AmQRP Contesting Page

QRP Contesting

by Ken Newman, N2CQ

About the AmQRP Club
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QRP Contesters,

Please send me your sprint or contest information and we'll get it listed in our popular QRP Contesting calendar!

If you wish to have the Calendar sent to you directly, send an e-mail to N2CQ@ARRL.Net

QRP CONTEST CALENDAR
June 5 - July 5, 2009

Digital Pentathlon (PSK) 50W Max
June 5, 1800z to 2200z
Rules: http://dqso.net/index.files/digipen-en.html

Open Season Ten Meter PSK ... QRP Category
June 6, 0000z to June 7, 2400z
Rules: http://www.ten-ten.org/oseason/oseason.html

Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
June 6, 0600z to 0800z
Rules:
http://qrp.ru/modules/sections/index.php?op=viewarticle&artid=7&page=1

IARU Region 1 Fieldday (CW) ... QRP Category
June 6, 1500z to June 7, 1459z
Rules: http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/iarur1fd.htm

Alabama QSO Party (Ph/CW) ... QRP Category
June 6, 1600z to June 7, 0400z
Rules: http://www.alabamaqsoparty.org/2009/2009Rules.pdf

NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
EDT: June 9, 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM
UTC: June 10, 0030Z to 0230Z
Rules: http://www.arm-tek.net/~yoel/contests.html

ANARTS WW RTTY/Digital Contest
June 13, 0000z to June 14, 2400z
Rules: http://anarts.com.au

GACW WWSA CW DX Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
June 13, 1500z to June 14, 1500z
Rules: http://gacw.no-ip.org/contest.html

ARRL June VHF QSO Party
June 13, 1800z to June 15, 0300z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/june-vhf.html

SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Category
June 14, 0000z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/wes/

West Virginia QSO Party (SSB/CW)... QRP Category
June 20, 1600z to June 21, 0200z
Rules: http://www.qsl.net/wvsarc/

AGCW VHF/UHF CW Contest ... QRP Category
June 20, 1600z to 1900z (144 Mhz)
June 20, 1900z to 2100z (432 Mhz)
Rules: http://www.agcw.org/en/?Contests:VHF-UHF_Contest

RUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
EDT: June 21, 9 PM to 11 PM
UTC: June 22, 0100z 0300z
Rules: http://www.fpqrp.com/

SKCC Sprint (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Awards
June 24, 0000z to 0200z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/sks/

Marconi Memorial Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
June 27, 1400z to June 28, 1400z
Rules: http://www.arifano.it/Contest_Marconi.htm

ARRL Field Day (CW/SSB/RTTY)... QRP Category
June 27, 1800z to June 28, 2100z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/fd.html

QRP ARCI Milliwatt Field Day (ALL)... QRP Contest!
June 27, 1800z to June 28, 2100z
Rules: http://www.qrparci.org

MQFD Monthly Sprint (CW/PH/Digital) *** QRP Contest ***
June 27, 1800z to 2200z
Rules: http://w2agn.net/mqfdsprint.html

RAC Canada Day Contest (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
Jul 1, 0000z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.rac.ca/service/contesting/

DL-DX RTTY Contest (RTTY/PSK)
Jul 4, 1100z to Jul 5, 1059z
Rules: http://www.drcg.de/

Original QRP Contest (CW) ... QRP Contest!
Jul 4, 1500z to Jul 5, 1500z
Rules: http://www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/oqrpr.html

Firecracker Sprint (PSK31 40M) ... QRP Category
Jul 4, 2000 to Jul 5, 0200 (Local Time)
Rules:
http://www.podxs070.com//contests/40m_sprint_rules08.htm

MI QRP Fourth of July Sprint (CW) ... QRP Contest!
Jul 4, 2300z to Jul 5, 0300z
Rules: http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub/contest.html

Thanks to SM3CER, WA7BNM, N0AX (ARRL), N2APB, WB3AAL and others for assistance in compiling this calendar.

If you wish to subscribe to the Calendar, send an e-mail to N2CQ@ARRL.Net

Please forward the contest info you sponsor to N2CQ@ARRL.NET and we will post it in order to give it more publicity. Anyone may use this "N2CQ QRP Contest Calendar" for your website, newsletter, e-mail list or other media as you choose. (Include a credit to the source of this material of course.)

72 de Ken - N2CQ
n2cq@arrl.net

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QRP Contesting "Tips & Techniques"

I may not have anything new in contesting but it wouldn't hurt to review on these points. Anyone with more to add, PLEASE DO, and we'll add your input to the review.

ANTENNAS, ANTENNAS and ANTENNAS. Many would agree that antennas are the first three thing to improve our results in contesting for any kind, whether Sprint or Contest.

Sample of the above:

QRP Afield '96 was won easily by AC5AM, Bob Stolzle. Having been in the contest, we wondered how it could be that this guy was S9 the whole contest, and always there sending 950 MW power. Now we know. The complete story was published in the "72" of Jan. '97. Again, antennas. He found the highest point in the area which just happened to have an old, unused broadcast radio tower. He raised two full wave delta loops (20 and 40 meters) and inverted vee's (20/40 mtrs) at the 100' level. A coax switch is used to choose the best antenna for the incoming signals.

The 100' level probably made the difference, being a strong signal from a QRPp station. His point too is that resonant antennas do much better than those with tuners. The idea was to call CQ on the loop. If no answer, call CQ on the Vee, and so on. If answered on a weak signal, switch to the other one if received better.

Now on to the rest of the real QRP World. Not many are going to find a unused 100+ foot tower to raise these types of antennas. Given that for the Contest type of event, the next thing would be the Op.

For the Op, the biggest thing would be the amount of operation time he is having fun with. Very few put in the 24 hours for the QRP ARCI Spring and Fall contests. The ones in the "TOP TEN" list reached that level according to the hours spent, assuming they are more than average stations. How do they do that? First one have to have the desire. It becomes less desirable at the 15 hour level unless you had plenty of sleep before the contest. To stay there, you have to have the necessary operator comforts. You know what they are for you. Things like a comfortable chair and headphones will take you further.

The first thing that took me to longer operating duration was the memory keyer. With this you can be relaxed much longer and your fist won't give out.

In recent years, computer logging will go even further. I use "NA" for the QRCI contests. When calling CQ, you can set a repeat every few seconds. All you need do is listen. If a station is answering, press the "ESC" key to stop the repeats, and enter his callsign. Press the "INSERT" key, and the station is answered and your info is sent. (You can input an RST if you wish). Enter his info and press the "=" key and you have sent an OK and a QRZ. That is it. (Except the log that is printed at the end.) Given that, you could be there a much longer time.

What else for the operator? Practice, practice, and practice! The more you do the better you get.

There are some excellent links to more contest tips. I would recommend the K3WWP link first. If you have been in contesting, chances are you worked John. He is using a homebrew QRP tube transmitter with an indoor antenna. If you don't have the antenna like AC5AM had, you can relate to K3WWP. Look for his tips at: http://home.alltel.net/johnshan/contest_ss_tips.html

After that, you may want to check the tips from the top contesters. Check them out at: http://www.contesting.com This is not QRP but many of the suggestions will help us all in contesting. This covers the pre-contesting, equipment, operating, and post-contesting. Most tips assume that you are running a KW, beams and contest software.

Anyone have more QRP contesting tips? I'm sure all would like to hear about them and we'll add any that can help us along.

CU in the next 'test!

72/73,
Ken Newman, N2CQ
Woodbury, NJ
n2cq@arrl.net

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