Show Me State Grabs Focus Of County Hunters With Missouri QSO Party

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted March 3, 2008

County hunters and state QSO party enthusiasts will be back on the air this coming weekend, as the Missouri QSO Party is the featured test on the bands.

"We have been seeing about a 10% increase per year in logs submitted," says Dave Propper K2DP, who is the trustee for W0MA, the club call of the Boeing Employees' Amateur Radio Society-St. Louis.

The BEARS group "assumed the sponsorship of the Missouri QSO Party beginning in 2003," Propper told radio-sport.net.

"The contest had been dormant for many years."

Like almost every state QSO Party, the success of smaller events like the Missouri QP is dependent on rovers and the activation of many counties.

"Locally, we have seen a significant increase in Missouri hams who operate as "rovers" to put rare and non-ham populated Missouri counties on the air for the contest," said Propper.

The rules governing rover contacts were modified slightly this year, in part to make it clear that rovers on county lines have to give out different serial numbers for each county QSO.

For those looking to maximize their school, CW contacts are worth 2 points, while SSB QSO's are one point. And don't forget to search out the Boeing St. Louis club station.

"Contesters are encouraged to work the "contest flagship station" and earn a 100 point bonus for QSO'ing W0MA," said Propper.

"The Boeing St. Louis station operates multi-multi throughout the contest on at least 20 and 40 meters simultaneously, if not on 20, 40 and 75 meters both on phone and CW."

Like other contest organizers, Propper hasn't been sitting idly by in the weeks leading up to the contest, reaching out back in early February to groups in hopes of promoting extra action on the Missouri QSO Party weekend.

"We have been distributing flyers at the local hamfests," said Propper. "Our Midwest Division Director is also assisting with getting the word out."