You need a scorecard (or QRZ or somesuch .......)

I had another good day out at the car today during lunch time.  Both 17 and 20 Meters were active and I nabbed three QSOs during my lunch break.

"What's that got to do with your post title, W2LJ?" you might be asking yourself.

One of the stations I worked at lunch was HF80LOT.  You hear a call sign like that and your first impression is undoubtedly, "Huh? Where's THAT?"  If you're like me you prescribe to the "work 'em first, worry about the location later" theory, so that's what I did.  It turns out that HF80LOT is a special event station in Poland that is commemorating the 80th anniversary of a trans-Atlantic flight by two Lithuanian pilots.  I sure wouldn't have known that without the aid of QRZ or HamQTH, or one of the other fine call book services out there.  From the HF prefix, Poland was probably my last or next to last guess.  In fact, I wasn't sure at first whether I was hearing 5F80LOT - at first I was guessing Serbia or somewhere around there.  Listening for a few times confirmed that it was HF80LOT, but I still had to look it up.  Exciting!

But lately, it seems like there's been a smattering of special event call signs that either boggle your mind or tickle your ear in an effort to copy them correctly.  For example, here are some out of the ordinary ones that I have worked recently and you may have, too:  LZ1722SN, H70ORO, 9A282EU, LZ110RF, LZ1876SMB, and the prize winner SV2013ATGM.  Wow!  That's a lot of letters and numbers and what's up with you Hams in Bulgaria?  It's almost like every one of you is running a special event this year!

Speaking of special events, I worked three more Colonies tonight, bringing my total to eleven.  Connecticut, Georgia and Pennsylvania are now in the log, and I also had a QSO with the bonus station, WM3PEN in Philadelphia, PA - Chaz behind the key.  I only need two more, New Hampshire and Maryland for the sweep.  If I can't nab those two by the time this ends, I am going to be severely disappointed!  I've gotten a taste of the quarry and now I'm hungry for a clean sweep.

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