2015 VERMONT QSO PARTY RESULTS

OUTSIDE VERMONT COMPETITION

We received 61 logs representing 386 QSO’s from stations outside of Vermont. Overall, we received logs from 27 states, 3 provinces and 6 countries, including a log from Japan!

In the outside Vermont competition, we had a runaway winner and then a very hotly contested field. Laci OM2VL outdistanced everyone by a 2 to 1 margin as he racked up 20 phone and 16 CW QSO’s with Vermont stations. To put that in perspective, at the W1NVT multiop we worked a total of 30 Vermont stations - all within 100 miles. Each of Laci’s QSO’s were over 5000 miles! Now Laci had some help in this endeavor. He runs 3 stacked yagis each on 10,15,20 meters (18 elements on each BAND), 6 elements on 40 meters and 2 elements at 160 on 80 meters. He was LOUD whenever I heard him. Laci knows his stuff in front of the radio - he was one of the 59 competitors in the World Radio Team Championship held in Massachusetts last summer. And while he was working Vermont stations, he was also working many more in the MN QSO Party and a bunch in the BC QSO Party, in addition to chasing K1N in Navassa that weekend.

Second place was claimed by Jeff WB8WKQ from Michigan. He combined good numbers of QSO’s and multipliers on phone with a few thrown in on CW. To underscore how important CW can be, Jeff finished 18th last year working only phone, so those extra QSO’s and multipliers on CW really paid off.

Third place goes to a newcomer to the VT QSO Party, Paul VE3PQ, who asks, “Where were all the Vermont stations?” The answer is, “you worked them”. Paul’s score (along with NA2X) was impressive given that he is close to Vermont and had to make all his QSO’s on 20 and 40 meters while many of us in Vermont were on 10 and 15 meters for much of the morning and early afternoon.

QRP operator Ron W4UT from Tennessee holds on to 4th place, exactly the same position as he held last year. How close was 3rd and 4th? One CW or two phone QSO’s would have changed the story!

Rounding out the top five is Bob NA2X from Rochester, New York. He worked Vermont stations entirely on 80 and 40 meters and I know there wasn’t a lot of activity on 80.

The Single-op assisted winner is Jim N7JB from Washington, who used all three modes and high power to run up a nice score.

Positions 6-11 were all within 38 points of each other. Most of that group earns a certificate for working at least 10 Vermont stations. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but any of the VT QSO Party participants will tell you that it is not that easy to do!

Vermont QSO Party: Vermont Scores

Vermont QSO Party: Vermont Scores

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the Radio Amateurs of Northern Vermont for their support as this year’s sponsor. Thanks to the Central Vermont Amateur Radio Club for the opportunity to run the Vermont QSO Party this year. And finally, thank you to all of you who participated. We will see you all next year as the Vermont QSO Party will be better than ever!

73, Mitch W1SJ
13 March 2015