Ahhhhhh .... Summer time!

No, it's not here YET.  Heck, it hasn't been nearly warm enough to even feel like late Spring, let alone Summer.  But the following QRP event, of which I was reminded of by Brian KB9BVN, always speaks to me as the beginning of Summer.  It's the annual QRP-ARCI Hootowl Sprint, which takes place every Memorial Day weekend - and it's only three weekends away!

DATE/TIME:

8pm to Midnight LOCAL TIME on 29 May 2011.

OBJECTIVE:

To test your ability to make contacts late into the evening local time.

MODE:

HF CW Only.

EXCHANGE:

Members send:  RST, State/Province/Country, ARCI member number
Non-Members send:  RST, State/Province/Country, Power Out

QSO POINTS:

Member = 5 points
Non-Member, Different Continent = 4 points
Non-Member, Same Continent = 2 points

MULTIPLIER:

SPC (State/Province/Country) total for all bands.  The same station may be worked on multiple bands for QSO points and SPC credit.

POWER MULTIPLIER:

>5 Watts = x1
>1 - 5 Watts = x7
>250 mW - 1 Watt = x10
>55 mW - 250 mW = x15
55 mW or less = x20

SUGGESTED FREQUENCIES:

160m    1810 kHz
80m    3560 kHz
40m    7030 kHz (please listen at 7040 kHz for rock bound participants)
20m    14060 kHz
15m    21060 kHz
10m    28060 kHz

SCORE:
Final Score = Points (total for all bands) x SPCs (total for all bands) x Power Multiplier Bonus Points.

BONUS POINTS:

If you are operating PORTABLE using battery power AND a temporary antenna, add 5000 points to your final score.  (You can NOT be at your shack operating from battery power using your home station antenna to qualify for this bonus.)  This is to help level the playing field for contesters who work from the field against contest stations with 5 element yagis at 70 ft.

CATEGORIES:

Entry may be All-Band, Single Band, High Bands (10m-15m-20m) or Low Bands (40m-80m-160m)

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Get on any of the HF bands except the WARC bands and hang out near the QRP frequencies.  Work as many stations calling CQ QRP or CQ TEST as possible, or call CQ QRP or CQ TEST yourself!  You can work a station for credit once on each band.

LOG SUBMISSION:

Email Submission:  Submit Logs in plain text format along with a summary stating your Callsign, Entry Category, Actual Power and Station Description along with score calculation to contest@qrparci.org

Snail mail Submission:  Submit Logs along with a summary stating your Callsign, Entry Category, Actual Power and Station Description along with score calculation to:

ARCI Hoot Owl Sprint
c/o Jeff Hetherington, VA3JFF
139 Elizabeth St. W.
Welland, Ontario
Canada  L3C 4M3

Deadline:

Entries must be postmarked on or before 30 June 2011.


RESULTS:

Will be published in QRP Quarterly and shown on the QRP-ARCI website.

CERTIFICATES:

Will be awarded to the top scoring entrant in each category, as well as the top scoring entrants from each State, Province and Country. Certificates may be awarded for 2nd and 3rd place if entries are
sufficient in a category.

I got a certificate one year for top NJ entry.  That was a surprise and the very first certificate I was ever awarded for participating in a CW contest.  Maybe that's why this one is so near and dear; or maybe it's just because this Sprint is just so much darned fun!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!