BCQP invitation
British Columbia QSO Party 2012 (BCQP-2012)
2012-01-17
Good Day!
My name is Rebecca, VA7BEC and I'm the contest coordinator for the British Columbia QSO Party.
I'm writing to you for two reasons.
First, it's getting close to the annual running of the BC QSO Party, and I'd like to extend a hearty invitation to everyone to join Orca DX and Contest Club — the new sponsor of the BC QSO Party — and stations in British Columbia in this fun event.
While the sponsor is new, the objective remains the same: BC stations can work anyone anywhere, and stations outside BC have to work VE7/VA7s.
For your own reference, please find the official announcement of the 2012 BCQP on the web page below or the attachment to this e-mail (editor's note – just click on the rules found else where on this page). Feel free to print it out to pass around at your next meeting, or post it on your website for easy access by members of your group.
The most important things to know, I guess, would be the hours of our event — 1600z Feb 4 to 0400z Feb 5, 2012 UTC — and the exchange — federal electoral district for BC stations and province/state for non-BC stations.
Please visit http://orcadxcc.org/bcqp.html for all the necessary details about the BCQP, including rules, exchange and multipliers. Second, according to online calendars, several US states are also holding their annual QSO parties the same weekend, and at your location, participating in one of the other QSO parties may be the more logistically attractive option. But if anyone hears a lonely BC operator calling "CQ, CQ, BCQP" please drop by. We'd be happy to trade a QSO: one for the QP you are in, one for us.
I realize that contesting is not everyone's cup of tea, and that even among contesters, QSO parties are often overlooked as not competitive enough. But when you present this email and/or the announcement to your group, please mention that the casual and friendly atmosphere of the BCQP presents certain advantages that the high-stakes contests cannot.
Namely,
- The slower pace allows newcomers to ease into the world of contesting and try out contesting strategies without irritating operators who are only interested in a high score. This is great practice for Field Day or a RAC contest.
- It's great for practicing different modes without the pressure of an impatient pileup and for acquiring familiarity with new logging software or remote operations.
- It's an excellent opportunity to hone operating and elmering skills.
In addition, the QSO party format is more relaxed, allowing for a bit of chit-chat along with the exchange for people who don't particularly like contests. The BCQP can be a really fun event, and the more participation there is, the more fun it will be.
I ran with the previous sponsor's callsign last year and made 400 Qs in 12 hours — not bad for a QSO party, in contesting terms — plus I had some nice chats with operators in other QSO parties and attracted some surprise DX (South Africa, Brazil and Antarctica!!). The day was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be.
Please join Orca DXCC in BCQP 2012. We'll have a whale of a good time.
73
Rebecca Kimoto, VA7BEC
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