[WIQPmail] Spotting

Wed Feb 3 09:05:04 CST 2016

Been sitting on the sidelines and reading the mail and figure now I will toss my thoughts in.  Yes, I am an outsider so to speak, but for the WI QSO Party I will be in Badger Land this year.  I have operated in both the Ohio and Indiana QSO Parties as well as several other contests.
First, as Chad pointed out nearly every other contest I have operated in bans self spotting.  Not saying I am against it, but just that it is typically a no-no in other contests.
Second, as someone who has operated in MANY contests including 2 separate state QSO Parties (as an in state entry) I have NEVER held one frequency for the duration of a contest, ever.  Between trying different modes and different bands as well as just plain having to move because someone moved right in on top of me, it just does not happen.
Third, watching APRS is just using the tools in the toolbox!  Sounds great to me, if your set up where you have it.  
This will be my first time in the WI QSO Party, much less my first time in WI so I am not sure what kind of conditions I will encounter.  This will be completely different from my operation in the Ohio QSO Party in most years where I operate out of W8BI and have all sorts of antennas, high speed internet, and multiple (usually over 20) operators throughout the contest.  There will be 3 of us, either 2 or 3 transmitters, maybe internet or maybe not, all wire antennas in trees, and no amps.  So my overall thought is that the spotting is not going to make or break our operation since we will spend a little time hunting mults, but most of it trying to call and put Qs in the log.
See you in a few weeks!
Rob KB8UEYW9W/Rusk County

      From: Chad Kurszewski <chad.kurs at gmail.com>
 To: Wisconsin QSO Party Reflector <wiqp-mail at warac.org> 
 Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2016 2:47 PM
 Subject: Re: [WIQPmail] Spotting

Here's my two cents.  They are not necessarily recommendations.
In nearly every contest that I'm familiar with, self-spotting is against the rules.  DXpeditions, people on DX Holidays, County Hunters, or whatever, that's fine, just not in contests.  So, I question the validity of self-spotting during a QSO Party, which is quite similar to a contest, where score is kept and prizes are awarded based on that score.  That said, WARAC and the WQP rules do not explicitly ban self-spotting, nor using of spotting nets in general.
Not against any sort of rules:  APRS and sticking to one frequency
APRS is very easy to do now-a-days.  You don't need any fancy gear, just a modern (smart)phone.  There are APRS apps that uses your phone's GPS and puts that info out there.  Anyone who's interested in seeing where you are as a mobile, will know exactly where you are and when you cross a county line.  Other WIQP mobiles have done this in the past, WARAC has even published links to each mobile's APRS link, and one kind fellow even generated a map overlay so people know exactly where the county lines are.
Now, combine that map with operating on the same frequency(s) during the contest.  If you're on 7049.5 at the start of the contest, and stay on 7049.5 the entire time, those people who see the map, see that you've crossed a line, can keep written or mental notes to find you again on 7049.5.  And, you can hope that those people will spot you, in your new county, on that frequency.
Respectfully,Chad WE9V
On Wed, Feb 3, 2016 at 8:18 AM, Joe <nss at mwt.net> wrote:

  Thats why I suggested FOX's SS room.
 It would only be WIQP info, not the thousands of other states spottings mixed in.
 During the contest who has time to weed through all 50 states worth of counties looking for WIQP activity.?

 Joe WB9SBD

 On 2/3/2016 7:37 AM, Larry Peterson wrote:

 That could work nicely, Peter, and better/more appropriate than the DX cluster.  Now what would be useful is if the West Allis committee would recommend this...or something...where all avid WIQP contestants could turn to look for all of us mobile stations who wish to spot ourselves.   That way everyone is looking to the same resource center. 
  73,

 Larry www.WB9KMW.com  
 On Feb 1, 2016, at 6:40 PM, Peter E. Beedlow <nn9k.peter at gmail.com> wrote:

 take a look at http://ch.w6rk.com/ --county hunter's spotting page.

  Peter, NN9K 
  "the truth is out there"  
 On 2/1/2016 6:38:25 PM, Joe <nss at mwt.net> wrote: Maybe ask KA9FOX if the WIQP could use the chat room he made for Sweepstakes?

 Joe WB9SBD

 The Original Rolling Ball Clock
 Idle Tyme
 Idle-Tyme.com
 http://www.idle-tyme.com
  On 2/1/2016 6:20 PM, Larry Peterson wrote:

Is there a good, acceptable way to spot ourselves as we operate MMM in many counties in WI?  We'd like to spot/announce the county we are in, especially for our 2m FM operation on 146.55 MHz. 

 I looked at DX Clusters, but that does not seem at all appropriate. 

 Also, we will send out APRS as KD9CSI-6 for those watching in that fashion. 

 Thanks. 

 Larry WB9KMW 

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