2018 VERMONT QSO PARTY

The 2018 Vermont QSO Party was another huge success. We received 22 Vermont Logs and a record setting 117 outside Vermont logs. Vermont stations collectively contacted over 7418 stations and participants outside Vermont claimed over 719 QSO's. Conditions were quite good on 20, 40 and 80 meters, but pretty much dead on the higher bands. Some great short skip on 20 and 40 meters kept things hopping through the late afternoon and early evening.

This year, FT8 made its debut in the Vermont QSO Party. Four stations logged around 80 FT8 contacts - certainly not the main event, but it is a start. It will remain to be seen how we can include multipliers in a mode which only deals with grid squares. Overall, Vermont stations logged 209 digital QSO's - 3% of the total. But only 5 digital QSO's were claimed by the outside Vermont participants - a very tiny percentage.

A total of 34 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 and miscopied information. So, if your QSO total doesn't exactly match what you submitted, it is likely the log cruncher took its toll. The submitted logs were in better shape, but a few clunkers came in which we have yet to figure out how to read. We urge everyone to put bonafide contesting (not logging) software on their shack computers. We will also make some improvements to the log submission process to make it easier for everyone.

Please send along any comments or suggestions. We'll look foward to doing it again next February!

The 60th Vermont QSO Party will take place during the first full weekend of February 2018. It will begin at 0000 UTC Saturday February 3 and will end at 2400 UTC Sunday February 4.

In local time, this corresponds to a start time of 7:00 PM EST FRIDAY night February 2nd and an end time of 7PM SUNDAY night February 4th.

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 2018 Vermont QSO Party Rules for specific rules.

NEW THIS YEAR!

1. Vermont Stations using WSJT modes must encode their 3-character county into the exchange. If you cannot do this, then you cannot make contacts on these modes in the QSO Party.
2. Vermont Stations using WSJT modes cannot claim any multiplier credit - only QSO credit.
3. Non-Vermont Stations using WSJT modes will receive county information from Vermont stations and can claim Vermont county multiplier 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
  

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 2018: W1NVT, W1JXN, W1KOO.

Look for the club calls on the DX Cluster, as they will be indicating where they will operate. W1NVT will be primarily on 20 and 40 meters daytime and 80 and 160 meters nighttime. There will be some limited CW and FT8 activity. W1JXN tries to work all bands and all modes so keep an ear out for him.

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 schedule 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

REPORTING

1. E-Mail. Submit your contest log via e-mail to ranv@sover.net no later than March 4, 2018. Contest log must be in Cabrillo Format! Most contest software will produce this for you. We recommend the N1MM software, as this is strongly supported.
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).
   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 are examples of programs which have this feature - make sure you turn this feature 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 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 17 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