AmQRP Contesting Page

QRP Contesting

by Ken Newman, N2CQ

About the AmQRP Club
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QRP Contesters,

Please send me your sprint or contest information and we'll get it listed in our popular QRP Contesting calendar!

If you wish to have the Calendar sent to you directly, send an e-mail to N2CQ@ARRL.Net

QRP CONTEST CALENDAR
December 20, 2008 - January 19, 2009

80 METER FOXHUNT (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Each Tuesday Thru Mar 24
9 PM to 10:29 PM Eastern Time USA
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org

40 METER FOXHUNT (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Each Thursday Thru Mar 26
9 PM to 10:29 PM Eastern Time USA
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

OK DX RTTY Contest
Dec 20, 0000z to 2400z
Rules: http://www.crk.cz/ENG/DXCONTE.HTM

Croatian CW Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
Dec 20, 1400z to Dec 21, 1400z
Rules: http://www.9acw.org/rules.html

Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Dec 21, 2000z to 2359z Rules: http://www.qrparci.org

RUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
EST: Dec 21, 9 PM to 11 PM
UTC: Dec 22, 0200z 0400z
Rules: http://www.fpqrp.com/

SKCC Sprint (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Awards
Dec 24, 0000z to 0200z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/sks/

RAC Canada Winter Contest (All) ... QRP Category
Dec 27, 0000z to 2359z Rules: http://www.rac.ca/service/contesting/

R A E M Contest .. Low Power category
Dec 27, 0200z to 0959z
Rules: http://www.srr.ru/CONTEST/cup_raem_engl_07.php

Original QRP Contest ... QRP Category
Dec 27, 1500z to Dec 28, 1500z
Rules: http://www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/oqrpr.html

Stew Perry (W1BB) Topband Distance Challenge (CW) ... QRP Category
Dec 27, 1500z to Dec 28, 1500z
Rules: http://web.jzap.com/k7rat/stew.html

MQFD Monthly Sprint (CW/PH/Digital) *** QRP Contest ***
Dec 27, 1800z to 2200z
Rules: http://w2agn.net/mqfdsprint.html

070 CLUB QRP DX SCRAMBLE (PSK31) ... QRP Contest!
Dec 28,0000z to 2400z
Rules: http://www.podxs070.com

80 METER FOXHUNT (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Each Tuesday to Mar 24 9 PM to 10:29 PM Eastern Time USA
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

40 METER FOXHUNT (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Each Thursday to March 26
9 PM to 10:29 PM Eastern Time USA
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

Straight Key Night (CW) UTC: Jan 1, 0000z to 2400z Info: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/skn.html

AGB "New Year SnowBall" Contest (80M CW/SSB) ...QRP Category
Jan 1, 0000z to 0100z Rules: http://www.ev5agb.com/contest/agb_nysb.htm

AGCW Happy New Year Contest (CW)...QRP Category
Jan 1, 0900z to 1200z
Rules: http://www.agcw.org/en/?Contests:Happy_New_Year_Contest

AGCW VHF/UHF CW Contest ... QRP Category
Jan 1, 1600z to 1900z (144 Mhz)
Jan 1, 1900z to 2100z (432 Mhz)
Rules: http://www.agcw.org/en/?Contests:VHF-UHF_Contest

QRPARCI Pet Rock Celebration (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Jan 3, 1500z to 1800z
(Bonus points for rockbound equipment)
Rules: http://www.qrparci.org/

ARRL RTTY Roundup ... <= 150W Category
Jan 3, 1800z to Jan 4, 2400z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/rtty.html

EUCW 160 Meter Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
Jan 3, 2000z to 2300z and Jan 4, 0400z to 0700z
Rules: http://www.agcw.org/eucw/eu160.html

Adventure Radio Spartan Sprint (CW) ... QRP Contest!
EST: Jan 5, 9 PM to 11 PM (First Monday each month)
UTC: Jan 6, 0200z to 0400z Rules: http://arsqrp.pbwiki.com:80/Spartan+Sprints

070 Club PSKFEST Contest ... QRP Category
Jan 10, 0000z to 2400z
Rules: http://www.podxs070.com//contests/pskfest_rules.htm

Michigan QRP Club Contest (CW) ... QRP Contest!
Jan 10, 1200z to Jan 11, 2359z Rules: http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub/contest.html

North American QSO Party (CW) (100w max. QRP Entries Noted)
Jan 10, 1800z to Jan 11, 0600z
Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php

SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Category
Jan 11, 0000z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/wes/

DARC 10-Meter Contest (CW/SSB)... <=100 W category
Jan 11, 0900Z to 1059Z
Rules: http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/xedczr.htm

LZ OPEN CONTEST (CW 80M/40M) ...QRP Category
Jan 17, 0000z to 0600z
Rules: http://www.lzopen.com/lz-open-contest/rules/rules.htm

North American QSO Party (SSB) (100w max. QRP Entries Noted)
Jan 17, 1800z to Jan 18, 0600z
Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php

ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes ... Low Power Category
Jan 17, 1900z to Jan 19, 0400z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/jan-vhf-ss.html

Run For The Bacon (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
EST: Jan 18, 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM
UTC: Jan 19, 0200z to 0400z
Rules: http://www.fpqrp.com/

Thanks to SM3CER, WA7BNM, N0AX (ARRL), N2APB, WB3AAL and others for assistance in compiling this calendar.

If you wish to subscribe to the Calendar, send an e-mail to N2CQ@ARRL.Net

Please forward the contest info you sponsor to N2CQ@ARRL.NET and we will post it in order to give it more publicity. Anyone may use this "N2CQ QRP Contest Calendar" for your website, newsletter, e-mail list or other media as you choose. (Include a credit to the source of this material of course.)

72 de Ken - N2CQ
n2cq@arrl.net

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QRP Contesting "Tips & Techniques"

I may not have anything new in contesting but it wouldn't hurt to review on these points. Anyone with more to add, PLEASE DO, and we'll add your input to the review.

ANTENNAS, ANTENNAS and ANTENNAS. Many would agree that antennas are the first three thing to improve our results in contesting for any kind, whether Sprint or Contest.

Sample of the above:

QRP Afield '96 was won easily by AC5AM, Bob Stolzle. Having been in the contest, we wondered how it could be that this guy was S9 the whole contest, and always there sending 950 MW power. Now we know. The complete story was published in the "72" of Jan. '97. Again, antennas. He found the highest point in the area which just happened to have an old, unused broadcast radio tower. He raised two full wave delta loops (20 and 40 meters) and inverted vee's (20/40 mtrs) at the 100' level. A coax switch is used to choose the best antenna for the incoming signals.

The 100' level probably made the difference, being a strong signal from a QRPp station. His point too is that resonant antennas do much better than those with tuners. The idea was to call CQ on the loop. If no answer, call CQ on the Vee, and so on. If answered on a weak signal, switch to the other one if received better.

Now on to the rest of the real QRP World. Not many are going to find a unused 100+ foot tower to raise these types of antennas. Given that for the Contest type of event, the next thing would be the Op.

For the Op, the biggest thing would be the amount of operation time he is having fun with. Very few put in the 24 hours for the QRP ARCI Spring and Fall contests. The ones in the "TOP TEN" list reached that level according to the hours spent, assuming they are more than average stations. How do they do that? First one have to have the desire. It becomes less desirable at the 15 hour level unless you had plenty of sleep before the contest. To stay there, you have to have the necessary operator comforts. You know what they are for you. Things like a comfortable chair and headphones will take you further.

The first thing that took me to longer operating duration was the memory keyer. With this you can be relaxed much longer and your fist won't give out.

In recent years, computer logging will go even further. I use "NA" for the QRCI contests. When calling CQ, you can set a repeat every few seconds. All you need do is listen. If a station is answering, press the "ESC" key to stop the repeats, and enter his callsign. Press the "INSERT" key, and the station is answered and your info is sent. (You can input an RST if you wish). Enter his info and press the "=" key and you have sent an OK and a QRZ. That is it. (Except the log that is printed at the end.) Given that, you could be there a much longer time.

What else for the operator? Practice, practice, and practice! The more you do the better you get.

There are some excellent links to more contest tips. I would recommend the K3WWP link first. If you have been in contesting, chances are you worked John. He is using a homebrew QRP tube transmitter with an indoor antenna. If you don't have the antenna like AC5AM had, you can relate to K3WWP. Look for his tips at: http://home.alltel.net/johnshan/contest_ss_tips.html

After that, you may want to check the tips from the top contesters. Check them out at: http://www.contesting.com This is not QRP but many of the suggestions will help us all in contesting. This covers the pre-contesting, equipment, operating, and post-contesting. Most tips assume that you are running a KW, beams and contest software.

Anyone have more QRP contesting tips? I'm sure all would like to hear about them and we'll add any that can help us along.

CU in the next 'test!

72/73,
Ken Newman, N2CQ
Woodbury, NJ
n2cq@arrl.net

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