1. Welcome to Northern California DX Club October 16, 2008

2. Slide 2 NCDXC Sept 08 Tonight’s Agenda Club Business –Introduction of Officers –Introductions of Members –New members –DX news –QSTs Mini Topic –The status of the sunspot cycle Tonight's Feature Event – A DX Forum NCDXC Raffle

3. Slide 3 NCDXC Sept 08 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

4. Slide 4 NCDXC Sept 08 Introductions Let’s Go Around the room… –Introduce yourself –Tell us what new DX you have snagged –Any other news you wish to share? (please keep it brief)

5. Slide 5 NCDXC Sept 08 New members? Secretary - Russ, K6KLY –He has applications are available… –Voting

6. Slide 6 NCDXC Sept 08 DX News KP5 Desecheo Island –A team has been selected to be co-led by Dr. Glenn Johnson, W0GJ and Bob Allphin, K4UEE –Sometime between Jan 15 and Mar 30, 2009 –14 Day operation VK9DXW Willis Island –QRV now through Oct 27 –Will be on during CQWW SSB TO5DX St. Barthelemy Island – Oct 16 to 28 –12 Days, 4 stations, all bands and modes –Will be on during CQ WW SSB

7. Slide 7 NCDXC Sept 08 CQ WW SSB DX Contest 0000 UTC, Oct 25 through 2359 UTC Oct 26 –Note that it starts on Friday, Oct 24 at 5PM PDT All HF bands 160m through 10m except WARC bands Simple exchange – RS report plus CQ zone –Example 5903 (everyone gets a 59 & we are in zone 3) Multipliers – CQ Zones and countries –Contrary to some opinions, you can contact your own zone and country for multipliers (no point credit) For more info see the rules at http://www.cqww.com/http://www.cqww.com/ There is a huge list of preannounced DX activity including Willis and St. Bart’s

8. Slide 8 NCDXC Sept 08 AE6RR DX Contest Countries From 0 to 100 in 18 mo (June 07) ‘04 CQ WW DX Contest ’05 CQ WW DX Contest ’04 ARRL DX Contest ’04 CQ WPX Contest ’05 ARRL DX Contest

9. Slide 9 NCDXC Sept 08 2008 Sweepstakes CW – November 1-3 SSB – November 15-17 Starts 2100 UTC Saturday ends 0300 UTC Monday Not a DX contest but the NCCC, the current holder of the gavel needs our support! –Get on and work the local guys, especially during the evening and night hours –Rally times (PST): 11PM Sat & 7:50PM (3545), 1PM Sun (7045) –This contest is a lot of fun and a good chance to get WAS in a weekend or two See http://www.arrl.org/contests/ for more information and ruleshttp://www.arrl.org/contests/

10. Slide 10 NCDXC Sept 08 AE6RR SS WAS Results From 0 to 100 in 18 mo (June 07) 2004 Sweepstakes Contest Mass Mailing of QSL cards

11. QSTs

12. Slide 12 NCDXC Sept 08 IDXC Visalia IDXC 2009 (our 60th year) will be held April 17- April19, 2009 at the Visalia Holiday Inn Let’s make 2009 the best IDXC EVER!!! Any announcements from the Committee?

13. Slide 13 NCDXC Sept 08 Pacificon This coming weekend –Friday, Oct 17 to Sunday, Oct 19 San Ramon Marriot Hotel NCDXC will have a booth See http://www.pacificon.org/ for more informationhttp://www.pacificon.org/

14. Slide 14 NCDXC Sept 08 Amateur Radio Technology Day November 1 –8 AM to 9 PM Stanford Linear Accelerator Center See http://www.fars.k6ya.org/amtechday/ for more informationhttp://www.fars.k6ya.org/amtechday/

15. Slide 15 NCDXC Sept 08 NCDXC Holiday Luncheon Saturday, December 13 th –11 AM to 3 PM Michael’s Restaurant –Mountain View Carolyn, WB6ABC and Mike, W6WZ are the organizers – any additional news? Mark your calendars!

16. Slide 16 NCDXC Sept 08 NCDXC Net We have a new net coordinator –Don Anastasia, 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, 147.360 MHz, PL 110.9

17. Slide 17 NCDXC Sept 08 Have You Paid Your Dues? NCDXC dues are: –$24 for individuals –$39 for families –$16 for absentee members You should have received a mail/email dues request: –If you did not receive the letter: You are not in the membership data base Or your address is incorrect Please update your contact information by filling out the membership renewal form –Mail dues to NCDXC, PO Box 608, Menlo Park, CA 94026 –Be sure to put your call sign on your check –Or give your check to Russ, WT6X tonight! If you want to be included in the 2008-09 Roster, get it in by October 31!

18. Slide 18 NCDXC Sept 08 Roster Committee? Would anyone like to help get the annual NCDXC Roster out? Tasks involve –Minor editing/formatting (the roster comes out of the database) –Printing (coordinate with a printer) –Envelope stuffing and mailing If you would like to help see Craig, AE6RR or Russ, K6KLY

19. Slide 19 NCDXC Sept 08 DXer Material The DXer is back! Phil, K6PTS has turned out another great edition! 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!

20. Slide 20 NCDXC Sept 08 Tonight’s Raffle Mike W6WZ and Carolyn WB6ABC have some great prizes tonight –1 st Prize: MFJ-890 Beacon Monitor with MFJ-1312 12V Power Supply –2 nd Prize: 20 Meter HamStick Dipole Antenna –3 rd Prize: 40 Meter HamStick with 5 quick disconnects –4 th Prize: Galaxy 880 2m/70cm Dual Band High Gain Antenna –Door Prizes: LED Flashlights Need Tickets – see Carolyn or Mike – 6 for $5 –12 for $10 –24 for $20 GOOD LUCK!

21. Slide 21 NCDXC Sept 08 FREE Ham Books There are some FREE Ham Radio books left from last month They are on the table Please take them home (so I don’t have to)!

22. Slide 22 NCDXC Sept 08 Additional QSTs Does anyone have any other announcements they would like to make?

23. Our Sunspot Cycle A Fearless Update

24. Slide 24 NCDXC Sept 08 Our Spotless Sun 2008 has been announced as the “blankest year” of the Space Age As of Sept 23, the sun had been blank with no visible sunspots on 200 days of the year To find another year with more blank days, you have to go back before Sputnik (1954) when there were 241

25. Slide 25 NCDXC Sept 08 The Latest Sunspot Daily Sun: 14 Oct 08 Sunspot number 1005, is beginning to fade away Conditions on Wednesday evening (Oct 15) –Current SSN: 13, 90 day: 2 –Effective SSN: -2 (yes minus) –Current SFI: 71, 90 day: 67 –Ap: 7 –Kp: 1

26. Slide 26 NCDXC Sept 08 Cycle 24 is it you? Maunder Minimum ? Sunspot 1005 Back Maunder! Back!

27. Tonight’s Feature Event A DX Forum

28. Slide 28 NCDXC Sept 08 DX Forum Panel Panel Members (introductions) –Russ Bentson, K6KLY –Rusty Epps, W6OAT –Steve Jones, N6SJ –Garry Shapiro, NI6T Moderator –Craig Bradley, AE6RR

29. Slide 29 NCDXC Sept 08 DX Forum Format The moderator will present a question/topic to the panel Each panel member will have about 2 minutes to comment (panel members may yield time to each other) We will try to limit each question to 10 minutes There are 4 predetermined questions Additional questions will be taken from the floor as time permits (~ 1 hr)

30. Slide 30 NCDXC Sept 08 DX Forum Questions 1.What are your favorite methods to search for DX (tuning, spots, etc.)? 2.How important is listening and how to do it best? 3.What is the best way to call the DX (crack the pileup) on phone? 4.What is the best way to call the DX on CW? 5.Questions from the floor?

31. Slide 31 NCDXC Sept 08 DX Forum Questions 1. What are your favorite methods to search for DX (tuning, spots, etc.)?

32. Slide 32 NCDXC Sept 08 DX Forum Questions 2. How important is listening and how to do it best?

33. Slide 33 NCDXC Sept 08 DX Forum Questions 3. What is the best way to call the DX (crack the pileup) on phone?

34. Slide 34 NCDXC Sept 08 DX Forum Questions 4. What is the best way to call the DX (crack the pileup) on CW?

35. Slide 35 NCDXC Sept 08 DX Forum Questions Questions from the floor?

36. Slide 36 NCDXC Sept 08 The NCDXC Raffle! Does anyone need tickets before we start? Prizes –1 st MFJ-890 Beacon Monitor with MFJ-1312 12V Power Supply –2 nd 20 Meter HamStick Dipole Antenna –3 rd 40 Meter HamStick with 5 quick disconnects –4 th Galaxy 880 2m/70cm Dual Band High Gain Antenna –Door prizes – LED Flashlights

37. Slide 37 NCDXC Sept 08 Thanks for Coming Tonight! Remember the net next Thursday night! Take a book! Get your dues in! Drive safe! Pray for sunspots! 73 & Good DX!