Infoline NZART Web: NZART Amateur Radio

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NZART Headquarters Infoline Issue 199

17-JANUARY-2010

Greetings

The first Infoline for twenty-ten. Happy New Year.

Welcome to Headquarters-Infoline a twice-monthly bulletin of news from NZART Headquarters e-mailed directly to Branches, the amateur radio packet Bulletin Board Service and to others that subscribe through the NZART Website at:

http://www.nzart.org.nz/lists/infolinelist.html

In This Issue

*New Zealand DX Hall of Fame Members for 2010

*How To Check For Band Openings

*NZART Branch 12 Presents The National System Award 2010

*ZL3 Radio Buildathon

*Contest News

==VHF/UHF/SHF Contest Notes

==HF Contests

*Upcoming Events

*Break-In and Infoline Information

*Dates for Official Broadcast (OB) and Head Quarter's Infoline

*Attachments for Branches: NZART Headquarters Infoline 199.doc

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New Zealand DX Hall of Fame Members for 2010

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The New Zealand DX Hall of Fame was set up a few years ago to honour those outstanding ZL DXers who have excelled in our radio sport hobby over many years. The current panel of judges includes Ken McCormack ZL1AIH, Duncan McMahon ZL3JT and Bill Carney ZL3NB. The judges were unanimous in their selection for 2010. Their individual citations are below.

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*Dave A. Johnston ZL1AMN*

The election of Dave Johnston as the 4th inductee to the NZ DX Hall of Fame recognizes Dave's extraordinary and unselfish contribution to the sport of Amateur Radio DXing in New Zealand. His DXpedition exploits around the Pacific over many decades as ZL1AA/K, ZK2DJ, A35DJ, 5W1CA are legendary and he has enabled a generation of amateur radio operators worldwide to obtain that elusive new country.

His personal achievement in the ARRL DXCC program with Honour Roll on Phone with 350 entities is outstanding. Dave's contribution to DXing internationally has been immense by way of the ANZA Net anchor man for many years. Dave is the NZ co-coordinator for ITHE, the International Tour Host Exchange organisation which assists amateurs with accommodation when traveling around the World.

We wish Dave well in the future and hope that he will enjoy having the award plaque on his wall.

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*Aola B. Johnston ZL1ALE*

The election of Aola Johnson ZL1ALE as the 5th inductee to the NZ DX Hall of Fame recognizes Aola's extraordinary and unselfish contribution to the sport of Amateur Radio DXing in New Zealand. Aola's DXpedition exploits around the Pacific with her husband Dave over many decades has enabled a generation of amateur radio operators worldwide to obtain that elusive new country with a YL operator.

Aola has operated as A35YL, ZK2YL, 5W1BY and others. Her personal achievement in the ARRL DXCC program is outstanding with 349 entities credited. She is the only lady in New Zealand on the ARRL DXCC Honour Roll.She is a member of WARO, CLARA, YLRL, ALARA, BYLARA, and YLISB.

We wish Aola well in the future and hope that she will enjoy having the award plaque on her shack wall.

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*Dave ZL1HY - (SK)*

The posthumous election of Dave Brown ZL1HY as the 6th inductee to the NZ DX Hall of Fame recognizes Dave's amazing DXing achievements over many decades. His help and inspiration that he gave to other DXers has been immeasurable. His personal achievement in the ARRL DXCC program is legendary with DXCC No. 59 in September 1947. ZL1HY was the first Oceania station to achieve the TOP position in world DXing with 375 confirmed on phone in 1992. It was the first time this honour ever left America. His last QSO was in April 1992 He was an outstanding ZL radio amateur for decades.

This award honours Dave Brown's wonderful DXing skills and will show how accomplished this great New Zealand DXer was.

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We offer our heartiest congratulations to these three outstanding ZL radio amateurs

73, Lee Jennings ZL2AL

New Zealand DX Hall of Fame Panel Convener

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How To Check For Band Openings

Picture this: you switch on your HF rig, you turn your tuning knob across the various frequencies, hearing nothing but noise. You mutter "The bands are dead..." so you switch off and go back to watching TV. Does this scenario sounds familiar? In that case, read on!

Did you know that the The Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) operates a worldwide network of high-frequency radio beacons on 14.100, 18.110, 21.150, 24.930, and 28.200 megahertz. These beacons help both amateur and commercial high-frequency radio users assess the current condition of the ionosphere. The entire system is designed, built and operated by volunteers.

Each beacon transmits every three minutes, day and night. The table at

http://www.ncdxf.org/beacon/beaconschedule.html

gives the minute and second of the start of the first transmission within the hour for each beacon on each frequency. A transmission consists of the callsign of the beacon sent at 22 words per minute followed by four one-second dashes. The callsign and the first dash are sent at 100 watts. The remaining dashes are sent at 10 watts, 1 watt and 100 milliwatts.

New Zealand has a station in this network, supported by NZART, located in the Wairarapa with the callsign ZL6B

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NZART Branch 12 Presents The National System Award 2010

National System Award 2010 -Historic Places, is presented by The Hamilton Amateur Radio Club, Branch 12 NZART in association with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. Based upon the original idea of the Wellington VHF Group. This is a FUN award available to all amateurs to demonstrate the coverage and use of the National System, to promote our history and category 1 Historic places.

Detailed documentation is available from:-

http://zl1ux.tripod.com/nsaward.htm

The award will run from 1 January 2010 to 7 February 2010.

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ZL3 Radio Buildathon

The 3rd ZL3 Radio Buildathon will be held on Saturday January 30th in Christchurch and all radio amateurs from ZL3 District are invited to come along and build a ZL3 Pixie Twins kit. Youngsters and budding hams 8 - 80 are most welcome. There's a kit for them too!

After building your fun 80m QRP CW transceiver you can enter two competitions.

One is for the best DX CW contact within NZ using a ZL3 Pixie Twin.

The other is for the funniest housed unit. Let your imagination run wild!

A superb 40M QRP CW kit transceiver from www.smallwonderlabs.com USA will be awarded to each of the winners.

Please register your interest now as places must be limited.

Bring along your friends, members of clubs you belong to, and workmates. Here's a great way for them to find out about the fun you're having in amateur radio.

Email David at ZL3DWS@nzart.org.nz or call 03 358 2424

Visit http://sites.google.com/site/zl3buildathon/

Google: ZL3 Buildathon

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Contest News

VHF/UHF/SHF Contest Notes

DX Weekend 6/7-FEBRUARY-2010

Operating times are:

6 FEBRUARY 2010 - 1700 to 2300 NZT

7 FEBRUARY 2010 - 0700 to 1300 NZT

The rules are available at:

http://www.vhf.org.nz/VHF-UHF-SHF-ContestRules

Logs should be sent within two weeks, to:

zl2wa@clear.net.nz with Contest Log in the subject line,

or by post to:

Contest Manager, Wellington VHF Group, P.O. Box 12-259, Thorndon, Wellington

Wellington VHF Group Website http://www.vhf.org.nz

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HF Contests

2010 JOCK WHITE MEMORIAL FIELD DAY CONTEST

When:- Saturday, 27th February 2010 and Sunday 28th February 2010

Times :- Saturday 1500 NZDT until 2400 NZDT and

Sunday 0600 NZDT until 1500 NZDT

Updated Contest Rules and Other Operating Information will be available from the NZART Website prior to the commencement of the contest.

NZART Website http://www.nzart.org.nz/contests/rules.html

2010 ARRL INTERNATIONAL CW CONTEST

When : - Saturday, 20 February 2010 and Sunday, 21 February 2010

Times :- 0000 UTC (20th) until 2400 UTC (21st).

Bands :- All Bands

Mode:- CW Only

Contest Rules and Other Operating Information are available from the ARRL Website,

http://www.arrl.org

A good contest as is the later SSB Contest (March 6 and 7) to garner those missing US States for the elusive Worked All States award.

2010 ARRL INTERNATIONAL PHONE CONTEST

When :- Saturday, 6 March 2010 and Sunday, 7 March 2010

Times:- 0000 UTC (6th ) until 2400 UTC (7th )

Bands :- All Bands

Mode :- Phone Only

For Contest Rules and other Operating Information please refer to the Contest

Website - http://www.arrl.org/contests/

2010 RSBG COMMONWEALTH CONTEST (BERU)

When :- 13 and 14 March 2010

Times :- 1000 UTC (Sat.) until 1000 UTC (Sun.)

Bands :- All Bands

Mode :- CW Only

Considered to be one of the more gentlemany contests that has been in existence since the mid-1930's. Apart from the individual performances there is a Team's event, based on individual nation's participation. The NZART Team under the astute leadership of Frank Hunt, ZL2BR won this event in 2007 and finished third last year. Frank is looking for Team participants to make up the NZ Team. Interested - contact Frank by "snail mail" at :- 8 Manu Crescent, New Plymouth. 4310., or email :-

zl2br@ihug.co.nz

Contest Rules and other operating information is now available from the Contest

website :- http://www.beru.org.uk/

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Upcoming Events

Wellington Radio EXPO '10

27 March 2010, Knox Church Hall, Lower Hutt

Te Puke Annual Sale 6th March 2010

http://www.nzart.org.nz/tepuke-53/index.html

NZART Annual Conference Auckland 5th - 7th June 2010

http://nzartconference.cjb.net

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Break-In, Infoline and General Information

Break-In - From the Break-In Editor John ZL3IB

Closing Date Reminder: Copy for the MARCH/APRIL issue of Break-In closes on 10-MARCH-2010.
Document File Format: Please do not send copy for publication as Word 2007.docx files; they cannot be processed. Please send in Word 2003 (or earlier).doc or *.rtf file format.
Early receipt of copy is much appreciated.
Break-In Contents Index from 1957 can be found at:
http://www.nzart.org.nz/breakin/index/index.html

Copy for the AREC Break-In Column - From Geoff ZL3QR

The close-of-copy date is the 03-MARCH-2010 for articles for publication in the AREC COLUMN OF BREAK-IN. Photos, if available, to be on a separate floppy or CD (with captions), posted DIRECTLY TO US Call Book address. All other material can go to e-mail: zl3qr@nzart.org.nz or zl3ov@nzart.org.nz.

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The WIA Weekly News Bulletin and The ARRL Letter can be found at:

WIA Weekly News Bulletin

http://www.nzart.org.nz/html/2010/wia-weekly-news.html

ARRL Letter

http://www.nzart.org.nz/html/2010/arrl-weekly-news.html

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Please send an e-mail to the address at the end of this bulletin or see instructions on the NZART web page at:

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Dates for Official Broadcast (OB) and Head Quarter's Infoline