CONTESTING
The 7th Call Area QSO Party (7QP) took place May 1 and May 2, 2021 on a busy weekend for state and regional QSO parties. Randy Foltz, K7TQ, and Jay Holcomb, WAØWWW went mobile for the 7QP, activating 24 counties in four states. Jay reports their usual operating pattern as, “we take turns operating for two hours then switch to driving for two hours. That helps break up the day.” Photos A and B show Randy and Jay in the operating seat. “We used N1MM+ on an HP latptop with full rig control,” Randy notes.
Photo C shows Randy’s Ford Ranger with a Scorpion 680 antenna mounted in the center. The team used an Elecraft KX2 transceiver with an outboard KXPA100 amplifier to bring the transmit signal up to 100 watts. Randy notes that the 40-meter band was their most productive, with 467 QSOs as compared to only 165 QSOs on 20 meters.
The July and August North American QSO Parties Attract Both New and Experienced Contesters
The North American QSO Parties were my gateway into contesting when I returned to on-air activity in 2008. The 100-watt power limit on all entrants levels the playing field and was a big attraction given my limited station. My first successes CQing during a contest came in the NAQPs. The events only last half a day (starting midday Saturday and Saturday evening), so it was easy to fit a substantial amount of activity into a weekend filled with other family activities. The NAQPs also attract experienced and skilled contesters who enjoy the thrill of operating single-operator-two-radio (SO2R) by interleaving activity simultaneously on two (or more) bands. I learned the basics of contesting in the NAQPs,
