Monthly Operating Events

Every month there are three QRP operating events that I love to participate in.  These are the Adventure Radio Society Spartan Sprints, the Flying Pigs Run For The Bacon and the NAQCC Straight Key sprints.  The times for these are listed below, in the N2CQ Contest Calendar.

The ARS Spartan Sprint is designed to get you out and operating in the field with as light and portable a station as you can muster up.  The ATS-3 rig by Steve Weber is the King of this event.  The exchange is easy, RST - S/P/C - power out.  The Spartan Sprint is held the first Monday night of every month.  It's a super popular Sprint and the stations that folks use to compete are sometimes simply amazing.

The Flying Pigs Run For The Bacon is held the third Sunday night of each month.  The exchange is easy, RST - S/P/C - Flying Pigs membership number.  If you're not a member, your still encouraged to participate by sending your ouput power instead.  This is a friendly, two hour Sprint.  Your score is easily reported by going to the Flying Pigs Webpage and using their Autolog feature.

The monthly NAQCC Sprints encourage the use of straight keys and bugs.  Bonus points are given for using these Morse tools as opposed to using paddles and a keyer.  These Sprints are usually limited to either 80 and 40 Meters.  Each month a certificate is awarded for some kind of special reason.

Why should you bother participating in these Sprints?  If you're not used to contesting, these are excellent vehicles to ease your way into contesting in a low pressure, easy way.  Once you've operated in several Sprints, you get the feel for what the big contests are like and how they operate.

Operating in the Sprints will help bump up your code speed.  The normal speed for contest exchanges is anywhere from 18 WPM and higher.  Operate at these speeds for a few times; and you'll find your conversational speed increasing, also.

Friends, friends, friends!  After you've gotten your feet wet and you've jumped into the Sprints, you'll start noticing a lot of familiar call signs.  These guys are friendly competitors; and they become your friends for life, fast!  Also, these Sprints are so much fun.  You'll be amazed how you start to regard these contests as landmarks in your personal monthly calendar.
 
 





N2CQ Contest Calendar
 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
N2CQ QRP CONTEST CALENDAR  
October 8 - November 6, 2011 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scandinavian  Activity Contest (SSB) ... QRP Category
Oct 8, 1200z to Oct 9, 1200z
Rules: http://www.sactest.net/#tabs-6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pennsylvania QSO Party (CW/SSB/Digital) ... QRP Category
Oct 8, 1600z to Oct 9, 0500z
Oct 9, 1300z to Oct 9, 2200z
Rules: http://www.nittany-arc.net/PAQSO.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arizona QSO Party (CW/PH) ... QRP Category
Oct 8, 1600z to Oct 9, 0600z and
Oct 9, 1400z to Oct 9, 2359z
Rules: http://www.azqsoparty.org/rules.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EU SPRINT CONTEST - Autumn (CW) ... 100W category
Oct 8, 1600z to 1959z
Rules: http://www.eu-sprint.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FISTS Fall Sprint (CW) ... QRP Category
Oct 8, 1700z to 2100z
Rules: http://www.fists.org/sprints.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
North American Sprint (RTTY) ... QRP Category
Oct 9, 0000Z to 0400Z 
Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/sprintrules.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (Straight Key CW) ... QRP Category
Oct 9, 0000z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/wes/index-wes.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10-10 Day Sprint (All) ... QRP Category
Oct 10, 0001z to 2359z
Rules: http://www.ten-ten.org/Forms/QSOPartyRules_082710.pdf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UBA Foxhunt (CW/PSK31/SSB) *** QRP Contest ***
Oct 10, 1930z to 2030z
Rules: http://www.on5ex.be/foxhunt/foxhunt.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
EDT: Oct 11, 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM
UTC: Oct 12, 0030Z to 0230Z
Rules: http://naqcc.info/contests.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CWops Mini-CWT Test (CW) ... QRP Category
Oct 12, 1300z to 1400z and
Oct 12, 1900z to 2000z and
Oct 13, 0300z to 0400z
Rules: http://www.cwops.org/onair.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAQCC-EU Monthly Sprint (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Oct 12, 1800z to 2000z
Rules: http://naqcc-eu.org/sprints
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LZ Open 80m Sprint (CW) ... QRP Category
Oct 15, 0000z to 0400z
Rules: http://www.lzopen.com/lzocc80/index.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ten-Ten Fall QSO Party (CW) ... QRP Category
Oct 15, 0001z to Oct 16, 2359z
Rules: http://www.ten-ten.org/Forms/QSOPartyRules_082710.pdf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party (CW) *** QRP Contest ***
Oct 15, 1200z to Oct 16, 2400z
Rules: http://www.qrparci.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Iowa QSO Party (CW/Ph/Dig)  
Oct 15, 1400z to 2300z
Rules: 
https://sites.google.com/site/ottumwaamateurradioclub/iaqsoparty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New York QSO Party (Ph/CW/Dig) ... QRP Category
Oct 15, 1400z to Oct 16, 0200z
Rules: http://www.nyqp.org/rules.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Worked All Germany Contest (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category
Oct 15, 1500z  to Oct 16, 1459z
Rules: http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/contest/wag/en/rules/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
070 Club 160m Great Pumpkin Sprint (PSK) ... QRP Category
Oct 15, 2000 to Oct 16, 0200 (Local Time)
Rules: 
http://www.podxs070.com/160-meter-great-pumpkin-sprint
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feld Hell Club Sprint (Feld Hell) ... QRP Category
Oct 15, 2000z to 2200z
Rules: http://sites.google.com/site/feldhellclub/Home
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Illinois QSO Party (CW/PH)... QRP Category  
Oct 16, 1700z to Oct 17, 0100z
Rules: http://www.w9awe.org/ILQP%202011%20Rules.pdf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
EDT: Oct 16, 9 PM to 11 PM
UTC: Oct 17, 0100z 0300z
Rules: http://fpqrp.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UBA Foxhunt (CW/PSK31/SSB) *** QRP Contest ***
Oct 17, 1930z to 2030z
Rules: http://www.on5ex.be/foxhunt/foxhunt.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STEW PERRY TOPBAND DISTANCE CHALLENGE WARMUP - QRP CATEGORY
Oct 22, 1500z to Oct 23, 1500z
Rules: http://jzap.com/k7rat/stew.rules.txt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UBA Foxhunt (CW/PSK31/SSB) *** QRP Contest ***
Oct 24, 1930z to 2030z
Rules: http://www.on5ex.be/foxhunt/foxhunt.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SKCC Sprint (Straight Key CW)  ... QRP Awards
Oct 26, 0000z to 0200z
Rules: http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/sks/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CWops Mini-CWT Test (CW) ... QRP Category
Oct 26, 1300z to 1400z and
Oct 26, 1900z to 2000z and
Oct 27, 0300z to 0400z
Rules: http://www.cwops.org/onair.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zombie Shuffle (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***
Oct 28, Local Sundown to Local Midnight (Any 4 hour period)
Rules: http://www.zianet.com/QRP/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CQ WW DX Contest (SSB)  ... QRP Category
Oct 29, 0000z to Oct 30, 2359z
Rules: http://www.cqww.com/rules.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ten-Ten Fall QSO Party (Digital) ... QRP Category
Oct 29, 0001z to Oct 30, 2359z
Rules: http://www.ten-ten.org/Forms/QSOPartyRules_082710.pdf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UBA Foxhunt (CW/PSK31/SSB) *** QRP Contest ***
Oct 31, 1930z to 2030z
Rules: http://www.on5ex.be/foxhunt/foxhunt.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HA-QRP Contest (CW - 80 Meters) *** QRP Contest***
Nov 1, 0000z to Nov 7, 2400z
Rules: http://www.radiovilag.hu/haqrp2.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARRL Sweepstakes (CW) ... QRP Category 
Nov 5, 2100z to Nov 7, 0259z
Rules: http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NA Collegiate ARC Championship (CW) .. QRP Category
Nov 5, 2100z to Nov 7, 0259z
Rules: http://www.collegiatechampionship.org/rules/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daylight Savings Time Ends Nov 6, 0200 AM 
[First Sunday in Nov 0200 AM]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
High Speed Club Contest (CW) ... QRP Category
Nov 6, 0900z to 1100z and 1500z to 1700z
Rules: http://www.highspeedclub.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to SM3CER, WA7BNM, N0AX(ARRL), VA3JFF & G4GXL (QRPARCI)

N2APB (AmQRP), WB3AAL (EPAQRP) and others
for assistance in compiling this calendar.

If you wish to subscribe to the Calendar,
send an e-mail to N2CQ@ARRL.Net

Please forward the contest info you sponsor to N2CQ@ARRL.NET and
we will post it and give it more publicity.
Anyone may use this "N2CQ QRP Contest Calendar" for your website,
newsletter, e-mail list or other media as you choose.
(Include a credit to the source of this material of course.)
72 de
Ken Newman - N2CQ

N2CQ QRP Contest Calendar Links:
http://www.n3epa.org/Pages/Contest/contest.htm
http://www.amqrp.org/contesting/contesting.html
http://www.qrparci.org/content/view/6134/130/lang,en/