Spokane DX Association

THE CONTEST BETWEEN THE LEADING DX/CONTESTING PNW CLUBS HAS STARTED. THE PRIZE IS THIS TROPHY FOR THE CLUB’S HIGHEST SCORE IN THE 2018-2019 TEN-CONTEST EVENT. LAST SEASON, IT WENT TO THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY DX CLUB IN PORTLAND.

Andy KE7AUB holds the newly won Traveling Trophy. Actually since the WVDXC also won it in the 2016-2017 season, it did not do much traveling. (Picture by Mike W7VO, WVDXC President)

The ten-contesting event is between the leading Northwest DX and contesting clubs:

Spokane DX Association (SDXA)
Western Washington DX Club (WWDXC) – Seattle
Willamette Valley DX Club (WVDXC) – Portland
Orca DX and Contesting Club – Vancouver, BC, Canada
Idaho DX Association (IDXA) – Lewiston, ID.
British Columbia DX Club – Vancouver, BC, Canada

Each season, the accumulated contest points made by members are tallied to see which club makes the most points from its members over the ten contests. The contest season starts in September and ends in July.

The ten contests are (in order):

• CQ ww dx rtty – Sept 29-30 (finished)
• CQ ww dx ssb – Oct 27-28
• CQ ww dx cw – Nov 24-25
• ARRL rtty roundup – Jan 5-6
• CQ wpx rtty in Feb
• ARRL DX CW – Feb 16-17
• ARRL DX SSB – March 2-3
• CQ WPX SSB in March
• CQ WPX CW in May
• IARU – July 13-14

the rules for some of the above contests are not available on their respective websites yet.

Getting ready for the contest season, with the CQWW DX RTTY in September, Randy Foltz (K7TQ) spoke on setting up for RTTY contesting.

• using multiple encoders (MMTTY, 2Tone, and GRITTY)
• setting up VE7CC for RTTY Contacts
• optimizing macros for each contest
• best arrangement on your computer screen for RTTY

Randy K7TQ delivering the program

There was also a tour of Mike Buettner’s station (K7STO). Station tours are a regular event at meetings.

New members will no longer get a free SDXA badge. SDXA badges and hats can be obtained at this LINK.

The annual SDXA Awards banquet will be held at the Airway Heights Longhorn BBQ on December 6 (Thursday). Details later. Reserve that date for the best dinner in town.

Jim giving a lecture at one of the PNW DX conventions when he was ARRL NW Vice Director, a long time ago

CQ photographer Larry Mulvehill WB2ZPI came through our area and photographed these personalities:

October, 2006
Lamar WA7LT (sk) at his antenna farm (two other towers are not shown)

March, 2006
Gary K7OX (sk)and Barbara KE7AJ at their operating station in their home

June, 2006
Doug W3AS and Brandi at a SDXA Field Day in Rathdrum, ID

7th Area Single-Op (Unassisted) Low-Power CW

The plaque sponsored by the SDXA

Our winner – Larry Reader KE2VB in Oro Valley, AZ with 156,984 points, 62 multipliers, and 844 CW QSOs

SPARK LINK

Held at Shadle Park in Spokane for the second year, 24 people joined for pulled pork, lots of drinks, potato salad and chips, etc.

the group under the Shadle Park gazebo

Welcoming a new member Jim Fenstermaker K9JF (left to right: Bob N7AU SDXA Treasurer, Jim K9JF former ARRL NW Director and VP, & Mel N7GCO SDXA VP

One of the tables – Left to right: Gary AD7XG SDXA President, David AC7MV, Marybeth AE7GT past SDXA Secretary, Svetlana XYL of AD7XG, Chris WX7B past SDXA President, Dick W7BPH

More tables – left to right: Tom KC7UG, Cathy KB7BEK, Mike K7STO (hat showing), Gary K7GS (table end), K7GS XYL Cille, Diane KB7JPX, & Bob N7AU SDXA Treasurer

Dick W7BHP says farewell to Chris WX7B SDXA past President as he moves to Hamvention territory.

From Tonasket, Okanogan County, WA

Andy KE7AUB holds the newly won Traveling Trophy. Actually since the WVDXC also won it last year, it did not do much traveling. (Picture by Mike W7VO, WVDXC President)

The ten-contesting event is between the leading Northwest DX and contesting clubs:

Spokane DX Association (SDXA)
Western Washington DX Club (WWDXC) – Seattle
Willamette Valley DX Club (WVDXC) – Portland
Orca DX and Contesting Club – Vancouver, BC, Canada
Idaho DX Association (IDXA) – Lewiston, ID.
British Columbia DX Club – Vancouver, BC, Canada

Each season, the accumulated contest points made by members are tallied to see which club makes the most points from its members over the ten contests. The contest season starts in September and ends in July.

The ten contests are (in order):

• CQ ww dx rtty in Sept
• CQ ww dx ssb in Oct
• CQ ww dx cw in Nov
• ARRL rtty roundup in Jan
• CQ wpx rtty in Feb
• ARRL DX CW in Feb
• ARRL DX SSB in March
• CQ WPX SSB in March
• CQ WPX CW in May
• IARU in July

Here a link to how the SDXA members did:

It looks like Mark K7HPT will get a certificate award at the December Awards Banquet for entering all ten contests during the year. And Mel N7GCO will receive one for his highest total score among the SDXA members.

How did SDXA do among the other clubs?

Disregard the year span heading on the US vs. Them LINK table. This table is for the most current season: 2017-2018.

From Elk, WA

All three Silent Keys in 2018
Thank you for your service to the SDXA

left to right: Lamar Ray WA7LT, Dan Hearn N5AR, & Gary Elliott K7OX

Our beginnings article LINK

left to right: Gary AD7XG, SDXA President and wife Svetlana – Randy K7TQ, former SDXA member, ex-Vice President, and twice chairman of the Spokane-sponsored PNW DX Convention and wife Meg – Del WA7AQH and wife Diane (super gardening expert)(Picture by Del WA7AQH)

ONE OF OUR ORIGINAL SDXA FOUNDERS
December 19, 1937 – June 11, 2018

Gary Elliott K7OX – OBITUARY LINK

Gary was the first President of the SDXA when it started in 2002. He served a total of 4.3 years for 2002, 2003, part of 2007, 2008, and 2009. He was the first Chairman of the Pacific Northwest DX Convention held in Spokane Valley in 2009 when the SDXA joined the rotation with other NW DX clubs in presenting the yearly event.

The title

SDXA Vice-President Mel N7GCO (left) helping Rob N7QT prepare the A-V for the meeting

From their website:

2018 KARS Hamfest Canceled as of 2018-06-16
Due to a number of factors, the KARS Board has canceled this year’s KARS Hamfest, originally scheduled for 7/14/2018. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck for a local area hamfest, however. The Spokane-area hamfest is scheduled for September 22nd so be sure to mark your calendar. We will also now add back into the calendar the monthly meeting and license testing for July 9th. We hope to see you there.

Now you have no reason for not being in the IARU contest with the WRTC every-fourth-year parallel competition. More details below in PNW Contest Competition Info article.