hefty Fore half as good as Hefty
Ate?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It is definitely twice as controversial.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Will there be a Hefty Dos?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I don’t know. We have to wait for the Princes of Princeton
to decide if we need it. In the meantime, we need to get our clocks
synchronized.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-1530180175383194862013-10-29T00:00:00.000+00:002013-10-29T00:00:03.326+00:00Bad Day for Macho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x6SIvk4l5nh3CfgjjPZaofBW-iBZE05lax5hwP8aMIbExlD2bS5PEIm0B0Z8THxPRpsWiunR-jmFvvuQm7v10r5lFtngdcqXkw8FFv3BR2i8yYHecIR3NAxJMNC7XVLQ9ftrlAeukXI/s1600/Macho_Cuesew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x6SIvk4l5nh3CfgjjPZaofBW-iBZE05lax5hwP8aMIbExlD2bS5PEIm0B0Z8THxPRpsWiunR-jmFvvuQm7v10r5lFtngdcqXkw8FFv3BR2i8yYHecIR3NAxJMNC7XVLQ9ftrlAeukXI/s1600/Macho_Cuesew.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Last week <a href="http://fi-ni-report.blogspot.com/2009/06/xtreme-contesting.html">Macho Cuesew</a>, the World's Most Extreme Contester, stopped by the Lost Island DX Society club station. Macho was obviously feeling very down.<br />
<br />
"What's the matter, Macho? Another solar flare hit and wipe out the bands?"<br />
<br />
"No. No solar flares."<br />
<br />
"Well, what's got you so down in the dumps?"<br />
<br />
"Macho is very sad. First, when they announced the team leaders for WRTC 2014, Macho was not included in the list."<br />
<br />
"Well, don't take it so hard. There were a lot of top notch operators who didn't make it as a team leader. Maybe someone will pick you for a teammate."<br />
<br />
"Macho already has a teammate - Leche Dinero. Macho and Leche were going to be Team Cuesew! We would win it all. We would be unstoppable - the World's Most Extreme Contester. And Leche."<br />
<br />
"There's still a chance, Macho. There are those sponsored teams left to fill. If you can find a sponsor to pony up the cash, they could name you and Leche as their team and you'd be in. Maybe you could sponsor the team yourself?"<br />
<br />
"No. Macho lost most of his money trying to buy an Alpha 77 over the Internet from a guy in Nigeria. And I still don't have the Alpha. I just need a little more money to pay the export registration paperwork fee. And the import registration paperwork fee. And shipping turns out to be very expensive from Nigeria. You have to pay for everything up front."<br />
<br />
"Hmmm, does sound like a sticky situation. You said the WRTC was the first thing upsetting you. What else is wrong?"<br />
<br />
"Macho is very sad to learn that the CQWW committee has eliminated the Extreme category. That was Macho's home in the greatest contest of all. It was the only contest that recognized the greatness of Macho as the Most Extreme Contester in the World."<br />
<br />
"The WW is still the greatest contest on the planet. You just have to compete with the rest of us plebes now is all."<br />
<br />
"Yes. I now compete with you puny ordinary contesters. Where is the challenge in that?"<br />
<br />
"I see your point, Macho. Guess its time to hang up the tights and start hanging out on 75m phone in the evenings and relive the glory days."<br />
<br />
<br />Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-46508767932471345812013-10-10T01:06:00.004+01:002013-10-10T17:05:47.467+01:00DXpedition to Mud Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CqJIPWIG8ixGmkSy1TVaPApqohaHaDfLMi0G69K851ipDgBRYV7J4E4yRK8RulIk8y6p6bDf-n4Qcm6Xw2ejDfaz-VxM7a3nXM7bl3GvGI8yJN2FCoxhNKQtJGqxTti__tWLGkcLPAY/s1600/gwadar_aerial_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CqJIPWIG8ixGmkSy1TVaPApqohaHaDfLMi0G69K851ipDgBRYV7J4E4yRK8RulIk8y6p6bDf-n4Qcm6Xw2ejDfaz-VxM7a3nXM7bl3GvGI8yJN2FCoxhNKQtJGqxTti__tWLGkcLPAY/s1600/gwadar_aerial_photo.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks to an earthquake on September 24, a new island has appeared off the coast of Pakistan near the town of Gwadar.</span> The new island, named Zalzala Koh, is made of erupted mud, spewed from the seafloor when either gases escaped or subsurface water was violently expelled. The new island is approximately 576 feet by 525 feet and has an elevation of 60 to 70 feet. It is located approximately 2 km from shore.<br />
<br />
News of the new island sent a titter through the international DX community. New Ones of any sort difficult to find. But there is no denying that Zalzala Koh is a true New One.<br />
<br />
An international group of DXpeditioners is being assembled to mount a expedition to newly formed mud island as I write this. Sponsorship is being secured and travel arrangements are almost complete. It is hoped that the call AP4ONY can be secured for the DXpedition.<br />
<br />
Although Zalzala Koh has not been approved by either IOTA, DXCC, or any other award program, the DX spirit of WFWL (Work First, Worry Later) is at play here. If past history is any indication, Zalzala Koh may disappear within a year succumbing to the erosive power of the pounding of waves from monsoon storms, so work 'em while you can!<br />
<br />Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-28046367423246299552013-10-03T00:59:00.000+01:002013-10-04T02:54:34.500+01:00CQWW Is Just Around The CornerLast week while hanging out at the Lost Island DX Society clubhouse, SSB operator extraordinaire Rusty Key stopped by. Someone mentioned that CQWW was quickly approaching. While the other LIDS were excitedly discussing the prospects for banner propagation this year, I noticed Rusty was awfully quiet.<br />
<br />
"Hey, Rusty, you planning another big operation for WW phone this year?" I asked.<br />
<br />
Rusty turned exceedingly shy, looked at the ground and said, "Naw, don't reckon I'll do much."<br />
<br />
For one of the most prominent LIDS phone operators this was shocking and suspicious. It took a little prying to find out what was going on, but eventually Rusty fessed up.<br />
<br />
"I was DQ'd last year."<br />
<br />
"What!? Were you running Uncle Percy's amp that has the tube with handles again?" I asked.<br />
<br />
"Naw," Rusty replied indignantly, "I won't even running the limit. My fancy digital wattmeter sat on 1495 all weekend!"<br />
<br />
"Well, what was it then?"<br />
<br />
"If you must know, they said I was operating outside the contest time period."<br />
<br />
"Rubber clocking?! Who in the world gets nabbed for rubber clocking in this day and age of computers? Besides, the contest is 48 hours long and there ain't no less than 48 hour categories, at least until this year. How did you end up 'operating outside the contest period'?"<br />
<br />
"Well, come 2359Z on Sunday night I had been up for over 48 hours straight. I guess I just zoned out and kept calling CQ. Guys kept coming back to me, so I kept working 'em."<br />
<br />
"You mean guys kept calling you after 0000Z? Didn't, uh, your rate drop quite a bit?"<br />
<br />
"Well, yeah it did, but you know the secret to contest success is Butt In Chair even when the rate drops. I figured it was just a lull, so kept CQing and kept working 'em even at 5-10 an hour."<br />
<br />
"Hmmm, well guess fatigue can come into play and anybody can have a lapse of judgement. Well how long did you operate?"<br />
<br />
"You mean when did I stop?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah, when did you stop?"<br />
<br />
"Tuesday."<br />
<br />
"Tuesday!!!"<br />
<br />
"Yeah, I don't know what happened. I was so tired I finally fell asleep at the mic and didn't realize what had happened until I woke up Thursday. I apparently hit the macro button I had written to automagically send my log to the contest sponsor when I fell asleep. It was too late then."<br />
<br />
"So the Contest Committee automatically disqualified you?"<br />
<br />
"No, not a first. They wrote and asked me for an explanation. I panicked and responded with some gibberish about the compression and expansion of time due to Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. I think I even worked in something about leap years. It was desperate and stupid. That was when they disqualified me."<br />
<br />
"Can't say as I blame them. So you're sitting the old 'WW out this year?"<br />
<br />
"I guess so. I was thinking I might borrow the club call for the contest. It would be a good year to run Uncle Percy's amp again."
Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-42894561938460462592012-09-18T13:17:00.001+01:002012-09-18T13:18:20.862+01:003rd Annual Talk Like a Pirate Radio-Sport Contest<br />
<div>
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.17313440307043493" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The closest thing the Lost Island DX Society has to a tradition is the annual Talk Like A Pirate Contest. Every September 19, corresponding to</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #000099; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html" style="font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Talk Like A Pirate Day</a>, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the LIDS take to the air in an unholy amalgam of radio contesting and piratey behavior. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So once again starting at 0000Z September 19, hoist the Jolly Roger, tune up your best Death Ray Amplificator and call "Sea-Q, Maties!" Exchange Aahhrr-est-tee reports and ye pirate nom de plume (that be what da' Cap't calls you for you unedumacated scallywags). Work as many other pirates as you can and scribble it all down on a piece of foolscap, roll it up, and stick it in an empty rum bottle and toss it in the sea. Eventually it will wash ashore on Lost Island and we'll tabulate the results. An added doubloon or two in the bottle might make the bottle here a bit sooner and encourage the log checking crew to not look so closely at yer scribbles.
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<br /></div>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-70534858688436031302012-07-26T12:28:00.000+01:002012-07-26T12:28:17.157+01:00Get You Log In On TimeThe CQWW Contest Committee has<a href="http://www.radio-sport.net/cq_logs.htm"> announced</a> that starting with the 2012 contests, the time period for log submissions after each contest has been reduced from thirty days to just five days.<br />
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As with any change to a contest rule, the contestsenti are all atwitter with opinions pro and con. The hyper-competitive type-A proto-Big Gun types greeted the announcement with a hearty huzzah and only complained that the committee didn't adopt a WRTC-style rule requiring log submission within ten minutes after the end of the contest. A contingent claiming to represent those whose lives don't revolve around the weekend's contest du jour thought five days a bit too restrictive as some people like to do things like eat, sleep, and go to work in addition to contesting. No mention was made of finding time to sit around a campfire and have a drum circle. Their proposals for a reasonable log submission time ranged from 8 to 14 days.<br />
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The staff at the Lost Island DX Society Research Center have applied their best brain cell to the issue and after extensive research, which coincidentally lasted precisely as long as two six-packs did, have arrived at the optimum time period for log submission. The precise optimal time period for log submissions is 7 days, 3 hours, and 52.8 minutes.<br />
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No need for the CQWW Contest Committee and the contest community as a whole to thank us. We at the Lost Island DX Society are happy to contribute where we can. <span style="background-color: white;">That should end the controversy and we can go back to discussing what 'assistance'</span><b style="background-color: white;"><i> really</i></b><span style="background-color: white;"> means.</span>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-54916756639529115642012-06-26T00:40:00.002+01:002012-06-26T00:40:42.981+01:00Field Day on Lost Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Lost Island DX Society hosted Macho Cuesew and Lech Dinero for Field Day. For those looking for the location of Lost Island, there might be some clues in the video.</div>
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<br />Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-5623000868338527232012-05-01T20:34:00.000+01:002012-05-01T20:34:04.801+01:00Original Box<br />
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We’re BAAAACCCCKKKKK! Not that anybody seems to have missed
us. The last couple of months Cousin QRM has been severely depressed due to SADD
(Sunspots Ain’t Doing Diddly), which have made the bands about as exciting and
sluggish as day old cold oatmeal. As a result, activities around the Lost
Island DX Society clubhouse have been at a lull.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But now it’s SPRINGTIME. A time when a young Big Gun’s (or Old
Phart’s) fancy turns to ANTENNAS! It’s time to nurture those small springs of
aluminum and steel that were planted last winter in hopes that they will
blossom into magnificent spires reaching to the heavens and sprouting stacked
arrays, or at least tribanders.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But even QRP DX’ers know that big antennas require an
infusion of See Eh Ess Ach to grow to the heights needed to bust that new Yemen
pileup. Short of a well-crafted Ponzi scheme involving P5 QSL cards, the
quickest way to raise some See Eh Ess Ach is your local hamfest. Those lovingly
cared for (cough) veteran rigs and amps of many past pileups and contests can
be traded to a <s>sucker</s> fellow ham for that all important infusion of See
Eh Ess Ach to feed your current habit of power and tower.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every flea market scrounger knows that the one feature that
differentiates treasure from trash is ………The Original Box. Any radio or
accessory, regardless of its condition immediately doubles in price if it is
accompanied by The Original Box. Just catch an episode of one of those Roadside
Antique Picking shows and watch as the professionals wet their pants over the
most insignificant trinket, looking old and dirty, but …. in …. its …..
Original Box.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s be honest though. How many of us still have an
Original Box for any of our gear? If we do, it beaten and dog-eared with the
corners rounded off. And the styrofoam inserts? Forget it. If they’re still
there, they’re cracked and crumbling. If you’re anything like me, and I hope
you aren’t, the Original Boxes you do have certainly won’t have any Antique
Picking Roadshow guru getting his undies even slightly damp.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But now there’s a solution! Dr. DX’s DX Industries and Pig
Pharma Industries have combined in a joint effort to bring you The Original Box
Company.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Original Box Company can provide genuine Original Box
replicas for your old gear. Have a TS-520 or Drake 2B collecting dust in the
bottom of your closet? Double its value at the flea market or on ebay with an
Original Box, including foam or cardboard inserts. It might have 10,000 hours
of operation on the tubes, but with an Original Box it can pass for a gingerly
babied shelf queen and bring top dollar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’re worried that showing up at the local swapmeet with
a battle worn KWM-2 in a pristine box will raise a few eyebrows, The Original
Box Company offers appropriate box aging as an option with all its boxes. By
giving an Original Box signs of gentle wear and aging, the value of the gear
can be enhanced without raising suspicions. Collectors and eagle-eyed flea
market junkies expect a modicum of wear and tear on an Original Box. A gently
worn box is testament to the excellent condition of the equipment inside it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Original Boxes will be offered for Drake, Kenwood, Yeasu,
and Icom radios and accessories. Original Boxes for equipment prior to 1975 by
special order only. Box aging additional. See us at Dayton. Blue van with Texas
Bugcatcher on the rear bumper in the grass field across from HARA. Catch us
before you setup in the flea market.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0grsA55dnahbeDRR465T4b_ZcFxsXoEWRRNO6-mLWvJx4wazjUvWJsoyncxcLYjDcVeFrdyCxxfxTKTDUuEbsVH9mZRIHi_ndm1YFKU1RphBKjE_RdBCAw7SXUuEL51Fon9V9bGjU1g/s1600/Original+box+-+HT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0grsA55dnahbeDRR465T4b_ZcFxsXoEWRRNO6-mLWvJx4wazjUvWJsoyncxcLYjDcVeFrdyCxxfxTKTDUuEbsVH9mZRIHi_ndm1YFKU1RphBKjE_RdBCAw7SXUuEL51Fon9V9bGjU1g/s320/Original+box+-+HT.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Original Box</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyavS0JpMbBVVUv7TnpblZMOLgBh8MP8OYUEtvIMTYVmICqMAMuWiiat5myG-loVfh3uzTu20AonrkJvjjZGvFiTfw8s9hgVLTgfUFDEeOnn8iY3xwcuTkc2gBe1YhVePuuJHqiqB8ZfM/s1600/Not+original+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyavS0JpMbBVVUv7TnpblZMOLgBh8MP8OYUEtvIMTYVmICqMAMuWiiat5myG-loVfh3uzTu20AonrkJvjjZGvFiTfw8s9hgVLTgfUFDEeOnn8iY3xwcuTkc2gBe1YhVePuuJHqiqB8ZfM/s320/Not+original+box.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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NOT in the Original Box</div>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-55411180704574006692012-02-23T12:40:00.001+00:002012-02-23T12:40:46.781+00:00End of the World As We Know It<span id="internal-source-marker_0.6085956485476345"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t worry about waiting for the end of the world in December. It’s already happened. It happened five years ago today. February 23, 2007. The effective date the FCC eliminated the code requirement. The day that ham radio ended. Yup. We’ve been walking dead for five years now, whether we knew it or not.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course that was the most recent end of ham radio. Previously, ham radio ended on April 15, 2000. That was the date when the FCC dropped the 13 wpm and 20 wpm code tests, leaving only the 5 wpm code test required for obtaining a license. Brain damaged monkeys can be taught to copy code at 5 wpm.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prior to that, ham radio died in February 1991 when the FCC dropped the code requirement for the Technician class license. For the first time, it was possible to get on the air without any code test whatsoever. Of course, we kept them corralled to the repeaters on the VHF bands, so no real harm done. Except that’s where they started and stayed, for the most part.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, the end of REAL ham radio began September 2, 1984. That’s when the FCC got out of the license testing business. No more facing the grim faced FCC examiners. No sweating the code tests as they rattled off on a decrepit code player. They even started publishing the questions.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’re just zombies. Walking dead playing our paddles and working DX. Sooner or later we’ll wake up and realize it. In the meantime there’s a 3C on 30m that I need.</span></span>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-59155564266416672212012-02-20T12:27:00.002+00:002012-02-20T12:27:49.605+00:00Changes to ARRL Contests<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8831467705313116"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ARRL Contest Czar and all around tall guy, Sean Kudzu, announced changes to the list of multipliers for ARRL sponsored contests using ARRL/RAC sections for multipliers. The changes affect the November Sweepstakes and ARRL 160m contests.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The changes include combining the sections of North and South Dakota into the plain Dakota section. Surveys show that most Americans can’t identify the Dakotas on a map and aren’t even aware there are two separate states, including most of the residents of North and South Dakota. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two new sections are being created. The Florida Keys will become their own section and will be known as the Conch Republic Section. While the full time ham population of the new Conch Republic section is relatively small, lots of portable activity from CO and HK ops transiting the region is expected.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second new section to be created is Northern Virginia, or NoVa section. The region of Virginia consisting of the suburbs of Washington,DC have long held a separate cultural, political, and economic identity from the rest of the Old Dominion state. The rest of Virginia finally got tired of the NoVa belly aching and decided to cut them loose.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a bit of irony, Washington, DC remains part of the MDC section with Maryland despite the vocal protestations of quite a few Washington amateurs demanding their own section. The only explanation for denying separate status for DC is that doing so is an opportunity to do to DC what its most prominent occupants do to the rest of the country.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are also some changes slated for the Canadian sections which are part of RAC, ARRL’s sister organization north of the border. It involves splitting one big providence into a couple of smaller sections. The details are confusing and obscure, as even several of the affected VE’s response to the announcement was, “Eh?”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The announcement of changes to the ARRL contests brought forth the expected shrugging of shoulders from most of the contest community, but a few of the internet contestsenti erupted with the usual roar they exhibit to any change to a contest. The most hardcore claim that the November Sweepstakes rules are carved in stone and carried down from Mt. Athos by Saint Hiram himself and should never be changed.</span></b>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-40350799233095129452012-02-06T00:43:00.001+00:002012-02-06T00:43:15.654+00:00CW TwitsHere's just the thing for combining my two favorite worlds - cw and the intertubes. Only wussies use a keyboard. Real Big Guns use a key. For everything.<br />
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Here's a cool project that uses a straight key to post inane Twitter posts (are there any other kind?). Now if we can just hook up a real paddle and crank the speed up to 35 wpm this would be a Big Gun Twitter Telegraph. Dit dit.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V9KckRf_MKo" width="560"></iframe>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-84004485425579132882012-01-30T01:26:00.001+00:002012-01-30T01:26:37.217+00:00A Short History of QSLing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-5755520634960169402012-01-24T01:32:00.001+00:002012-01-24T01:32:51.701+00:00DX - Before It Disappears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANhYhbuHyP431fcnP0WLlIgN6-7Ps1oCLCp9_6WbWE1HDqQdWiY5kb23p66yobyLJMPmI4aiSWO1Q8FkmTM5gm2-oRRsyXfF3kwF9EaaGomPpZ4bXZzySmy_ssMopcxhjp9SDftoml2Q/s1600/Ghorama+-+Yahoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANhYhbuHyP431fcnP0WLlIgN6-7Ps1oCLCp9_6WbWE1HDqQdWiY5kb23p66yobyLJMPmI4aiSWO1Q8FkmTM5gm2-oRRsyXfF3kwF9EaaGomPpZ4bXZzySmy_ssMopcxhjp9SDftoml2Q/s320/Ghorama+-+Yahoo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Indian island of Ghorama is slowly disappearing thanks to rising sea levels. Yeah, yeah, yeah, global warming, yada, yada, yada. Above is a picture of one of the natives of Ghorama standing on what's left of the island. Due to disappearing land mass the island may now qualify as a new DX entity under separation by water rule. If so, it will still have more dry land mass than BS7, Scarborough Reef. Separate chartered boats from Japan, Finland and a joint US/British boat are headed to Ghorama hoping for first activation.</div>
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<br /></div>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-30065370175458892112012-01-01T23:15:00.000+00:002012-01-01T23:15:07.792+00:002012 Prognostications<br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4146328067872673"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2012 New Year’s Predictions</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New Year’s resolutions never work out well. Let’s face it, we’ll never lose that 20 lbs until we can give up the Dayton kielbasa (and neither will our heartburn stop). So instead of making a lot of promises we’ll never keep, we present our predictions for 2012. They’re about as likely as any resolutions we’d make.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. In an unexpected or explainable development, sunspots will begin to roar across the surface of the sun. The solar flux index will hit 250 for weeks at a time. Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific F2 contacts on 6m will be daily occurrences.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Washington DC will finally count as a separate multiplier in all contests. Except those sponsored by the ARRL or CQ magazine.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. New North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un will take an interest in ham radio and will open up North Korea for any and all DXpeditions. The only stipulation is that all DXpeditions must be willing to transport small, heavy rods encased in lead lined containers. By the end of the year P5 will have fallen to #200 on the Most Wanted List just ahead of Italy.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. In a twist on the Occupy movement, a group of DX’ers will attempt to Occupy Scarborough Reef to protest the ludicrousness of it counting as a separate entity. Unfortunately, since the reef is only able to accommodate at most five people at any one time, their protest will be overlooked.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. In reaction to years of complaints that the CQ DX contests are just callsign copying contests, the CQ DX Contest Committee will change the rules and adopt a Sweepstakes style exchange. High error rates reduce top scores by one-half.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. The topic of cut numbers will still be debated on the CQ-Contest email reflector. No consensus will be reached.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. In a stunning development, there will be a universally accepted definition of “assisted” for contest categories. In an unrelated development, reports of airborne porcine will appear from around the world.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. During a major phone contest, a net will vacate their frequency to allow a contester to establish a run frequency after admitting that they really didn’t have anything important to talk about.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. The Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) will gain sentience and turn itself off during a major DX contest with a final spot of “Find the DX yourself, you lazy lids!”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10. The Lost Island DX Society will surpass the ARRL in membership.</span></span></b></div>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-2149625675278826262011-12-20T19:01:00.001+00:002011-12-20T19:01:37.864+00:00Possible P5 ActivityThis morning the Lost Island DX Society email box contained the following gem. We're warming up the amp in anticipation:<br />
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:21:57 -0500
Subject: P5 DXpedition
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: biggundx@gmail.com</pre>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Dear Friend,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I hope this email finds you well. I got your address from a
close friend who assured me that you are a good and trustworthy person and a
serious DXer. With the recent death of Beloved Leader Kim Jon Il, there is a
unique window of opportunity to activate the top Most Needed DX Entity, P5. As
the country transitions power from Kim Jon Il to its next leader, the state of
uncertainty that exists makes it possible to obtain the cooperation of certain
officials that will allow an amateur radio operation from P5. This is an unprecedented opportunity to hand out QSOs to The Deserving worldwide, of whom, of course,you are one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Needless to say, the cooperation of certain officials and
the logistics involved in a DXpedition of this nature does not come cheap. Time
for organizing this operation is short as the window of opportunity is small,
so we are urgently reaching out to Top Gun DXers to ask for assistance to help
pull off this unique operation. For generous contributors, we will make special
accommodations to insure you will make it into the log and you will receive
priority service in QSL processing. Special times and publicly undisclosed
frequencies will be arranged to insure you get the needed QSO. Generous contributors will be those contributing $1000 or more. Our QSO scheduling will begin with the most generous contributors and continue down the list, assuming the window of opportunity for this operation doesn’t close too quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">If you wish to be included among the generous sponsors of
this historic DXpedition and insure your needed QSOs with P5, please respond
with your name and bank account information so that we may facilitate your
contribution. We must act quickly to avoid missing this unique window of
opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">73, Romeo 5N0LID <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</pre>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-54059020504500002112011-11-09T22:21:00.000+00:002011-11-09T22:21:31.976+00:00Contesting Explained<br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7583501066546887" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The particular form of inanity that we enjoy called “contesting” or “radio-sport” is often difficult for fellow radio amateurs to understand, much less the family and friends who occupy our non-radio existence (if it exists). The hours of listening to high levels of QRM and QRN, yelling endlessly into a mic, or mindlessly hitting the F1 key, for 24, 30, or 48 hours while a beautiful fall weekend beckons outside with rapidly fleeting mild weather and sunlight. The hundreds of hours of work and thousands of dollars spent building towers and antennas, buying new radios and amplifiers, all to exchange a meaningless nugget of information with the same couple of thousand similarly addicted hams around the world. Why?</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That is a much deeper philosophical question than we can address here, but the answer is really no different than for those who spend their time and money chasing a little white ball around in the woods trying to knock it into a small hole in the ground. Hmmm. Sort of makes our avocation seem almost normal, doesn’t it?</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The trouble is that it is difficult to explain what we do in a contest, much less why. The key to explaining foreign things to the unknowing is that you need to couch it in terms that are familiar to them. This requires using a frame of reference they can relate to. What is needed is a good metaphor. The Lost Island DX Society presents here a universally understood metaphor for at least some of the aspects of contesting – dating and sex.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The activity of Search and Pounce (S&P) is the cornerstone of any contester’s toolbox. Unless, and until, you reach Big Gun status, as a contester you probably spend a majority of your time in S&P mode. How can you explain this technique to mere mortals? The S&P hunt is not unlike the game played at every singles bar on every night of the week. The goal of every Harry Horndog at the local singles bar is to collect as many phone numbers from lovely ladies as possible, knowing full well that most of those numbers will be disconnected or belong to a pizza delivery place. It doesn’t matter. Harry is playing the odds. The more numbers he collects, the faster he’ll get a real one. Contest S&P is just like that, except you don’t have to buy the other station some fru-fru drink, make small talk and pretend you really like cats. You don’t care about the number you get from the other station – as long as you get<b> A</b> number from the other station. He with the most numbers wins! The measured pace of scanning the bands and working stations S&P is a lot like cruising the bar early before the crowd gets there. Pickings are relatively easy and you can cover a lot of space in a small amount of time.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But sooner or later, the hot blond in the miniskirt shows up. Once that happens, all the Harry Horndogs are stumbling all over themselves and each other to get HER number. This is a pileup.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The goal of every contester is to be the hot blond in the miniskirt. These are the Big Guns. They command the crowd who want to get their number. When a pileup continues for an extended length of time, it’s called a <b>RUN</b>. The run is to contesting what sex is to, well, sex. There are definite similarities between a run and sex. You never know when you’ll get a run. When you get a run, you never how long it’s going to last. You never know how good a run will be until it’s over. When it’s over, you miss the run and want another one. You never know if or when you’ll get another run.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So there you have it, Contesting Explained. Well, maybe not all of it, but if your non-contesting friends can’t understand the above explanation of what contesting is, well, maybe you should look for some new friends.</span></div>Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-89637522111720911962011-10-02T18:52:00.000+01:002011-10-02T18:52:27.446+01:00What really happens on 14.300?If you've spent much time on 20m SSB, surely you've run into the Maritime Mobile Net. and probably wondered what they really do other than making sure their frequency is kept clear "just in case." Finally, there's video evidence of the important service they provide to the world at large, keeping sailors the world over safe.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hMBDyC5-0MU" width="480"></iframe>
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Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-63197805980208594022011-09-14T19:58:00.002+01:002011-09-14T19:58:42.263+01:00Second Annual Talk Like A Pirate Contest - September 19<br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.17313440307043493" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">September 19 is once again the annual </span><a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Talk Like A Pirate Day</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Last year the Lost Island DX Society (LIDS) sponsored the first <a href="http://fi-ni-report.blogspot.com/2010/09/pirate-contest.html">Talk Like a Pirate Radio-Sport Contest</a>. LIDS, both formal and unformal, were encouraged to take to the airways and make Qs with other pirate-minded LIDS and lids. The suggested call was "Sea-Q ye Scallywags!" or "Ahoy Pirates!" with an exchange of signal Aahhrr-est-tee and yer pirate name.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To say we were underwhelmed with the contest response would be akin to saying that Cousin QRM has a slight taste for the rum. Oh, there were plenty of LIDS on the air that day and quite a few pirates, but the scoundrels were mighty stingy in offering up any pirate booty to sway the adjudication committee.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nevertheless, we’re game to try it all again this year. So September 19, 0000Z-2359Z, plus or minus a couple of hours, work as many pirates as you can. Score is the total number of unique pirates worked, work 'em once per band, times the total number of Pirates and landlubbers ye work. Count any beauties ye work double. Triple if they "Aahrrr" you back with a lassie pirate name.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; white-space: normal;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; white-space: normal;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.17313440307043493" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Submit scores and lies in the comments below. Send pirate booty to Cousin QRM to improve your chances of winning. Judging will be by a council of Pirate LIDS and will be as fair an' honest as the Poisson d'Avril contest. Deadline for entry - when you get around to it.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077376@N05/6148035914/" title="001-0312105033-Pirate-Radio by CousingQRM, on Flickr"><img alt="001-0312105033-Pirate-Radio" height="305" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6183/6148035914_defd2b5643.jpg" width="350" /></a></div>
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Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-42599672520545157872011-09-08T12:31:00.000+01:002011-09-08T12:31:06.826+01:00Another On-The-Air AwardFollowing the announcement of the Lost Island DX Society’s <a href="http://fi-ni-report.blogspot.com/2011/08/lids-on-air.html">LIDS-On-The-Air (LOTA) </a>award, we discovered yet another unique On-The-Air style award. The <a href="http://www.ihras.net/Main14/Welcome.html">Interstate Highway Rest Area Society</a> sponsors the <b>Rest Areas On The Air (RAOTA)</b> activity and (soon coming) award. This is one of the more interesting concepts for an On-The-Air activity. Its easy to envision weekend DXpeditions to activate rare rest stops in the wide open west. Although award details are not available at press time, we assume that you’re not required to actually operate from within the restroom of the rest stop, which would be a little awkward not to mention potentially, umm, un-aromatic.<br />
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The LIDS give a hearty endorsement to the nascent RAOTA award and look forward to the<b> Worked All Rest Areas (WARA)</b> award that must certainly be on the way. Perhaps we can cooperate and have the LIDS mount an activity weekend to activate some of the rest areas. We see a <b>Toilet-LIDS-On-The-Air</b> weekend as sure to attract much attention and hopefully not cause much stink.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077376@N05/6126397541/" title="restarea by CousingQRM, on Flickr"><img alt="restarea" height="311" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6061/6126397541_8eb90b1408.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-91599828905949942812011-09-01T15:39:00.000+01:002011-09-01T15:39:05.984+01:00Gearing Up For Contest Season<br />
<div style="background-color: transparent;">
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.14233188214711845" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While we’re still wringing out the water left by Irene and patching the cracks in the drywall from the earthquake, a hint of autumn floats through the air in recent mornings. For ordinary folk that means football season. They’re gathering their tailgate accouterments and digging out their favorite team jersey in preparation for the Big Game.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a Big Gun Contester or DXer, fall means the start of the contest and DX season. Time is running short for completing those antenna and shack improvements. Have you got your required multi-radio lockout rigged yet?</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is still time to order the Big Gun equivalent of a team jersey. Proudly proclaim your proclivity for the Lost Island DX Society. At some level, we’re all LIDS, so order your LIDS wear today from the<a href="http://www.cafepress.com/bentwire"> official LIDS store on Cafepress</a>. You can also get <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/bentwire.394600898">Dr. DX’s Antenna Wax</a> wear for the antenna farmer looking to coax that last 0.01 dB out of his antenna system. And there’s even items for those who’ll work phone when they <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/bentwire.394449166">pry the J-38 from their cold, dead hand.</a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077376@N05/6102796035/" title="394600898v7_480x480_Front_Color-White by CousingQRM, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6081/6102796035_7afff32801.jpg" width="480" height="480" alt="394600898v7_480x480_Front_Color-White"></a>
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Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-36667040368628274642011-08-27T16:37:00.002+01:002011-08-27T16:43:00.464+01:00LIDS On The AirRecent years have seen a surge in popularity and activity of various ‘On The Air’ types of awards. The largest being the <a href="http://www.rsgbiota.org/">Islands On The Air (IOTA)</a> award, but there is also the <a href="http://www.sota.org.uk/">Summits On The Air (SOTA)</a> and the <a href="http://www.wota.org.uk/">Wainrights On The Air (WOTA) </a>as well as several others.
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<br />The Lost Island DX Society is not above hopping on an already crowded bandwagon, so with great pride we announce the <b>LIDS On The Air (LOTA) </b>award. This award should be relatively easy to qualify for since LIDS can be readily found in just about every DX pileup and most contests. But don’t discount finding LIDS on the air during casual operations. To qualify for the LOTA award, work 100 or more LIDS. An SWL version of the LOTA award is also available with the same requirement to copy 100 or more LIDS. To qualify, send in a listing of the LIDS worked/heard and you will receive an impressive <b>Certificate of Radio Achievement and Participation (CRAP)</b>. So if you would like to receive a<b> LOTA CRAP</b>, send your LIDS list to the Lost Island DX Society DX Society World Headquarters and we will be happy to comply.Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-61922474701976267472011-07-18T02:27:00.004+01:002011-07-18T02:50:21.185+01:00Perpetual EnergyWhile the grammar police were combing our previous reports, the Lost Island DX Society was sending a group of representatives to Washington, DC to see if we could help break the impasse on the debt ceiling. Or barring that, see if while distracted by budget issues we could sneak a request for permission to land on Navassa Island (KP1) past the Fish and Wildlife folks. Sadly, the answer is still 'no' on both accounts.<br /><br />While attempting to find the back entrance into the Capital building, where we hear their cafeteria has a dynamite Francis Scott Key Lime pie, we came upon a sight which set us back on our collective heels for a moment. On the grounds of the Botanical Gardens at the foot of the Capital building sits a windmill that never stops turning. Despite the lack of any wind, this windmill turns continuously. We stopped and observed it for quite some time, and it continued to turn, again, without any evidence of natural wind.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077376@N05/5948286095/" title="IMG_1391 by CousingQRM, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137/5948286095_2097f5f885.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_1391"></a><br /><br />Our delegation sought out one of the groundskeepers of the Botanical Gardens to ask about this miraculous windmill, thinking it must be motorized. Nope, we were informed, the windmill runs off of wind only. The secret is its location. Being at the foot of Capital Hill, it has an inexhaustible supply of hot air to power it, day and night.<br /><br />Once informed of this, the answer was obvious. So, what does this have to do with Big Gun DX'ers and Contesters? Easy. Every Big Gun station has a similar, though smaller, supply of hot air available. If windmills could be installed at these stations in the proper location, it should be possible to generate enough power to supply at least one Alpha for the contest weekend. Green technology - it's not just for Al Gore anymore.Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628547599652727226.post-1183660140279294012011-07-07T18:01:00.005+01:002011-07-18T02:25:24.140+01:00IAMRU Contest This WeekendThis weekend the Lost Island DX Society will be participating in the summer festival of QRN, otherwise known as the IAMRU contest. This annual contest, under the guise of an everybody-works-everybody DX contest, is THE platform for a jingoistic radiosport competition between national radio societies. In the past, certain national radio societies have worked the contest rules looking for loopholes like a tax lawyer with an offshore bank account. This year should be no different.<br /><br />The LIDS are testing some new performance enhancing hardware for the contest this year. The logging computer has been outfitted with some additional hardware and software. For every new multiplier worked, the computer triggers a dispenser and gives the operator an M&M. Green ones if it's a really rare mult. If the rate meter falls below a preset level, the computer trigger a power source connected to the operator's seat which administers a mild shock. If after two minutes the rate has not reached an acceptable level, the voltage of the shock is increased. This continues until either an acceptable run rate is attained or it is necessary to replace the op. If these enhancements work out, expect support for them to be included in a future release of N1MM and Writelog.Big Gun DXerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117380898428686666noreply@blogger.com9