Texas QSO Party

PURPOSE

To provide competition for Amateur Radio Operators anywhere in the world to contact as many Texas stations in as many different Texas counties as possible. To provide county hunters the opportunity to contact rare Texas counties during the published contest time and in accordance with the rules of operation.

RULES OF OPERATION

1. Operation will be permissible only in accordance with current FCC rules or your country’s rules.

2. The use of spotting nets, by way of repeaters, packet nodes, simplex operation, telephone or any other means is permissible.

3. Operation on all bands is permitted, except on 60 meters, 30 meters, 17 meters and 12 meters.

4. Operation in all modes is permitted in all contest categories except for the CW Only category.

5. Contacts made through repeaters, digipeaters, internet, or gateways are not permitted.

6. Stations may be worked once per band per mode for QSO count only.

7. Texas mobiles may be worked once per band/mode from each county for QSO count only.

8. Texas mobiles may work stations once per band/mode from each county covered for QSO count only.

9. If a Texas Mobile and/or a Portable Station is on a County Line or Junction between 2 or more Texas Counties - A SEPARATE QSO AND COMPLETE EXCHANGE MUST BE MADE AND LOGGED FOR EACH COUNTY LISTED AS WORKED. You can't count or log a QSO that you didn't make!

10. The Texas QSO Party is SCHEDULED ANNUALLY ON THE LAST FULL WEEKEND (SATURDAY AND SUNDAY) IN SEPTEMBER. Operating times  for the 2009 contest will be from 1400Z on SATURDAY, September 26 to 0200Z on SUNDAY. September 27 and from 1400Z to 2000Z on SUNDAY, September 27. Stations may work the entire contest period. All logs must be submitted no later than October 31, 2009.

11. For purposes of clarification, separate logs may be submitted for each mode.

12. Texas mobiles can use separate logs per county.

EXCHANGES

• Non Texas stations use RS/T and State, Country, Canadian Province, or maritime region.
• Texas stations use RS/T and Texas County using the TQP 4 Letter Abbreviations.

CATEGORIES

Texas QSO Party Summary Sheets and Logs must be submitted for one (1) of these 7 contest categories. Awards for the Fixed Operations will be given for both Texas and Non-Texas Stations. Awards for the Mobile Operations will only be given for Texas Mobile Stations.

Fixed Operation Categories

• SO Single Operator - (no contest power limits)
• MO Multi Operators - (no contest power limits)
• QRP SO QRP Single Operator - (10 watts or less phone and 5 watts or less CW and other modes)
• CWO SO CW Only Single Operator – (no contest power limits)

Mobile Operation Categories

• TXM SO Texas Mobile Single Operator – single operator - may be assisted (no contest power limits)
• TXM MO Texas Mobile Multi Operators - (no contest power limits)
• TXM CWO SO Texas Mobile CW Only Single Operator - may be assisted (no contest power limits)

TEXAS CLUB AGGREGATE AWARD

This award goes to the Texas club with the highest total score from the sum of all summary sheets submitted across all categories. The club name and call sign must be identified on each of the individual Texas QSO Party Summary Sheets to be included in the count.

SCORING

Texas Stations

• Count two (2) points per phone QSO with any station.
• Count three (3) points per CW and other digital mode QSOs with any station.

Non - Texas Stations

• Count two (2) points per phone QSO with any Texas station
• Count three (3) points per CW and other digital mode QSOs with any Texas Station.

MULTIPLIERS

Non - Texas stations

Your multiplier is the number of Texas counties worked. A maximum of two hundred fifty four (254) multipliers is allowed.

Texas Stations

Your multipliers are the number of states worked (not including Texas) plus the number of Texas counties worked plus each Canadian province worked (13 total) plus each DXCC country worked excluding USA, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii. All additional DXCC contacts worked count for points. Washington DC QSOs count as Maryland contacts.

FINAL SCORE

Multiply the total QSO points times your multiplier to arrive at your final score.

BONUS POINTS

Non - Texas Stations

Add five hundred (500) bonus points to your FINAL SCORE for each Texas mobile worked in five (5) different counties regardless of band or mode. If you work the same Texas mobile in five (5) additional counties, you add an additional five hundred (500) bonus points to your FINAL SCORE, etc. However, for bonus points you can only count one (1) contact per county per mobile.

Texas Stations

Add five hundred (500) bonus points to your FINAL SCORE for each Texas mobile worked in five (5) different counties regardless of band or mode. If you work the same Texas mobile in five (5) additional counties, you add an additional five hundred (500) bonus points to your FINAL SCORE, etc. However, for bonus points you can only count one (1) contact per county per mobile.

Texas Mobiles

Add one thousand (1000) points to your FINAL SCORE per every county covered with at least five different contacts. Add five hundred (500) bonus points to your FINAL SCORE for each Texas mobile worked in five (5) different counties regardless of band or mode. If you work the same Texas mobile in five (5) additional counties, you add an additional five hundred (500) bonus points to your FINAL SCORE, etc. However, for bonus points you can only count one (1) contact per county per mobile.

FINAL FINAL SCORE

Add bonus points to your Final score.

SUGGESTED FREQUENCIES

• CW – 40 to 60 kHz up from the bottom of the band.
• PHONE - 25 kHz up in General segments and 28.300 - 28.500
• VHF - 50.200…..144.200.

LOG SUBMISSION

Logs must be submitted by October 31. The submissions MUST include both a detail log and summary sheet. (NOTE: If either is omitted your log will NOT be considered for any of the awards.) You may use any format for your submissions, but they must include all the data shown in the examples available on the TQP RESOURCE link. The RESOURCE link is available on the TQP website. If you decide to submit via email, please indicate your call sign and TQP in the subject line. EX: K5CX – TQP.

Email logs to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Snail mail logs to: (paper or disk)

Texas QSO Party Committee
6 Sweetdream Place
The Woodlands, TX 77381-6009

Results will be posted on the TQP Website.

ADMINISTRATION

The Northwest Amateur Radio Society - Houston, Texas shall appoint a QSO Party Committee whose responsibilities shall include the publication of the Texas QSO Party announcement in amateur radio magazines, journals, newsletters published by NARS and other publications deemed appropriate. The committee shall oversee the receipt of logs and has the final authority to resolve issues relating to rules of the contest and the tabulation of aggregate club scores. The Texas QSO Party shall also be responsible for the issuance of all Texas QSO Party awards.

Rules updated: July 2009