[ILQSO] N9JF/m final plans and comments

[Jim Funk]

For those of you who don't like rambling commentary, I'll post the important stuff first, after which you may resume your regularly-scheduled programming.

N9JF/M route (KB9CES driver):
PIKE, CALH, JERS, GREE, SCOT, MORG, BROW, (MORG), CASS, MASN, FULT, MCDN, (FULT), KNOX, WARR, HNDR, (MCDN), SCHY, HANC, ADAM.

Now the other stuff....

I think someone is going to come out of the woodwork and activate CRAW....and (surely) KEND.  The response from stations the last few days has been tremendous; I am confident we will get all 102 counties on the air on Sunday.  Given the presence of K0PC and K9CQ, I will probably spend a disproportionate amount of time in the counties where we will likely be the only possible contact: CALH, JERS, GREE and MASN. If I have to skip something, it won't be those.

I gave serious consideration today to going Rover and using a dipole on county lines.  After trying to toss a rope into a tree for 20 minutes, I decided my nerves wouldn't take it even if I didn't manage to put a projectile through my car windshield.  Besides, K0PC needs SOMEBODY to be 2nd place mobile....

I will spend most of my time on CW.  The antennas seem to be working better this year, and I DO have 80 meters working this time!  I will not even try to call CQ on SSB, but I will probably go to 40 SSB in most counties if CW slows down.  If you are on 40 SSB calling CQ a lot, and IF YOU LISTEN FOR WEAK MOBILES, you may work me.  Some got a lot of counties from me last year on SSB.  Some never heard me.  That station down in the muck is probably a mult....

I will plan to "pick a frequency" and stay as close to it as possible as I change bands and counties.  Planning on 40.5 up from the bottom though will QSY to avoid conflicts of course.  So, if you find me at 7040.5 in one county, look for me there in the next one, and on 3540.5 and 14040.5.  I will probably go to 80 meters in every county though won't stay long there until about 2200Z.

We have mentioned in the rules the suggestion of a "mobile window" from 40-45 up from the bottom of each CW band.  It's just a suggestion, but it will make it a lot easier to work mobiles if home stations do not CQ in this window.  

Spotting:  Spotting is not only permitted but encouraged.  I personally think it makes more sense to use the http://ch.w6rk.com/  site since it is totally dedicated to counties; however, if you prefer the DX cluster or something else, have at it.  We, unlike some other QSO parties, do NOT encourage self-spotting.  Given that there is an element of competition in this "party", self-spotting seems a bit over the top.  But comments are welcomed....

Logs:  As per the rules page, please submit logs as attachments in Cabrillo format or as Excel files following the format in the sample file on the ILQP page.  Please send them to n9jf at arrl.net.  YOU SHOULD RECEIVE A RESPONSE WITHIN 24 HOURS. I am the "robot", so I get a bit behind right at the first when there are a lot of logs coming in at once.  My spam filter seems to catch several logs every year, and I have to retrieve these from another site.  If you do NOT get a response within 24 hours of submission, try again and also send the log to jfunk at adams.net.  

Please do NOT send a PDF file, a screen shot of a log sheet or anything else that cannot be dumped directly to Excel.  We have to manually enter these contacts, and there is always a possibility of mistakes in transcription.  If you have questions about file format, please e-mail me at n9jf at arrl.net.  We are still accepting paper logs at Box 3132 Quincy IL 62305-3132.

Weather looks to be nice on Sunday. Have a great time, be careful on the roads and get your logs in!

73, Jim N9JF

Best regards, 

Jim Funk
Customer Service Engineer

FOSS

800/547-6275 
option 1 for parts, option 3 for service
jfunk at fossna.com

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