Welcome to Northern California DX Club March 19, 2009.

Welcome to Welcome to Northern Northern

California DX ClubCalifornia DX Club

March 19, 2009March 19, 2009

NCDXC Mar 09NCDXC Mar 09 Slide 2

Tonight’s AgendaTonight’s Agenda

• Club Business – Introduction of Officers– Introductions of Members– New members– DX news– QSTs

• The status of the sunspot cycle• Feature – Show & Tell• NCDXC Raffle


Introduction of OfficersIntroduction of Officers

• Officers– President Craig Bradley AE6RR– Vice Pres Risto Kotalampi W6RK– Secretary Russ Bentson K6KLY– Treasurer Jose Picazo Jr. WT6X

• Directors– Steve Jones N6SJ – Jim Abraham W6EB – John Eisenberg K6YP


IntroductionsIntroductions• Let’s Go Around the room…

– Introduce yourself & any guests– Tell us what new DX you have bagged– K5D stories?– Any other news you wish to share?

(please keep it brief)


New members?New members?

• Secretary - Russ, K6KLY

– He has applications are available…– Voting


K5D Wrap UpK5D Wrap Up

• QSL info– Web Site and online log: http://kp5.us/ – QSL online (you do not need to send a card)

• Mailed to you $5 (paypal or credit card)• Bureau (free)

– QSL direct (SASE - $.44)– Bureau– LoTW (early next year)


Final K5D QSOsFinal K5D QSOs

Statistics SSB CW RTTY SSTV Band Totals

6M 17 80 · · 97

10M 163 64 2 · 229

12M 640 264 1 · 905

15M 6129 4166 443 · 10738

17M 12959 7183 1341 · 21483

20M 15693 9587 1719 3 27002

30M 1 13424 2180 · 15605

40M 6789 8462 863 · 16114

80M 7414 8797 · · 16211

160M 1983 5217 · · 7200

Mode Totals 51788 57244 6549 3 115584


DX News – KH4DX News – KH4

• K4M - Midway Island– #24 most needed world wide

• first operation in almost 10 years

– 10 days in October 2009– 19 Ops– 160 through 6m– www.midway2009.com


DX News – VK9DX News – VK9

• VK9AA – Christmas Island– Now on

• VK9N/ON5AX – Norfolk Island– On until the 22nd

• VK9GMW – Mellish Island– Starts on the March 22nd to April 6th

• VK9LA – Lord Howe– Starts on the March 24th to April 3rd – 24/7 Internet with online logs


Postage Rates Postage Rates Going Up May 11Going Up May 11

• First Class letters - 44¢ (from 42¢)– Buy those Forever Stamps

• They are great for SASEs• They are always good for 1st class postage• You can get them at discount prices at COSTCO

• International - 96¢ (from 90¢)– Use up your old ones before May 11 or add 6¢– Get those QSL cards out now

• IRCs– Currently $2.10, will expire on 12/31/09– Use up your old ones, many QSL managers will not

take them in a few months– New prices not announced yet


Upcoming DX ContestsUpcoming DX Contests

• Russian DX Contest– This weekend– See http://www.rdxc.org for details

• CQ WPX– SSB

• March 28-29– CW

• May 30-31– Prefixes are multipliers– Exchange

• RST + Serial Number– See the CQ website for the complete rules


NCDXC Club HistorianNCDXC Club Historian

• The NCDXC has a lot of history• Much of it is on the heads of the old time

members• Maintain lists of past officers, recipients for the

CMOTY award, SKs, etc.• Custodian of club memorabilia• We should gather and record our history before

it fades away…• Would you like to volunteer for this position or do

you know someone who would be a good candidate?


Silent Key ListSilent Key List

• At Visalia each year the clubs Silent Keys from the last year are remembered

• I need to compile a list for the MC to read• If you know of a club member that has

become a SK in the last year, please let me or Russ, K6KLY know

• Even if you think that everyone knows, please contribute as we don’t want to overlook any one

QSTsQSTs


IDXC VisaliaIDXC Visalia

• IDXC 2009 (the 60th year) will be held April 17- April19, 2009 at the Visalia Holiday Inn

• News from the committee?– John, K6YP

– Steve, N6SJ


NCDXC NetNCDXC Net• Net coordinator - Don, AA6W• If you would like to be a net control,

please see or contact Don• Please Remember - NCDXC Net

– Every Thursday 8pm – Except on monthly meeting nights (3rd Thurs)– On W6TI repeater, 147.360 MHz, PL 110.9


DXer MaterialDXer Material

• Editor - Phil, K6TT• If you have suggestions for articles, etc.

please see or contact Phil• If you would like to contribute (photos,

articles, etc.), Phil will be very happy to talk to you!

• This is your newsletter – help make it great!


Tonight’s RaffleTonight’s Raffle• Mike W6WZ & Carolyn WB6ABC have some great

prizes!– 1st Prize: Yaesu FT-2800M, 65 W 2M mobile rig– 2nd Prize: Powerex MHC-9000 Charger-Analyzer– 3rd Prize: 3 Large Fair-Rite Beads– 4th Prize: Crimping Tool– 5th Prize: Multi-Purpose Pocket Tool with Light– Door Prize: 9-LED Flashlight with batteries

• Need Tickets – see Carolyn or Mike – 6 for $5 - 12 for $10 - 24 for $20

• GOOD LUCK!


Additional QSTsAdditional QSTs

• Does anyone have any other announcements they would like to make?

• Amtech Day?

• Flea Market?

Our Sunspot CycleOur Sunspot Cycle

The sun has flat-lined…The sun has flat-lined…


The MinimumThe Minimum

• March 6, 2006 – Solar Minimum has Arrived

• January 10, 2008 – Solar Cycle 24 Begins• September 30, 2008 – Blankest Year of

the Space Age• November 7, 2008 – The Sun Shows

Signs of Life• The last few sunspots that we had were

old ones from cycle 23


Cycle 24 PredictionCycle 24 PredictionUpdated 3/4/09Updated 3/4/09


Current ConditionsCurrent ConditionsLast MonthLast Month This MonthThis Month


The Last YearThe Last Year


SOHO MDI Continuum Latest SOHO MDI Continuum Latest Image Image

SHOW & TELLSHOW & TELLoror

Tonight’s Mini TopicsTonight’s Mini Topics

Craig Bradley, AE6RRCraig Bradley, AE6RR

Risto Kotalampi, W6RKRisto Kotalampi, W6RK

Phil Verinsky, W6TQGPhil Verinsky, W6TQG


Why Do We DX?Why Do We DX?

• Because we like to see the lights dim when we talk?

• Because is it there?

• Because we like talking to people in foreign lands?

• Because we like the nice QSL cards?

• Because we like Wall Paper (Awards)?

CQ Magazine AwardsCQ Magazine Awards

Something else to do with your QSL Something else to do with your QSL collection while the bands are dead!collection while the bands are dead!

- AE6RR- AE6RR


CQ WAZ AwardCQ WAZ Award

• Worked All Zones (WAZ)• One of the longest running in Ham Radio

– Started prior to WWII

• One of the most prestigious awards• Based on working all 40 CQ Zones• Equal difficulty from all areas of the world• 5-Band version available (5BWAZ)

– 80, 40, 20, 15 & 10 m


CQ ZonesCQ Zones• We are in Zone 3• The hardest zones to work from here are

– 21, Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Georgia)

– 22, India, Maldives, Laccadive (VU7)– 34, NE Africa (Egypt, Libya, Sudan)– 37, E Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi)

• The path to these zones is over more land mass than the others– The path includes NA, EU & AS (or NE AF)– Water reflects signals much better than land– You probably have a better chance of working these

areas via long path


The World from San JoseThe World from San Jose


CQ DX AwardCQ DX Award

• Similar to the ARRL DXCC– Same entities– Similar rules (100 entities minimum)

• If you need more “wall paper” and have DXCC, this one is easy– Just submit your DXCC record– I did it via email

• eQSL, LoTW records and Cards accepted


CQ WPX AwardCQ WPX Award

• Based on call sign prefixes (letters and numbers)– K6, N6, WD4, HG1, HG19, WB3, KC2, etc.

• If you have worked the WPX contest, you get the idea

• Minimum awards– Mixed: 400– Mode (CW, SSB, Digital): 300

• Honor system: You do not need to send cards or have them checked!


CQ DX Field AwardCQ DX Field Award

• Based on the 324 Maidenhead Grid Fields– The grids are the two letter prefix (ie CM)

• Basic award is 50 or more grids

• Maritime mobile stations count

• Somewhat equal difficulty from all areas of the world except there are more stations on land



CQ USA-CA AwardCQ USA-CA Award

• Based on USA Counties

• Base award is 500 counties

• There are 3077 counties in the US

• There are groups, nets and special frequencies for “County Hunters”

• Some people do road trip expeditions to activate rare ones



Applying for CQ AwardsApplying for CQ Awards

• CQ card checkers are hard to find but you can use ARRL DXCC checkers

• CQ has announced that you can use eQSL, but this is not mentioned on the web site

• I have used LoTW confirmations (also not mentioned on web site) – printed the QSL info

• Find the award rules on the CQ web site and email the award manager for the latest acceptable procedure for that award

Risto Risto KotalampiKotalampi – W6RK – W6RK

Global QSLGlobal QSLhttp://http://www.globalqsl.comwww.globalqsl.com//

Phil Verinsky – W6TQGPhil Verinsky – W6TQGUsing QRZ.com's XML for Call Sign Lookup Using QRZ.com's XML for Call Sign Lookup

and Bearingand BearingConvenient Log Database Synchronization Convenient Log Database Synchronization

with LOTWwith LOTWVE7VV Packet ClusterVE7VV Packet Cluster


The NCDXC Raffle!The NCDXC Raffle!• Does anyone need tickets before we

start?• Prizes

– Door Prize: 9-LED Flashlight with batteries– 1st Prize: Yaesu FT-2800M, 65 W 2M mobile

rig– 2nd Prize: Powerex MHC-9000 Charger-

Analyzer– 3rd Prize: 3 Large Fair-Rite Beads– 4th Prize: Crimping Tool– 5th Prize: Multi-Purpose Pocket Tool with

Light


Thanks for Coming Tonight!Thanks for Coming Tonight!

• Remember the net next Thursday night!

• See you at Visalia

• Pray for sunspots!

• 73 & Good DX!

Welcome to Northern California DX Club March 19, 2009.

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Transcript of Welcome to Northern California DX Club March 19, 2009.