[CQ-Contest] CQP Practice Session this Friday

[Dean Wood]

California QSO Party Practice Session
Date;    Friday, October 1, 2021
Time:    4:30PM - 5:00PM PDT  (2330 UTC - 0000 UTC)
Bands:    20M, 40M, 80M
Modes:    Both CW and Phone
Exchange and Center Frequencies:
Same as those shown in the CQP Rules at https://www.cqp.org/Rules.html

All are welcome to participate.

On CW:
Use the macro that you'll use in the real CQP:
For example, "CQ CQP <callsign>"

On Phone:
Call  "CQ California QSO Party Practice"

Benefits of participating in the practice:
* Check antennas, logging software, CW keyer, CW macros, radio, amplifier,
mic, mic gain / compression setting.
* Check propagation and see how you were heard on CW by searching for your
callsign after the practice on http://www.reversebeacon.net

This practice is 3 hours earlier than we have held these practices in past
years.  Rationale for trying something new this year:

* Test our 20m antennas while the band is still open between CA and North
America.
* 40m will be open at this time as well.
* 80m will provide easy, short-skip QSOs between W6 stations before the
band goes long and gets noisy.
* Test antenna system before darkness in CA.  W6 stations will be able to
debug an antenna or coax problem found in the practice on Friday before
darkness instead of having to wait until sunrise on Saturday.
* Most CA participants interested in a Friday practice are either:
-Retired, or
-Taking the day off work to go on a county expedition, or
-Still working from home with flexible hours and probably have the ability
to take a 30 minute break on Friday between 4:30PM and 5:00PM Pacific.

** No 75m net after the practice.  Have dinner, spend time with the family
or fix problems found during the practice. **

All 58 California counties will be on the air in the CA QSO Party this
weekend!
1600Z October 2 - 2200Z October 3

Please see our web page at:
https://cqp.org

73...
-Dean - N6DE
CQP 2021 Chairman