QSO Party Circuit Heads South To Georgia For Peach State Test

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted April 7, 2008

If you are searching for some new counties to work in the US, then the 2008 Georgia QSO Party may be just what you're looking for on the second weekend of April.

"Georgia has 159 counties, which is second only to Texas," says GQP organizer Jeff Clarke KU8E.

Clarke will again be on the road helping to activate some of those 159 counties, as KU8E and John Laney K4BAI are the defending champs in the Rover-Multi category.

"I have been working hard to get all the Georgia counties on the air," Clarke told radio-sport.net.

As for his own rover plans, "K4BAI and I will be using the SECC club call W4AN in our rover effort through the southern part of Georgia.

W4AN was the number one station in the 2007 GQP, as it was the flagship multi operation from the station of Rick Daugherty NQ4I.

"I will be operating the GQP this year once again as Multi-Multi," said Daugherty. "My station will allow separate 1.5 kw CW and SSB stations on the air at the same time, so there are eleven possible operating positions."

"We will have a blast and promote GQP in bigger and better ways through our participation," added the Georgia contester.

There are a few rules changes to be aware of this year for those planning to join the Peach State battle.

"We have been working on getting more fixed stations on the air and have added additional bands and modes to increase activity," says Clarke KU8E.

"QSO's are now allowed on 160 and 6 meters. RTTY contacts are also now allowed."

If you're looking for rovers in Georgia, Clarke says you will hear more than W4AN, the former call of Silent Key Bill Fisher, as over two dozen mobiles have signed up so far.

"We have rover committments from state QSO party rover regulars like NY4N, N4PN and W3DYA," said Clarke.

Also ready to activate a number of counties is Alabama QSO Party organizer Jim Johnson KC4HW, who drove through 20 counties in his own state's test last year.

"Mobiles are extremely important to the success of any QSO party," Johnson said before the 2007 AQP. He plans to hit 13 Georgia counties on Sunday.

The GQP's top out of state station last year was Jerry Chouinard K5YAA, who managed to bag 146 of the 159 Georgia counties, also the best overall.

"If I am gonna win this thing I better make sure I log every mobile in every county they make," was Chouinard's basic motto.

"Every Q counts and the multipliers will come if the mobiles are worked. Hey - kinda sounds like any other contest. Stay in the chair and make every possible Q you can," said the Oklahoma QSO Party organizer.

"The Georgia Party is one that has enough mobiles roaming the state so that an out of state op can stay quite busy filling in new counties," Chouinard added, who says his strategy has been to put one radio on 20 CW and the other on 40 CW.

Making it easier are the friendships that K5YAA has made over the years as well, like K4BAI, "I first worked him when he was in Korea in the early sixties."

"Others down there, Paul N4PN and Jeff KU8E are also favorites of mine, so I try and jump in their pileups each year."

Need another reason to enter the fray?

"There are multiple plaques," says Clarke KU8E. "We are also going to have our bonus prize competition competition for the station that works the most Georgia counties."

"The top winners in this competition are awarded with some Georgia peaches, pecans or peanut brittle," said Clarke.

"I mean, who can resist a Georgia peach?" said Chouinard.