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
April 26 to May 26, 2008

MQFD Monthly Sprint (CW/PH/Digital) *** QRP Contest ***
Apr 26, 1800z to 2200z
Rules: http://w2agn.net/mqfdsprint.html

SP DX RTTY Contest
Apr 26, 1200z to Apr 27, 1200z
Rules: http://www.pkrvg.org/zbior.html

Florida QSO Party (CW/Phone) ...QRP Category
Apr 26, 1600z to Apr 27, 0159z and
Apr 27, 1200z to 2159z
Rules: http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/

Nebraska QSO Party (CW/SSB/Digital) ... QRP Category
Apr 26, 1700z to Apr 27, 1700z
Rules: http://www.qsl.net/hdxa/neqso/index.htm

Helvetia Contest (CW/SSB) (Swiss) ...QRP Category
Apr 26, 1300z to Apr 27, 1259z
Rules: http://www.uska.ch/e_index.htm

QRP To The Field (CW) ...QRP Contest!!
Apr 26, 1500z to Apr 27,0300z
Rules: http://www.zianet.com/QRP

FISTS/EUCW CW QRS Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
Apr 28, 0001z to May 2, 2359z
Rules: http://www.agcw.org/?Contests

QRP BARBERSHOP QUARTET CONTEST (CW QRP)... QRP Contest!
Apr 30, 9PM to 11PM EDT
Rules: http://www.io.com/~n5fc/barbershop_contest.htm

AGCW QRP/QRP Party (CW) ... QRP Contest!
May 1, 1300z to 1900z
Rules: http://www.agcw.org/?Contests

QRP MINIMAL ART SESSION (80M CW) *** QRP Contest ***
May 1, 1900z to 2300z
Rules: http://www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/mas/index.html

Ten-Ten International Spring Contest (Dig/CW)...QRP Category
May 3, 0001z to May 4, 2359z
Rules: http://www.ten-ten.org/calendar.html

7th Call Area QSO Party (Ph/CW) ... QRP Category
May 3, 1300z to May 4, 0700z
Rules: http://www.7qp.org

Indiana QSO Party (All) ... QRP Category
May 3, 1600z to May 4, 0400z
Rules: http://www.hdxcc.org/inqp/

New England QSO Party (Phone/CW) ... QRP Category
May 3, 2000z to May 4, 0500z
May 4, 1300z to May 4, 2400z
Rules: http://www.neqp.org/

Adventure Radio Spartan Sprint (CW) ... QRP Event!
May 6, 0100z to 0300z (First Monday 9 PM EDT)
Info: http://arsqrp.pbwiki.com/Spartan+Sprints

VK/trans-Tasman Contests (80 M Ph) ... QRP Category
May 10, 0800z to 1400z
Rules: http://home.iprimus.com.au/vktasman/RULES.HTM

FISTS Spring Sprint (CW) ... QRP Category
May 10, 1700z to 2100z
Rules: http://www.fists.org/sprints.html

CQM International DX Contest (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
May 10, 1200z to May 11, 1159z
Rules: http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/cqmidxc.htm

SKCC Weekend Sprint (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Category
May 11, 0000z to 0000z
Rules: http://www.iglou.com/sonic//skcc/wknd-sprint-rules.html

SKCC Sprint (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Awards
May 14, 0000z to 0200z
Rules: http://skccgroup.com/sprint/sprint-rules.htm

Dayton Hamvention (QRP Event - FDIM)
May 16-18
Info: http://www.hamvention.org/

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN CONTEST (CW)
May 17, 1200z to May 18, 1200z
Rules:
http://www.ure.es/hf/concursos/smelrey/basessmreyingles.pdf

EU PSK DX Contest ... Low Power (10W) Category
May 17, 1200z to May 18, 1200z
Rules: http://www.eudx.srars.org/

All America Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
May 17, 1500z to May 18, 2359z
Rules: http://www.powerline.com.br/cwjf/eng4.htm#regulamento

Baltic Contest (CW/SSB) (80 Meters)
May 17, 2100z to May 18, 0200z
Rules: http://www.lrsf.lt/bcontest/english/rules_html.htm

RUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
EDT: May 18, 9 PM to 11 PM
UTC: May 19, 0100z 0300z
Rules: http://fpqrp.net:80/fpqrprun.php

NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint *** QRP CONTEST! ***
EDT: May 21, 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM
UTC: May 22, 0030z to 0230z
Rules: http://www.arm-tek.net/~yoel/contests.html

MQFD Monthly Sprint (CW/PH/Digital) *** QRP Contest ***
May 24, 1800z to 2200z
Rules: http://w2agn.net/mqfdsprint.html

CQWW WPX Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
May 24, 0000z to May 25, 2359z
Rules: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/awards.html

VK/trans-Tasman Contests (80 M CW) ... QRP Category
May 26, 0900z to 1300z
Rules: http://home.iprimus.com.au/vktasman/RULES.HTM

QRP ARCI Hoot Owl Sprint (CW) ... QRP Contest!
May 25, 2000 to 2400 LOCAL TIME
Rules: http://www.qrparci.org

Michigan QRP Memorial Day Sprint (CW) ... QRP Contest!
May 26, 2300z to May 27, 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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