Titanic error on my part

I don’t like to “steal” from my fellow bloggers; but I caught this on John N8ZYA’s blog. It is worth sharing with those of you who might not read his blog (You’re cheating yourself if you don’t! Just saying!)  This “independent movie” is about 45 minutes long.  It’s worth viewing to get an idea on how wireless was situated on seafaring vessels.

Now for the error as described in the post title. I didn’t work any of the Titanic Special Event stations due to some pandemonium that has been enveloping me over the past few days.  With this Saturday being a full week past the anniversary day, I doubt any of them remain on the air.  Oh well, centennial observances, like the tides, wait for no man.

Oh – before I close. This rule change to QRPTTF appeared on QRP-L today:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gang,
While QRPTTF is open to all QRPers, I have always seen it as a “QRP-L” function. This is where it is administered and the QRPers on this list are those I attempt to satisfy and respond to.

Response to having additional SOTA stations on the air for QRPTTF has generally been positive. However, I underestimated the desire of QRPers to go climb their nearby mountain or feature, whether a SOTA summit or not. A few want to make a camping trip out of it. SOTA began and is headquartered in the UK. There are numerous US chapters. Not all states/call districts have a SOTA chapter, mostly due to no or few summits to survey or activate over 500 feet high. SOTA guidelines state that the minimum “prominence” for a summit is 100M or 300 feet. Sounds good enough for me. Therefore, we will also use this definition.

RULE CHANGE
QRPTTF has been expanded from three to four categories and multipliers

STATION CLASS AND MULTIPLIERS:
X1 HOME station
X2 FIELD HILL station – operating on a hill from 3-300 feet above
average terrain
X3 SUMMIT station – operating from a “hill” or geological feature
300 feet or higher from the average terrain
X4 SOTA Summit – operating from a designated SOTA summit

I have received several emails from those wanting to operate from the largest darn “mountain” in their corner of the state, though not a SOTA summit, which in most cases will require a substantial effort. This rule change will allow you to do this and receive a X3 multiplier for the additional effort. In turn, operating from a designated SOTA summit is now X4.

This rule change has been updated on the website, rules and summary sheet
http://www.zianet.com/qrp/ or direct: http://www.zianet.com/qrp/QRPTTF/ttf.html

So for those of you who want to be a QRP “Mountain man” for the weekend, go
for it!

72, Paul NA5N

PS – Driving out to the VLA site today (54 miles from Socorro), it made me appreciate how we have to drive through or around three different mountain ranges, with numerous peaks from 9,000-12,000 feet. I always took them for granted. Not anymore. Average terrain here is about 4,700 feet, the VLA is at 7,000 feet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!

Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

2 Responses to “Titanic error on my part”

  • Peter kg5wy:

    When you care to send the very least!

  • Bill KC5DPJ:

    Ahhhhhh The VLA. I remember my two trips there. One in 1981 and the other in 1983. I have a picture I took with my little Cannon 35mm camera, with a 300 zoom lens, in a second story window in the main office building. There on the wall was a Playboy Centerfold. My mother and father were both with me. I showed my dad and he started laughing. Mom just had to see what was so funny. She looked thru the viewfinder and claimed shock that something that obscene would be hanging in a taxpayer funded building…Poor dear, what would she think about the present situations….

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