Spokane DX Association

by Steve K7AWB

In the late 40’s and early 50’s, my folks owned the Boat Restaurant west of Smelterville, ID on Highway 10 (previous to I-90). They had car hops bring the trays of hamburgers to your car’s window. No roller skates then (as Sonic does now) due to the graveled parking lot. For the five years there, I was in grades 1-5. I asked my Dad why he parked his car up in front of the restaurant rather then behind the facility where it might be safer. He also had the car hops park their cars in the front too. He said that people driving by on Highway 10 would see the cars and presume the restaurant is open and is a popular place to eat due to all the activity. Tourists would be more likely to drop in if they saw activity at the place. Good marketing way back then.

So why the story? I figure if more of our SDXA members sign up early for our once-every-four-years DX convention in Spokane, it may spur others to sign up too, seeing all the local interest and activity. HAVE YOU SIGNED UP YET? It is August 4-6 and there is a link to the separate website below by the trophy picture.

THE SUN WITHOUT SUNSPOTS ON MARCH 13, 2017
PROPAGATION RATED POOR

THE SUN ON DECEMBER 3, 2001 WITH A SUNSPOT NUMBER OF 271
PROPAGATION GREAT – TOP OF THE SUNSPOT CYCLE #23

AN ORANGE – SORT OF LOOKS LIKE THE SUN?

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7
AT THE ARGONNE ROAD LONGHORN BBQ
SPOKANE VALLEY


Nice meeting room, central location, something new. More info to come later.

At monthly meetings, we often get an update on propagation, the solar cycle, and the lack of sunspots during this solar minimum from Randy W7TJ. Here is a recent article Randy wrote on the subject. If you would like to see more articles like this, let him know.

Sunspot Cycle 24 fell down and was so dismal due to a extremely low and slow start; however, the main driver was the declining magnetic strength, complexity and size of the sunspots which initially started in cycle 23. This trend was “briefly” rectified 4th quarter of 2013, carried through 2014 (the year of the small peak), and started a decline again 2nd Quarter of 2015. All the forecasting models have used the Smoothed Sunspot Number as their “gauge” and reasonable sunspot strength (measured in Gauss is just {assumed}). Below is data from Livingston and Penn and NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado) and the HAO (High Altitude Observatory). *See the links below:

Livingston and Penn Sunspot Strength LINK

Sunspot Distribution LINK

Cycle 24 will continue it’s fast decline as MUFs fall (Best signal strength will be when operating at 70% of the MUF) and the low bands will see a nice up-sweep in propagation until the critical frequency drops below 2 MHz. Looking forward to the start of cycle 25:

New Sunspots must be of reverse polarity and high latitude on the Sun (above 60 degrees). The biggest factor is there MUST be a reversal of the declining Sunspot Magnetic Strength and Size (which has been on the decline since cycle 23 and is continuing).

So, three Possible Scenarios (the Current Data and Trends point to Scenarios #1 and #2 as most probable):

1. Sunspots could disappear completely, ushering in a Dalton or Maunder type Minimum.
2. Cycle 24 could see a long drawn out extended low {beyond 2019} (similar to cycle 23’s end), setting up cycle 25 to be a mere “Flash in the Pan”.
3. Or, Cycle 25 could get off to a fast start, with many large strong high latitude spots …… then we can get our 6 Meter Antennas ready.

Randy
W7TJ

This Most Wanted list was generated from Club Log’s Most Wanted page. You can chose several parameters such as NA East Coast vs. West Coast, all of NA, the World, etc. Sign on to Club Log and go to the bottom left corner of the home page to use this feature. Use this LINK just to see the NA West Coast list. If you are not a member of Club Log, just enter your user name (call?) and a simple password to join – no fees.

Their URL is: https://secure.clublog.org/

You don’t have to start your potato salad yet, but we have reservations to use the shelter at Shadle Park on Saturday, August 26 for our annual Summer Picnic. Details will come later, but mark your calendars!

STEVE K7AWB AND SON MICHAEL N7LIT

President Chris WX7B presenting to Lamar WA7LT

The award: Meritorious Service Award 2016…..Lamar Ray WA7LT
Thank You for Your Years of Service and Support as a Charter Member to the Spokane DX Association

Lamer WA7LT was awarded this plaque at the December Banquet, but could not attend. He was given it at the January meeting which he attended. It was good to see Lamar again. For a long time, Lamar had the only HF Multi-Op station in Spokane County until he moved to assisted living in the Spokane Valley. Here are a few pictures from his past.

Lamar wins the 2014 SDXA-sponsored EWA Salmon Run plaque

Lamar (right side) and Jim K9JF, former ARRL NW Division Director

A multi-op 48 hour contest operation at Lamar’s former QTH. Operators are (left to right) Steve K7AWB, Kirk K7EKM, Randy K7TQ, and Lamar WA7LT

In front of his antennas

Lamar at one of his former operating positions

At the January meeting, Charter member and high scoring George Tuncil W6AEA was granted Honorary Membership. This type of membership is given rarely only to great contributors to the Association. Most of the recent high scores from SDXA in the NW Challenge Cup competition were from George also. Congratulations to George who teasingly says he is just a “little pistol.” George has moved to the West side.

Here is the WRTC 2018 LINK to their website and the rules.

Remember that the winning team from the last event (in new England, USA in 2014) included Chris Hurlbut KL9A, a former member of SDXA. The ARRL-sponsored contest called the IARU HF World Championship is held each July and coincides with the WRTC event every four year.

Previous WRTC events:

• 1990 Seattle
• 1996 San Francisco
• 2000 Slovenia
• 2002 Finland
• 2006 Brazil
• 2010 Russia
• 2014 New England, USA

• Club Log is a free database where you upload your log and its contents becomes statistics on worked DX for you.
• It allows you to see your current DXCC counts and amounts from last upload.
• As a member of SDXA, it compares your counts with other members and SDXA against other DX clubs.
• Many DXpeditions and other DX use OQRS through Club Log for obtaining QSL cards from them.
• It questions any weird contacts you may have to resolve them as either errors or new information for the large datebase on exceptions found in calls from long ago.

Here is a link that Chuck KI7DG wrote a while back: CLUBLOG LINK.
>ClubLog-101-1
The problem is that SDXA was dropped from Club Log as a group (SDXA) because some of our members did not follow the Club Log Rule that you MUST UPOLAD AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR your log to Club Log to stay active. We have dropped below the 15-member minimum. In order to get back on, you are requested to review your situation and upload again if you have not done that in the last 12 months. And if you have never been a member, join. Again, its free and you just need your call and a simple password.

In my case, yesterday, I uploaded again my entire log of some 20,000 QSOs. Took about two minutes. It is in the program called DX4WIN and has all my contacts from 2001. Only three new contacts were added out of that database since my last upload, but one of them was Libya, my 300th country. Now, in my Club Log database, it shows that correct count. Uploading is simply making an ADIF file of your log and uploading. And if you are still manually logging, well…..

Here is the CLUB LOG LINK for their site.

Club Log also generates a Most Wanted List from all the logs uploaded. Here is a sample.

1. P5 DPRK (NORTH KOREA)
2. 3Y/B BOUVET ISLAND
3. FT5/W CROZET ISLAND
4. KH1 BAKER HOWLAND ISLANDS
5. BS7H SCARBOROUGH REEF
6. BV9P PRATAS ISLAND
7. CE0X SAN FELIX ISLANDS
8. KH3 JOHNSTON ISLAND
9. VK0M MACQUARIE ISLAND
10. KH7K KURE ISLAND

At the recent December Awards Banquet, George W6AEA received a plaque on his long time contributions to SDXA. He was one of the original charter members, attending the noisy pizza place organizational meeting which started the SDXA. George has recently moved to the West Side (the Dark Side?) and is inactive until he finds a permanent place for towers.

The Plaque says:
Meritorious Service Award – 2016
George Tuncil W6AEA
Thank you for Your Years of Service and Support as a Charter Member to the Spokane DX Association

Here are some more pictures of George throughout the SDXA years:

George showing his ARRL Honor Roll plaque; Presently, he has 338 confirmed of the possible 339. Bouvet is his last need.

George W6AEA and his pal Wayne WA1PMA showing their twin ARRL Challenge Awards

George enjoying mankind’s best food from the Colonel at a recent Summer Picnic

George receives his ARRL 5-Band DXCC plaque[/caption]

George at his operating position.

George’s Force 12 antenna, his big boomer which helped in achieving ARRL DXCC Honor Roll. In front of it is the SteppIR vertical and a nice looking pool.

President Chris WX7B (left side) receives the “2016 DXer of the Year” award from Secretary Jay WA0WWW. A history of the award is at this DXer LINK.

Here the award with a reflection of Chris on the left side. Neat!

Some of the great BBQ chicken served at the Banquet along with zesty pork and beef.

LINK to more banquet photos

PJ2T owner Geoff Howard W0CG/PJ2DX sends this RBN picture of some of the activity. Geoff said, “The RBN map Saturday morning vividly shows where our 15 meter station is being heard. Now do you believe in daylight propagation??”