2019 VERMONT QSO PARTY

The 2018 Vermont QSO Party was another success. We received 28 Vermont Logs and 86 outside Vermont logs. Vermont stations collectively contacted over 6377 stations and participants outside Vermont claimed over 530 QSO's. Conditions were quite good on 20 meters and OK on 40 and 80 meters, but dead on the higher bands. There was a mediocre opening to Europe on 20 meters on Saturday morning.

This year, FT8 played a significant role with nearly 1600 out of 6400 QSO's made on that mode. There were 12 Vermont stations (out of 28) claiming FT8 QSO's and 4 stations were exclusively FT8. During the many times when HF condtions were poor, FT8 helped pick up the slack. Generating proper Cabrillo logs with the FT8 Grid Squares was difficult at best. This will be improved for next year.

A total of 33 certificates and 3 bottles of maple syrup will be awarded!

We have expanded our log checking and QSO's were removed for busted call signs, miscopied information and incorrectly logged band settings. So, if your QSO total doesn't exactly match what you submitted, it is likely the log cruncher took its toll.

Please send along any comments or suggestions to w1sj@arrl.net. Specifically, I am looking for comments on FT8 usage and scoring, and whether the club station should be dropped or expanded.

We'll look foward to doing it again next February!

The 61st Vermont QSO Party will take place during the first full weekend of February 2019.

It will begin at 0000 UTC Saturday February 2 and will end at 2400 UTC Sunday February 3.

In local time, this corresponds to a start time of 7:00 PM EST FRIDAY night February 1st and an end time of 7PM SUNDAY night February 3rd.

The VERMONT QSO PARTY provides the opportunity for Amateur Radio Operators to contact and exchange QSO information with Vermont Amateur Radio operators. All licensed amateur radio operators are invited to participate. Stations outside Vermont work Vermont stations. Stations within Vermont work everyone.

The discussion below is a summary of the QSO Party. Please download The Official 2019 Vermont QSO Party Rules for specific rules.

NEW THIS YEAR!

1. Stations can only count once for credit on digital modes. That is, if you work a station on both FT8 and RTTY, it only counts once.
2. The number of FT8 multipliers (for Vermont stations) is the number of grid squares worked, divided by 4 and rounded DOWN.
3. The number of FT8 multipliers (for outside Vermont stations) is the number of grid squares worked in Vermont (maximum of 5).
4. If a station does not send its grid square, then it cannot be counted for credit!
5. Digital contacts on modes not using grid squares (RTTY & PSK-31) will use states and countries as multipliers.
6. FT8 contacts can be made on the recognized FT8 frequencies of 10.136, 18.110 and 24.920 MHz upper side band. No other modes are allowed on 30, 17 and 12 meters.
7. A Cabrillo log of FT8 contacts must be submitted. An ADIF file is NOT acceptable. The FT8 log can be submitted separately from other modes, or combined. QSO's not in proper Cabrillo format will not be scored! The WSJTx software will output an ADIF file and a generic log file. You will have to set up the software to convert one of these to Cabrillo, or else log the contacts into other logging software.

Most Vermont stations can be found in the FN34 and FN33 grid squares. Small pieces of Vermont also lie in FN32, FN44 and FN35. Remember that stations outside of Vermont can only work Vermont stations for credit.

CATEGORIES

EXCHANGE

SCORING

• Phone: 1 pt
• CW: 2 pts
• Digital: 2 pts
  All digital modes (RTTY, PSK, Packet) count as ONE Mode)

Multipliers
Multipliers count ONLY ONCE PER MODE. Multipliers consist of:

• 50 U.S. States
  
• 13 Canadian Provinces and Territories (see list below)
  
• Any ARRL DXCC country (except U.S. Canada, Alaska, Hawaii)
  
• 14 Vermont Counties (see list below)
  
• Specific Vermont Club Stations
  
• Grid squares divided by 4 only for for FT8 and other WSJT modes.

Club Station Multipliers
Only approved Vermont Club Stations will count as multipliers. A club operation must inform the QSO Party Chairman no later than one week before the contest. A club operation must commit to operating at least 5 hours duing the event. Stations using their own call sign may not then use a club call sign to give out a multiplier.
Valid club multipliers for 2019: W1NVT, W1JXN, N1GVT, W1BD.

Power Multiplier

High Power	over 150w	x 1.0
Low Power	over 5w, under 150w	x 1.5
QRP	under 5w	x 2.0

Final Score is QSO Points times multipliers times power multiplier.

SUGGESTED FREQUENCIES AND TIMES

Phone: 80-15 meters: the first 25 kHz of the General portion of each band, 1850-1875 KHz, 28.400-28.425 MHz.

CW: 25-50 kHz from the bottom edge of each band.

VHF: 50.130 MHz SSB, 144.200 MHz SSB, 146.550 MHz FM.

USE OF SPOTTING NETWORKS

VERMONT ACTIVITY HOURS

Vermont activity hours have been scheduled to allow Vermont stations to find each other. Please check these frequencies, as it is rough to work each other on 20m days and 40m nights.

Sat 0000-0015Z	Fri 7PM ET	3850 KHz
Sat 1800-1815Z	Sat 1PM ET	7200 KHz
Sun 0000-0015Z	Sat 7PM ET	3850 KHz
Sun 1800-1815Z	Sun 1PM ET	7200 KHz
Sun 2345-0000Z	Sun 6:45PM	3850 KHz

Schedules for selected Vermont stations

W1NVT will be primarily on SSB

Sat 0000-0300   Fri 7-10PM    80M/40M
Sat 1500-2000   Sat 10AM-3PM  20M
Sat 2000-2400   Sat 3-7PM     40M
Sun 0000-0300   Sat 7-10PM    80M
Sun 1500-2000   Sun 10AM-3PM  20M
Sun 2000-2400   Sun 3-7PM     40M  
There will also be FT8 activity at various times, operator permitting.


W1JXN will be primarily on CW:

Sat 0000-0300   Fri 7-10PM    40M/80M/160M
Sat 1400-1900   Sat 9AM-2PM   20M
Sun 0100-0300   Sat 8-10PM    40M/80M/160M
Sun 1400-1600   Sat 9AM-11AM  20M
Sat 2000-2400   Sat 3-7PM     40M/80M/160M
Also occasional operation on 6 and 2 meter FM, SSB, CW.


N1GVT mobile will be in rover mode Friday night and Saturday (no Sunday) in the northern Vermont counties
Arrivals at each location will be spotted. Also tracking is
available via N1GVT-9 on APRS.


K1BIF will be in rover mode in GRA and FRA counties on 20/40 meters on Saturday.
At other times, he will be at home on phone and FT8


K1VMT (LAM) will be on CW and RTTY mostly plus some Phone during daytime and early evening hours.


AA1SU will be on phone and FT8 in the evenings.


KB1FRW will be on Phone on 20/40 meters.

More info will be provided as we learn about it.

Be sure to check the cluster for activity.

REPORTING

1. E-Mail. Submit your contest log via e-mail to ranvvt@gmail.com no later than March 3, 2019. Note: This address is different than what was used in previous years! Contest log must be in Cabrillo Format! Most contest software will produce this for you. Both N1MM and N3FJP (the paid version only) will support the Vermont QSO Party. Other software is "USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!"
2. Contest Software. You are resposible for submitting an accurate log in proper Cabrillo format. The log must be in chronological order, from earliest QSO to latest QSO. The log MUST show your category (SINGLE, MULTI) and power (HIGH, LOW, QRP). FT8 contacts must also be in Cabrillo mode format.
   Any software which automatically looks up call sign addresses is NOT to be used and any logs submitted in this format are not acceptable (Ham Radio Deluxe and N3FJP have this feature and it MUST be turned off!) Participants are expected to COPY ALL pertinent contest exchange information! If you have questions or issues with contest software, contact the Contest Manager at the above address, BEFORE the QSO Party.
3. Postal Mail. We strongly, strongly encourage all participants to submit logs electronically!! However, paper contest logs will be accepted via postal mail to: Vermont QSO Party, PO Box 9392, South Burlington, VT 05403-9392. PAPER LOGS MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 16 TO BE CONSIDERED. When submitting paper logs, please include summary sheet and dupe sheets

AWARDS

• The 3 highest single operator scorers outside Vermont but within the U.S. will receive a 3 oz. miniature jug of genuine Vermont Maple Syrup!
• The top scorers in each category from Vermont and each category outside Vermont will receive a certificate.
• Stations outside Vermont making over 10 Vermont contacts will receive a certificate.
• Stations in Vermont making over 100 contacts will receive a certficate.
• Results will be published on this site within 60 days after the end of the QSO Party

OTHER CONTESTS

OTHER INFORMATION

CANADIAN PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES

VERMONT COUNTIES