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Project Star Reach (3B9C) – Bulletin No.3 12 February 2004  This is the third bulletin concerning Project Star Reach, a project focused around a major expedition to Rodrigues Island, with the callsign 3B9C.All preparations for 3B9C are on track, and everything is looking good. Our container should arrive in Rodrigues on 26 February. This bulletin brings news of the Nevada Rodrigues Trophies for working 3B9C, some information about QSLing, and other items of interest. Most Wanted List The DX Magazine’s latest rankings show that Rodrigues has moved from 81st Most Wanted Worldwide in 2002 to 75 in 2003. For the US the change is even more marked, up from 79 to 53 in the Eastern time zone and from 49 to 33 on the West Coast. Incidentally, we note that since our 2001 expedition to the Comoros, D6 appears to have vanished completely from these lists! Nevada Rodrigues Awards Programme The objective of the Nevada Rodrigues Trophy Programme is to encourage individual stations of all types worldwide as well as local club stations to make contact with the 3B9C DXpedition during March/ April 2004. We are very keen to encourage all amateurs to participate, particularly those with low power, relatively poor antennas or who are new to HF. We also want to encourage members of local clubs to participate. Trophies will be awarded to stations who work 3B9C on the highest number of band-slots. There are also trophies for SWLs. Only contacts made on the following bands and modes will qualify for the Nevada Rodrigues Trophies: CW: 160m to 6m (10 bands) FM: 10m only PSK: 20m, 15m and 10m RTTY: 20m, 15m and 10m SSB: 160m to 6m excluding 30m (9 bands). There are 26 band-slots available in total. (The 3B9C team plan to operate on further bands and modes such as SSTV and satellite but these contacts will not count towards these trophies.) Details of the various trophies are set out below. Note that low power stations must have only single element antennas (e.g. a dipole or a vertical). We will adopt the CQ Worldwide Contest definition of low power i.e. 100 watts or less. Club awards: In the case of a reasonably active club well over 100 contacts (and perhaps many more) could be made. Claims for individual trophies may be included with club applications providing they are clearly marked as such. Certificates will be awarded for the third and fourth places (second and third for ROTW) providing there are at least 10 entries in the particular category. Section 1: UK High Power (See note 1) Trophies will be awarded to the two high power stations based in the UK who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 2: UK Low Power (See note 1) Trophies will be awarded to the two low power stations based in the UK who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 3: UK Local Clubs (See note 1) Trophies will be awarded to the two UK local clubs whose members work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 4: UK M3 Licencees (See note 1) Trophies will be awarded to the two M3 licencees who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Sections 5: UK Newly Licensed HF Stations (See notes 1 and 2) Trophies will be awarded to the two stations licensed since 1 January 2003 to operate on HF and based in the UK who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 6: Europe (excluding UK) High Power Trophies will be awarded to the two high power stations based in Europe (excluding the UK) who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 7: Europe (excluding UK) Low Power Trophies will be awarded to the two low power stations based in Europe (excluding the UK) who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 8: European (excluding UK) Local Clubs Trophies will be awarded to the two local clubs based in Europe (excluding the UK) whose members work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 9: European (excluding UK) Newly Licensed HF Stations (See note 2) Trophies will be awarded to the two stations licensed since 1 January 2003 to operate on HF and based in Europe (excluding the UK) who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 10: Asia High Power Trophies will be awarded to the two high power stations based in Asia who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 11: Asia Low Power Trophies will be awarded to the two low power stations based in Asia who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 12: Asian Local Clubs Trophies will be awarded to the two local clubs based in Asia whose members work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 13: Asian Newly Licensed HF Stations (See note 2) Trophies will be awarded to the two stations licensed since 1 January 2003 to operate on HF and based in Asia who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 14: North America High Power Trophies will be awarded to the two high power stations based in North America who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 15: North America Low Power Trophies will be awarded to the two low power stations based in North America who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 16: North American Local Clubs Trophies will be awarded to the two local clubs based in North America whose members work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 17: North American Newly Licensed HF Stations (See note 2) Trophies will be awarded to the two stations licensed since 1 January 2003 to operate on HF and based in North America who work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 18: Rest of the World (ROTW) High Power A trophy will be awarded to the high power station based in ROTW who works 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 19: Rest of the World (ROTW) Low Power A trophy will be awarded to the low power station based in ROTW who works 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 20: Rest of the World (ROTW) Local Clubs A trophy will be awarded to the local club based in ROTW whose members work 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 21: Rest of the World (ROTW) Newly Licensed HF Stations (See note 2) A trophy will be awarded to the station licensed since 1 January 2003 to operate on HF and based in ROTW who works 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Section 22: SWLs SWLs worldwide may participate. Trophies will be awarded to the two SWL stations who log 3B9C on the most band/mode slots. Three consecutive QSOs must be logged for each band/mode slot. Claims for the same number of band/mode slots In cases where several stations claim the same number of band/mode slots the station(s) making the contacts in the shortest time from the start of the DXpedition will be the winner. Applications: Applications should be sent by e-mail to Chris G3NHL < g3nhl@tiscali.co.uk > by 31 May 2004. Award section name and number, name of operator (club), callsign, e-mail address and postal address are required together with log extract showing the following: Date, Time (UTC), Band, Mode. The approved application form (available on the 3B9C Web page or from G3NHL) should be used. For club applications send one form per member together with a summary. No individual may apply for more than one award. Charges There are no charges for these awards. A picture of the very attractive Nevada Rodrigues Trophy can be found on our website at: www.fsdxa.com/3b9c Note 1 For the purpose of this award the UK includes G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU and GW. Note 2 Newly licensed HF stations are defined as: 1. Those amateurs whose licence conditions did not, prior to 1 January 2003, allow them to operate on the HF bands, or, 2. Complete newcomers to HF, licensed since 1 January 2003. QSL Route The callsign of the 3B9C QSL manager and PO Box will be announced in the next press release. Requests for bureau cards can also be made via the 3B9C Web page. Direct cards will be available shortly after the DXpedition members return home. Every effort will be made to ensure that cards are handled in a timely manner, with particular attention to the end-September deadline for DXCC updates. QSLing will be handled in a distributed manner, using StarQSL, a software management tool developed by John Linford G3WGV especially for this purpose. The 3B9C QSL card is being designed at the moment. It will be an attractive four-sided full colour card and a proof will be shown on our Web page. Sponsorship We are delighted to welcome a number of new corporate, club and individual sponsors. NCDXF in particular have made a generous contribution. Full details appear on the Web site. However, further funds are still required to make this expedition a success, and we look forward to welcoming additional sponsors in due course. Details were given in previous Press Releases and are also on the Web site. In every respect, we expect this to be the biggest single amateur radio operation of all time, giving everyone, not just the privileged few, the opportunity to work a rare one and to compete for a range of trophies and awards, but obviously the cost is high. Web Site The 3B9C, Project Star Reach, Web site is already recording well over 300 visitors a day, and that number is growing all the time. There is a huge amount of detail available on the site, as we very much want to make it an integral part of the whole Project. Do take a look! In particular, you might like to start thinking about how best to catch 3B9C on the bands you need. Several major publications will be carrying “How to” articles in March, but you can also find useful data on the Website, along with our early propagation predictions, focused on the main concentrations of amateur population. The URL, again, is www.fsdxa.com/3b9c Don Field G3XTT, NK1G (g3xtt@lineone.net) (3B9C Publicity Officer) 12 February 2004 |
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