Rules

---

OBJECTIVE

For radio amateurs OUTSIDE of the state of Georgia to make contacts with as many SSB and/or CW Georgia stations in as many of the 159 Georgia counties as possible. Amateurs INSIDE the state of Georgia can make contacts with everyone. NOTE: Digital contacts aren't allowed in the Georgia QSO Party.

CONTEST PERIOD

The Georgia QSO Party is held annually the 2nd full weekend of April. There are two operating periods: 1800Z (2:00 pm EDST) Saturday until 0359Z (11:59 pm EDST) and Sunday and 1400Z (10:00 am EDST) to 2359Z. (7:59 pm EDST)

FREQUENCIES

Here are the suggested frequencies where GQP activity will take place:

• SSB: 1.865, 3.810, 7.190, 14.250, 21.300, 28.450, 50.135.
• CW: 1.815, 3.545, 7.045, 14.045, 21.045, 28.045, 50.095.

Look for SSB activity on the hour and CW on the half hour.

CATEGORIES

• SO Single Operator (SO) - One person performs all operating and logging functions. A Single Operator can be Mixed, SSB Only or CW Only.
• Multi Operator - Single Transmitter (MS)- More than one person can perform operating and logging functions. Only one transmitter can be operated at any given time. Only ONE call sign is used in this category. For 2022 a multi-op can be operated from more than one physical location in the same county.
• Multi Operator - Two Transmitters (M2X)- More than one person can perform operating and logging functions. Only two transmitters operating on two different bands or modes at any given time. Multi-2 transmitters are allowed on the same band but NOT on the same MODE. Only ONE call sign is used in this category. For 2022 a multi-op can be operated from more than one location in the same county
• ROVER (Georgia Only) - Single Operator (RS) - A single Georgia mobile station with one operator that operates from at least two (2) different Georgia counties and making at least one (1) contact from each county. Rovers that move to a new county can work everyone again. It's suggested that a Single Operator ROVER should not drive when operating. Note that Georgia enacted a distracted drivers law in 2018. While operating an amateur radio transceiver would be allowed under the law using a computer while doing this probably isn't allowed. If you decide to drive/operate at the same time we urge that you record the contest and transcribe it to a log later. A Rover station can be Mixed, SSB Only or CW Only Rover stations must use an antenna that is only capable of using while in motion.
• ROVER Multi Operator Mult-Single (Georgia Only) - (RM Multi-Single) - A single Georgia mobile station with more than one operator that operates from at least two (2) different Georgia counties and making at least one (1) contact from each county. Rovers that move to a new county can work everyone again. Rovers with multiple operators and/or multiple simultaneously operated stations in the vehicle use the (RM) category. A Rover Mult-Single station can be Mixed, SSB Only or CW Only. Rover stations must use an antenna that is only capable of using while in motion.
• ROVER Multi Operator Multi-2 (Georgia Only) - (RM Multi-2) - A single Georgia mobile station with more than one operator that operates from at least two (2) different Georgia counties and making at least one (1) contact from each county. Rovers that move to a new county can work everyone again. Rovers with multiple operators and/or multiple simultaneously operated stations in the vehicle use the (RM) category. A M/2 Rover station can only be Mixed Mode. Rover stations must use an antenna that is only capable of using while in motion.
• Portable (Georgia Only) - (PO) - A single Georgia station using one call sign, with one or more operators that operates from at least two (2) different Georgia counties and making at least one (1) contact from each county. Portable stations that move to a new county can work everyone again. A Portable station can be Mixed, SSB Only or CW Only. Portable stations must use a temporary antenna that isn't capable of using while in motion. The use of a mobile antenna attached to a car will put you in the ROVER category.

ROVER stations may have a non contest operating driver, for safety, and remain in the Single Operator category. If the Rover driver operates at any time in the contest, that Rover is in the Multi Operator category and enters as (RM). Operating from a county line isn't allowed.

ROVER stations must move the entire operating site into the new county. Operating from a county line isn't allowed.

PORTABLE stations can only transmit one signal at a time. A station setup at a county line can give out one county at a time and then switch to the other county without moving their location. So say I'm KU8E operating at the Harris/Talbot county lines. I can only work stations using KU8E/HARR even though I'm parked at the county line. When I run out of people to work from that county or the rate slows (your discretion) I can than start working people as KU8E/TLBT without having to move my physical location. Please don't intertwine counties in your log. You need to operate at least 10 minutes from a county before you start making contacts from the other county. To make those who are opposed to county line operations happy I need to have a validation process. I'm asking those who operate portable this year at a county line take a picture on their cellphone to show they are actually at a county line. It could be a county line sign that shows your setup by the county line sign or a screen print from Google Maps that pinpoints your operating location. Note you can still operate portable from separate counties (not at a county line) if you want to. No proof is required from those type of portable operations. Please don't cheat because I can check your location using the street view option on Google Maps. I will need these pictures with your entry. Those can be directly emailed to gqplogs@gaqsoparty.com

It's suggested the ROVER and PORTABLE stations send their call sign followed by a "/" and the Georgia county abbreviation. For example KU8E/HARR if I'm operating as a rover from Harris county.

A specific call sign can only be used at ONE FIXED location. See exception to this rule above for multi-op entries.

NOTE: ASSISTED OPERATION IS ALLOWED - Nets , RBN and spotting clusters are allowed for all categories. Self-spotting is also allowed. You don't need to submit your log as ASSISTED. Submit it as SINGLE-OP

Click here for the Georgia QSO Party Spotting page. Note spotting networks and self spotting is allowed in all categories. (thanks N3IW)

CONTEST EXCHANGE

MODE CATEGORIES

• Mixed- CW and SSB
• SSB- Phone only contacts
• CW- CW only contacts

SCORING

• Stations may be worked once per band per mode for QSO Points.
• Stations outside Georgia may not count contacts with non-Georgia or DX stations.
• GEORGIA ROVER stations may be worked once per county, per mode, per band for QSO Points.
• No cross mode contacts allowed.
• No partial contact credit.
• Each completed SSB contact counts one point.
• Each completed CW contact counts two points.
• Each multiplier may be counted once per mode. (Not per band)

• Multipliers - Georgia Stations
• Each USA State and DC, including Georgia (51)
• Each Canadian Province (13)
• DX counts for QSO points only, there are no country multipliers.
• 128 possible multipliers.

• Multipliers - Non-Georgia Stations
• Each Georgia county (159)
• 318 possible multipliers.

• Final Score -Multiply total QSO points by total multipliers.

CLUB COMPETITION

• If your club is indicated in your submission, your score will be automatically credited to that club.
• Rovers may submit scores for any club, including out of state clubs.
• The sponsors of the Georgia QSO Party - SECC and SEDXC aren't eligible to compete in the club competition and the associated gavel that is awarded for the top club score in Georgia. Please submit your score for your local club.

CABRILLO FILE SPECIFICATION

If you are a software developer creating a logging program this is the Cabrillo format we would like your program to generate.

Here is an example of what it should look like using KU8E as the callsign.

START-OF-LOG: 3.0 LOCATION: GA , STATE or DX CALLSIGN: KU8E CLUB: SOUTH EAST CONTEST CLUB <-- THIS SHOULD BE UPPERCASE LETTERS CONTEST: GA-QSO-PARTY CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP or MULTI-OP CATEGORY-MODE: MIXED, CW or SSB CATEGORY-POWER: HIGH, LOW or QRP CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED or ROVER CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE or TWO CLAIMED-SCORE: 42450 OPERATORS: KU8E NAME: Radio Contester ADDRESS: 1 Main Street ADDRESS-CITY: Columbus ADDRESS-STATE-PROVINCE: GA <-- Use the two letter US/Canada postal service abbreviation or DX. DO NOT spell out the US state. For example "GEORGIA" ADDRESS-POSTALCODE: 31901 ADDRESS-COUNTRY: UNITED STATES EMAIL: gqp@gqp.com CREATED-BY: N1MM Logger+ 1.0.6164.0 QSO: 14000 CW 2016-04-09 1805 KU8E 599 HARR AA3B 599 PA <-- NOTE: EACH QSO: LINE SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO THIS LINE. DO NOT ADD ADDITIONAL COLUMNS. ALL TEXT SHOULD BE UPPERCASE. END-OF-LOG:

The QSO: line contains the following columns : BAND, MODE, DATE, TIME, YOUR CALL, RST Sent, QTH Sent, CALL Worked, RST Received, QTH Received. DO NOT ADD ADDITIONAL COLUMNS. ALL TEXT SHOULD BE UPPERCASE.

TRY TO NOT EDIT YOUR CABRILLO FILE. I would be OK to edit lines in the Cabrillo header but not the QSO: lines. Don't add additional columns. All text should be uppercase. THIS MIGHT CAUSE ERRORS DURING LOG PROCESSING. If I can't resolve problems with your log I will send you an email to submit a correct one. If you don't respond your log will be listed as a CHECKLOG in the final results

LOG SUBMISSION

• All electronic logs must be submitted in a Cabrillo format.
• If you log on paper you can create an electronic log in a Cabrillo format by going to the WA7BNM Web-to-Cabrillo form.
• Log filenames should be: “Your Callsign.LOG”.
• Omission of class or power category will automatically default to the highest class/power for that category.
• If your club is indicated in your submission, your score will be automatically credited
• Rovers may submit a single consolidated Cabrillo file with a claimed score of the entire operation. A single Cabrillo file is the preferred entry for a Rover, and individual county files are not needed in this case. ROVER stations should merge their individual county Cabrillo files into one file.
• Entries are due no later than two weeks after the QSO Party weekend.
• Please you submit your entry on the Georgia QSO Party Log Submission page on the GQP webpage.
• Received logs will be listed on the Georgia QSO Party Logs Received page as soon as possible after receipt.

Paper logs can be submitted to
John Laney, K4BAI
P.O. Box 421
Columbus, GA. 31902-0421

While we do still accept paper logs (they account for less than 1% of the logs we receive) it would be greatly appreciated if you would download one of the free logging programs and use it. ( for example N1MM Logger +) You don't have to use all the functionally of these programs such as interfacing your radio to the program. Both of these programs are easy to use. Then K4BAI won't have to manually enter your log into a program. Here is a guide on how to setup N1MM Logger Plus for the GQP.