Hi all...the issue I raised earlier this past weekend seems to have created a divisive issue within the club still and yet. First, Hal N4GG has reported in an email that he monitored

the cluster Saturday and did not see any issue with self spotting...so the direction the SECC and SEDXC to allow self spotting seems to have been a non issue. I have heard from a number of you in regards to the issue I raised. I for one do care the direction we proceed,. ARRL club or not, IT IS OUR QSO PARTY...and if we and our officers want to make self spotting ok, then it's ok.....this is not CQWW or ARRL DX...this is a state qso party where participation is directly related to publicity...spotting (read self spotting) is a form of publicity...and if we didn't have a problem Saturday ...then we don't have a problem going forward on this issue. Now is the time to take the pulse of the membership and if self spotting is what WE want then fine...if there is compelling reasons to not do then fine also...I think it is too easy to get wrapped around the axle and say in a blanket statement that self spotting is dangerous territory to head into...Once again it wasn't an issue on Saturday...

I think there was a NFARL web page with a link that was used by the mobiles to notify their moves etc...but was it a real problem?

Had there been a prolific amount of self spotting or out right begging for qso's, then maybe that's the place to draw the line...

I think the GQP team did a really great job with this years contest....I know first hand from my 2 years as President of the SECC that a tremendous amount of work goes into the successful

running of the GQP...this is the first year after NE4S has stepped aside and passed the reins to others and I think they have done an exceptional job.

Changes I would recommend to the GQP committee: and these are my input only, so take with a grain of salt.

1. Eliminate 160m ...activity level is low and not a single mobile I know has the capability.

2. Eliminate 6 m ...same reason as above

3. Eliminate the Multi-Multi QRP level...not necessary and did anyone even do it?

4. Consider mults by bands...i.e. you can work Illinois on each band and sub band for a mult??

5. The times for the contest need tweaking also. Activity dropped off Sat dramatically at 10 pm. Start Earlier on Sat?? Might consider the same changes for Sunday. I would be in favor of

a Saturday start around 10 am to 10 pm.