A couple of things to note about the Pennsylvania QSO Party:
1. Last weekend 15 meters was open very nicely (on both days) to California
during the CQP. I suspect the band was also open further north, but since it
was not open from OR/WA to CA there was no W7 activity heard. So left
coasters, give 15 a try in PaQP. Please try CQing to make some noise so those
of
us back east might realize that the band is open.
2. Unlike most state qso parties, PaQP uses ARRL sections, not states, as
multipliers. Therefore activity from places like EWA, WTX, and all of
California will be especially appreciated!
3. Last year, as seems to be the norm these days, 40 meter CW was wrecked
by RTTY contest activity in the early evening hours. It turns out that the
RTTY DX contest of the week is the German sponsored Markrothen RTTY contest.
This contest has an interesting twist: it runs in three eight hour long
segments. The second of these segments ends at 0000z Sunday. Therefore if 40
meters
seems to be a waste early, check after 0000z and the RTTY QRM will likely
have disappeared. AFIK the RTTY Sprint (also Saturday night) hangs out higher
up in the band and its QRM is not an issue.
4. The European CW Sprint is Saturday, which may make things on 20 CW
rather confusing for the first few hours. It may be a battle between its
activity
migrating to the lower bands as that contest progresses and improving NA -
EU propagation later in the day. But in any event the EU sprint will be done
at 2000z.
5. PaQP runs from 1600z Saturday to 0500z Sunday, and then again 1300z to
2200z Sunday. I'll be out mobile as W3USA/M. Hope to see lots of you from PA!
73 - Jim K8MR
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