LCWO: Learn CW online

A new website to learn and practice Morse telegraphy has been launched:
http://lcwo.net/ - Learn CW Online

There are already hundreds of training programs, MP3/CD courses and practice aids available, but LCWO follows a radically different concept: While sticking to well-proven methods for learning and practice, all you need for using LCWO is a web browser!
This gives the user the liberty to practice CW wherever an internet connection is available, always retaining the personal settings, scores and statistics.
Currently the site, which is available in five languages (English, French, German, Italian and Portuguese) offers a complete Koch method Morse course, code group practice, callsign- and plain text training modes and also allows to convert random text to Morse MP3s.
A high score list is available to compare results with other users, personal statistics help to track training progress.
LCWO.net is a non-commercial project. Creating a free account only takes a few seconds, and you can start practicing CW right away!

Fabian Kurz, DJ1YFK (15. August 2008)

DXCC Rule Removal

Aug 18, 2008 13:39 ET
Bill Moore, NC1L

From the July 2008 ARRL Board of Directors Meeting:

"The Board also acted on the Programs and Services Committee report, voting to eliminate Rule 5 from Section III of the DXCC Rules. The Committee realized that while publishing log data can have a detrimental effect on operating awards, it was not possible to control such actions and the rule cannot be enforced. As part of an effort to maintain the integrity of operating awards programs, the Board called on staff to create resources and guidelines for QSLing and for QSL managers. These guidelines will help people who QSL to understand the "best practices" and help to support the work of the QSL manager so that access to log data won't degrade Amateur Radio's long tradition of the "honor system."

The rule reads:

5. The presentation in any public forum of logs or other representations of station operation showing details of station activity or other information from which all essential QSO elements (time, date, band, mode and callsign) for individual contacts can be derived creates a question as to the integrity of the claimed QSOs with that station during the period encompassed by the log. Presentation of such information in any public forum by the station operator, operators or associated parties is not allowed and may be considered sufficient reason to deny ARRL award credit for contacts with any station for which such presentations have been made. Persistent violation of this provision may result in disqualification from the DXCC program.

"This rule cannot be enforced. In its place staff will create resources and guidelines for QSLing and for QSL managers in order to maintain the integrity of operating awards programs."

source

DX Bulletin Reader

From the DX Atlas, CW Skimmer, Ham Cap, Iono Probe, Band Master (etc) authors here is the new ham software: DX Bulletin Reader is a tool for viewing, archiving and searching the DX news bulletins. It highlights all prefixes, calssigns, IOTA ref and grid squares and, best of all, it highlights the items that are on your DXCC and IOTA needed lists ! Freeware from Afreet Software Inc.

tnx IK1ADH

KL7DX NA-234 video

KL7DX NA-234 Cleveland Volcano DXpedition 2008

KL7DX NA-234 IOTA Contest July 2008

Learn CW in 1 minute !

source

P29 2008 website

Dxpedition to three IOTAs:

OC-181 Garove - P29VLR (QSL via SM6CVX)
OC-041 Hermit - P29NI (QSL via G3KHZ)
OC-025 Manus - TBA (QSL via K6HFA)

http://www.425dxn.org/dxped/p29_2008/

VO2A update

From QRZ.COM: Aug 7, 2008, 12 UTC - Yesterday morning the weather took a big dip, with very dark clouds and lower temperatures - perfect for polar bears getting active (hihi). Based on local weather forecast our guide has insisted that we prepare to leave the island rather than being stranded. Made a little ~1600 QSOs, but are happy that we logged all continents, including our friends in VK, ZL, JA, UA9/0, 4X, PY, YV, etc. Yesterday night I had a short run on 30 m, followed by an even shorter one on 40 m, before the bands died on me like someone pulled the plug. First I checked the power, but the battery was fine, then I asked the guide (who never slept during the night, having his shotgun ready and walking the dogs around the camp (despite the fact that the camp was secured with an anti-bear alarm fence) to check if the antenna is standing, because the wind gusts dropped it once earlier. 'The antenna is up', he said, 'but you should get out of there if you want to see some Northern Lights'. The display was absolutely magnificent: almost half of the sky - or so it appeared - seemed on fire and then I understood why the bands died like that. Under the circumstances, I decided to take a 3 hour nap (my only in 3 days since we walked up in Goose Bay, hihi). A truly big thank thank you to EU stations for kindly following our instructions to QRX while we were targeting other parts of the world or specific areas of EU. Presently very cold in Nain, with the wind effect around 0C. We hope to be QRV from NA-205 starting around 17 UTC - depending how the transportation and camp set-up goes. The good news for us is that the possibility of polar bear presence at this time of year on Paul Is. is almost nil (not zero though) and it's only the black bears patrolling the ground. They are not to be ignored, but our guide indicated that it's a different ball-game.

Garriott's Space Mission

Per poter volare nello spazio come suo padre, Richard Garriott spenderà una fortuna, 30 milioni di dollari. Ma che soddisfazione ! Il padre, Owen fu un astronauta Nasa a bordo dello Skylab nel 1973 e successivamente sullo Spacelab nel 1983. Il figlio adesso farà il turista spaziale a bordo della Soyuz nel percorso verso la ISS ad ottobre. I Garriott ovviamente comunicheranno via radio (il padre effettuò il primo collegamento Ham Radio da uno Shuttle nel 1983, missione STS-9 col nominativo W5LFL). Interessante (e ben fatto) il sito di Richard. Ci sono dei posti liberi per i voli in programma nel 2009. Se interessati visitate Next Generation of Spaceflight (sic!)

W5LFL readies for STS9, 1st ham in space mission
from kn5h website

Digital audio over HF SSB

FDMDV is the latest digital voice mode on HF - it caters to high quality digital voice under poor band conditions, in only 1100Hz bandwidth!. More information about the mode will be here Read more on ARRL news.
source

TC4X

ASIAN TURKEY WILL BE QRV FROM AUGUST 5 THROUGH AUGUST 12, 2008

The special callsign TC4X will be activated on several occasions during 2008. A new alliance between Turkish and Finnish hams includes OH2BH, OH2PM, OH8NC, TA1HZ and others. The location is in the city of Alanya, Southern Turkey, Asia.

Detailed info will be on www.qrz.com and http://tcswat.tripod.com

Their first activity from August 5 will coincide with the WAEDC Worked All Europe DX Contest (CW).

QSL via OH2BH