2020 Idaho QSO Party
Results
On March 14 and 15, 2020, Jay, N7ZUF, and I activated eight counties in the Idaho QSO Party using the Idaho DX Association club call of NI7DX. With Jay operating SSB and me operating CW, we made 310 QSOs for a claimed score of 93,795. I think mobiles accumulate mults on a per county basis. Regardless of the score we made 310 Qs.
It snowed Friday night and early Saturday morning so our drive from my house in Moscow to the staring point in Idaho County had some snow in the air but the major roads were clear. Later on Saturday we had a few periods of snow, rain, or sleet plus a constant wind. Sunday was unseasonably cool with temperatures well below freezing but no snow.
Our best county was Nez Perce on Saturday. We operated from the top of the Lewiston Grade which has a 2,100 foot drop from the top to the Clearwater River below. All that elevation change really enhances signals to the east and south. We made 49 CW and 48 SSB contacts in our hour and half operating time.
Sunday's operations were away from the rolling wheat fields into the mountains and forests. Clearwater County produced 41 CW Qs and no SSB ones. Shoshone county yielded 23 CW Qs and 5 SSB ones. Our operating plan puts us there in prime time for European stations, and as has happened in previous years, European stations caught our attention. This year it was DL, OM, F, and S5 ones.
We had five folks, K0AP, N8II, K1RO, W0PI, and WB8WKQ, find us in six of our eight counties. It is quite pleasing to have regular customers. OM2VL found us in four counties and DL3DXX in two.
Thanks to all who worked us and also to those who tried.
Pictures and comments from along the route
We started the contest from this side road just off US 95 in Idaho County. The main road was clear, but not this one. Together we made 49 Qs from here.
Here we are at the top of the Lewiston Grade. The town of Lewiston, Idaho is just visible over the hood of Jay's truck. The two antennas are leaning forward because of the wind.
No snow here in Latah County late in the afternoon of Saturday. 20 m was dead, or abandoned, but 40 m was still good for 38 Qs, much better than last year's poor showing of only one Q.
Sunday morning in Clearwater County with fresh snow here in the mountains. No SSB contacts but 40 and 20 m CW were good for 41 Qs.
Our operating location just off Idaho 3 on the road to Clarkia. Perhaps it is all the crossing powerlines that attract the European stations.
Our last stop of the contest in Kootenai County. Propagation was odd here and signals were hare to pull out. Only a total of 11 Qs.
The Plan
Jay, N7ZUF, and I will activate eight counties in the Idaho QSO Party on March 14 and 15 using the Idaho DX Association's call of NI7DX. Jay's truck has dual antennas and radios so we both can operate at the same time when stopped. Jay will operate SSB when we are stopped and I will operate CW when in motion and stopped. In each county when Jay is on 40 m SSB, I'll be on 20 m CW then after about a half an hour we'll switch to 40 m CW and 20 m SSB. For close in stations, Jay will operate 80 m SSB for at least 10 minutes in each county. The 80 m SSB planned times are in the timeline below. Watch the RBN and spots to find which bands and modes we are on.
Our CW frequencies will be around 14.036 MHz, 7.036 MHz, and perhaps 3.536 MHz. We'll try to have the SSB frequencies around 14.260 MHz, 7.260 MHz, and 3.855 MHz.
You can work us each time we change counties or bands.
Here is our planned timeline.
County Timeline
March 14 and 15, 2020 (UTC)
Route Map
March 15, 2020 (UTC)