WQ6X Runs a 5-Phase CQP Weekend

While each CQP contest is demonstrably different, the variety in the 2025 CQP event exceeds
any run I have run previously - in short, this was TRULY Mr. Toads Wild Ride.  In recent years,
CQP has offered the opportunity to run several different operations during the 30-Hour CQP
Event.  For this year, I broke it down into 5-Phases:

• Phase-1 - Operate a WQ6X Multi-OP from Alameda County, running QRP - the goal being to replace the record set by WQ6X and WB6RUC from Tom's sailboat during the 2024 CQP operation.
• Phase-2 - Activate the W6CF amateur radio station - onsite at the California Historical Radio Society (CHRS) on behalf of the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA).
• Phase-3 - Operate CQP Saturday evening using [Special Event callsign] W6R from KN6NBT's   QTH in Ramona to surpass the SO-QRP record set for San Diego County
  by WQ6X last year.
• Phase-4 - Put in operating hours (from 1am to 4am) for NX6T's remote operation
  from STN-1 (@WA6TQT) activating Riverside (RIVE) county.
• Phase-5 - Finish the W6R operation, ensuring our record-breaking run
  TRULY sets a new record.

PHASE-1

Making Phase-1 work required more time spent researching and planning the operation than DiD
the actual operating needed to accomplish that goal.  Surpassing a 24-point 2024 record was a no-brainer.  To be sure, WQ6X made 21 QSOs and submitted a 1.1k-point log - mission accomplished.

PHASE-2
Phase #2 was the most involved of all the CQP operations for this year.  Typical of this kind of operation, agreements needed to be come to as to when/how to make this all happen.  The original goal was to run all 30-hours as W6CF, switching in various operators.  Unfortunately, CHRS was not equipped to do that and outside of Denny (AE6C), no other operators with interest could be secured for Saturday.  When it was all over, 7 hours were put in on Cw and Ssb, submitting a 219-QSO log
for the event - enough to take 2nd-place in the Low Power Multi-Single category.  Possibly next
year we can take this event to the next level.  (Look for a more detailed write-up on the W6CF
operation itself. - coming soon to a WQ6X Contest Blog near you.)

PHASE-3

This 3rd step was a mixed challenge.  At the last minute another operator was optioned for the KN6NBT site, which would leave operating time to start after 03:00z (8pm), about the time I actually DiD start.  Consequently, that operator opted out leaving the Ramona site wide-open for use as W6R.
The goal of this phase was to make enough QSOs to put W6R well on the way towards surpassing last year's SO-QRP record.  I took a sleep break at 06:45z to be ready for Phase-4

PHASE-4

I often joke that the real reason NX6T invites me to join their crew is because I am willing to do the 1am to 4am shift (and sometimes fill-in during the "dinner shift").  CQP during the middle of the night is different because most left coasters are sound asleep and the East coast operators are just waking up to start their operating day.  Being a Multi-single operation, operating in this time slot requires rotating between 160, 80 & 40 meters (we had a potential 20-meter problem, so I let the morning operators sort that one out).  On each band the switch would be made between Cw, Ssb and then back again.  Because virtually all of the Multipliers had already been worked, there was no need
for Search & Pounce (S&P) - simply find a run frequency and call CQ (run it and they will come).

PHASE-5

After finishing my shift for NX6T, I caught some ZZZ's and then restarted as W6R at 15:00z, making Cw contacts until the CQP contest ended.  I had been asked to be on call to finish the last 2 hours for NX6T if another operator could not be found - thank you K6PO.  To make things easier, W6R ran just CW-only (more points per QSO) - no Ssb.  The day was spent traversing between 20, 15, 10 meters
and then back to 15 and 20 meters, mostly calling CQ and occasionally working out-of-state stations calling CQ CQP.

When it was all over, W6R had logged 524 QSOs and submitted an 81k-point log which at this
time seems to have taken an overall 1st-place for QRP - it certainly succeeded in setting a new
QRP record for San Diego (SDIE) county (officially, the record was set @17:20z).  W6R has set records for both QRP and QRP-assisted for SDIE - looks like it is time to set a Multi-OP QRP
record for San Diego next year.

When it was all over, similar to last year, I managed to be involved in 4 events, however this
year broken into 5 specific phases.  I guess we could label submitting scores and logs plus
posting Blog entries as Phase #6.

DiD YOU work the California QSO Party (CQP)?

Is W6CF, W6R, WQ6X or NX6T in YOUR LoG?