[CQ-Contest] QSO Party Rules

[James Duffey]

To the extent that this is an issue, it is really only an issue for those states or entities that have a lot of counties. And, then it is as much an issue of how individual mobiles choose to operate as it is the rules. There is a fine balance between writing rules so that there are both a lot of in-state and a lot of out-of-state contestants. 

I operate QSO parties mobile much like I operate contests from a fixed station.  I suspect that most serious contesters/QSO party mobiles do the same. I run until I run out of stations to work and then, if I am stopped, move on to the next stop.  If I have a driver and operate in motion, I usually still have stations available when I come to a new county. When the sunspots are poor, as they have been for much of the time I have operated QSO parties, during the day, I try to emphasize 20M, but do not neglect 40M as there are usually stations there. I don’t operate 80M as that is an exercise in antenna frustration. For me, time and effort are better spent on 40M and up. Having said this, when 20M folds, there is no choice for a competitive mobile than to go to 40M. I never stop to think that I should look for more in-state QSOs to get more multi, unless there is a bonus for such.  

Having said all that, many of the mobile entries in the larger states are not serious contesters and like to get on and work their friends in the contest. I am not sure that would change if intrastate QSOs did not count for multipliers.

One of the attractions of state QSON parties is that the rules are varied, as is the geography and skill of operators, and each has its own attraction. I operate pretty much all of them that I can get to easily or put in a serious effort from home.  You can operate those you like and don’t operate those you don’t like, but don’t expect the sponsors to change the rules to accommodate out of state individuals.  It is not a one size fits all situation, and most, but not all, state QSO parties are held primarily for the benefit of the residents of the state. 73 - Duffey KK6MC

> On Sep 18, 2022, at 11:00, K9YC wrote:
> 
> I've long enjoyed working QSO parties, and have won a few, but one 
> scoring rule for many of them discourage my participation, and caused me 
> to avoid them. The rule awarding multipliers to in-state stations for 
> their counties causes mobiles to avoid the higher bands while those 
> bands are still open, causing me to miss multipliers. I won't be on for 
> TXQP and the Salmon Run, both this weekend.
> 
> Other parties that I've worked in the past but abandoned for that reason 
> include TNQP, NEQP, and PAQP.
> 
> Parties that I will work include FLQP, GAQP, 7QP, and CQP.