[CQ-Contest] Michigan QSO Party this coming weekend

[David Pruett]

The Mad River Radio Club invites all amateurs to join in the Michigan 
QSO Party this coming weekend, April 21, 2007 from 1600Z to 0400Z 
Sunday, April 22.  This is noon to midnight EDST (local Michigan) time 
on Saturday.

Historically, MiQP has a good turnout of Michigan stations for non-MI 
stations to work.  We have plans for a dozen or so mobile teams roaming 
around the state, and a good number of fixed operations promised by 
stations scattered around the state.  All 83 counties have operations 
planned, which would be the eight straight year that the state is 
completely covered.

One additional attraction this year is the offering of the "Mackinac 50" 
Award, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the completion of the 
Mackinac Bridge, which joins the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the 
state.  Those outside of Michigan may not be award of the Mackinac 
Bridge, which is the world's longest suspension bridge between 
anchorages (8,614 feet).  It is so long that it takes seven years to 
paint as part of its regular maintenance.  It's suspension towers rise 
552 feet above the water, and it's suspension cables contain 42,000 
miles of wire.

To celebrate the Mackinac Bridge 50th Anniversary, the Michigan QSO 
Party is offering the "Mackinac 50" certificate bearing a likeness of 
the bridge to any entry which can spell the word M-A-C-K-I-N-A-C using 
the first letter of the suffixes of the callsigns of Michigan stations 
worked.  For example, K8MQP counts as an "M", W8C counts as a "C", etc., 
with each QSO counting as one letter instance.  A number of Michigan 
stations will be celebrating the occasion by using 1x1 callsigns with 
suffixes to facilitate the spelling of "Mackinac".  Qualification for 
the Mackinac 50 award will be automatically verified during the log 
checking process for all entries, and the certificate automatically 
awarded at no cost to the entrant.

Full information, log/check/summary sheets and free logging software for 
MiQP is available on the MiQP web site; http://www.miqp.org.

More information about MiQP will be announced during the week, leading 
up to the event.

We hope to see a lot of you on the air this coming weekend.

73,

MiQP Committee