Trans-Tasman Low-Bands Challenge 2016

[VK4TS]

http://www.vkcc.com/2016/06/28/trans-ta ... #more-1360

Trans Tasman Low Bands Challenge

Prepared by VK4TS and VK4SN

Last amendment 9th May 2016

1. Contest Introduction

This contest is to encourage Low Band Activity in Australia and New Zealand – The applicable bands are 160, 80 and 40M. The modes are SSB CW and Digital (RTTY and PSK only)

2. Objective

Amateurs in VK and ZL will endeavour to contact other amateurs in VK and ZL.

* VK and ZL, means any station operating within Australia or New Zealand and their external territories.

* Points are only awarded for valid contacts between VK and ZL stations.

The contest is made up of 3 individual two hour blocks – you are able to work another station once per band and mode in every block. Every different Prefix used by VK or ZL stations is a valid multiplier and credit can be claimed once per band per block.

3. Contest Date & Time

The contest is held on the Saturday night of the third full weekend of July Start Time is 08:00 UTC and finish time is 14:00 UTC 16th July 2016

4. Categories

A. Single Operator – High Power All Modes All Bands
B. Single Operator – Low Power (100 watts)
C. Single Operator – QRP
E. Multi-Operator – Single Transmitter
F. Multi-Operator – Multi Transmitter (One per band)

* QRP stations are limited to 5 Watts average (CW/RTTY/PSK) or PEP (SSB) at the transmitter output.

Each category will have High Scores for SSB, CW and Digital awards.

Any station in Single or Multi Op may win the Single Mode awards – BUT Multi ops will not be eligible for single op categories.

NOTE: The Mode scores are purely on the highest score and may be from a partial log. You do not enter SSB only – rather the log is determined as having the highest SSB score.

5. Permitted Bands

Contacts may be made on 160M 80M 40M in SSB, CW and Digital (PSK and RTTY Modes)

NB. PSK and RTTY are the only allowed digital modes and are combined, not counted separately.

6. Multi-operator Stations

A. Multi-operator single transmitter stations are only allowed one transmitted signal on air at any time.
If you are using three transceivers to scan the bands, simultaneous transmission will reclassify you as
Multi Transmitter(Category F.) – your responsibility to stop multiple transmitters operating.

B. Multi-operator Multi Transmitter stations
a. Are only allowed maximum one transmitted signal per band,
b. Simultaneous transmissions on different bands are permitted.
* Multi-operator stations are mixed mode only.

7. Contacts

A. Suggested Call: “CQ TT”, “CQ Contest”, or “CQ Test”

B. Exchange: A valid exchange consists of RS(T) followed by a three figure serial number starting at 001 for each band.

C. No cross band contacts are allowed.

D. Exchange of contact information via satellites, telephones, repeaters, Echolink, IRLP, or the internet is not in the spirit of the contest and is banned.

8. Scoring

All contacts are worth one point – Add the number of contacts made in the two hours and multiply by the different prefixes worked on each band in that two hours.

NB external territories count as one prefix – eg VK0 counts as VK0 and not the separate DXCC same as for VK9

e.g. 160 80 40 total contacts 50 X 35 prefixes (total of each band added) = 1750 points per hour.

Final Score is the addition of the scores from the three two hour blocks starting at 08:00; 10:00 & 12:00 UTC

9. Logs

Logs are due in within one week of closure of the contest.

Submit logs to http://www.b4h.net/vkcc/transtasman/

[VK4BZ]

That was a great little contest last night. The impressive thing was the number of stations involved on both SSB and CW...and there were some BIG scores getting around. It was great to have 80m firing (even heard a wood-pecker!) and then to have some really strong signals on the Top Band.

Congratulations to VK4TS and VK4SN for their efforts.

[VK3HJ]

Nice to work you John VK4BZ/2 on Top Band last night. You were unreadable on SSB, but quite workable on CW! I didn't operate "VHF", just 160 m, and it was nice to see some activity on the band.

[VK3BQ]

[img]http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016072 ... 468aed.jpg[/img]

EMDRC (vk3er) had fun. 85ish contacts over a couple of hours and a pizza supper. Helping an F call improve his contesting skills.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[VK2EFM]

I had fun... hurriedly putting up a 160m OCFD, in place of my 80m OCFD, finishing the task with 2 1/4 hours to before the contest started. Going around the house turning off all the known emitters of EMI (no internet, no big screen TV, and no LED lights)... I still had a few issues, with S5 to S6 on 160m and S2 on 80m. I guess that's the bonus that stations that go portable earn. Next year I will need to do something to hear a little better on 160m. 40m didn't fire for me!

Ended up with 164 on my first run....quite happy with that given the small effort of preparation.

What did other stations use on 160m for TX and RX antennas?

Thanks to the people who put effort into organising the contest... VK4SN and VK4TS

73,
Allan
VK2EFM

[VK4BZ]

Alan, I was quite surprised at being able to operate on 160m at all myself. I used a doublet cut for 80m, so I would assume that my open wire feed line was doing more than a little radiating - fortunately all outside the "shack"! In this regard, I would imagine my antenna would have worked something like a 10 meter+ long vertical (the feedline) with a very large capacity hat (the flat top). I cut the power to 50 watts so I could load up...and it worked.

[VK2AVR]

MWRS operated portable near Central Mangrove, NSW. 160m dipole as far up into the trees as we could get it, low noise floor was fantastic except for a club member's cheapo reversing camera radiating all over 80m We used an antenna tuner to coerce the antenna into 80/40m operation.

61 contacts into VK4/5/7 and ZL. We also heard an American station (ZL was talking to him) - he was there but too weak to make out the words. Pretty amazing to have MW frequencies travel that far.

Neat contest, and a new band for me