Busy Contest Weekend Ahead With QSO Parties In Four US States and British Columbia

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted February 2, 2009

There won't be a any excuses the first full weekend of February this year, as HF operators can chase awards in four different US state QSO parties as well as one Canadian province.

Leading the way is the Minnesota QSO Party, but it by no means rules the contest roost, as contests will pop up from Vermont, New Mexico, Delaware and British Columbia.

The Minnesota QSO Party saw another year of growth in 2008, as all 87 counties in the North Star State were active for the fourth straight year - but the closest anyone got to a sweep was 80.

Among the hard-core-cold-weather-mobiles again 2009 will be Scott Jasper NE9U, who won the mobile again in 2008.

"We will be targeting 27 counties this year which is about normal for us," Jasper told radio-sport.net. "One year we made 29 and last year we hit 24."

"For me and my longtime partner N9BCA, it has become a ritual over the past 15 years or so. As Art says, "I like to drive and Scott likes to operate, so we are good partners"."

"We always pick a route that ends near my "rustic" cabin in Norhern Wisconsin where we celebrate by going out for a big juicy steak at one of the local watering holes," Jasper added.

Jasper says well over a dozen mobiles are already lined up including the editor of the National Contest Journal Alan Dewey K0AD.

Another one of those on the road will be John Baumgarten N0IJ, who will be a very important mobile to catch if you want any shot at a Minnesota sweep, as he and partner W0TVD plan to hit 24 of the northern counties.

"Starting in Itasca going West to the ND border, then back through a carefully calculated route that takes us through the Lake country of central MN and finally back through Duluth and back up to the far NE county of Cook, near Grand Marais, MN on lake Superior near the Ontario border," said Baumgarten.

"All in all we have a 725 mile day in store for us. No stops allowed over 5 minutes, and then only 2 of those!" he added.

In terms of juggling all five of the contests this weekend, you have a lot of options.

The Vermont QSO is a 48 hour test going from 0000z Saturday to 2400z on Sunday.

Delaware a 32 hour window from 1700z on Saturday to 0100z Monday.

New Mexico is an hour shorter at the end, 1700z Saturday to 2400z Sunday.

The British Columbia Challenge starts at 1600z Saturday and ends at 0400z Sunday.

The Minnesota QSO Party is the shortest of all these events, beginning at 1400z on Saturday and ending at 2400z, a ten hour run.

"Going mobile in the Minnesota and Wisconsin QSO parties is a great chance to run into old friends from around then state who you dont regularly run into on the air," said Jasper NE9U (along with a lot of familiar calls from around the nation.")

"It will cost us about:
Gas: $100
Lodging: $75
2 big steak dinners at the end of the day: $40

"Operating another great ham radio contest: Priceless!"