[CQ-Contest] NAQP - DC is now a multiplier

[Ken Low]

K6TU wrote:

"Now all we need is for more operators from DC to get on and contest."

Hi Stu -

It's easy to see the historical activity by reviewing 3830 postings from W3DQ, NN3RP, N8HM, 4U1WB, W3HAC, KE3X and others.

In the past, we have always marked our calendars for those events where DC was a unique Multiplier (ARRL DX, ARRL 10-Meter, CQ 160, RTTY Roundup, etc).   You can see evidence of that in the 3830 postings for those events across all 3 modes.

Now that NAQP and the NA Sprints have added DC as a unique Multiplier also, you'll see activity increase even more.

As to the issue of 'there's too much electrical noise in cities to be effective in contests', in my experience that's simply not the case.   Maybe I'll never win a DX contest from my DC station, but hundreds of QSO's can be logged with no problem. W3DQ and NN3RP have posted many years contest entries as evidence of this.  

Some representative examples from my station are:

- 821 QSO's (LP) 2013 ARRL DX Phone
- 1118 QSO's (M/S) 2013 ARRL 10
- 910 QSO's (M/S) 2013 ARRL 160
- 478 QSO's (HP) 2014 CQWW RTTY
- 554 QSO's (HP) 2014 MDC QSO Party
- 701 QSO's (HP) 2016 CQ 160 CW
- 525 QSO's (QRP) 2016 NAQP CW (Aug)

Also we made many thousands of QSOs from DC as W1AW/3 during the ARRL Centennial event.    That was really cool to be able to run JA's from DC on 15-Meter CW!

There will be a full complement of DC ops active in NAQP this weekend and throughout 2017 - we look forward to working everyone.

73,

Ken KE3X