AmQRP Contesting Page

QRP Contesting

by Ken Newman, N2CQ

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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 26 - July 25, 2010

Ukrainian DX Digi Contest (RTTY 75bps- PSK63)
June 26, 1200z to June 27, 1200z
Rules: http://www.izmail-dx.com/

Marconi Memorial Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
June 26, 1400z to June 27, 1400z
Rules: http://www.arifano.it/Contest_Marconi.htm

ARRL Field Day (CW/SSB/RTTY)... QRP Category
June 26, 1800z to June 27, 2100z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/field-day

QRP ARCI Milliwatt Field Day (ALL)... QRP Contest!
June 26, 1800z to June 27, 2100z
Rules: http://www.qrparci.org

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 3, 1100z to Jul 4, 1059z
Rules: http://www.drcg.de/

Original QRP Contest (CW) ... QRP Contest!
Jul 3, 1500z to Jul 4, 1500z
Rules: http://www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/oqrpr.html

Firecracker Sprint (PSK31 40M) ... QRP Category
Jul 3, 2000 to Jul 4, 0200 (Local Time)
Rules: http://www.podxs070.com/contests/40m_sprint_rules10.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

Adventure Radio Spartan Sprint (CW) ... QRP Event!
Jul 6, 0100z to 0300z (First Monday 9 PM EDT)
Info: http://adventure-radio.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Pag

Summer FOX Hunt - QRP 20M CW... QRP Contest!
EDT: Each Tue starting July 6, 9 PM to 1029 PM
UTC: Each Wed starting July 7 0100z to 0229z
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

FISTS Summer Sprint (CW) ... QRP Category
Jul 9, 2000 EDT to 2400 EDT
Rules: http://www.fists.org/sprints.html

IARU HF World Championship (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
Jul 10, 1200z to Jul 11, 1200z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/iaru-hf-championship

Feld Hell Club Sprint (Feld Hell) ... QRP Category
Jul 10, 1600z to 1800z
Rules: http://sites.google.com/site/feldhellclub/Home

SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Category
Jul 11, 0000z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/wes/

QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint (CW) ... QRP Contest!
Jul 11, 2000z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.qrparci.org

CWops Mini-CWT Test (CW) ... QRP Category
Jul 14, 1100z to 1200z and
Jul 14, 1900z to 2000z and
Jul 15, 0300z to 0400z
Rules: http://www.cwops.org/onair.html

Digital Mode Club (DMC) Contest (RTTY) ... QRP Category
Jul 17, 1200z to Jul 18, 1200z
Rules: http://www.digital-modes-club.org/

North American QSO Party (RTTY) /QRP Entries Noted
Jul 17, 1800Z to Jul 18, 0600Z
Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php

CQ WW VHF Contest (All, 6 & 2 Meters) ... QRP (10W) Category
Jul 17, 1800z to Jul 18, 2100z
Rules: http://www.cqww-vhf.com/

RSGB Low Power Field Day (CW) ...QRP Contest!
Jul 18, 0900z to 1200z
Jul 18, 1300z to 1600z
Rules: http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2010/rqrp.shtml

Colorado Gold Rush (20 mtr CW QRP) ... QRP Contest
July 18, 2000z to 2159z
Rules: http://www.cqc.org/contests/gold2010.htm

RUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
EDT: Jul 18, 9 PM to 11 PM
UTC: Jul 19, 0100z 0300z
Rules: http://www.fpqrp.com/

NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint *** QRP CONTEST! ***
EDT: Jul 21, 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM
UTC: Jul 22, 0030z to 0230z
Rules: http://home.windstream.net/yoel/contests.html

Islands On The Air Contest (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
Jul 24, 1200z to Jul 25, 1200z
Rules: http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2010/riota.shtml

Flight of the Bumblebees (CW) ... QRP Contest!
EDT: Jul 25, 1300 to 1700
UTC: Jul 25, 1700z to 2100z
Rules: http://adventure-radio.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

Thanks to SM3CER, WA7BNM, N0AX(ARRL), VA3JFF & G4GXL (QRPARCI), N2APB (AmQRP), WB3AAL (EPAQRP) 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
   http://www.n3epa.org/Pages/Contest/contest.htm
   http://www.amqrp.org/contesting/contesting.html
   http://www.qrparci.org/content/view/6134/130/lang,en/

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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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