[CQ-Contest] Time to get ready for FQP

[Jim White, K4OJ]

Greetings Fellow Radio Contesters and Floridians.

Once again the Florida Contest Group is proud to sponsor the Florida QSO
Party.

The Y2K running of the FQP produced our first ever clean sweeps of the 67
Florida Counties - this is only possible because of enthusiasm from both
inside and outside of Florida.

One entrant from Europe, LY3BA, a Lithuanian only missed two of the Florida
counties!  Again the FQP has grown in leaps and bounds...making it without
doubt the fastest growing state QSO Party!  We plan on keeping this momentum
going with the help of HF operators like yourselves.

N6MU dethroned WA3HAE as the outside of FL winner of the 2,000 FQP - but
'HAE had the honor of being the first to sweep in FQP. These are regular
participants in the FQP who keep coming back...because it is a fun contest!
The FQP is 10 through 40 meters, two 10 hour operating periods, phone and
CW.  Floridians work the rest of the world and the world works Florida.

We have been very VERY fortunate to have many mobile teams active during the
FQP and hope to once again air all counties during this year's contest.
Check the website to watch the color of the Florida Counties change from
Green to Orange as operators check in to announce their putting a county or
counties on the air.

If you are a FL ham who has HF mobile or fixed capability we hope you will
join us for the fun. It is almost like being a rare DX station!  Mobiles:
when you cross a county line you can count on making a lots of QSOs...trust
me - its a LOT of fun being rare!

The mobiles are fun targets to watch, if you are a county hunter needing
some fill ins for CHC in FL be sure to check the FQP web page listed below
for planned operations, many teams will be covering 20 or so counties over
the two 10 hour operating periods.  Perennial mobile winning team N4BP and
K4PG amassed over 1100 QSOs last year.   Both mobile and fixed Florida
stations can really stir things up on the bands...last years QSO King was
K4XS who ended up with over 2600 QSOs - not a bad showing for a 20 hour
contest!

Perhaps the best contest write-up you will find anywhere can be found at the
FQP website, Florida Contest Group club president and WRTC co-champion K1TO
again outdid himself with stats and data. Its all there on the write-up page
at the FQP website, not to mention the other useful information such as
rules, records and Florida county abbreviations as well as software
downloads.  The FQP is supported by all the major contest logging software
authors!

Like any party - the more the merrier.  The Florida QSO Party is no
exception, please join us - in case you were wondering, its:

44 Days til FQP 2,001.

April 28th and 29th - be there!


73,

Jim, K4OJ
Florida Contest Group - K4FCG

FQP Website:
http://www.qsl.net/fqp


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