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
July 19 to August 24, 2008

VK/trans-Tasman Contests (160m CW) ... QRP Category
Jul 19, 0900z to 1300z
Rules: http://home.iprimus.com.au/vktasman/RULES.HTM

North American QSO Party (RTTY) /QRP Entries Noted
Jul 19, 1800Z to Jul 20, 0600Z
Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php

CQ WW VHF Contest (All, 6 & 2 Meters) ... QRP (10W) Category
Jul 19, 1800z to Jul 20, 2100z
Rules: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/awards.html

RSGB Low Power Field Day (CW) ...QRP Contest!
Jul 20, 0900z to 1200z
Jul 20, 1300z to 1600z
Rules: http://www.vhfcc.org/hfcc/calendar07.shtml

Colorado Gold Rush (20 mtr CW QRP) ... QRP Contest
July 20, 2000z to 2159z
Rules: http://www.cqc.org/contests/gold2008.htm

RUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
EDT: Jul 20, 9 PM to 11 PM
UTC: Jul 21, 0100z 0300z
Rules: http://fpqrp.net:80/fpqrprun.php

SKCC Sprint (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Awards
Jul 23, 0000z to 0200z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/sks/

Summer FOX Hunt - QRP 20M CW
EDT: Tue Jul 22. 9 PM to 1029 PM
UTC: Wed Jul 23, 0100z to 0229z
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

MQFD Monthly Sprint (CW/PH/Digital) *** QRP Contest ***
Jul 26, 1800z to 2200z
Rules: http://w2agn.net/mqfdsprint.html

Islands On The Air Contest (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
Jul 26, 1200z to Jul 27, 1200z
Rules: http://www.vhfcc.org/hfcc/calendar07.shtml

Flight of the Bumblebees (CW) ... QRP Contest!
EDT: Jul 27, 1300 to 1700
UTC: Jul 27, 1700z to 2100z
Rules: http://arsqrp.pbwiki.com/Flight+of+the+Bumblebees

Summer FOX Hunt - QRP 20M CW
EDT: Tue Jul 29. 9 PM to 1029 PM
UTC: Wed Jul 30, 0100z to 0229z
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

QRP BARBERSHOP QUARTET CONTEST (CW QRP)... QRP Contest!
Jul 30, 9PM to 11PM EDT
Rules: http://www.io.com/~n5fc/barbershop_contest.htm

Ten-Ten QSO Party (PH) ... QRP Category
Aug 2, 0001z to Aug 3, 2359z
Rules: http://www.ten-ten.org/QSOPartyRulesRevised.pdf
[http://www.ten-ten.org/calendar.html]

TARA "Grid Dip" Contest (PSK/RTTY) ... QRP Category
Aug 2, 0000z to 2400z
Rules: http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_grid_rules.html

EUROPEAN HF CHAMPIONSHIP (PH/CW) (EU work EU) Low Power Category
Aug 2, 1200z to 2359z
Rules: http://lea.hamradio.si/~scc/euhfcrules.htm

ARRL UHF Contest ... Low Power Category
Aug 2, 1800z to Aug 3, 1800z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/contests/calendar.html?year=2008

North American QSO Party (CW) ... 100W Max. (/QRP noted on entry)
Aug 2, 1800z to Aug 3, 0600z
Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php

Adventure Radio Spartan Sprint (CW) *** QRP Event! ***
Aug 5, 0100z to 0300z (First Monday 9 PM EDT)
Info: http://arsqrp.pbwiki.com/Spartan+Sprints

Summer FOX Hunt - QRP 20M CW
EDT: Tue Aug 5, 9 PM to 1029 PM
UTC: Wed Aug 6, 0100z to 0229z
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

Worked All Europe DX Contest (CW) ... 100W category
Aug 9, 0000z to Aug 10, 2359z
Rules: http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/xedcwr.htm

Maryland/DC QSO Party (SSB/CW) ... QRP Category
Aug 9, 1600z to Aug 10, 0400z
Aug 10, 1600z to Aug 10, 2359z
Rules: http://www.w3cwc.org/2008rules.html

SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Category
Aug 10, 0000z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/wes/

NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
EDT: Aug 12, 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM
UTC: Aug 13, 0030Z to 0230Z
Rules: http://www.arm-tek.net/~yoel/contests.html

Summer FOX Hunt - QRP 20M CW
EDT: Tue Aug 12, 9 PM to 1029 PM
UTC: Wed Aug 13, 0100z to 0229z
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

SARTG WW RTTY Contest ... Low Power Category
Aug 16, 0000z to 0800z
Aug 16, 1600z to 2400z
Aug 17, 0800z to 1600z
Rules: http://www.sartg.com/contest/wwrules.htm

QRP ARCI Silent Key Memorial Contest (CW) *** QRP CONTEST! ***
Aug 16, 1500z to 1800z
Rules: http://www.qrparci.org

North American QSO Party (SSB) ... 100W Max. (/QRP noted on entry)
Aug 16, 1800z to Aug 17, 0600z
Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php

NJ QSO Party (CW/SSB)
Aug 16, 2000z to Aug 17, 0700z
Aug 17, 1300z to Aug 18, 0200z
Rules: http://www.qsl.net/w2rj/

RUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
EDT: Aug 17, 9 PM to 11 PM
UTC: Aug 18, 0100z 0300z
Rules: http://fpqrp.net:80/fpqrprun.php

Summer FOX Hunt - QRP 20M CW
EDT: Tue Aug 19, 9 PM to 1029 PM
UTC: Wed Aug 20, 0100z to 0229z
Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/

Hawaii QSO Party (CW/SSB/Digital) ... QRP Category
Aug 23, 0700z to Aug 24, 2200z
Rules: http://www.karc.us/hi_qso_party.html

Ohio QSO Party (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
Aug 23, 1600z to Aug 24, 0400z
Rules: http://www.oqp.us/

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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