Spokane DX Association

Pictures from the event, courtesy of Gary AD7XG

Steve W7VI

Lamar WA7LT

Mary Beth AE7GT and friend

Jim KE7HTU and Gimmie AL7LB

Gary AD7XG, the host

QSOs on the porch

Maybe President Chris WX7B listening to a potential voter in the November election?

Randy K7TQ AND Jay WA0WWW sizing up Al’s new antenna

Here is the antenna they are sizing up!

The picnic was again held at the QTH of Al W7AL and Cheri in Snug Harbor of Sandpoint, ID. Thanks to the family for the hospitality and the tour of the grounds. Its a boat anchor heaven and a DXer’s modern high power station too. Here are some pictures of the event. The next big event will be our annual Awards Banquet in December; particulars to be announced when they arrive.

Bruce Wade, N7ZA
12467 E. Olive Ave.
Spokane Valley WA 99216
Day Phone: (509) 396-3082
n7za99@gmail.com

Bruce is a recent member of the SDXA and is a former card checker for the Tri-Cities. Bruce is replacing our former SDXA President and card checker Wayne WA1PMA who is riding his white stallion off into the sunset of Florida and beyond. Wayne could check 160 meter cards because of his personal 160 meter DXCC. The other longtime local card checker is Jay WS7I. The ARRL offers a search feature to find local card checkers at this CARD CHECKER LINK.

1. George W6AEA had 133,245 points and took 3rd in the Single Operator High Power CW category.
2. Gary K7GS had 18,981 points in the Single Operator Low Power CW category.
3. Randy K7TQ (and Jay WA0WWW) had 74, 424 points in the Mobile Multi-Single Low Power CW category. They activated 18 counties in ID/OR/WA. Randy says their certificate says:

Second Place, 7th-Area Mobile Multi-single Low-Power CW
First Place, Adams County, Idaho
First Place, Gem County, Idaho
First Place, Idaho County, Idaho
First Place, Nez Perce County, Idaho

There was a 25-QSO minimum per county to receive a certificate. We
qualified in 9 counties and won in 4 of them.

Here is a LINK to the 2015 Writeup.

Here is a LINK to the individual scores.

The plaque sponsored by SDXA for the Single-Operator Digital category High score went to N7AM of Pima, AZ.

Badges are now available from a company called The Engraver, Inc. Here is a LINK to their website. They are at 3817 N. Monroe, Spokane, WA 99205 and phone is (509) 328-9508. Email is: info@theengraverinc.com

Prices are:
1 badge @ $15 (minimum purchase amount)
2-5 badges @ $9.50 each
6-10 badges @ $8.50 each
11-25 badges @ $7.50 each

Domestic shipping is $3.75 for a few

They come with a pin on the back although you can request one that slips over the shirt pocket for $1 additional.

If you need a badge, you might go in with other members to get your costs down.

MEL MING N7GCO

Joe has supplied photos of some of his recent awards. If you have a new award, and want to display a photo of it, send it to Webmaster Steve as a jpeg.

This award is for working ARRL’s WAS on three modes, phone, CW, and digital; all confirmations are just by LOTW (Logbook of the World). RULES LINK

This award was available for operation in 2014 during the ARRL Centennial. You had to work the special W1AW/ stations in all 50 states and when they were on! Joe’s certificate shows seven additional territories and DC that he worked. If you worked all 50 states during the Centennial time period, but have not applied for your award, here are the details at this W1AW/ WAS LINK.

This award was for making a certain number of points working ARRL officials and volunteers in 2014 during the same Centennial. For example, various points were given for working a ARRL Life Member, a Section Manager, or at the top of the points pyramid, Kay N3KN the ARRL President. There were four levels of awards and Joe got the Top Award Level. More information at this LINK.

This award is for the yearly ARRL DX contests in which there are three separate contests, depending on mode. Joe’s win was for Phone (SSB) and he got First Place in our EWA Section for Single Op, High Power. Here is a link to the rules for these contests: ARRL DX CONTEST LINK

Remember that big year-long event last year where you got points for working ARRL officials and volunteers? Small points for Life Members; big points for working Kay the President. LOTW only.
Here is my Centennial Points Challenge Award for getting into the TOP LEVEL. Now I know other SDXA members got more points than I did so let’s hear from them for their achievements.
There was also a special W1AW portable stations WAS award, but that was not on my list to do.
Here is a link to the information on the awards – ARRL AWARDS LINK

As promised, Jay and I put 18 counties on the air May 2 while operating mobile from his pickup. We made a total of 455 Qs over the 16 hours (15 hours of operating). While we listened for SDXA folks, the only one we heard was Gary K7GS, who found us five times in ID Lewis, ID Owyhee, ID Washington, OR Malheur, and OR Baker. Only two operators were able to find us nine or more times – one in WV and the other in TX. Probably nine times was too high a bar. The jam is still safely stored in my basement. Perhaps it can be used as an incentive again in the Salmon Run in September.

Pictures and more details can be found at this 7QP TRIP LINK

Randy, K7TQ

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Here is a link to the complete story by Randy: K7TQ IDAHO QSO LINK

MISSPELLING HER NAME AS MERY BETH
(RATHER THAN MARY BETH) TOOK 16 WEEKS TO CORRECT


Mary Beth is our SDXA Treasurer and cookie/coffee specialist.

Since Mark has DXCC on 6 other bands including 6 and 2 meters, we are awaiting to see either the certificate or the plaque with all the endorsements for this! Congratulations to Mark of Rathdrum.

To receive this award, you must work and confirm every ARRL recognized entity (mostly populated countries) in the World, all 340 of them. It’s not a weekend task, but takes many years as many of the rare entities are not populated by any hams (or people) so one must wait for a DXpedition, a group of hams, to go to that entity and operate from it, a very expensive proposition. For instance, Gary’s final (340th) contact was with a French DXpedition to Tromelin Island (FT4TA). Before that, the last DXpedition to that island was in the year 2000. Congratulations to Gary!

The 2015 SDXA-version started on January 1, 2015 and ends on October 31, 2015. Here is a link to the form you need to fill out and send to SDXA Secretary Jay WA0WWW by the 14th of November, 2015:

FORM LINK. Its a .XLS spreadsheet.

And now, the latest from Jay WA0WWW on the rules. This document is a pdf. Also included are the past local winners:

RULES LINK