[CQ-Contest] MN QSO Party - 7-Feb-2009

[Robert Chudek - K0RC]

The Minnesota QSO Party is less than 3 weeks away and the rovers are warming up their engines!

All the contest details can be found on the Minnesota Wireless Association website here: http://www.w0aa.org/mnqp_rules.htm

But behind the scenes, 13 rovers have already signed up and announced their routes. In addition, many Minnesota fixed stations will be on the air from the highly populated counties as well. All 87 counties will be activated again this year! This provides you with the opportunity to claim a Clean Sweep, among numerous prizes!

More than half of the mobile stations will have APRS activated during their travels again this year. As you know, this technology allows you to track each station as they travel their route. You will find the details for using the APRS maps on the MWA website, here: http://www.w0aa.org/rovers.htm

If that isn't enough, you can download an Excel workbook that provides even more information. The individual mobile routes have been combined to create various views of expected ETA and durations for each county. Not only will you know what counties a specific mobile will activate, you'll know when to expect them and how long they will be in them. Folks, this is almost like fishing in a barrel!

Download your free XLS workbook copy using the website link, or directly from here:  http://tinyurl.com/a27mbk  Check back periodically for updates as additional rover stations confirm their plans.

The only things the MWA has left to chance are the propagation and the weather. And we got that streak of 20-below temperatures out of the way this past week!

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN (CHS)