Party like it's...a QSO

I often describe my modern ham radio experience is as being Rip Van Winkle-like. 

I didn't sleep for 20 years. It's just that I didn't broadcast on the airwaves for 30 years. And if you are out of action for 30 years, you are going to miss a thing or three.

For instance, I wasn't around when we transitioned to:

• The integration of computers with radios
• Online repositories of ham radio info we used to get in print
• Electronic confirmations (as I discussed last week)

I also missed the birth of a fun on-air practice called "The QSO Party." Indeed, there weren't very many contests in the 1970s. There were one or two (such as the prominent "ARRL Field Day"). But, these events came along during my hiatus.

A QSO party usually takes place during a specific time period (a day, a weekend) and it celebrates a certain area, entity or section. One of my favorite examples of these is the ones for specific states. Fun fact: When I returned to the airwaves in 2021, I did so during the ongoing Tennessee QSO Party. 

At first, I thought: "Wow. Isn't this nice. All these Tennesseans on the air to welcome me back?"
(Then, I figured it out).

And for each year since then, I have participated in the Tennessee QSO Party to commemorate that anniversary.

The weekend before last, I enjoyed the QSO parties for Ontario and Quebec. And this past weekend, I participated in the Florida QSO Party. Held Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26, it was a good test of operational skills as well as signal propagation.

These events are like a virtual scavenger hunt. Think of it a electronic Easter Egg Hunt. Each time you contact a new county, that's like picking up another egg.

It's a lot of fun.

If you are old enough to remember the 2000 Presidential Election, you may be like me in that you became familiar with many prominent Florida Counties. The names peel right off your tongue just like a hanging chad peels off a butterfly ballot (ahem).

Miami-Dade. Broward, Palm Beach.
Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco. 
Volusia, Lake, Orange

And so on. 

Florida is close enough to Tennessee that you can reasonably predict good success for making contacts. During the daytime, the 20 meter band gave me great propagation to the southern Florida counties. In the evening, when the 40 meter band became available, and thus shorter signal hops, I was able to check off some of the northern counties. In all, I contacted operators in 32 of Florida's 67 counties (so nearly half). And I made 69 contacts in all.

One of the things I like to do to "keep score" is print off a state map with county outlines and then color in each new county as I add it to the log. Here's what my Florida map looked like as of late Sunday.

I'm not an overly competitive ham radio contester. I know my limits. But I do enjoy the pursuit. I say I "dabble." But, I dabbled rather well, I think.

Next weekend sets up to be another interesting QSO Party. It is for all of the U.S. western states, sans Cali. My friend, Tim, will be participating so I'll be trying to make contact (or "work") him and many other western ops.

I'll talk about that effort next week in "part two" about QSO parties. Be sure to "tune in" then!

JG