[W2CRA] the second coming of the Mid-Atlantic QSO Party

[Walter O'Brien, W2WJO]

Now is the time to start making YOUR Plans for the second coming of the 
Mid-Atlantic QSO Party (www.qsl.net/maqso). This year the event will be 
held the weekend of May 14 and 15. Times on Saturday will be from 
1600-0400 Zulu, Sunday from 1100 until 1400 Zulu.

The  Mid-Atlantic QSO Party is really different from most other 
contests. There are categories for regular power and for QRP stations. 
Big guns are welcome to operate at reduced power to play with the rest 
of us.

There are categories also for Club/ Multi-Op and for Mobile Stations. 
We reward the mobile hunters with three points for each mobile contact.

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 CW, with CW contacts worth two points 
and phone contacts worth one point. Mobiles are three points regardless 
of mode.

The best way to build up a score is to work multipliers, and there are 
a lot of them.  Washington DC is a multiplier, as are all the counties 
of the seven 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's a lot of opportunity to 
build that score!

Several folks and clubs have donated plaques for top prizes. Where 
plaques aren't sponsored, certificates will be awarded to category 
winners.

Another thing that makes the Mid-Atlantic QSO Party unique is its 
origins. We're not a club, just a bunch of volunteer hams who wanted a 
great new regional QSO Party. The Mid-Atlantic QSO Party is probably 
the only grassroots amateur radio contest in the US.

These volunteers include representatives from each of the Mid-Atlantic 
states as accepted by the committee who divide up the responsibilities 
to make sure the show goes on. Everything is handled by the MAQP 
Committee, also known as the MAQP COTW (Committee Of The Willing).
Another strange quirk this year is that the committee is attempting to 
operate without a chairman as no one has volunteered for that role.

We exist based on donations from plaque sponsors and interested persons 
willing to make donations to the general fund. Anyone willing to help 
out with a donation should get in touch with our treasurer Larry 
Ashton, N2OCW.

Several computer logging programs have been written in support of the 
Mid-Atlantic QSO Party. Details are at the party website 
(www.qsl.net/maqso).

Last year was our first and it was as successful as we could have 
hoped! Here's hoping for an even bigger turnout this year, and that 
means YOU!

73,

Walter O'Brien, W2WJO
for the Mid-Atlantic QSO Party Committee