BPL CONTEST

KC0LNU posted (in another thread) that he thought a BPL SPECIAL EVENTS station would be good.

That inspired me to this idea.. WHY NOT HAVE A BPL CONTEST!!!!?? It would be a contest EVERY HAM - regardless of license class, mode restrictions, power limitations, or skill level can participate within!

(Consider a FIELD DAY type of operation WITHOUT having to get set up in the outdoors with generators and all that work.)

What you do is this.

When BPL comes to your area, you post the fact that it's up. Then the contest starts. (That means each area the BPL officially starts in, starts their contest as multiplier stations at that time and it continues until BPL either goes away or stops bothering MF/HF/VHF. Then the contest period ends.

Here's how it scores.

For stations INSIDE the BPL area.. you are multipliers for EVERYONE else.

For stations OUTSIDE the BPL area, you are a multiplier for those stations INSIDE the BPL area since BPL is goign to make it rough for them to hear you.

CONTEST TIME PERIOD is from 0000Z - 2400Z each day. That means that EACH 24 hour (GMT) period is a separate contest!

Exchange would be whatever you wanted it to be. Ragchew, 'contest style', 'DX-style', whatever. NO LIMITATIONS ON THE EXCHANGE!

The key is to get on an OPERATE!

If you operate during normally expected 'HIGH BPL USAGE TIMES' (Local evening/weekends/holiday) periods you add 10 points for EACH QSO made regardless of with whom you make it.

you get one point for EACH QSO except for stations INSIDE BPL areas, they get 10 points due the handicap.

FINAL SCORE is # of QSO points times the multipliers for that 24 hour period. EACH 24 hour period is a FRESH Contest!

Consider it a SPrint without the restrictions!

ANYONE in the world can enter. If you have a valid ham ticket, and can operate between 1.8 - 150 MHz on ham bands, you can particiapte no matter where you live!

Results would be posted to a convienet place.

WHAT A GREAT CONTEST! We all get on the air have fun operating as we like to operate. Everyone can play regardless of license class or time availability. No limitaions on exchange type, just stay within your Countries rules for power, mode, bands ,etc.

It woudl surely help BPL proponents to learn the REALITY of the foolishness of BPL!

K3FT

[k6pme]

Hey ~kwel~! Can you keep 10, 6 and 2 as 2 separate sub-classes? FM and SSB? And who's going to start the website to keep the stats compiled? I doubt the ARRL will do it.

The ONLY additional classification will be..

# of times the BPL service tech has been observed coming out to the power poles to check and see WHY it seems to be failing.

You get 100 extra points for every time you spot and report a guy working on a pole checking out a BPL box.

If he comes back in the same hour you get an extra 500 points.

If he replaces the box.. an extra 1000 points.

If he knocks on your door and asks if you are operating the rig and you say NO, but you are, subtract 500 points.

If he knocks on your door and asks if you are operating the rig and you say YES, add 10000 points.

If he tries to tell you YOU need to QRT andyou believe him AND go QRT, you are disqualfied for that day's contest.

If he tries to tell you YOU need to QRT and you just smile at him and remind him that HIS SYSTEM is required to go QRT if it interferes with YOU, add 50000 points.

If you have a copy of Part 15 with the proper sections highlighted for him to read AND you make sure he does read it AND he confirms he undestands it, add 1 million points.

If you hand him a copy of Part 15 with proper sections highlited for him and he acts like he's clueless add 500,000 points and 3 multipliers.

If he BELIEVES YOU and notches his system out of hte ham bands OR goes QRT.. you WIN the contest for that day and automaticlaly start the next days contst with 10000000 points.

that should liven things up!

TALLY HO!

Fire up those rigs, me boys! The battles afoot!

K3FT

CQ BPL.. CQ BPL.. CQ BPL..

[W3MIV]

It is not the BPL providers about which I worry, but the poor SOB who pays for the service only to have his download of the latest Britney Spears au naturel files disappear in a cloud of ham-induced QRM.
You know that BPL is a secondary service, maybe even the BPL provider understands that his service is secondary, but Li'l Abner may not understand this when he comes pounding on the door, lips flecked with spittle, eyes suffused with blood, demanding surcease of this agony imposed on his porno site.

[KC8QMU]

Wow, finally a contest with meaning!

I wouldn't mind participating in that, but heck, I'm on the air almost every day at some point.

[L453rB34m]

You do realize of course that if this were to really happen that it would be the most hilarious and righteous thing ever.

Of course it would also be a blatant abuse of our powers using it to interfere with a service like that. It would make us no better than the guy in the Bajillion watt keyclown mobile that bleeds on the warehouse he just got fired from.

Oh.



Dear Lord.
Tell me you didn't actually register here with a 'leetspeak' login???

Sheesh.

Obviously the poster with the indecipherable clutter of a sign in must be a troll OR has not a clue.

I'll vote for PROBABLY both, based on the indeciperable signin name.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

(Could he REALLY be Mr. Mxytlplyx?? #(I know.. I misspelled it, but I'm in a hurry! #Let's just say it's a 'Mixed Pickle'! If we say his sign in backwards, does he disappear for a month?)

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[WA3KYY]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (L453rB34m @ April 14 2004,14:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You do realize of course that if this were to really happen that it would be the most hilarious and righteous thing ever.

Of course it would also be a blatant abuse of our powers using it to interfere with a service like that. #It would make us no better than the guy in the Bajillion watt keyclown mobile that bleeds on the warehouse he just got fired from.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
There you are wrong. Licensed services have absolutely NO obligation whatsoever to avoid interference with any Part 15 device operating on the licensed services' frequencies. The law is crystal clear on that point.

[W3MIV]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (WA3KYY @ April 15 2004,05:52)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">There you are wrong. #Licensed services have absolutely NO obligation whatsoever to avoid interference with any Part 15 device operating on the licensed services' frequencies. #The law is crystal clear on that point.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
While you are quite correct in so far as the rules are written, using intentional interference for harassment would probably be interpreted as being outside of the intended reading of the rules.

[n0ov]

Good fun --

How about adding this to the rules -- signal reports should also capture RFI info that could be used to

a) confirm there is an issue
b) confirm there is not an issue and that BPL will work after all (hopelessly optimistic)

Operating on OUR authorized frequencies, using authorized emissions and power levels, pursuing a legitimate and enjoyable component of ham radio is neither INTENTIONAL or DELIBERATE interference.

As the Part 15 regs make quite clear. THEY must accept any and all interference received BY THEM and MAY NOT cause interference to licensed services.

So, hams having a contest (even if we call it BPL CONTEST) in no way, shape, or form, can be remotely called harassment or intentional.

In fact, a recent case in point concerniung the illegal invaders of the ham radio 10M band involved the question put to Riley.

&quot;If a ham, operating on 10M using authorized modes, emissions,and power levels on the band AND operating in accordance with the priveledges authorized by the class of license held transmits ATOP of an illegal station, is the ham operator guilty of intentional interference?'

The answer was, summarized, &quot;NO. If the station operating on the ham bands is an illegal station, then the legally authorized station is not in any violation of the FCC rules. The station MUST ascertain to the best of their abilities that the station they hear IS an illegal station'.

So, we operate the ham bands. BPL gets bothered and such. No foul for us! BPL owns the problems and BPL must accept it.

My Contest is just a way for hams to have FUN while proving to BPL folks - in the real world - that BPL doesn't work.

CQ BPL? CQ BPL? CQ BPL?

K3FT

[W0UZR]

And when you are contesting,,,Make sure your beams are pointed right at the power lines. And when you make contacts off the side of your beam, it's extra points...

Yah,,,,Don't say it,,,You're right...I'm the guy that doesn't like contesters....

But a guy can change his mind,,,Can't he?

[n0ov]

So let me get this straight

We get extra points if we make a contact using a BPL Bouce? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[n0ov]

Points doubled if QRP rig trips up the signal!

[WA3KYY]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC0LNU @ April 28 2004,12:33)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Points doubled if QRP rig trips up the signal![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Let's see, 5 W, stacked 6 element monobanders aimed right at the nearest Access BPL device, assume 12 dBd gain for the array, what's the ERP? Piece o' cake as they say http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[N8CPA]

Before calling it a BPL contest, check with QCWA. BPL is their acronym for Brass Pounders League. They might call it misrepresentation, if they have a copyright.

[n0ov]

Good point.

COST OF 100W ham rig, antennas, and needed items to get on the air - $600.00

Time cost to learn about BPL's weaknesses and how to affect @ 10 bux/hour - $200.00

SEEING BPL SHOWN UP FOR THE FAILURE IT REALLY IS AND HAVING THAT BIG &quot;I TOLD YOU SO!!&quot; LOOK ON YOUR FACE??!


PRICELESS!!!!

[WA3KYY]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N8CPA @ April 28 2004,12:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Before calling it a BPL contest, check with QCWA. #BPL is their acronym for Brass Pounders League. #They might call it misrepresentation, if they have a copyright.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Don't know if BPL (Brass Pounders League) is officialy a QCWA acronym or not. I seem to recall it was used monthy in QST for years and years for those who had handled a minimun number of messages on traffic nets during the previous month.

I'm sure Glen will be along shortly to set the record straight.

73,
Mike

[N8CPA]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (WA3KYY @ April 29 2004,05:25)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N8CPA @ April 28 2004,12:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Before calling it a BPL contest, check with QCWA. #BPL is their acronym for Brass Pounders League. #They might call it misrepresentation, if they have a copyright.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Don't know if BPL (Brass Pounders League) is officialy a QCWA acronym or not. #I seem to recall it was used monthy in QST for years and years for those who had handled a minimun number of messages on traffic nets during the previous month. #

I'm sure Glen will be along shortly to set the record straight.

73,
Mike[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I did some checking on that. Every reference I see to it is in association with ARRL and NTS, not QCWA. So it must be an ARRL acronym.

Uh-oh! I was wrong again! [I'm married--I'm used to it.]
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[K8YS]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (W3MIV @ April 14 2004,07:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (WA3KYY @ April 15 2004,05:52)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">There you are wrong. #Licensed services have absolutely NO obligation whatsoever to avoid interference with any Part 15 device operating on the licensed services' frequencies. #The law is crystal clear on that point.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
While you are quite correct in so far as the rules are written, using intentional interference for harassment would probably be interpreted as being outside of the intended reading of the rules.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Al,

Actually, Riley the Enforcer has already stated (quotes can be found elsewhere) on this subject. For example, if WE, the LICENSED, users cause harmful interferance to bootleggers and other lower lifeforms on the bottom end of 10 meters, there is no-harm, no-foul.

Count on me to participate in the BPL Games!



K8YS

BPL - Brass Pounders League. Term used, by ARRL, as part of the Traffic Handling environment.

BPL is a group of hams who, by virtue of their activity in traffic handling of formal traffic, report their traffic totals to the ARRL via their section managers.

once they reach a certain level and maintain that level for 3 months they can receive a BPL pin and will be inducted into the BPL.


K3FT
(BPL member from the olden days of radio.. circa 1970)