N4PN Again The One To Beat in 2008 New England QSO Party

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted April 28, 2008

If someone could set a morning line on the top challengers in the New England QSO Party as is done with the entrants in the KentuckY Derby, it might be something like odss of 1-9 on the favorite to repeat as champ, N4PN.

That's because in the six years since the New England QSO Party burst on the scene in 2002, there has been only one winner of the single op competition, Paul Newberry N4PN, who has won both from Georgia and Florida.

Newberry's six wins include five high power titles and one low power in 2002 - but even that year, he outdistanced everyone in the HP category.

"No one can catch N4PN on Phone," observed Ned Swartz K1GU in his 2007 NEQP Soapbox.

N4PN has swept all 68 counties the past four years - and if you're going to beat him - you better be able to do the same.

Of course, the NEQP is one of three QSO parties on the air this weekend, a very popular mixture for all kinds of hams.

"One reason I enjoy this weekend so much is that I can work the 7QP, New England QP and the Indiana QP all at once," says Bob Hesston W0BH.

"I put all the mult files together and sort out the log afterwards. There are LOTS of stations to work."

A number of mobiles have already laid out their weekend game plans, which you can see at the NEQP web site.

One of those likely to be back on the roads again this year (even with high gasoline prices) is Ed Parish K1EP, who went Multi-Single Mobile in 2007 with Gerry W1VE using the call N1E.

"The contest seems quite popular," said Parish. "I get many DX county hunters in the contest as well as people from all over the country."

"Operating from rarer counties also increases your popularity."

For Parish, his favorite place to go is Maine, though the counties there are comparatively large.

"There aren't many roads that connect them," said Parish.

"Last year for the first time, we went south to Rhode Island," Parish said.

"In that area of New England, there are many counties that are located together, so you can hit many without doing much driving."

"If I do go out this year to Maine, I hope to get further into the state and more counties there," Parish added.

And what about strategy?

"Contesting is always a matter of strategy," Parish told radio-sport.net.

"In going mobile in NEQP, you have to figure how long you are going to stay in one county vs how many counties do you want to go," said Parish.

"You have to be aware of when your rate is dropping and it is time to weigh anchor and move on."

As for the 67 counties in this multi-state QSO party, it looks like you should be able to get a sweep again this year.

"We should have all 67 active again," says NEQP organizer Tom Frenaye K1KI. "We have a longer list of mobiles this year than in the past - and a few more may also join in."

"Last year we had the most entries so far - 333 of them," Frenaye told radio-sport.net. "Still, more sunspots would be welcomed!"