2017 Alabama QSO Party News

  • (June 18th, 2017) The Alabama Contest Group would like to thank everyone who participated in this year's running of the Alabama QSO Party.  Activity was high from both in and out-of-state competitors.  A special thanks goes out to the mobile operations which activated many of the more "rare" counties.  You folks are amazing in both your operating skills and your dedication to the AQP!  The logs received thus far page has been updated.  As of this morning we have received 155 logs.  Please remember to submit your log!  The Alabama Contest Group is already at work planning and organizing the 2018 AQP.  We hope to see you all again then!
     
  • (May 1st, 2017) The Alabama Contest Group would like to thank Jim Johnson, KC4HW, for building the Alabama QSO Party into the major operating event it has become.  Under Jim's leadership the AQP has steadily grown over the years.  This could only happen through the hard work and dedication Jim has poured into this effort year in and year out!  The Alabama Contest Group will be hard pressed to live up the the example Jim has set.  Thank you Jim for everything you've done for the AQP.  73 and see you in the pile ups!
     
  • (Jan 16th, 2017) A new group will be taking over the organization/management of the Alabama QSO Party soon.
     
    • After 12 years of involvement, I only be Mobile participant. By-in-large it has been fun! I have met many many folks along the way and have enjoyed it all! I would like to thank a few people that have helped over the years:
       
      • My wife, Bonnie has been the chief editor of almost all the documents that were generated over these years.
      • My Daughter, Jennifer, has contributed as a web/graphic designer and in some form or another has contributed to the all the graphics and web pages.
      • Tom Hardison/K4ZGB has been here from the very beginning as the W4AQP Trustee, AQP Treasurer, promoter and participant--always could count on Tom!
      • Tom Moore/WX4TM (SK) was a significant source of support and guidance until he passed--but he is still remembered!
      • Jerry Fiore/N4JF (SK) also a strong support/promoter from the very beginning, I am sorry that he has pasted--but still remembered!
      • Tim Wininger/AB4B supporting the Hamfest publicity for several years!
      • Tom Schwin/W4NBS publicity for several years.
      • Ed Winkler/KJ4LTA supported the certificate program for the last few years!
      • All the mobiles both inside Alabama and that came from outside the state that participated from all the counties in Alabama. With out this support there really would not have been much activity. All the fixed station participants in Alabama and through out the world.
  • (Jan 16th, 2017) Have a new email link for inquires, please send questions or comments to info@alabamaqsoparty.org
  • (Jan 16th, 2017) The 2017 Alabama QSO Party Rules have been updated, see the 2017 heading on the left.

Past Alabama QSO Party News

 
  • (Sep 18th, 2016) Results are completed. Thanks to Chris Arthur/NV4B and Mike Condon/NE4S for their assistance and support for 2016. Please see the "Results" link to the left under the 2016 AQP heading. Congratulations to the category winners. Certificates will be forthcoming.
  • (Jul 8th, 2016) The log submittal has ended. The results will be forthcoming soon! Thanks for your participation.
  • (Jun 7th, 2016) The "Received Log" is up to date. If you don't see your log, then just send it again and I will sort it out. Thanks and hope that you enjoyed the Alabama QSO Party.
  • (Jun 3rd, 2016) It appears that all counties will have activity. Please do not let this stop you from operating. We need all the operators that we can get in all the counties.
  • (May 30th, 2016) Our primary objective each year is to get all the counties active. As you can see from the graphic below we are only missing activity in three of the SW counties. If you you have time, please consider operating mobile, if not in these three counties, then any additional county coverage will help. After many years of operating "Mobile" I find this the best level of participation. Please let me know if you are planning to operate either "Mobile" or "Fixed Station".
  • (May 21st, 2016) WA4DXP "MD" provided this article about his experience in 2013.
  • (May 19th, 2016) Starting to update the 2016 County Activity. Let me know if you are planning to cover your local county or if you are planning to be MOBILE then definitely let me know.
    Here is the current activity. Grey counties have no coverage as yet. Clicking the imagine will take you to the detailed activity page.

    If you are planning to operate "Fixed Station" or "Mobile" please email me and I will update your activity.
     
  • (May 4th, 2016) The FAQ page has been updated with a couple of items.
     
  • (Mar 20th, 2016) The plaque program has been discontinued. Certificates will be awards to all category winners.
     
  • (Sep 27th, 2015) The 2015 AQP Plaques are finished. I will be mailing them out in the next week or so.
     
  • (Sep 24th, 2015) This year we are changing the certificate program, certificates have become very costly to prepare and mail. Certificates will be available from the Results page on the left heading for the 2015 AQP. Once you arrive there, go to the bottom of the page and click on the Scores by Call link. Those individual that have been awarded a certificate will be listed with a link on their callsign. Click your call and then you should be presented with a JPG image of your certificate. Recommend that you use some sort of photo quality paper or card stock for best results. Here is a direct link to the Scores by Call/Certificates page.

    If you should have some trouble, please let me know and I will try to work with you on the problem. Or perhaps I can send you the image attached to an email. As a final resort I will print the certificate and prepare and mail it to you for a donation to the Alabama QSO Party for $3.50 US Hams and $5.50 for DX Hams.

    It is unfortunately that we have to take this measure to produce the certificates, but the cost has just become to much.

    If you think that I overlooked you for a certificate, please let me know and I will be glad to take another look.

    Thanks for your past participation in the AQP and hope that you will join us again next Jun 2016.
     
  • (Sep 6th, 2015) The 2015 Alabama QSO Party Results have been completed. Use the link under the 2015 AQP heading on the left to view the results. There were officially 177 entries. We had 63 of the 67 counties active for the event. Congratulations to the plaque winner! Certificates will be out shortly, please be patience. Thanks again for the participation and look forward to your participation in 2016.
     

    Be on the lookout for KU4QG/M - Great job Bob!!
    (as well as the other mobiles)this Saturday Jun 6th

     
  • Jun 4th, 2015 The WX4RUS will activate Russell County. Still looking for someone to help out from Tallapoosa County! Fixed station, Mobile or Portable station would be very helpful. Thanks
     
  • Jun 1st, 2015 Shaping up to be a great AQP for 2015. Down to just needing activity from Russell and Tallapoosa counties. With one of our primary objectives to activate all 67 counties, any station activity from these counties would be appreciated. If you are planning activity from these counties of any other county please email me a info at alabama qso party dot org and I will updated the county activity page.

    Thanks to all those that have indicated there support/participation thus far! 73!
     
  • (May 22nd, 2015) After a lighting strike that destroyed my computer and many other radio and entertainment electronics, I believe that I am up and running on another computer now. Unfortunately I have not recovered any previous emails about the 2015 AQP--I may not be able to get it done before Jun 6th.

    I think I am missing one individual that I could not get updated before the loss of the computer. If you have emailed me and don't see your information listed on the Activity page, please email me again.

    With just less than 2 weeks a number of the counties have been covered. We are still missing several. Please consider participating either as a fixed or mobile statrion. Getting all the counties active is a major objective for this event.

    Again let me know if you are planning to participate!
     
  • (May 10th, 2015) Please let me know if you are planning to operate. I will need to know what county(ies) and modes that you plan to operate.
  • (May 10th, 2015) Have started updating the "county activity" page.
  • (Apr 12th, 2015) The 2015 Alabama QSO Party is just around the corner. If you are planning on operating please let me know what county and mode(s) you are going to operate. If you are planning on operating mobile, please let me know your plans!
     
  • I have created the beginnings of the Frequently Asked Questions page (a work in progress).
     
  • (Jan 24th, 2015) I have added the information for the 2015 AQP on the left. No change in the rules from last year! I have updated the AQP Flyer, please print and take some of these to your next club meeting--Thanks!
     
  • (Aug 31th, 2014) The Alabama Contest Group announces that the results of the 2014 Alabama QSO Party are now available. Congratulations to the category/plaque winners! Plaques and certificates will be forthcoming (please be patience--will announce on this page when they are in the mail). You may reviewed the results page.
     
  • (Aug 26th, 2014) I have turned on the Received Logs page. If you notice something in error, please let me know right away.
     

     
    Jerry K5YAA provided these pictures of his HP mobile setup.


    K5YAA/M Antennas, Antennas and more Antennas!
    I count 3 Hustlers and a screwdriver! This pic was from the Nebraska QSO Party at Sioux Co. The K5YAA mobile setup was the same.
     

    This is Ed/KN4Y and his mobile. Ed has been a long time supporter of the AQP


    Nice setup!


    (Jun 25th, 2014) Deadline for 2014 AQP Logs is Jul 7th.

    Thanks for your participation and support, please send in your log to logs@alabamaqsoparty.org the log should be in the cabrillo format if at all possible.

    I will accept paper logs if you didn't computer log. However, please send those in as soon as you can, because I will have to type your log into a cabrillo file and it does take a good bit of time to go from paper to cabrillo.

    Unfortunately because of all the other activities going on, I have not acknowledged receipt of any of the logs received. If you don't know if you have sent your log, then just send it again and I will sort through the duplicates.

    So far I have received 129 logs. 121 in various formats (ADI, XLS, CAB, CBR, LOG, etc) formats and 8 paperlogs.

    (Jun 14th, 2014) I am behind a bit because of the WX event that happened here on Jun 8th, plus I am going to visit my Grandson for his 6th birthday. I will catch up toward the end of this month.

    2014 Alabama QSO Party will be held on Jun 7th, see Rules for details.

    Thanks for the support and participation. We have all counties covered. But I strongly urge you to get on from your county and help us with participation. Please look at the County Activity page and look at the counties that only have one op in them. We definitely could use additions ops in those counties.

    If you will let me know before 7:30AM CDST Jun 7th I will try my best to get the activity page updated. After that I will be on the road. Thanks again!
     
  • Also look for the W1AW/4 (Alabama) Special Event Station(s) during the AQP. They will be operating from many counties, so please be sure to put these stations in your log with their County(ies).
     
  • Here is an operating tips from K4TD: As you all know, W4HOD will be putting W1AW/4 on the air during the AQP. This should bring a whole lot more attention to Alabama for the event due to the international demand for contacts with that special event station. Because of the extended focus this weekend, the potential exists for you to harvest more contacts by piggybacking on that operation. The way to do this is to check for W1AW/4 spots on the telnet cluster and position yourself in proximity to their operating frequency. That way you put yourself in a position to be heard by stations that might not otherwise know you're on the air. Care must be taken to avoid the space in which W1AW/4 might be conducting split operations, but otherwise, proximity should work to your advantage. The OPs at W4HOD have been made aware of this possibility so they can plan accordingly.

    Have fun and get on the air to support the AQP.












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  • All counties are scheduled to have activity. Take a look at the County Activity. But we can always use other Fixed, Mobile and Club stations, so if you are planning on operating please send me an email info(at)alabamaqsoparty(dot)org and tell me what county(s) you will operate.












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  • If your club station will be active please let me know.












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  • The 2013 AQP Results link is enabled. We would like to congratulations to all the Winners.

  • From Mr M.D. Smith/WA4DXP

    I made a total of about 29 contacts, but some may not count. I was in the car a long time Saturday, but I did have a lot of fun. Had a camera and a tiny tripod and with timer, I could take the photos you see with ME in the photos. I was single driver and single operator.



    I traveled to Scottsboro, Mentone, Desoto Falls, Desoto Park, Craigmare Manor and the Ft. Payne train station and museum and navagating the thunderstorms. For a first timer, it was a memorable experience. Can't talk so good today, but I guess that's normal. 73 M.D.
     

  • Thanks for a great time and it was fun being the only one active in a few counties! Will do it again next year!!! 73 Chuck KK4TE Axis, Alabama
    Charlie/KD4TT and Chuck/KK4TE

     
  • The results of the 2012 AQP are available. Congratulations to all the plaque winner. Certificates are in the mail (Apr 16th, 2013) and plaques will be forthcoming.
     

    The N4ZZ Banner for the 2012 AQP Run

    AD4EB Jim Hall, KI4HVY Melody Hall, N4ZZ Don Binkley
     

    John/AD8J and his brother Mike as they prepared to start their trip in the 2012 AQP.
  • I have a Power Point presentation that perhap you can use to present to your local club. You can get to it at this link. If you have some suggestions to improve this presentation, please let me know. Thanks!
  • Have activated the County Activity Page. If you are planning on operating please send me an email info(at)alabamaqsoparty(dot)com and tell me what county(s) and modes you will operate. If your club station will be active please let me know. 05/12/2012
     


    Jim/KC4HW presenting Jerry/N4JF his plaque from the 2011 Alabama QSO Party

     

    K4BAI John Laney 2006 AQP Mobile


    Dave Curran KB4ET "QSOP War Wagon"


    2006 AQP - Montgomery ARC












       
    • If you have any questions, please contact me at info@alabamaqsoparty.org. Thanks and hope to see or hear you in the 2011 Alabama QSO Party!
       


    • Please use the links to the left for the lastest rules. There have been changes, so please look them over closely. Also check out the county abbreviations as they have also changed. If you have any questions, please let me know at info{at}alabamaqsoparty{dot}org.
    • A Word about Corrections: I try to make the results, scoring and webpages error free, but in an effort to get the information published, there are errors, typos, etc. that just creep in and go undetected in different documents. Please let me know if you see anything that needs attention and I will get corrections made as soon as possible. Thanks!

    Sponsors & Supporters

    AlabamaContestGroup.org

    • The Alabama Contest Group (ACG) is the primary sponsoring entity for the Alabama QSO Party. This organization have been very helpful in organizing and publicizing/promoting this event. If you are interested in information about the Alabama Contest Group, please take a moment to visit the Alabama Contest Group website for more information.

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