[OKDXA] Oklahoma QSO Party

Tue Mar 2 23:34:01 EST 2010

Hi Mark et all:

Pointers?  More of an encouragement statement than pointers but a few 
comments I shall make.

I told James - Key the mic - call CQ OKQP then work 'em.  To simplify 
logging during the QSO party there are programs like N3FJP's module that is 
designed specifically to do just the OKQP.  At $6 it contains specifics to 
the scoring format and is quite easy to set up and use.  Others like N1MM ( 
a free one I understand ) does much - includes dozens of contest formats - 
tracking of all sorts of stuff but carries with it a fair learning curve 
for a new operator like James.  It is quite popular however and for the 
money is hard to beat!  Using a laptop keeps everything organized but I 
have used pencil and paper in the past.  Sending in an electronic log is 
appreciated but don't let that stop you from getting on and handing out a 
county.

James asked about which counties might be in need.  The past two years ALL 
77 Oklahoma have been on the air and one station N6MU has done what the 
ARRL calls a "Clean Sweep".  He worked all 77 counties in the 18 hour 
period of the party.  Quite a feat - several others have hit 75 and 76. 
However, we have improved each year here in the state by getting more and 
more activity on from all counties.  We have had a number of out of state 
mobiles come up or over just to run with us - the more the merrier if you 
are out of state.  There are "rare" counties even with the coverage that 
mobiles have made these past few years.  Those would be places to garner 
more Qs with a portable / fixed operation.  I think of McCurtain, 
Pushmataha, Hughes, Latimer and a maybe a few to the southwest.  Actually, 
it is hard to know from year to year which are the most rare.  Each year 
there is discussion about who will "run" the panhandle.  Last year Al N5UM 
did it and he said he had a great time.  Out there you just have to watch 
out for varmits on the road.  Last year a Texas fellow out of Amarillo 
considered getting a room in Boise City to work Cimarron ( CIM ) county for 
the whole party.  He could have stayed busy most of the 18 hours had he 
been able to make it.  Cimarron, Texas and Beaver counties are three that 
few OK hams reside in so fixed / portable operations from there are not common.

As with any fixed / portable operation - signal - is what makes for a pile 
up.  Hmmm, that seems to be a theme in this radio stuff.  Louder is 
better.  Kind of a no brainer I guess.  If you can run a generator / amp 
and have a tall tunable zepp style thing between a couple of rather large 
trees you will be heard.  I sat at Skiatook lake one year and worked 
Florida mobiles in their QSO party while I was using 100 watts and two 
hamstiks sitting on top of a 10 foot high shed.  Had to grunt now and then 
but had fun working them with such a modest setup.  I forget exactly how 
many Qs I made but it was a couple hundred or so in a few hours on the air.

I would suggest a portable set up for something like the QSO Party could be 
very similar to what you might construct for a Field Day.  Not being one of 
the big contests like CQ Worldwide or the ARRL DX contest a QSO party 
"feels" like a Field Day type of thing to me.  Fun to operate and out of 
state operators appreciate the extra stations to log for the time spent in 
their chairs.  Most of them look for fixed / portable stations between 
chasing mobiles around the state.  Makes for a good time for them which is 
what we try to do from Oklahoma - treat the rest of the world to some FB 
Oklahoma operating.

There's my words of encouragement.  I have all the records / logs of the 
QSO party since it was restarted back in 2002 by W5ATV.  If you have 
questions let me know.  It has grown large since then and I am pleased to 
be part of it each year as we put Oklahoma on the air.

K5YAA

At 03:24 PM 3/2/2010 -0600, you wrote:
>I also plan to operate portable from Holdenville.. How about sharing the
>pointers with the group??
>
>Mark
>AE5MH
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: okdxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:okdxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
>On Behalf Of Jerry Chouinard
>Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 12:24 PM
>To: Discussion of OKDXA
>Subject: Re: [OKDXA] Oklahoma QSO Party
>
>James:
>
>You will have fun portable.  I will send you a few pointers on the event to
>your individual email.
>
>Jerry - K5YAA
>
>At 11:19 AM 3/2/2010 -0600, you wrote:
> >Is anyone planning on working portable for the QSO event? I have never
> >participated in a QSO party and was looking for someone to help show me
> >the ropes. I am located in Beggs, Ok, but don't mind a road trip if that
> >is what it takes. I plan on operating with my FT-897 and my buddistick.
> >
> >73,
> >James Taggart, KE5SWU
> >______________________________________________________________
> >OKDXA mailing list
> >Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/okdxa
> >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> >Post: mailto:OKDXA at mailman.qth.net
> >
> >This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> >Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>______________________________________________________________
>OKDXA mailing list
>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/okdxa
>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>Post: mailto:OKDXA at mailman.qth.net
>
>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>______________________________________________________________
>OKDXA mailing list
>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/okdxa
>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>Post: mailto:OKDXA at mailman.qth.net
>
>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html