Yo to the TopBand Yo-Yo's, The 12th running of The Stew Perry TopBand DX Challenge is just about here. In about a week, give or take a time zone or two, the 160M enthusiasts from all around our own solar system will take to the air in a clever contesting format to compete for fame, glory, and beautiful wooden plaques. This ethereal RF slugfest runs from 1500Z Dec 29 to 1500Z Dec 30, 2007. Digitate your browser to http://www.jzap.com/k7rat/stew.html to read the eloquent rules and find a lot of other interesting stuff. You'll learn interesting things such as operating for 14 hours is maximum and the use of packet is not allowed. This contest is a throwback to when operators were operators and a premium is placed upon skill, determination, guile and wit. This contest is also trend setting as the sponsoring agency, The Boring Amateur Radio Club uses the distance between contesting stations and their powers to arrive at a score. The Boring Amateur Radio Club also has a volunteer plaque awarding system where the best and brightest of the contesters decide what is worthy of a beautiful plaque. These Stalwarts of the contesting landscape have donated $50 each to sponsor a plaque that honors a particular achievement during the Stew Perry TopBand Extravaganza. Listed below are the different plaques that have been made available for this years TopBand exploits. Call Class KL7RA Highest number of QSO's KR2Q Golden log (highest # of Q's with no busts) W7TMT Top Score, Low Power, First time Entry TF3KX Aurora Borealis Award- Top Score from QTH north of 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude (within 3,333 km from grid square FQ49) KB7Q Top Score QRP VK6VZ Top Score with antenna in space < 20mX10m (wins Royal Flying Doctors of Australia cap rather than plaque) K7FL Top Score 100% Search and Pounce N7KQ Top Score Central/South America N7UA Top Score High Power AE6RF "You've got heart, Rookie" third lowest score for first time entry N9ADG Top Score World AC6DD Top Score by Portable Station within own country K1EP Top Score, Low Power from a Condominium KB5NJD Top # grids with vertical < 10 m tall NA0Y Top Score USA W7GG To be determined by BARC's BOD (tnx Bob!) N5IA Most Grid Squares worked KI7Y Top Score, S/O, Japan (Sandy Lynch Memorial-W7BX/7J1ABV) GMCC Top Scoring Station > 4000' elevation GMCC Top Score Hi-Power N. America (VE, W or XE) west of 100 deg long GMCC Top Score Low Power N America (VE, W or XE) west of 100 deg long BARC Top Scoring Multi in W6/Oregon/Washington/VE7 As you can read, this is a fine collection of awards to stimulate the competition. You can join this list of forward thinking radio All Stars by sending us a category you wish to immortalize along with a paltry $50. The Boring Amateur Radio Club reserves the right to review the entries as to appropriateness for the festivities. Rarely we can not approve a suggested category for a plaque, but it sure makes us laugh a lot here at The Boring Amateur Radio Club when we read these types of inappropriate malapropisms. The winter has been hard on certain QTH's and we lament the damage to many of our 160M radio stations. We know that these stations will return better than before because that is the way of TopBand creatures. So save some time for yourself during the evening of The Stew Perry TopBand DX Challenge and get on to work your friends. We shall see you in The Stew! 73 and I remain, Lew W7EW/W7AT The Boring Amateur Radio Club Vice President in Charge of Hysteria w7ew@arrl.net ps if any of the above offends you, then you are clearly wound too tightly and need a contesting experience soon!