Summer QRP Contest

The West Rand Amateur Radio Club reminds everybody that the Summer QRP Contest is on the air from 12:00 to 13:30 UTC on Saturday 22 January 2022 with CW and SSB activity using 5 watts or less. The first 45 minutes are restricted to the 40-meter band and the last 45 minutes on all contest bands. The exchange is a realistic RS or RST report and your 6-character grid locator.

This is the ideal contest to set up a field station and have a picnic. Do not forget to send a photograph of your station in action with your log. Turn to page 70 of the 2022 Blue Book for all the rules. Submit your log in ADIF or Cabrillo with a summary sheet or make use of the MS Excel log sheet. The closing date is 21:59 UTC on Thursday 27 January 2022 and must be sent to info@zs6wr.co.za.

Operating tip: Use the Standard QRP frequencies and hop between these frequencies with your memory channels of VFO A and B. 80 m 3,560 CW and 3,710 MHz SSB; 40 m 7,030 CW and 7,090 SSB; 20 m 14,060 CW and 14,285 SSB; 15 m 21,060 CW and 21,285 SSB and 10 m 28,060 MHz CW and 28,360 SSB. Good luck hope to copy your call on air!

RSGB Construction Competition

There are just six weeks left until the deadline for entries for the RSGB Construction Competition. The Society has received entries already so don't miss out! If you're new to amateur radio there is a special category for you, so why not enter? The four categories are Beginners, Construction Excellence, Innovation, and Software and there is a prize for the winner of each section.

Closing date is 1 March 2022.

Full details are on the RSGB website - http://www.rsgb.org/construction-competition

Fox Mike Hotel Portable Operations Challenge is Now Open Source

The Steering Committee determined that after two years of offering the POC (Portable Operations Challenge) with about 18 entrants each year that it could not continue to put the resources into it. However, the Steering Committee continues to have faith in the concept and ideas embodied in the POC as a means to change amateur radio contesting for the betterment of all.

Any group is welcomed to take the approach, methods and rules and use them as-is or with changes as desired. The POC should be retained although the endorsing body might add their brand as was the case with using this website’s brand, Fox Mike Hotel.

The theory and operationalisation of the Portable Operations Challenge is detailed in the article by Frank K4FMH in the National Contesting Journal in the Sept/Oct issue, 2021. NCJ is free as a digital download to all ARRL members.

Good contacts and 73 to everyone who participated in the Fox Mike Hotel Portable Operations Challenge in 2020 and 2021!

Portable Operations Challenge - https://foxmikehotel.com/challenge/