2017 QRP To The Field
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Saturday, April 22, 2017
0800-1800 Your Local Time
Eastern: 0800-1800 EDT
Central: 0800-1800 CDT
Mountain: 0800-1800 MDT
Pacific: 0800-1800
PDT
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QRP (5W or less CW, 10W or less SSB)
on the non-WARC HF bands
Standard QRP calling frequencies
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Operate
from a river or stream.
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Quick Links
>Updated 7 MAY 2017
A FIRST TIMER? SLOW AT CW?
If you've never worked a contest before, or find the 35 word per minute exchanges of other
contests intimidating, try QRPTTF. It's pretty low-key and built for fun. If you hear a station calling “QRP TTF,” give
a call. Don't be afraid to say “PSE QRS” (please slow down) if he's too fast for you. If you miss an element of the exchange,
ask for a repeat (“SPC?” or “NAME?"). We all fail to get the exchange at times. Often, by listening to a QRPTTF station
working another, you can copy the exchange before you call. These are all tricks to help you with your code speed and to get
on the air to make some contacts.
Remember, we want to work you as much as you want to work us!
Every year, summary sheets
are submitted that say "These were my first CW contacts ever," or "my first contest." That's what this is all about.
Get
on the air, have fun.
PHOTOS. If you snap a photo or selfie of your QRPTTF or SOTA station, send it along with your Summary Sheet
to be included on the results page.
72, Paul NA5N and Jan NØQT
Socorro, New Mexico
PS - I'll be operating from the west bank of
the Rio Grande near Socorro, NM at a particularly scenic spot.
QRPTTF is an annual operating event to encourage QRPers and SOTA stations to get out of the house and operate portable “from
the field” or a summit, and of course, have fun. Find a nice operating location for yourself, or combine it with some
buddies for a day-long adventure. QRPTTF encourages participation by QRP hams of all skill levels. CW speeds are usually in the 13-18
wpm range.
RULES:
Exchange: RST, SPC, Name of River (or your name if Field or Home station)
RIVER station: example:
579 TX Pecos R. or 55N OK Flint Creek
FIELD station: example: 479 NJ Ralph
HOME station: example: 5NN BC Irving
HINT: If you're operating from the "Weekiewachookiehokiecanobie river," you're welcome
to shorten it to something reasonable!!!
Mode: CW and SSB
Power: QRP only (5 watts or less CW; 10W or less SSB)
CQ: The recommended
CQ is "CQ TTF"
CW QRP watering holes: 3560, 7030/7040, 7110-7120, 14060, 21060, 28060 KHz
SSB QRP frequencies: 3985, 7285, 14285, 21385, 28885 KHz
SCORING:
Per band: Number of QSOs per band TIMES the number of SPCs and SOTA summits worked
For clarity: if you work
a SOTA station in UT, it counts as a UT SPC + a SOTA station.
QSO points: ADD scores for each band for QSO points
Total Score: QSO points
TIMES Multiplier
Multipliers: x1 home station
x2 QRPTTF “Field” station
x3 QRPTTF "River" or SOTA station
Edit and submit above Summary Sheet, which calculates your
score automatically.
You do not need to submit logs.
Theme ... "A River Runs Through It" was a 1992 award winning movie about a father and his sons who enjoy the solitude of fly-fishing
on a Montana river, directed and narrated by Robert Redford. Sounds like a great QRPTTF outing and location, and suggested this year by
Paul WØRW. Everybody should have a river or creek nearby, likely including a few trees along the bank for
antennas.
And for those in withdrawal from the NPOTA and POTA activities, you can consider it "Rivers On the Air" (ROTA).
We aim to please.
Qualifying River: To avoid any confusion defining a river, creek, stream, canal, etc.
– if it has
a name, it qualifies, whether or not there's water in it when you arrive. This would include dry river beds and arroyos
(with a name) common in the Southwest. Operate from near the river as safety or local facilities allow.
Station categories
this year are:
RIVER - operating from a river or a qualifying SOTA summit for x3 multiplier
FIELD - operating from a
non-river field location for x2 multiplier
HOME - those operating from their home stations for x1 multiplier
SOTA (Summits On The Air) stations are our QRPTTF partners and gives us all more stations to work, earn extra points,
and have more fun. You'll know the SOTA stations from an exchange like "NM W5/MG011" – the SPC and summit
ID. SOTA stations count as any QRPTTF contact, PLUS - each summit worked counts as an SPC (extra credit for copying that
weird exchange!). SOTA stations are considered a RIVER station for the x3 multiplier. SOTA stations: Please also
send your SPC.
Some SOTA stations like to operate from 2 or 3 different summits during the day. Working the same station
from different summits (different summit ID exchange) do not count as dupes.
To find a SOTA summit in your area,
check the SOTA Association page for your region here:
Scroll down to find your state.
Also,
scroll down to "Summit Search," enter the summit ID to find out the SPC and summit of the station.
"A River Runs Through It"
— or —
"Rivers On The Air"
A joint QRPTTF/SOTA QRP Contest
Administered solely by the QRP-L Internet Group
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Find a nice little river
like WA5BDU last year
Or, find a nice summit
like KT5X
Last year's QRPTTF
VE2DDZ (SOTA station)
K2QPN
K4INC
K7RE
N5PJ
WA5BDU
WG8Y
AF4O
NXK1
WA5BKL
With apologies to Robert Redford
Other contests on April 22, 2017:
Nebraska QSO Party
UK/EI DX Contest
SP DX RTTY Contest
(FL QSO Party is April 29 this year)
Get
an RST and SPC with another contest or QSO
and it counts for QRPTTF
Excel or Open Office
spreadsheet
Many thanks to Ron KU7Y
for the N1MM files
For N1MM Plus
User Defined Contest files