[PaQSO] 2004 PARTY NEWS

[Charles W. McMullen]

TIDBITS FROM K3CM TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.

ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE COMING
The usual PA Party announcements went to the printer yesterday (8/30).  It 
is anticipated that they will be done on Wednesday (9/1) and be in the mail 
by Saturday.  Anyone who has participated (this means submitted a log or 
requested to be on the mailing list) in 2001, '02, or '03 will receive the 
mailing.  Others who wish to receive the mailing should send a SASE to my 
callbook address.  I have discontinued the use of bulk mailing for QSO 
Party stuff.  All mailings will use First Class, Priority, or Air Mail as 
the situation warrants.

MEET AND GREET WEST?
John, W3JXP and I are planning to attend the Butler Hamfest on September 
12.  I believe they are arranging for us to conduct a PA QSO Party forum 
there.  We have booked a table in the indoor vendor area and will have the 
above mentioned announcements and results from 2003 available.  We also 
have a few leftover 2003 "T" shirts and some unpersonalized PAQ coffee mugs 
available for sale.  It was great to meet and chat with the PAQers who came 
to Bloomsburg and we're looking forward to more of the same at Butler.

RULES CHANGES
I had previously mentioned some rules changes that were being considered 
for this year's party.  I have since decided to back away from them because 
of not giving the logging software authors advance information and allowing 
them time to get the changed coded.  I expect to open a dialog with at 
least one of them very soon so we can make changes for the 2005 party.

One minor change that will be made for the 2004 party has to do with 
logging and scoring contacts with county line stations.  BEFORE NOW, A 
CONTACT WITH A COUNTY LINE STATION WAS COUNTED AS ONE QSO BUT ALL COUNTIES 
WOULD COUNT AS MULTIPLIERS.  From looking at submitted computer logs, I 
believe that most logging programs will not allow more than one multiplier 
per log entry meaning that, if you needed more than one of the county line 
stations counties as multipliers, you had to enter the contact twice and 
then somehow subtract out the credit for the "extra QSO" while keeping the 
multiplier.  THE CHANGE IS THAT EACH COUNTY LINE STATION'S COUNTY WILL NOW 
BE CONSIDERED TO BE A SEPARATE QSO.  YOU WILL MAKE A SEPARATE LOG ENTRY FOR 
EACH COUNTY AND BOTH THE MULTIPLIER AND QSO POINT(S) WILL COUNT FOR EACH 
COUNTY.  THE COUNTY LINE STATION WILL STILL GIVE ONLY ONE NUMBER FOR THE 
CONTACT AND THAT NUMBER WILL BE USED FOR ALL THE LOG ENTRIES FOR THAT 
CONTACT.  This change should have very little impact on scores as there are 
usually never more than a few county line stations.

THE BONUS POINTS STATION
The 2004 Bonus Points Station will be operated by the Harrisburg Radio 
Amateurs Club using their club call, W3UU.  They are taking a different 
approach to running a high power multi-multi.  Instead of having all the 
stations in one place with the attendant antenna installation and 
interference problems, they will be running from a number of different 
locations.  In fact, since their members come from throughout the 
metropolitan Harrisburg area, they will be operating from a number of 
different counties.  This presents the possibility of not only working the 
Bonus Points Station on each band and mode, but also in each county!  If 
you work them on 80 SSB in Dauphin County, you can work them again on 80 
SSB in Cumberland.  So listen closely when you hear W3UU.  They may be 
operating from five counties or more.

IN CLOSING
Please feel free to print this info and pass it around or forward it to 
anybody who isn't reading the reflector.  I only ask that you not change 
the text or quote things out of context.  I think I've said everything just 
the way I want it.  If any clarifications are needed, let me know.

73, Chuck - K3CM
Coordinator, PA QSO PARTY 2004