[MiQP-Mail] Anyone for Michigan QSO Party?

Sun Mar 30 10:56:21 CDT 2014

Hi Hank and everyone,

Hadn't really looked closely at the results and didn't realize the county
count was that low.  I didn't look at what my total worked counties were, I
didn't get much in the western UP and not sure about downstate.  I passed
two other mobile runners while running the contest and got a chance to talk
with them and get some ideas (even though the CW isn't an option, yet,
hihi).  It would be great if all counties could get activated, I am a
county hunter as well and like to work QSO parties to get the counties.
 The extra points are very nice too.

I wholeheartedly agree with getting the word out on the contest.  I was
going to write up an article immediately after the contest, but got
sidetracked and didn't get it done.  When I took over as our local club
newsletter editor, "he" was looking for articles and thought I would finish
it up.  I didn't take an interior shot of the setup, but will be including
that in a future article on mobile ops.  If you are a member of a club, a
short article on your experiences is a great way to help get interest in
the contest.  I uploaded our newsletter, and my article is on page 4 at:
http://webpages.charter.net/reesjr23/Airscoop%20201403.pdf

One thing that I would like to really encourage too, which I ran into last
year, is be very familiar with the rules.  I know some people don't like to
read manuals, personally I keep my TS-480 and IC-208h manuals in the car
and refer to them often.  I was told on several occasions that I was a
dupe, and had to explain that as a mobile when I jumped a county line that
I could be worked again from the new county.  Some sounded skeptical even
after I explained it, and and late in the contest I worked several stations
that kept tabs on my progress to get a new county/band, which being alone
in the car for that long and many miles made the trip more enjoyable.  I
really do highly stress to keep a printout of the rules and the Operating
Tips handy so you are ready to contest.

With only 3 weeks until the contest, I hope everyone is getting their final
preparations together.  I am ordering a programmable controller for my
Little Tarheel II (probably upgrading to a larger style next year for
better 40/80M ops for next year) and have that installed for the contest.
 Make switching bands much more painless and hopefully quicker than
listening to the noise levels.  My new laptop batteries are here, along
with a new charger and the updated N3FJP software installed and tested.

Very excited for the contest and hope to work everyone at least once, maybe
a few times on different bands/counties.

73,

Jeremy, N8YP/m
Escanaba, MI
Vice President / Newsletter Editor
Delta County Amateur Radio Society
http://www.qsl.net/n8yp/

On Tue, Mar 25, 2014 at 10:32 AM, Hank Greeb <n8xx at arrl.org> wrote:

> Richards:
>
> Thanks for your comments.  It's nice to know that people like you actually
> read my messages!
>
> It would really help if a cadre of people in the more populated areas
> would look at previous years' results and picked out counties with NO or
> marginal fixed stations results.   Then, either individually, or as a group
> or club, organize a dx(?)pedition to that county to set up a portable
> operation.   One eventual goal of the Michigan QSO Party organizers is to
> solicit participation of at least one operator of a fixed station in each
> county.  This is preferably a permanent resident at his/her home.  But a
> significant portable operation will suffice.
>
> In 2013, only 52 of the 83 counties were present with fixed or
> "significant portable" operations. (If my parsing of the spreadsheet report
> is accurate.)  So, there's a gap of 31 additional counties to activate with
> fixed stations during the 2014 event.  The way with most impact would be
> for each operator in the past MIQPs to be a recruiting agent - i.e. when
> talking with stations in other counties, give a "plug" for the upcoming
> Michigan QSO Party.  Do you have a ham friend or relative in a sparsely
> populated county?  Urge her or him to get on, at least for a few hours,
> during noon to midnight April 19?
>
> Do you operate on one or more of the several organized nets?  Put out an
> "all station" message, inviting them to participate.   Beat the drum, pass
> the torch, shout from the highest mountain!  (You get the idea?)
>
> All of the above should not minimize the impact of the mobile operators.
>  But, with even 20, 30 or sometimes more contacts while traversing a
> county, they can't do justice to the total number of stations who would
> like to work a station in that county.
>
> I'll "probably" be in MUSKegon county this year.  It will be hard to break
> my last year's record from IONIa county, because there was one significant
> fixed station who reported last year from MUSKegon. I've found that it
> certainly helps to be the only station active within a county!  But, with
> Easter being the day after the MIQP, I figure staying near home is most
> prudent.
>
> Note - last year W8M (N8MRC op) was planning to be on from IONIa county.
>  Unfortunately for MiQP, he was called to help with flood relief in the
> county.  Lettuce prey that the Grand River doesn't flood this year, and
> that N8MRC can represent IONIa this year.
>
> 72/73 de n8xx Hg
> QRP >99.44% of the time
>
> On 3/25/2014 08:00,  "Richards" jrichards at k8jhr.com wrote:
>
>> (I also see you "urge" all of US to operate from our "own" stations,
>> while YOU plan to operate remotely...)
>>
>
>
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-- 
Thank you and 73,

Jeremy Reese, N8YP
Escanaba, MI
http://www.qsl.net/n8yp/
http://n8yp.rrpicturearchives.net/
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