Welcome to Northern California DX Club March 19, 2009

Slide 2 NCDXC Mar 09 Tonight’s Agenda Club Business –Introduction of Officers –Introductions of Members –New members –DX news –QSTs The status of the sunspot cycle Feature – Show & Tell NCDXC Raffle

Slide 3 NCDXC Mar 09 Introduction of Officers Introduction of Officers Officers –President Craig BradleyAE6RR –Vice PresRisto Kotalampi W6RK –SecretaryRuss BentsonK6KLY –TreasurerJose Picazo Jr.WT6X Directors –Steve JonesN6SJ –Jim AbrahamW6EB –John EisenbergK6YP

Slide 4 NCDXC Mar 09 Introductions Let’s Go Around the room… –Introduce yourself & any guests –Tell us what new DX you have bagged –K5D stories? –Any other news you wish to share? (please keep it brief)

Slide 5 NCDXC Mar 09 New members? Secretary - Russ, K6KLY –He has applications are available… –Voting

Slide 6 NCDXC Mar 09 K5D Wrap Up QSL info –Web Site and online log: –QSL online (you do not need to send a card) Mailed to you $5 (paypal or credit card) Bureau (free) –QSL direct (SASE - $.44) –Bureau –LoTW (early next year)

Slide 7 NCDXC Mar 09 Final K5D QSOs Statistics SSB CW RTTY SSTV Band Totals 6M1780··97 10M163642·229 12M ·905 15M · M · M M · M · M ·· M ··7200 Mode Totals

Slide 8 NCDXC Mar 09 DX News – KH4 K4M - Midway Island –#24 most needed world wide first operation in almost 10 years –10 days in October 2009 –19 Ops –160 through 6m –

Slide 9 NCDXC Mar 09 DX News – VK9 VK9AA – Christmas Island –Now on VK9N/ON5AX – Norfolk Island –On until the 22 nd VK9GMW – Mellish Island –Starts on the March 22 nd to April 6 th VK9LA – Lord Howe –Starts on the March 24 th to April 3 rd –24/7 Internet with online logs

Slide 10 NCDXC Mar 09 Postage Rates Going Up May 11 First Class letters - 44¢ (from 42¢) –Buy those Forever Stamps They are great for SASEs They are always good for 1 st class postage You can get them at discount prices at COSTCO International - 96¢ (from 90¢) –Use up your old ones before May 11 or add 6¢ –Get those QSL cards out now IRCs –Currently $2.10, will expire on 12/31/09 –Use up your old ones, many QSL managers will not take them in a few months –New prices not announced yet

Slide 11 NCDXC Mar 09 Upcoming DX Contests Russian DX Contest –This weekend –See for detailshttp:// CQ WPX –SSB March –CW May –Prefixes are multipliers –Exchange RST + Serial Number –See the CQ website for the complete rules

Slide 12 NCDXC Mar 09 NCDXC Club Historian The NCDXC has a lot of history Much of it is on the heads of the old time members Maintain lists of past officers, recipients for the CMOTY award, SKs, etc. Custodian of club memorabilia We should gather and record our history before it fades away… Would you like to volunteer for this position or do you know someone who would be a good candidate?

Slide 13 NCDXC Mar 09 Silent Key List At Visalia each year the clubs Silent Keys from the last year are remembered I need to compile a list for the MC to read If you know of a club member that has become a SK in the last year, please let me or Russ, K6KLY know Even if you think that everyone knows, please contribute as we don’t want to overlook any one

QSTs

Slide 15 NCDXC Mar 09 IDXC Visalia IDXC 2009 (the 60th year) will be held April 17- April19, 2009 at the Visalia Holiday Inn News from the committee? –John, K6YP –Steve, N6SJ

Slide 16 NCDXC Mar 09 NCDXC Net Net coordinator - Don, AA6W If you would like to be a net control, please see or contact Don Please Remember - NCDXC Net –Every Thursday 8pm –Except on monthly meeting nights (3 rd Thurs) –On W6TI repeater, MHz, PL 110.9

Slide 17 NCDXC Mar 09 DXer Material Editor - Phil, K6TT If you have suggestions for articles, etc. please see or contact Phil If you would like to contribute (photos, articles, etc.), Phil will be very happy to talk to you! This is your newsletter – help make it great!

Slide 18 NCDXC Mar 09 Tonight’s Raffle Mike W6WZ & Carolyn WB6ABC have some great prizes! –1 st Prize: Yaesu FT-2800M, 65 W 2M mobile rig –2nd Prize: Powerex MHC-9000 Charger-Analyzer –3rd Prize: 3 Large Fair-Rite Beads –4th Prize: Crimping Tool –5th Prize: Multi-Purpose Pocket Tool with Light –Door Prize: 9-LED Flashlight with batteries Need Tickets – see Carolyn or Mike – 6 for $ for $ for $20 GOOD LUCK!

Slide 19 NCDXC Mar 09 Additional QSTs Does anyone have any other announcements they would like to make? Amtech Day? Flea Market?

Our Sunspot Cycle The sun has flat-lined…

Slide 21 NCDXC Mar 09 The Minimum March 6, 2006 – Solar Minimum has Arrived January 10, 2008 – Solar Cycle 24 Begins September 30, 2008 – Blankest Year of the Space Age November 7, 2008 – The Sun Shows Signs of Life The last few sunspots that we had were old ones from cycle 23

Slide 22 NCDXC Mar 09 Cycle 24 Prediction Updated 3/4/09

Slide 23 NCDXC Mar 09 Current Conditions Last Month This Month

Slide 24 NCDXC Mar 09 The Last Year

Slide 25 NCDXC Mar 09 SOHO MDI Continuum Latest Image

SHOW & TELL or Tonight’s Mini Topics Craig Bradley, AE6RR Risto Kotalampi, W6RK Phil Verinsky, W6TQG

Slide 27 NCDXC Mar 09 Why Do We DX? Because we like to see the lights dim when we talk? Because is it there? Because we like talking to people in foreign lands? Because we like the nice QSL cards? Because we like Wall Paper (Awards)?

CQ Magazine Awards Something else to do with your QSL collection while the bands are dead! - AE6RR

Slide 29 NCDXC Mar 09 CQ WAZ Award Worked All Zones (WAZ) One of the longest running in Ham Radio –Started prior to WWII One of the most prestigious awards Based on working all 40 CQ Zones Equal difficulty from all areas of the world 5-Band version available (5BWAZ) –80, 40, 20, 15 & 10 m

Slide 30 NCDXC Mar 09

Slide 31 NCDXC Mar 09 CQ Zones We are in Zone 3 The hardest zones to work from here are –21, Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Georgia) –22, India, Maldives, Laccadive (VU7) –34, NE Africa (Egypt, Libya, Sudan) –37, E Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi) The path to these zones is over more land mass than the others –The path includes NA, EU & AS (or NE AF) –Water reflects signals much better than land –You probably have a better chance of working these areas via long path

Slide 32 NCDXC Mar 09 The World from San Jose

Slide 33 NCDXC Mar 09 CQ DX Award Similar to the ARRL DXCC –Same entities –Similar rules (100 entities minimum) If you need more “wall paper” and have DXCC, this one is easy –Just submit your DXCC record –I did it via eQSL, LoTW records and Cards accepted

Slide 34 NCDXC Mar 09 CQ WPX Award Based on call sign prefixes (letters and numbers) –K6, N6, WD4, HG1, HG19, WB3, KC2, etc. If you have worked the WPX contest, you get the idea Minimum awards –Mixed: 400 –Mode (CW, SSB, Digital): 300 Honor system: You do not need to send cards or have them checked!

Slide 35 NCDXC Mar 09 CQ DX Field Award Based on the 324 Maidenhead Grid Fields –The grids are the two letter prefix (ie CM) Basic award is 50 or more grids Maritime mobile stations count Somewhat equal difficulty from all areas of the world except there are more stations on land eQSL, LoTW records and Cards accepted

Slide 36 NCDXC Mar 09 CQ USA-CA Award Based on USA Counties Base award is 500 counties There are 3077 counties in the US There are groups, nets and special frequencies for “County Hunters” Some people do road trip expeditions to activate rare ones eQSL, LoTW records and Cards accepted

Slide 37 NCDXC Mar 09 Applying for CQ Awards CQ card checkers are hard to find but you can use ARRL DXCC checkers CQ has announced that you can use eQSL, but this is not mentioned on the web site I have used LoTW confirmations (also not mentioned on web site) – printed the QSL info Find the award rules on the CQ web site and the award manager for the latest acceptable procedure for that award

Risto Kotalampi – W6RK Global QSL

Phil Verinsky – W6TQG Using QRZ.com's XML for Call Sign Lookup and Bearing Convenient Log Database Synchronization with LOTW VE7VV Packet Cluster

Slide 40 NCDXC Mar 09 The NCDXC Raffle! Does anyone need tickets before we start? Prizes –Door Prize: 9-LED Flashlight with batteries –1 st Prize: Yaesu FT-2800M, 65 W 2M mobile rig –2nd Prize: Powerex MHC-9000 Charger- Analyzer –3rd Prize: 3 Large Fair-Rite Beads –4th Prize: Crimping Tool –5th Prize: Multi-Purpose Pocket Tool with Light

Slide 41 NCDXC Mar 09 Thanks for Coming Tonight! Remember the net next Thursday night! See you at Visalia Pray for sunspots! 73 & Good DX!