Object: To contact as many New England stations (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) in as many New England counties (68) as possible on 80-40-20-15-10m. (New England stations work anyone)
Date: First full weekend of May (May 4-5, 2024, May 3-4, 2025)
Contest Period: 2000Z Saturday until 0500Z Sunday (4pm EDT Saturday until 1am EDT Sunday) and 1300Z Sunday until 2400Z Sunday (9am EDT Sunday until 8pm EDT Sunday).
Categories: Single-operator high power, low power(150w or less) and QRP(5w or less) categories, plus multi-operator, single transmitter and multi-transmitter. Mobile categories are the same except no Multi-Multi. Use of spotting assistance and self-spotting is permitted in all categories.
Contest Exchange: Send signal report and state/province (DX stations send signal report and “DX”). New England stations send signal report, state and county. Note that in CT, stations will use Regional Councils of Government (2024).
Valid Contact: Work New England stations once per band/mode. New England stations work anyone (and must copy the county for New England stations worked). CW contacts must not be made in the phone band segments. Mobiles that change counties are considered to be new stations, and can be worked for both multiplier and QSO Point credit. County line QSOs should be logged as two separate QSOs. Cross mode, cross-band, and repeater QSOs are not permitted.
QSO Points: Count one point per phone QSO, two points per CW (includes digital modes)QSO.
Multiplier: Stations outside of New England use counties as multipliers for a total of 68 (CT/9 MA/14 ME/16 NH/10 RI/5 VT/14). New England stations use states(50)(Count DC as MD), Canadian provinces(14 – VO1/VO2 are separate) and DXCC countries as multipliers. Note that CT switched from counties to Regional Councils of Government (2024).
Scoring: Total score is QSO points times the multiplier. Mobiles count QSO points per county and multipliers from all counties (counted once).
Suggested frequencies: CW – 3540 7035 14040 21040 28040, SSB – 3850 7180 7280 14280 21380 28380.
Reporting: Logs should indicate times in UTC, band, mode, call and the required contest exchange. All stations include your club’s name in the log header or summary. Entries must be submitted within 30 days. We prefer that logs be uploaded via https://neqp.contesting.com or email to logs@neqp.org (Cabrillo format preferred), and we do accept logs on paper sent to NEQP, P.O. Box J, West Suffield CT 06093,
Awards: Certificates will be awarded to the top scorers (25 QSO minimum) in each New England county, U.S. state, Canadian province and DXCC country. A number of special plaques will also be awarded to top scorers (check the Web site for a current list).
More information: The New England QSO Party Web site is at https://www.neqp.org. Check there for information on planned fixed-station and mobile activity from New England counties, contest software information, county abbreviations, plaques to be awarded and information on New England state county awards. NEQP results will be posted on the web site when they are complete. Questions can be addressed to info@neqp.org.
Last updated 4/6/2024