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ALL LICENSED AMATEURS AND CONTROLLED OPERATORS
are invited to participate in this GET ON THE AIR EVENT.

January 24, 1900z to January 25, 1900z 2015

To coincide with the FIRST 24 HRS OF THE ARRL January VHF Contest 2015

PURPOSE:

To make as many contacts on 2 meter FM simplex as you can in a 24 hour period. Use your HT, Mobile or Base/home station.

To increase the use of VHF and UHF frequencies in our area. Get on the air, have fun and make some contacts.

Run like a contest to add a bit of structure to the event and act as a small incentive to participate,get mic time and create a proper log for the event.

ARRL VHF CONTEST NOTES

The ARRL has created an award for FM only Operators in all of their all VHF contests.
Contacts in the Lax FM QSOP can be counted in the ARRL Contest.(see note below).
Operators are encouraged to work other FM simplex stations on the 6 meter and above bands.
You can use 2 meter simplex to coodinate contacts with stations on the other VHF bands.
Any mode is allowed for ARRL contact credit. Lax FM QSOP is ofcourse FM only. Bonus points
are awarded for contacts on other VHF/UHF bands, see BONUS POINTS below.

NOTE:
For contacts in the LAFMSQSOP to be valid in the ARRL contest just add RST and grid
square exchanges to each contact. Find your grid square HERE
Further details on the ARRL Jan VHF Contest are (ARRL VHF rules).

LaCROSSE AREA FM-QSO PARTY RULES

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ELIGIBILITY

All licensed amateurs and any operator properly controlled by a licensed amateur may participate.
NON-HAMS USE CONTROL OPERATORS CALL PLUS INITIALS. "CALLSIGN/??" (?? = NON-HAM OPERATOR'S INITIALS).

Event is designed for new operators with bare minimum equipment (HT?). HT'S are favored in the scoring. Also there is no club category, no affiliation with any organization needed. Turn the radio on and say "CQ FMQSO party". HOME BREW ANTENNA BONUS POINTS (see scoring below)

SUGGESTED FREQUENCIES

146.420, 146.460, and 146.550 locally but any FM simplex channel except 146.520 can be used.

REMEMBER TO LISTEN FIRST. THERE ARE OTHER USERS OF THE SIMPLEX FM SUB-BAND.

WHERE:

LaCROSSE (WI) AREA. 50 mile radius. Contacts from outside 50 mile radius count the same points,

however one side of a QSO must be in the contest area to count.

EXCHANGE:

Callsign, message (operators first name) and Category (transmitter type).

Joe HT stations send ,"KX9ZZZ ,Joe, H". (Categories: H=HT, M=mobile & B=home/base station).
Non-ham operators send call as "STATIONCALLSIGN/??" (?? = operator initials).See ELIGIBILITY above.
Exchange of signal report(RST) and Grid Square are also required to be valid in the ARRL Jan VHF.
Note: most of the La Crosse area is in EN43. Find your grid square HERE

GENERAL RULES:

1-.HT operators must use an actual HT and power level (5-8 watts typical) with normal HT or homebrew antennas.

2-.Mobile operators must use normal mobile radios/antennas and cannot use a power amplifier. Normal power, 25-100 watts output.

3-.Base/home staions are not limited as to power or antenna. Excessive power is approved (legal limit max).

4-. You can enter in all 3 categories, or just one. You don't want to enter? That's ok too, make some Q's and have fun.
-- Note:separate logs must be sent for each category you enter. Do not combine logs.

5-. No limit on time allowed to operate other than the above schedule for event.

6-.No time limit on QSO's, feel free to chew or dwell as you will, this party is for fun and designed to get ops on the air.

7-.Remember to stay in the 2 meter simplex sub-bands 146.46 and 146.55 are typical in our area.

8-.Do not use the National Simplex frequency of 146.520.

9-. NO REPEATER CONTACTS ALLOWED. Use of other bands, cell or the use of the net to schedule contacts is permitted.

10. No limit on station location for Mobile and HT stations.(50 Mile radius rule applies, see above "WHERE").

11. Home brew antenna means "you" made it. No limit on design.

12. Operator categories are HT, Mobile or Base (see exchange above).

13. Multi-operator stations should turn in multiple logs, one for each /?? operator(??=non-ham operator initials).

14. Stations can be contacted only once for credit. This includes each different MULTI-OP "callsign/??".

OPERATORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE OTHER BANDS 6 METERS AND ABOVE TO GET/GIVE OUT POINTS FOR THE ARRL CONTEST.

SCORING:

1.-Each contact you make with your HT is worth 3 points. w/Mobile worth 2 and base/home worth 1 point.

2.-Each contact you make with another HT is worth a further 3,a Mobile 2 and another Base 1 point.

3. Out of band VHF or UHF contacts only count as bonus points, they do not count toward your QSO total.

4.Add your station type points with the station contacted points for contact total. Your HT contacts another HT is 6 points for the QSO.

5. Multiply the total of all your QSO points by the number of contacts you have made, out of band QSO's do not count as contacts for total.

BONUS POINTS:

Stations using homebrew antennas can claim a 10 point bonus.

HT stations with a home brew antenna can claim a further 10 point bonus. 20 max for HT.

If you made a contact on 6 meters add 10 points, (only 1 contact counts for bonus points).
If you made a contact on 1.25 meters add 10 points (only 1 contact counts for bonus points).
If you made a contact on .70 meters add 10 points (only 1 contact counts for bonus points).
If you made a contact on .33 meters add 10 points (only 1 contact counts for bonus points).
If you made a contact on .23 meters add 10 points (only 1 contact counts for bonus points) .
MAX POINTS 50. 1 Q PER BAND ABOVE. IF STATIONS MAKE CONTACT ON BANDS HIGHER THAN 23CM ADD 10 PTS FOR EACH BAND/CONTACT.

LOG SUBMITTAL

Logs to be submitted by March 25th 2015, handwritten or text file, email or snailmail.

Send logs to: Dave (at)WV9E (dot) Net or snail to address on QRZ.
Click Here for example log.

Certificates will be awarded for the top score in each category and for the overall top score.

What to expect

The full operating period is 24 hours, operate as long or short as you want. Keep in mind that not everyone
will be on the air at the same time. People that work or have other plans will be in there on and off. Contesting
is not everyone's cup of tea, so some simply wont be on. Don't expect too much as VHF contesting can be a slow
going event.So call CQ FM QSO Party as much as you can, tune around the simplex frequencies and keep calling.

Low power stations, HT's in particular may want to try a higher elevation, bluff top or hill. A simple 1/4 wave
antenna up on as tall of a structure as you can assemble/find can provide several db gain for both rec and tx.

Let me know if you have any questions about this and/or I left something out. The whole idea of the contest is to get

the local hams, especially newer ops w/ HT's, to get on the air waves and have a chance to meet the others here

in the ham community. Maybe get a non-licensed friend or family member to get on (w/ your control ofcourse) and

see how fun this radio stuff can be. Like other contests, this event relies on non-contestors getting on for a QSO

or 2 as well. The plan is to coincide this contest locally with the annual ARRL January VHF contest.

HAVE FUN AND HOPE TO HEAR YOU ON 2 METER SIMPLEX.

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