While N4PN Rules NEQP, W0BH Looks For Fifth Straight 7QP Single Op Victory In 2010

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted April 26, 2010

After activating 13 counties last week in the Nebraska QSO Party, Bob Harder W0BH will be the man to beat in this weekend's 7th Call Area QSO Party, as he looks for a fifth straight Single Operator win from outside W7.

Unlike the New England QSO Party this weekend, where a sweep of all 67 counties is possible, it may be some time before someone is able to find all 259 counties in the eight different states of the 7th Call Area.

As many as 203 counties were on the air in last year's contest - 188 officially according to log checkers - as only Arizona and Oregon had every county on the air.

Helping activate more counties will be rovers like Jim Zahradnicek KD0S, who is planning a ten county run through Montana and far northeast Wyoming.

Ten counties might not sound like much to some mobiles back East, but out West, the counties aren't exactly small, making it even more difficult to put a lot of them on the air.

Zahradnicek and teammate Todd Dravland WD0T, both of Pierre, South Dakota, will start off in far northeast Wyoming's Crook County (home to the Devil's Tower and the family homestead of your reporter) and then make a round trip to Miles City, Montana and back.

Last year the duo had the top score in High Power Mobile Mixed, making 655 QSO's on CW and 182 on SSB.

You can get an idea of what counties will be activated in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Arizona at the 7QP web site.

Other mobiles who have announced operations for 7QP include David Taylor KS5A in Arizona; Dick Frey K4XU & Charles Southall KI6Y in Idaho and Oregon; Edward Tune KV7J in Nevada, Richard Smith KT7G in Oregon, Richard Harris NI7F in Utah, as well as K7ED, Leroy Smith N7EIE and James Hadlock K7WA in Washington State.

""Parnelli" Southall, KI6Y, is my driver," wrote Frey K4XU on his mobile web page. "He keeps us on the road and on schedule while I concentrate on working you and doing the navigation."

"Our route starts in central Idaho and goes west into Oregon. We will hit 13 counties in Idaho and 7 in Oregon. Total distance is 650 miles in 14.5 hours," he added.

While W0BH has had a lock on this contest from the US side, inside the 7th Call Area last year, it was Dave Hachadorian K6LL who came out on top, operating with the special call of K7L.

"I averaged 108 QSO's per hour for 18 hours," Hachadorian said, "great fun!"

The 7th Call Area QSO Party runs from 1300z on Saturday May 1 to 0700z May 2. All stations may operate the full 18 hours. For more information, go to the NEQP web site.