Hey TVARCers,

This is our big weekend to be the hunted!  The FQP gets enormous activity across the US/Canada, as well as a handful of DX stations.  And they all want to talk to us here in Florida.  It’s CW and SSB only, on 10-15-20-40 meters.  The contest starts at noon Saturday, goes for ten hours, and then again on Sunday, beginning at 8A, also for ten hours.  The rules are here: https://floridaqsoparty.org/rules/

Tom, K3WT, and I will be out there in Expedition mode, which means we’ll go to a few counties each day, park the car, and then set up the station each time.  Our callsign will be K3WT.  We’ll be on CW mostly, but also SSB, and mostly on 20 and 40, although 15 is possible, and maybe even 10 meters if conditions warrant.  We’ll have inverted vees for 20 and 40, and hope that the IC-7300 tuner can handle the other bands.

There will be many mobiles going from county to county out there, and they have a dedicated window for CW in which they will operate.  Even though we’ll be changing counties all day, we are not permitted in that window (7.025-35, 14.040-50, 21.040-50, 28.040-50).  If you want to look for us, we’ll try to be just above those ranges, but groundwave only takes us so far, so not sure we’ll be able to work many of you.  For SSB, we’ll just try and find a hole somewhere in the QRM.

The exchange is simple – 59(9) and your county abbreviation (SUM, LAK, MAO for our Villages counties).  I’ll compile the TVARC scores for the next meeting, so get out there and call CQ, and enjoy the response!

73, Pete, K2PS