[SECC] This Weekend's Contests

[John Laney]

Hello all:

Of course, the big contest this weekend is CQ WPX CW.  Don't forget that 
it has Rookie and Tribander-Single Element comptitions.  You will want 
to follow instructions on the website to get the Category-Overlay 
information correct for the Cabrillo log file.

CQ WPX runs the full 48 hours of Saturday and Sunday UTC.  The exchange 
is RST plus serial number beginning with 001.  Single Ops are limited to 
36 hours and off times must be at least 60 minutes.  160 through 10 M 
CW.  No self spotting even for multi op or assisted categories. 
Contacts are worth more points on 160, 80, and 40 than on 20, 15, and 
10.  Multipliers are once per contest, not per band.  Stations within 
ones own country may be worked for both multiplier and QSO point credit. 
  There will be some very unusual and interesting prefixes QRV.  My 
friend, Mario, S56A, in Solvenia will be signing S5046A.  This is to 
celebrate the entry of Slovenia into the EU in the year 04.  There will 
be a number of DXpedition like contest operations QRV, including 
possible Bob, K4UEE, from Chile (with NP4FW/6) as CE3AQI or another 
Chilean call.  QRZ DX this week had a list of announced operations or 
you can find them on the NG3K website.  Lots of plaques and 
certificates.  http://home.woh.rr.com/wpx/WPXRules2004.pdf.

2.  Running exactly the same 48 hours as CQ WPX CW is the Great Lakes 
QSO Party, a regional QSO party on CW and SSB.  This covers, MI, IL, IN, 
WI, MN, OH, PA, NY, and ON.  A list of counties in each state is on the 
website.  Exchange for us, Name and SPC.  For Great Lakes area stations: 
  Name and S/P, and County.   Obviously, on CW you could add RST and 
serial number to count for both CQ WPX and the QSO Party if you could 
get the RST and serial number back.  I predict little to no CW activity 
in the QSO Party even though they have a CW emphasis in the scoring.  No 
county lines from mobiles.  Suggested frequencies:  CW:  3550, 7050, 
14050.  SSB:  3890, 7230, 14290, 21350, 28430.   Clearly you can work 
also 6 and 2 M.  It's not clear if you can make QSOs on 160 or not.  I 
guess since it isn't prohibited, it must be OK.  Note to QRP ops:  The 
rules seem to require that you include QRP in your exchange.  I guess 
you can take care of that by signing /QRP after your call.  There is 
offered a plaque for the highest CW total score.  I assume you would 
have little chance to win that unless you are from the target region, 
but you never know.  Apparently you can get free software for this 
contest and the N3FJP program covers it too.  Interesting note:  "We do 
not recommend nor support the use of WriteLog modules for our contests."
http://mdxal.org/GLQPRULESOG.html.

There are two QRP contests this holiday weekend.

3.  Hoot Owl Sprint.  Sponsored by QRPARCI.  Strange rule:  runs 8 PM to 
midnight your own local time.  I guess that means you can't work in the 
contest any DX station more than 4 time zones away because he couldn't 
be operating in the contest the same time you could be operating in the 
contest.  (I'd go ahead and work any DX I could anyway.)  160-10 CW. 
Exchange:  RST, SPC, QRPARCI membership number or power if you don't 
have one.  This one will start for us in the EDT zone immediately after 
the end of CQ WPX CW and will run for 4 hours for us.  Extra points for 
operating portable with a battery and temporary antenna.  SPC count as 
multipliers on each band.  Suggested frequencies:  up 5 khz and down 10 
khz from:  1810 (watch the bottom edge of the band, hi), 3560, 7040, 
14060, 21060, 28060.  Paper logs are required to use an entry form that 
can be downloaded from the webpage.  Note that there is an Online 
Contest Entry Form that can be accessed from the webpage.  Click on 
"Contest Home" to find it.  WB5KHC wants everyone to use that form and 
then either send logpages and the PDF form from the webpage to him by 
mail or by e-mail by use of a .log and a .sum file.  NA supports all QRP 
contests (except those that are both modes, for some reason). 
http://2hams.net/ARCI/hoot.htm.

4.  Mi-QRP Club Memorial Day Sprint.  Since I get federal holidays off 
work, I nearly always enjoy holiday sprints.  This one apparently starts 
as usual at 2300 UTC on Monday May 31 and runs for 4 hours until 0300 
UTC on Tuesday.  However, the website says May 30 to May 31.  WA7BNM 
gives it as Mon to Sun and I am sure that is correct.  Otherwise, it 
would be contrary to all the previous holiday sprints sponsored by this 
club and would start one hour before CQ WPX CW is over and would 
conflict with the Hoot Owl Sprint on the same frequencies for the next 
three hours.  I have e-mailed the contest manager N8CQA (bounced) and 
the Mi-QRP webmaster, KB8APS, with no response so far.
Exchange:  RST, SPC, Mi QRP number (or power output if no number).  160 
to 6 CW.  Same spot frequencies as above.  SPC count as mults on each 
band added together.  Bonus multiplier for homebrew gear, including 
kits, no matter who built it.  NA module for this contest is available 
from N8CQA.  http://www/qsl.net/miqrpclub/contest.html.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend and holiday with many enjoyable QSOs 
and points.

There is a club competition in WPX (combined CW and SSB), so be sure to 
include "South East Contest Club" on your Cabrillo log file heading.

73,


John, K4BAI.