[FARC] MAQP, Mid-Atlantic QSO Party

[Scott Galbraith]

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Hi Everyone-
 
     Now is the time to start making YOUR Plans for a contest on h.f. that is interesting and Fun for the Little Gun Contesters, Would Be Contesters, and those who want to find out what contesting is like.
 
    The event in question doesn't even have a category for the Big Gun contesters which goes a big way to level the playing field.
 
     This contest is the second coming of the Mid-Atlantic Qso Party which this year will be held the weekend of May 14 and 15.
 
     This particular contest is really different from most other contests out there. There are categories for regular power (no linear types) of stations and for QRP stations. Big guns can stay home or operate at reduced power to play with the rest of us.
 
There are categories also for Club/ Multi-Op and for Mobile Stations.
Actually the Mid-Atlantic Qso Party (<http://www.qsl.net/maqso/>www.qsl.net/maqso/) elevates the mobile stations and reward the mobile hunters with 3 point contacts.
 
Contacts may be made on almost any amateur bands including HF, VHF and UHF with the exception of the WARC bands.
 
Contacts may be made on Voice or via CW with CW contacts worth 2 points usually and phone contacts worth one point. (Mobiles are 3 points per contact regardless of mode.)
 
The best way to build up a score is to work multipliers and there are a lot out there to look for.  Washington DC is a multiplier, as are all the counties of 7 Mid-Atlantic States, (MD, DE, PA, NY, NJ, WV, and VA.)  If you live in one of the Mid-Atlantic States, other multipliers are each U.S. State and each Canadian Province. That is a lot of opportunities to build up a score for stations with hf capabilities.
 
Several folks, including a couple of clubs, have donated plaques covering most of the categories as top prizes. Where plaques aren't sponsored, certificates are available to category winners in each state.
 
Another thing that makes this contest most unique is the general sponsorship. There is no club assembled to make it happen. The contest is organized as possibly the only grass roots organized Amateur Radio Contest in the U.S.
 
It is sponsored by the Independent Mid-Atlantic QSO Party Committee, a group of volunteers. These volunteers include one or two representatives from each of the "Mid-Atlantic States" as accepted by the committee and these reps divide up the responsibilities in the hope that the show will go on.
 
WA3EOP is acting Secretary.  N2OCW is acting Treasurer. WG3E is webmaster. There are volunteers to order plaques, make certificates and do log checking.
 
The contest operates off donations from interested persons and this year, additional donations are needed to comfortably insure that all awards advertised will be issued on time. Persons and organizations wishing to make a donation to this effort should mail a check to N2OCW for that purpose.
 
Last year this contest was held for the first time and it was successful as a first time activity and fun for most who experienced this unique concept for an amateur radio activity.
 
We hope you will become radio active and participate.
 
Several dedicated logging programs have been written in support of this contest. Details are at the party website (again its <http://www.qsl.net/maqso/>www.qsl.net/maqso/) and at least 2 of these logging programs are free downloads and actually interesting programs to try. (WB3W's effort is new this year!) Several folks enjoyed the N3FJP program sold at $6 and used it last year.
 
Page  WA3EOP

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73 de Scott Galbraith
N3OK, Frederick County, MD
FM19ji
ARRL, QCWA 30013, GERATOL 2198, PVRC
NAVMARCORMARS - NNN0OPY, NNN0GAW
National Communications System SHARES
scottg (at) n3ok.com
nnn0opy (at) navymars.org