CQP as EM-COMM Training

Awhile back I wrote a Blog detailing how participation in radiosport contests can serve
as EM-COMM (Emergency Communication) training.  During an emergency the quality of our communication (be it Cw, RTTY or Ssb) MUST be crisp, concise and quick.  

Prior to the 2021 CQP, I wrote the following comments during a BART train commute
and somehow, never published them.

Handling  traffic by way of 2-m and 440 repeaters is a world unto itself; you either
have full-Quieting, or you don't.  For regional communications (such as the entire state of California), using the HF frequency bands provides greater geographical coverage.

Because we activate all CA counties, CQP creates a 30 hour long EM-Comm event.  

While digital modes and VHF are not allowed for CQP, Ssb and Cw are.  Running as a multi-single operation requires that operating shifts be setup, coinciding with what bands are open at the time. [CLICK HERE] to see a typical overall band plan for any given 24-hour period in CQP.

Remember that altho Cw QSOs are worth 3 points (versus only 2-points for Ssb), BOTH modes are
important.  When a given band/mode runs out of new stations to work, switching modes or going to a different band allows us to in-effect "start over".  While Alameda is HARDLY a difficult county to work during CQP weekend, ALL California stations (and their individual counties) are the desirable goal for stations outside of California.

To make things more interesting, 1x1 special event callsigns can be registered (as I've done with: W6C, K6C, K6M, K6S, K6T, K6U, W6E and W6K), allowing for faster and snappier exchanges.  However for 2021, because the CQP event was being run on behalf of the Amateur Radio Club
of Alameda (ARCA), the decision was made to use the club callsign: K6QLF.

When it comes to sending a QSO party exchange, the CQP format (QSO# + State/Province/County) makes the most sense.  Most state QSO parties have us send a WORTHLESS 59/599 signal report; or occasionally, Name/State.  With CQP, thanks to the QSO-Nr we can gauge how We are doing in relation to other stations/operators in our class.

To reiterate, the purpose of CQP is to accurately make as many QSO exchanges in as many different multiplier locations as possible.  QSO parties enable county hunters to achieve their USA-CA awards in [maybe] a couple of years, instead of, say, 10 or 20.

Are YOU ready for CQP?

LooK for the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda
(ARCA) using the infamous K6QLF callsign.

 

Special thanks go to the California Historical Radio
Society (CHRS) on Central Ave. in the city of Alameda.

With their setup assistance, ARCA will be activating the RARE Alameda County giving us a shot at beating
the 10-year old Multi-Single Low-Power score.