W8MJ Aims For Six Straight Wins in 2008 Florida QSO Party

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted April 21, 2008

For five straight years, Ken Meier W8MJ has been winning the single op competition of the Florida QSO Party, making him the clear favorite this year after another record setting performance in 2007.

Meier's strategy in 2007 was not to just sit idly by and CQ.

"Right from the beginning I began moving fixed stations from SSB to CW," Meier said in his soapbox. "I want to give a big thanks to all the mobile activity."

This is the 11th year of the "rejuvenated" FQP and contest organizers hope for another big turnout after a record 778 logs were turned in for 2007.

"Given the FB activity level in the Georgia QSO Party despite disappointing conditions, I think activity for the FQP will be just fine," says the FQP's Dan Street K1TO.

"We had a rather dramatic upswing in 40 meters last year that showed folks were very adaptable to conditions," Street added. "Total QSO's reported were essentially dead even with the year before."

While there is a lot of fixed station activity from Florida's 67 counties, the mobiles of course make this contest even better for those outside the Sunshine State.

"There will be plenty of mobiles out on the roads again in 2008," said Street, who adds that you can check on some of their plans at the FQP website.

One of the many mobiles on the road this year will be Charlie Wooten NF4A.

"I will start in the Western Panhandle near Pensacola (Escambia County) on Saturday and move East on I-10," says Wooten, who says he's going to try a bit of a strategy change this year.

In the past, Wooten has pulled over to run stations for about 30 minutes, but this year, he will try to shorten those stops.

"There is a tactical reason," says Wooten, "I want to have more time to take advantage of early evening conditions on 40 meters in some rare counties...such as Calhoun, Gulf and Franklin."

"Those evening 40 meter runs sound like everyone is frantically trying to work rare DX!!" added Wooten.

Wooten won the solo mobile category in 2007 with almost 1200 mixed mode contacts, as he hit 20 counties. He plans to do about the same amount of counties in 2008.

Also back on the roads this year will be a pair of familiar Georgians, as John Laney K4BAI and Jeff Clarke KU8E will ply the roads of Florida.

"The plan is to do a bunch of northern Florida counties," says Clarke. "We had a great time in the GQP..about 1977 QSO's."

Another familiar call you will hear on the air is that of K4OJ, the call held by the late Jim White, whose publicity efforts for the FQP were legendary. N4KM and K1TO will be on the roads handing out the "OJ" QSO's.

FQP organizers are again urging fixed stations not to CQ in the special mobile "windows" set up for this contest for both CW and SSB.

They include 7020-030, 14040-050, 7265-275 and 14265-275.

"We ask fixed stations, regardless of location, to please avoid calling CQ on those frequencies," says Street.