News

ELMERS IN THE SDXA ORGANIZATION

Tuesday, November 20th, 2018

WHAT IS AN ELMER?
SDXA MEMBERS HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR SERVICES TO YOU

SDXA ELMER LINK

the other members and their contact info, available from Secretary Jay WA0WWW by asking via email.

Oh, the Elmer definition. Here is an ARRL ELMER LINK to its meaning.

OCTOBER, 2018 EDITION OF SDXA TRI-FOLD BROCHURE

Sunday, November 4th, 2018

TRI-FOLD LINK

Members are urged to print copies of the brochure and distribute to their interested friends or at ham conventions, hamfests, and swap meets.

2018 SALMON RUN CONTEST RESULTS

Sunday, November 4th, 2018

For more details on the wins of Gary K7GS and the duo of Jay WA0WWW and Randy K7TQ oererating as K7TQ/M, go to this SALMON LINK.

NOVEMBER 2018 MEETING FEATURES CHRIS HURLBUT KL9A ON THE WRTC WINS

Friday, November 2nd, 2018

ONE OF THE TOP CW OPERATORS IN THE WORLD
CHRIS HURLBUT KL9A


Chris Hurlbut (KL9A) – World Radio Sport Champion

WRTC 2014 Gold Medalists N6MJ, KL9A

This year, N6MJ/KL9A (Dan Craig and Chris Hurlbut), the defending champions from 2014, took third place. They were the highest scoring US team with over 5 million points. So there is hope for everyone. With less than a 40’ tower and no amp, they made over 5 million points and 4,821 QSOs within 24 hours.

Here is the 2018 scoring for the team at the event (click it to enlarge it):

The World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 is held every four years. This year it was held in Wittenberg, Germany

All WRTC contest stations used a HD Spider Beam with a built-in 40m dipole. WIMO dipole antenna was used on 80m. The Spider beam was mounted at 12m height (Less than 40’) on an aluminum telescopic mast and just below the beam was the support for the 80m dipole. All stations were identical. Each contestant brought their own transceiver running 100 watts (No AMPS).

The book CONTACT SPORT featured above is the story of the 2014 WRTC event in New England, USA. A great story of each team and Dan and Chris. It is available from Amazon at $19.50 hardbound.

Chris was on the winning team for the WRSC/IARU contest in 2014 in Boston. He also won the NW Division IARU in July 2016 Operating K7IR in Oregon in Single Op, Mixed Mode, High Power. His team place third in the 2018 World Radio Sport Championship in Germany.

Chris is truly one of the best contesters in the world. His skill and ability in incredible. Chris will be sharing:

• His experiences with WRTC.
• Suggestions on how to be a better contester.
• Hints on working big gun contest stations.
This is a great opportunity to hear an Olympic champion.

Incidentally, Chris now resides in Montana; but, previously, he lived in Spokane and was a member of the SDXA while here.

SDXA’S CALL OF K7SDX HAS A NEW TRUSTEE

Wednesday, October 31st, 2018

DICK SNELL W7BHP



Dick replaces Gary Elliott K7OX who became a Silent Key in 2018. Thanks Dick for taking on this responsibility.

WELCOME NEW MEMBER: JANET LOWREY WX7P – BENTON CITY, WA

Wednesday, October 31st, 2018




Go to Janet’s QRZ.com page to read about her hill topping incident.

The call WX7P was held previously by one of our former members Wilse Morgan of Rice, WA for several years. Wilse was a great contributor to our organization and to contesting at his Rice station. He was inducted into the CQ Hall of Fame a few years ago and was the first VE in ALaska. He was also featured on two CQ Magazine covers. Congratulations to Janet for carrying on a great tradition in her call.

2018 SPOKANE HAMFEST

Friday, October 26th, 2018

Here is a couple of pictures by Mel N7GCO.


The ARRL Forum program. That is our EWA Section Manager in the red shirt.


Some of the candidates for the position of ARRL Director of the Northwestern Division replacing Jim Pace K7CEX. That is Vice Director Bonnie Atlas AB7ZQ on the left and Mike Ritz W7VO, President of the Willamatte Valley DX CLub.

2018-2019 PNW CONTEST SEASON HAS STARTED

Saturday, October 13th, 2018


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.

SEPTEMBER 2018 MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Friday, October 5th, 2018

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.

WELCOME NEW MEMBER JIM FENSTERMAKER K9JF

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018




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

2006 CQ MAGAZINE CALENDAR FEATURED SDXA MEMBERS

Saturday, September 29th, 2018

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

7QP WINNER WHO WON THE SDXA-SPONSORED PLAQUE in 2018

Saturday, September 29th, 2018

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

VISIT THE SPARK MUSEUM OF ELECTRICAL INVENTION IN BELLINGHAM

Monday, September 24th, 2018



SPARK LINK

ANOTHER GREAT SDXA SUMMER PICNIC – AUGUST, 2018

Monday, September 24th, 2018

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.

WELCOME NEW MEMBER – SCOTT MILLER N7SJM

Tuesday, August 28th, 2018

From Tonasket, Okanogan County, WA