Ham Radio QSO Parties

Depending on your station’s capabilities and your experience as a contest operator, you may find yourself employing one or both of two basic strategies. Listen to others throughout the weekend and you will find yourself hearing most of the same types of operating practices.

Search and Pounce

You scan the band looking for others calling CQ and respond to them, completing an exchange of info, then spinning your dial to find the next CQ’er. Start at the bottom or the top of the band and work your way in the other direction. Listen for those calling CQ, QRZed or finishing up an exchange with another station and get ready to announce your call.

An exchange between you (K4ABC) and them (W4XYZ) might sound something like this:

Them: CQ VAQP CQ VAQP this is W4XYZ W4 Xray Yankee Zulu Contest
You: Kilo 4 Alpha Bravo Charlie
Them: K4ABC number 105 Fairfax
You: Roger number 2 Fauquier Fox Alpha United
Them: Roger 73 QRZed VAQP this is W4XYZ …

Some notes:

People calling CQ may end their CQ in “Contest”, “VAQP”, or maybe nothing, so be ready to jump in, rarely do they say “Over” or “Listening”

Always use phonetics when giving your call sign, this gives the other station a better chance of hearing and copying your call correctly the first time

Listen for your partial call sign – W4XYZ may say “4 Alpha Bravo you are number 105 Fairfax”, be sure to respond with your call phonetically first, then give your report, vs. just the “Roger number 2″ as above.

People giving you an exchange rarely say “Over” or “Break” or “Back to you” expect a number and city/state/county and then get ready to jump back in and send your info

When giving your county exchange, it is helpful to spell out its 3 letter designator. Fauquier is Fox Alpha United

As soon as you get a “Roger” or “73″ start tuning your dial for the next station

Search and pounce is good if you can’t hold a ‘run’ frequency (read more below), or when CQ’ing doesn’t yield many answers.

Scan the bands, work loud stations first

Don’t spend too much time calling a station in a pileup of other stations, you can always come back later

If a station has a pileup of several other folks calling, move on after 2-3 call attempts if you don’t make it through

Calling CQ, e.g. trying to establish a ‘run’ frequency

You can’t be heard if you don’t call CQ, so call CQ often. Since most folks will be looking for VA counties, its best to find a clear frequency and ask is the frequency in use. If no ones claims it, start calling CQ and try to attract others in the Search and Pounce mode.

An exchange between you (K4ABC) and them (W4XYZ) might sound something like this:

You: CQ VAQP CQ Virginia QSO Party K4ABC Kilo 4 Alpha Bravo Charlie Contest
Them: W4 Xray Yankee Zulu
You: W4XYZ you’re number 123 Fauquier Fox Alpha United
Them: Thanks you’re number 2 Florida 73
You: Roger 73 QRZed VAQP Kilo 4 Alpha Bravo Charlie Contest

Some notes:

Speak clearly, forcefully, be aggressive and sound enthusiastic, you want to attract folks

Use a voice keyer if you have one

Wait 3-5 seconds after calling CQ, if nothing heard, start again – do not leave large gaps between your CQ’s, this helps to hold your ‘run’ frequency

If you are hearing several stations calling you, try to pick out a few letters of their call and give the report, you don’t have to necessarily have their entire call upfront, just be sure to give it once after you’ve copied correctly and before you say Roger/73/Thanks

Switch up your CQ’s now and then, e.g. if you aren’t getting lots of responses, make longer lasting CQ’s use a 3 x 3 CQ, or 4 x 4 CQ

A standard 2 x 2 CQ = CQ VAQP CQ VAQP K4ABC Kilo 4 Alpha Bravo Charlie Contest (CQ twice, call sign twice)

Change up your CQ’s, mix VAQP with Virginia QSO Party, also change up the phonetics in your call sign, there are two widely known e.g. Able / Alpha, Bravo / Baker, Charlie / Canada, Delta / Denmark, etc

If run frequency gets noisy, QRM/QRN or someone steals your frequency, don’t waste time fighting it, move on to another frequency, or possibly try another band for better results

Conclusion

Don’t be afraid to jump in and try to follow some of the above pointers. Try both operating styles and see which one works best for you and best suits you and your station’s capabilities. Take some time to listen to others and see if you can identify their operating style and if it matches with any of the info above. Most of all have fun!