The California QSO Party 2014

1. The California QSO Party 2014 Where YOU are the rare DX !!!

2. Agenda • The Competitive Side of Radio • Why Contest • The California QSO Party

3. Agenda • The Competitive Side of Radio • Why Contest • The California QSO Party

4. The Competitive Side Of Radio • Emergency Operations • DX • Contests

5. Emergency Operations • Purpose: ease suffering and loss by facilitating communications • Compete against time & conditions • Speed and accuracy critical • No advance warning • Callsigns not vital information • “Whatever it takes”—no rules • Optimal station hardware unnecessary (HTs, portable, mobile) • Post-event summary for major events • Mostly VHF/UHF

6. DX • Purpose: make contacts and collect QSLs for awards • Compete against other operators & conditions • Accuracy (callsign copying) & timing critical—but not speed • No predetermined schedule • “Lie in wait” for months • Prefers moderate to good station • No “post-event” • Mostly HF

7. Contests • Purpose: maximize number of contacts in many different places during time limit • Compete against other operators, time, and conditions • Speed & accuracy critical; results are judged • Callsigns very important • Strictly enforced rules • Scheduled far in advance; published rules • Good-to-better station needed • Post-event summary • HF/VHF/UHF

8. Agenda • The Competitive Side of Radio • Why Contest • The California QSO Party

9. The Overlap – Contesting and Emergency Operations • Accuracy and Speed Critical • Band Conditions • Operators Compete

10. The Better Operator • Prepared • Accurate • Fast • In control • Practices to improve • Measured Practice

11. Contests as Practice • Measured event • Preparation needed • Rewards speed and accuracy • Available every weekend • Fun if you want it to be

12. Contest Operating Styles • Running • Operator must be in control • Mimics Net Control for EO • Generally highest contest scores • Search and Pounce (S&P) • You compete to be heard • Mimics individual responder • Generally lowest scores

13. Contesting is Fun • Improve your operating skills • Great to make DXCC or WAS in a weekend • Decorate your shack with awards • Put a whole season’s worth of contacts into the log in a day • Set your own goals—needn’t win to enjoy • Beat your neighbor

14. Agenda • The Competitive Side of Radio • Why Contest • The California QSO Party

15. California QSO Party • Considered to be one of the largest (and best!) State QSO Party contests • >900 logs >300,000 QSOs • Lots of awards including • 38 Wooden Plaques • 20 Bottles of Wine • YL Awards • Youth Award • New Contester Award (California) • Participation Certificates • Cool T-Shirt • Most legal fun on the air !!!

16. Work those DX – Past CQP Logs Barbados 8P9SH Croatia 9A5I 9A7W Cuba CO8DM Portugal CT1BWW CT1FOH Germany F1IC DJ1ZU DK3KD DL1YGW DL5PW DL9LR DF2NZ DJ3FK DK5ZX DL4NGW DL5RMH DL9US DF2WF DJ6ZC Spain EA3AGB EA3GHZ EA4LH Belarus EU1SA EU1SA France F/NH7A F5AIB F5IDJ F5OFK F5TYY F6BNH F2YT F5HGT F5LTT F5RU F5VEX F6IQX England G0LTX G3LVP G3UDA G4EZT G4WXO M5ARC G0SSK G3PJK G3VOF G4IIY G4XFX G0TSM G3PJT G3WPH G4IUF M0AGA G0VKL G3PVX G4ACS G4LYM Northern Ireland GI3OQR GI3VAW Scotland MM0AMW Wales GW0PNI Hungary HA7UG HA8TP HA8VK HA8VK HG8W Switzerland HB9BIO HB9CVN HB9CYV HB9DCM Italy I0YKN I2TAO IK2MLY Sicily IT9AJP Japan JA3JOT JH1AZO JH7RTQ JL1KXL JR9NVB Hawaii KH6EV KH6EV NH7C American Samoa AH8I AH8I Alaska AL1G KL7DY KL7FAP KL7GLL/4 WL7M US Virgin Is. NP2DJ Puerto Rico KP3A KP4TW NP4A WP4DFK Norway LA5JX LA5UF Luxembourg LX1NO Bulgaria LZ2RS Peru OA4DKC Austria OE6GRG Finland OG3JF OG6NIO OH1XX OH3MMH OG3JFT Czech Republic OK1ACF OK1CF OK1DVM OK1JKR OK1NR OK1AVG OK1DCF OK1EW OK1KT OK2FD OK1CF OK1DTM OK1FHI OK1MGW Slovakia OM3XX Belgium ON4CAS ON4NA ON4UN ON7AC ON7NQ Netherlands PA3ARM PA3ARM PA3FGJ PA3GUY PA7BT Brazil PY2DCQ PY2NY PY2NY Slovenia S50K S54G S57BFO S59Z S53EO S57AT S58AL Sweden 8S5W SM2CEW SM3TLG SM5CZQ SM7NGH SK5EW SM3EVR Poland SP6KEP SP6NIC SP9CVY SQ8VS Greece SV1CIB European Russia RA3AJ RA3QK RA6AR UA4CJJ Ukraine US6UN UZ7U Namibia V51L Australia VK2CZ Hong Kong VR2BG Romania YO3APJ O3ZA YO6EX Yugoslavia YU7SF YU7SF Macedonia Z32XX The world at your fingertips!

17. Multiple Ways to Play • Single op • Multi-Single • Multi-Multi • Mobile • Expedition • School • QRP • Club competition

18. Mobile

19. Expedition – Field Day Style N7CW - IMP

20. 2014 Rules - Simplified Starts at 1600z on 4 Oct (Sat morning) Ends at 2200z on 5 Oct (Sun afternoon) 3 points for each CW QSO 2 points for each phone QSO Score = total points x multipliers (58 max) Multipliers = States/Canadian Provinces Work anyone, once per band-mode

21. How to QSO CQ CQ AD6E CQ CQ AD6E W7RN W7RN 123 SFRA AD6E R 456 NV TU AD6E (QRZ) K3MD K3MD 124 SFRA R 96 PA TU AD6E QRZ Know the MULT names: 4 characters for CA counties 2 characters for states, VE Know your phonetics for phone Use Logging software - keeps track of DUPEs - keeps track of MULTS - keeps track of score - output Cabrillo log format

22. What Band / When ? 4pm 8pm 9am 7am 40 m 20 m 1am 80 m 20 m 15 m

23. What Software • Any contest logger will work • CQPWIN (free) • N3FJP ($6) • N1MM (Free, but complex for beginner) • For more information see http://www.cqp.org/software.html

24. After Contest Send In Your Log !!! • http://www.cqp.org

25. CQP is sponsored by:The Northern California Contest Club • Premiere contesting club • World class operators • Sponsors The California QSO Party • Monthly meetings (2nd Monday) • Website: http://www.nccc.cc

26. The California QSO Party 2014 Starts: October 4, 2014 1600 UTC Ends: October 5, 2014 2200 UTC Logs due October 31, 2014 Hope to see you in the CQP!!! http://www.cqp.org