Latest News and Updates

News Flash!!!

See preliminary results for the
First Final Farewell DX Contest here.

2010 will mark the seventh year of our group hosting the Crystal Set Contests. During that time
we added the Active Device Contest and the Sprint Contest.

We are now shutting those down and announcing our First Final Farewell DX Contest. The start
date is January 15, 2010 at 6 a.m. local time. The end date is March 15, 2010 at 6 a.m. local time.
No other contests are scheduled for the year by our group. See the links for 2009 Crystal set rules
and categories and the 2009 1AD Contest rules and categories. The difference is, of course, the
time frame is now 6 a.m. January 15, 2010 til 6 a.m. March 15, 2010.

This contest is for both Homebrew Crystal Sets and Active Device Sets. AM BCB stations logs can
be entered based on power and distance or on the number of stations. Shortwave, Two-way, and
Below Broadcast Band categories are also included.

Thanks for your participation for all these years.

Best regards,

Jack Bryant, KE4ID

Updated January 13, 2010.


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-The 2009 SPRINT Crystal Set Contest dates were October 9-12, 2009. See final results here.

Check out the 2009 Sprint Contest rules in the links to the left or click here.

Click here for final 2009 Crystal Set Contest results!

Click here for final 2009 Active-Device Contest results!


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CHANGES FOR 2009 CONTESTS!!!

There are numerous changes for the 2009 contests.

-First, the contests starts and ends at 6 a.m. (your) local time instead of 1200 UTC.

-Second, the 1AD contest has been renamed the Active-Device (AD) Homebrew Receiver DX
Contest. This contest is open to all home-brew active device radios. To help promote experi-
mentation, the One Active Device radios gets a 50% bonus (multiply the score by 1.5).
Two Active Device radios gets a 20% bonus (multiply the score by 1.2).

-Third, the 1AD, now called the Active-Device (AD) Homebrew Receiver DX Contest, runs for
ten days like the Crystal Set Contest, with no break during the week.

-Fourth, the October Sprint is open to both home-brew Crystal and Active-Device sets.

-Fifth, we have a new band for our three contests: 529 kHz and below. For crystal sets, that
means you might be able to copy some NDBs (non-directional aircraft beacons). I can copy the BH
beacon in Birmingham, AL on 224 kHz with a simple single tuned crystal set. In Europe long
wave AM broadcasts are in this band. Each station ID'd counts as one point.

For the AD contest, you might also be able to hear some of the experimental stations around
505 kHz. In the AD contest, you can also use computer software such as ARGO to help copy
stations (the entry would then not get the 50% 1AD bonus, but would just be an active device entry).

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DATES FOR 2009 CONTESTS!!!

-The 2009 Crystal Set DX contest was held 6 a.m. January 16 and 6 a.m. (your) local time January 26, 2009.

-The 2009 Active-Device (AD) Homebrew Receiver DX Contest was held from the second through the third
weekends in February. The contest was held from from February 13 to February 23, 2009. This year there
was no break during the week.

-The 2009 SPRINT Crystal Set Contest was held October 9-12, 2009.

No prizes are planned for the contests, but certificates will be e-mailed (no certificates for the SPRINT contest).

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Best regards,
Jack