I don't know about other countries, but IRCs in Canada simply don't add up.  The cost to send a letter first class to international destinations (not the U.S.) is currently C$1.75.  IRCs cost C$4.50 each in Canada!!!  And with the Canadian dollar essentially at par with the U.S. dollar, this makes Canadian IRCs the most expensive in the world.  Why should we pay almost two and a half times the going rate for first class postage, when the whole idea behind IRCs is to cover postage for one letter, not two or three?  So if someone asks for $3.00 in U.S. greenstamps or two IRCs, the choice is quite simple.  I can get 3 cards for the price of one, using U.S. greenstamps.  They are readily available all the banks here. 

Jerry VE6TL
Calgary

You have obviously been bitten by the DX bug and are doing great!  International contests are one of the best ways of adding "new ones" quickly.  Some of the more exotic locations are only occupied during the big contests and with their large antenna farms, can easily pick the weaker stations out of the noise.  As others have pointed out, read up on the contests not only to become familiar with the exchanges but also the duration.  If the contest is 48 hours, for example, you have a better chance of working the rarer DX stations on the second day as they work through the pileups (assuming propagation to be about the same on both days - which it rarely is).  It also appears that you are very aware of the band edges, which is good.  International stations frequently operate in portions of the bands in which U.S. stations are not allowed.  For example, on 40m SSB, it is quite common to hear a DX station transmitting below 7.1 MHz but listening above 7.2 MHz.  In other words, you have to operate "split" to work him (unless you are in a country that permits transmitting down there too).  

In some of the bigger contests, it is not uncommon to work DXCC or close to it in one weekend - even for a modest station of 100W and a dipole.

Have fun!

Jerry VE6TL/VE6CNU

I learned CW in the early 70s from LPs but found I quickly memorized everything.  I then bought a surplus British air force receiver (R1155) which tuned down to VLF and picked up submarines in the U.S. Navy.  They frequently sent each other cypher groups which consisted of 5 characters/numbers randomly selected in a series of about 25 or 30 groups, all at the same speed.  Then they would change speeds and send another batch.  Obviously, I didn't have the "answer sheet" but after a while, starting at 7 or 8 wpm I was able to copy 10 wpm and get my general license.  It wasn't long after that, that I improved my speed a lot just by listening to the submarines.  I guess there wasn't much to do in those subs so practicing CW filled in the time.  

I have owned the MP 100 watt version for about 3 years now and really enjoy this rig.  I have also tried the MK V in contest conditions and find it very nice too.  If I were to go out and buy an FT-1000 today I would probably go with the MK V 100W for the following reasons:

1)  It is newer and less likely to require repairs than the older MP.  My MP has been repaired twice since I bought it - once for a VERY common cold solder joint problem on the VCO board (I tried repairing it myself but my skills with surface mount were insufficient), and once for a relay that needed replacing in the transmitter circuit.  I've also been watching the FT-1000 reflector and seen a lot of problems come and go that appear to be quite common with the older rigs.  One of them happens to involve the display going out.  

2)  Depending on what you are going to do with the rig, you may want to invest quite a bit of money in filters.  It would seem more prudent to invest in a newer rig than an older one.  Some lab tests have shown the MP receiver may outperform the MK V by a certain amount, but having used both, I think it is probably a wash.  What matters more is how you configure it and of course, what antennas you use.  

3)  Regarding the power, frankly, I don't see the value in adding the extra 100 watts.  This issue has been debated at length and both sides make reasonable arguments.  If you ever intend on buying an amp, then you don't need to spend the extra $ for 200W.  One thing you might think about is getting an amp, even if you are going to run it on relatively low power, and only output say 25W from the FT-1000 and let the amp do all the hard work.  This way you can prolong the life of the rig's finals and in case of high SWR, let your amp/external tuner buffer your rig.  

In reality, all of these choices are good ones and it may boil down to finding a really good deal.  Hopefully you can find someone local who is selling and try the rig out beforehand.  There are so many subtle features that it pays to test the rig out thoroughly.  

Hope this helps.

Jerry
VE6CNU

I've used Rascal, Signalink USB and Rigblaster Pro.  They all worked fine, so my recommendation would be to carefully think about the features you want.  The simplest and cheapest was the Rascal.  I did have a few problems setting it up and got no help from them.  They didn't allow for telephone support and their email replies didn't help.  After two emails back and forth they no longer replied at all.  Eventually, I figured it out.  When I bought a new rig I decided I needed some other features.  So I bought the Rigblaster Pro.  I followed the detailed instructions on placing the jumpers and it worked first time.  Its been running flawlessly for almost 3 years.  I then bought a Signalink USB interface for Field Day of 2007, since I was using a TS-440S as my portable rig.  I did have a few issues with the setup but their phone support was great.  They helped me get it working in less than 10 minutes and its worked well ever since.  So the bottom line is you get what you pay for.  

Jerry, VE6CNU

In contesting, no one disputes that bigger is better, in terms of score.  This is quite discouraging for most of us that use pea-shooters when going up against the "weapons of mass destruction".  In addition to spending tons of money on their stations, it must also be pointed out that the location is hugely important.  It is no surprise that the majority of record holders are located near the equator, or at least near salt water (or both).  So to find out who the best contesters really are, in terms of skill, a level playing field is required.  This is the intended purpose of the WRTC competitions.  Yet very few people can afford to attend and even fewer will actually qualify.  To make matters worse, the somewhat arbitrary zoning of the Earth can add to the problem.  For example, Alberta (my location) shares the same zone as Ontario in one worldwide contest.  Yet we are just about as far from Ontario as Ontario is from Europe (and they get all the extra multipliers).  

Perhaps we should stop referring to contesting as a "sport".  Sports usually involve rules that apply to everyone in a similar fashion.  For example, golf requires all players to use regulation equipment and play on regulation courses.  Basketball requires one ball and two hoops.  Radio contesting is different.  If it were golf, one guy could use a laser guided canon to get his tee shot within a few feet of the cup, while the other guy used a set of 40 year old clubs.  Which one gets more enjoyment?  

The bottom line is that this "radio sport" is inherently flawed.  It boils down to enjoying the challenges on a personal level, bettering previous scores, beating out others who contest with similar equipment from not too far away, and simply from the pleasure of developing new knowledge and skills.  With the contests increasing activity way above normal levels, it becomes possible or more likely to work new entities and earn more certificates (DXCC, WAS, etc.).  Happiness is based on one's expectations, and achieving a series of small, but reasonable goals.  By looking back at previous scores, band conditions, and changes in my station, I try to set these goals so that I feel like I am going in a positive direction.  Occasionally breaking through pile-ups and getting that rare double mult brings a great sense of accomplishment, even if it only lasts a few seconds.  But then, you have to realize all the work and experience it took just to get to that moment of satisfaction.  

A general coverage radio is one that covers a broad radio spectrum, typically from 100 KHz to 30 MHz.  This includes airport beacons and other stations below the AM broadcast band, the AM broadcast band, and all the shortwave bands.  The shortwave bands are subdivided by usage, as SWL (shortwave listening - stations like Voice of America, BBC, Radio Canada International, etc.), amateur radio, commercial, etc.  There are also many different modes of communications, including AM, FM, CW (Morse Code), RTTY (teletype), SSB (single sideband for voice communication), and more recently, a host of digital modes that require special software with radios being interfaced to computers.  

Hope this helps.

Jerry
VE6CNU

Thanks for all the information and things to think about.  I just checked my TH6 and the wind load is rated at 6.25 sq ft.  There doesn't seem to be any information on wind load for the Ringo Ranger, but since it is a vertical antenna about 8' long and about 1" diameter (average), I doubt it adds 1 sq ft.  If the tower can handle 9+ sq ft, I should be within my limitations if I don't put anything else on it.  

I also agree that I don't really need such a long mast.  Thanks everyone for helping me decide!

Jerry
VE6CNU

I just acquired a 10 year old 56' heavy duty Delhi tower consisting of sections 8, 7, 6, 5, a straight 5, 4, and 3.  The original plan was to support 3 monobanders, so a long mast was engineered to extend from near the ground to about 10' (or more) above the top section (adjustable).  The mast is heavy duty steel with collars that screw together (engineered to this spec).  Altogether, the mast weighs probably 200+ lbs ?.  My plans include only a TH6 and Ringo Ranger to be supported by the tower and mast.  I have one professional expert who says I shouldn't use the long mast, as it will only make the tower more unstable.  Another expert says the opposite.  Originally, this tower was guyed from the top, but I do not plan on any guys.  Opinions?

Thanks for the suggestion, but I already talked to them a got a quote.  Shipping to Canada doubles, and possibly triples the cost (with customs) - that is, if they even allow galvanized iron into the country.  

I currently have the bottom 5 sections (40') of a Rohn BX tower (section 8 is at the bottom) and have a TH3 on top.  I would like to add another couple sections (sections 3 and 2) to go up to 56' and put a TH6 on top with a wind load of 6.25 sq ft.  I know about the 10' boom length restriction, according to Rohn, but if I extend the mast to near the bottom of the tower, the base should take up the majority of the torque.  I can't see this as any weaker than a Delhi, which has much fewer cross braces in each section.  Does anyone know if the old "Coke Bottle" Delhi sections will match the Rohn?  They look identical and I know where I can get sections 3 and 2.  Its a bit wintry now to go up and measure, so was hoping to find out if someone has tried it.  Thanks

Jerry, VE6CNU

I have a TS-530S and overcame this problem using a HAM KEYER HK-5A.  It has two outputs: "Direct" and "Grid".  The "Grid" output was designed for grid block keying and will work with your rig.  You can plug a paddle into the paddle jack and then connect your computer interface to a 2 conductor phone plug that goes into the Key input jack of the HK-5A.  In this way you can use your PC to generate CW and over-ride it with your paddle, if you so choose.

I've seen a bunch of these Keyers around and it shouldn't be too hard to locate one.

Jerry
VE6CNU

I have a Compaq Deskpro PIII/500 slimline PC with onboard soundcard, running Windows 2000.  I tried hooking it up to my Rigblaster PRO and found I needed a duplex soundcard to be able to use the processor capabilities of the PRO.  I found an Ensoniq PCI ES1370 SB64/128 WMD at a local shop for $2 and installed it.  After hearing what sounded like feedback, I went into the BIOS and turned off the onboard sound.  The processor now appears to work fine to the radio, and the PC volume controls appear to work fine (with the default MS drivers from 1999).  My problem is I can't get normal sound OUT of my PC, so I can't play recorded WAV files for use in contesting.  Right now the microsoft "ding" sound takes about 30 seconds to play - so I am getting some audio out.  I can't seem to find drivers for this card.  Any ideas what to try?  
Thanks... Jerry VE6CNU

I just put up a TH3 MK3 on a 40' Rohn tower (my first directional antenna). From my new tower I also installed a G5RV, but due to limited space in my yard, the ends of the G5RV are inches away from chain-link fence posts (about 4' from the ground) and the two sides of the antenna form about a 90 degree angle to each other.  I have not built the suggested balun yet, but my antenna tuner and rig (Kenwood AT230 and TS530s) show I am not able to tune up on any band other than 20m.  Perhaps I am trying to tune the chain link fence!

A friend has suggested a sloper or two, as I would like to have something better than my Butternut HF9V Vertical, which is in the back of my yard (with 9 radials). Unfortunately, I cannot string a wire over my roof to the front yard, so dipoles and inverted vees are tough.  I would like to be able to do 30m and 40m at the very least, and leave 80 to my Butternut.

One of the biggest challenges facing Ham Radio clubs is getting people to come to meetings.  I'm looking for presentation material (like PowerPoints, or what have you) that is informative and useful.  I know there are so many hams who have not been on the air in years, who could be enticed back into the hobby if there was an easy way for them to re-familiarize themselves with today's hobby.  I was one of them - and I'm still struggling to catch up for the past 25 years or so.  We also need to get new people interested.  So please let me know if you have some material or contacts/links so that we all can learn more about this great hobby.  I will be willing to share what I find out (and generate myself) with other hams.  Thanks!!!