RaDAR-America Contest

Marcus KD0JKM is organising a RaDAR-America Contest - an event aimed at promoting the use of Rapidly Deployable Amateur Radio stations throughout North and South America. This contest is for all licensed radio amateurs.

A choice is made prior to the contest to participate in one of the defined categories. The points system is so structured as to encourage portable operation, especially moveable stations.

This contest will take place at the same time in South Africa (the Nation from which the idea originated), as it will here in the Americas - the first Saturday of April (the 6th) and first Saturday of November (the 2nd) starting at 14:00 UTC and ending at 18:00 UTC (4 hours operating time)

Information on the RaDAR-America Contest, can be found on their website HERE.

For those of you who might be interested in taking part in this contest, but have no experience in this kind of radio activity, Bob VA3QV has put together a superb article on his blog (HERE) that shows you several excellent points on operating QRP portable.

Let's hope the weather is a bit warmer on April 6th than the -17C it was here this morning.

NCQP 2013

Coming up on the February 23th/24th weekend is the North Carolina QSO Party.   This is always a very well supported QSO Party, and it's a good weekend to work that part of the world.  
Of interest to the guys in Kingston is the fact that Ron-VE3GO will be operating aboard the retired US Battleship, USS North Carolina for this QSO Party.  She's berthed in Wilmington, NC.  Ron will be taking part with the local ham club and the call they will use is NI3BK.   So give a listen for Ron.

The rules for the NCQP can be found HERE.

Hopefully the SFI numbers will be fine for it as well.