|
1-4 of 4 messages
|
Page 1 of 1
|
|
BRINGING OUT THE TROOPS FOR NJQP
|
Reply
|
|
by N2BA on August 3, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I would love to put some time in the NJ QSO party (barring other plans by the XYL). I used to be very active in this contest in High School and College 1966-74 and it was a lot of fun, with a good deal of activity. Last year I got on, and couldn�t find a single station on in the contest.
One year (I think it was 1974) a group of us set up what was a super station (at least for us then, KW and beams) and worked the contest Multi-2. We made something upwards of 1000 Qsos, almost entirely among DX stations that we had to explain the rules to. We�d make a long CQ, begging for a response, and often get a pile-up of casual operators happy to help out. However, the exchange really worked against having any fun in this contest. By the second day we had ditched the official rules, started working guys with our own exchange, We filled in the log with lot�s of assumed QSO number 001 and Countries derived from the Call. Because at the end we weren't sure we had a legal log we didn't send it in, but our score would have been a few times the best prior all-time record.
Two issues:
DX stations--I understand from the rules that DX stations count 3 points but don�t count as a multiplier. Do you realize how hard it is to get a DX station to send the name of his country? He thinks you are an idiot. Also, most DX countries don�t have easy to exchange standard abbreviations for their country name.
Report � Everyone wants a report if they aren�t in the contest. If you send an exchange of RST and QSO number, you'll often get and RST 001 back from the non-participant. But just sending a QSO number and no RST confuses the casual op who is looking for a signal report.
The contest would start out on CW and be hot for an hour or so working guys who are in the contest. Quickly we moved a station onto phone
Here is a typical type of exchange I remember from Sunday morning in the contest on phone (except we weren�t using my call in the contest).
Me: CQ CQ CQ NJ QSO PARTY, BUT PLEASE, ANYONE GIVE ME A CALL TO HELP ME IN THIS CONTEST, THIS IS NEW JERSEY STATION N2BA NOVEMBER TWO BRAVO ALPHA.
Him: G3XYZ
Me: G3XYZ YOUR NUMBER 439 SOMERSET
Him: N2BA YOUR 59 PLYMOUTH
Me: Well, I actually need your QSO number and country
Him: Uh, well, what number? I�m in zone 14 and I am in Great Britain.
(Note: What country are you guys expecting? DXCC? or does any one care?)
Me: No, I need to know how many New Jersey stations you have worked in this contest?
Him: Well I guess you are my number 1, except that I worked someone in New Jersey yesterday but I�m not sure if he was in this contest of yours.
Me: Thank you, I QSL, this is N2BA looking for anyone who could give me a QSO to help me out in the New Jersey QSO party. N2BA listening.
Him: Huh, this is G3XYZ again, could you give me a signal report, you are really loud here, 59 plus 10.
Me: Yea, you are 58.
Him: Thanks, good luck.
By the end we had modified the exchange to sound like:
Me: CQ CQ CQ NJ QSO PARTY, BUT PLEASE, ANYONE GIVE ME A CALL TO HELP ME IN THIS CONTEST, THIS IS NEW JERSEY STATION N2BA NOVEMBER TWO BRAVO ALPHA.
Him: F6ABC
Me: F6ABC, you are 59 and my contact number 933 in SOMERSET COUNTY, New Jersey
Him: You are 59 001, do you need anything else from me?
Me: No, that�s fine. We have a CW station at 14036, maybe you could work him there. Anyone else who can help us, this is N2BA looking for anyone to give us a QSO in the NJ QSO party.
Him: K5ZZZ
Me: K5ZZZ you are 59 and my contact number 934 in SOMERSET COUNTY, New Jersey
Him: You are 59 number 1 I guess in Sinkhole, Texas.
Me: Thanks, QRZ, N2BA
So the way we changed things was:
We gave everyone a signal report (cause they kept asking anyway).
We didn�t ask DX stations to tell us their country.
We sent our county and state. (Other US stations typically responding by sending their county and state. We discovered that if we just sent our county then other US stations also just sent us their county, without telling us their state. It was easier to just model what we wanted than to explain all the rules.)
Conclusion:
Other QSO parties that have a following can make up difficult exchanges. Not here, no one knows the rules except for the few NJ stations that might go out for it. Please make the exchange simply:
RST and County for NJ
RST and STATE/PROVENCE for US
And simply:
RST for DX.
This way, people can have casual QSO�s with people not really in the contest and get enough to make a valid entry in their log. If so much activity occurs this way that you really, really, must make the exchange more complicated to discourage some participants, then perhaps it makes sense to add a QSO number.
Any way, that's just my two cents. I'll try to get on, and if there is enough activity, I'm happy to put in a full effort.
73,
Brooke, N2BA
|
| |
|
RE: BRINGING OUT THE TROOPS FOR NJQP
|
Reply
|
|
by W2PA on August 9, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Brooke - I have to agree with all of your points. I too operated the NJQP back then. In fact, I believe we operated together for the one you talked about (NPP?).
The point is that the in-state participants make the contest happen by being active for most of the period, and the out-of-state stations, usually not in the contest at all, supply most of the contacts. So the objective should be to make it as easy as possible for these kinds of contacts to be made.
Back on N8LXR's original article..
It is kind of silly to ask a DX station for his country (usually). Maybe signal report and zone, or name or something else non-obvious.
Perhaps studying how the successful and active QSO parties are run would be instructive. TX and PA are not *both* big states. The fact that they both have successful QSO parties means that practically any state could do it regardless of land mass or population (to a degree).
To what extent do contest clubs around the country endorse or encourage participation?
73,
Chris, W2PA
|
| |
|
Where were the troups?
|
Reply
|
|
by AD1C on August 19, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I was pretty busy this weekend, but got on the air between 5-6 p.m. on Saturday and 6-7 p.m. on Sunday. Activity was VERY light and I never heard any mobile stations. I made 5 QSOS total, a couple on 40 CW and a few on 40 SSB. I was hoping to work my last two counties (Warren and Cumberland) but of course no luck there.
Where was everyone????
- Jim
|
| |
|
BRINGING OUT THE TROOPS FOR NJQP
|
Reply
|
|
by N2CQ on February 11, 2003
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Much late in the game to comment on but.....
One of the items that would "BRING OUT THE TROOPS"
would be to include a QRP Category. There are a
good size of QRP contesters, especially in PAQP,
CQP and others. Just include QRP Category to
compete other QRPers In-state and another outof state.
I pushed this a couple of years ago and the top winners were QRPers but not so recognized. Please
try it for 2003 won't you W2CC?
|
| |
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
Check our help page for help using
Forums, or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the
Forums Manager.
|
