[CQ-Contest] New England QSO Party

[Tom Frenaye]

Just one reminder about the 2009 New England QSO Party this year.   

The contest starts in less than 24 hours.  All 67 New England counties will be active.  We won't have quite as many mobiles as the Florida QSO Party (how do they do it?) but we'll have more than a dozen, and a large number of home stations.  

Last year's top scorer outside of New England had more than 600 QSOs.   We had more than 400 entries who made more than 70k QSOs.

The short description of the NEQP rules is:

*  The contest period runs from 2000Z Saturday May 2 until 0500Z Sunday May 3 (4pm EDT Saturday until 1am EDT Sunday) and 1300Z Sunday May 3 until 2400Z Sunday (9am EDT Sunday until 8pm EDT Sunday). 

*  Suggested frequencies are: CW - 3540 7035 14040 21040 28040, SSB - 3850 7280 14280 21380 28380.  ** Now that the broadcast stations are mostly out of 7125-7200, try 7180 on 40m SSB.**     Digital QSOs count the same as CW QSOs

*  New England stations send signal report, county and state, and can work anyone, including other NE stations.  Non-New England stations send signal report plus state/province/country.

The full rules are available on the NEQP web site at www.neqp.org

We have a wide variety of plaques - approaching 40 of them, plus some special awards, and certificates for everyone who sends in a log with 25 valid QSOs.   Thanks to the many clubs and individuals who have contributed!

The first day will certainly have a lot of competing activity from the 7th call area QP, the Indiana QP, and the MARAC County Hunter's QP - and maybe from the Italian (ARI) DX Contest.    That should mean there will be no lack of stations to work - even with no sunspots (a little one is disappearing around to the back of the sun).   The 7QP and INQP won't be around on the second day so it may be a little less crowded.

If you only plan to participate in the 7QP or INQP or MARAC or ARI contest, we'd still like to have your log and we'll take it in any format, though Cabrillo is preferred.   Don't bother to cull out the non-New England QSOs, we'll handle it.   If you log the county and state for New England stations we'll score it as a competitive entry - otherwise it will be used as a very much appreciated check log.   Send logs to logs at neqp.org

Contacts will also count for the ARRL's Year of the State QSO Party (and certificate) --> http://www.arrl.org/awards/ysqso/

Good luck to everyone - and have fun!

                -- 73 Tom/K1KI


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New England QSO Party - http://www.neqp.org - May 2-3, 2009