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The results have been analyzed for the 2008 TPQSO party! 2008 was a repeat of last year. In fact I reviewed my 2007 comments and most still applied to 2008. The sunspots failed us again, since we expected by this time a year later, to be on the upswing of cycle 24. What was true last year is true this year is the grit and determination of the group to persevere through crowded and sometimes tough band conditions. A major role was played by 80 and 40 operations in the scoring along with old trustworthy 20-meters to keep us going.
Hope you will be able to join us again in 2009! Our web page is now http://tpqso.com. Please check it for the latest information.
We owe many thanks to our chapter coordinators. They always do a great job in getting the word out to the members of their chapter. Congratulations to all!
73 -- Jim N6TP
Individual Scores 2008
First N6TP
Jim Muiter
5,822
Second
W4BXI John Drum
4,392
Third
K6DRB
Don Binggeli
3,330
Canadian Scores 2008
First VE1IN
Lorne Titus
2,673
Second VE3MP
John Dillon
2,296
Third VE3CBE
Wallace Clark
1,140
Fourth
VE3KII
Don Rowed
660
Chapter Scores 2008
First
Golden Gate
11,773
Second
South
5,544
Third
Iowa
4,968
The award for the most improved chapter goes to Iowa!
The 2008 Telephone Pioneer QSO Party is History
Soapbox Comments N6TP Jim
It looks like the 2008 will look much like the 2007 and 2006 events. We are still stuck in the doldrums in a solar sunspot cycle minimum. The experts say that this extended length of the minimum between Cycle 23 and Cycle 24 is not that unusual. The problem is that we have become used too much shorter minimums between cycles.
What does that mean to the Telephone Pioneer QSO Party? The Telephone Pioneer QSO Party is held on the first full weekend in December. That period coincides with the earliest sunset. It is not exactly coincident with the winter solstice, which falls around December 21st or 22nd. At my latitude and longitude that occurs at 4:50 PM Pacific Standard Time around December 5th.
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How does that affect conditions and the Telephone Pioneer QSO Party? At this point in the sunspot cycle, the 20-meter band closes on the West Coast by about 2330 UTC (3:30 PM PST). So from a QSO point of view, I had better make all my contacts on the “daylight” bands” before 2330 UTC Saturday and Sunday. After 2330 UTC the 20-meter band has folded up. Typically the 20-meter band will reopen for me around 1430 UTC (6:30 AM PST) and gradually get better from that point.
After 2330 UTC in the Telephone Pioneer QSO Party, operations now switch to 40 and 80 meters, with a few hardy souls going to 160-meters late in the evening. By the way there is usually an ARRL 160-meter contest going on during the first weekend in December.
What can we expect when the sunspots return and conditions improve so that we again have good openings on 15 and 10-meters? Recently I found my logs from 1979 and checked a few things. It seems that Cycle 21 peaked at that time with a sunspot number of 165! I found in 1979, that I had finished making 20-meter contacts at 0230 UTC (6:30 PM PST on both Saturday and Sunday). Granted December 1979 was the peak of Cycle 21. But the difference in band conditions is striking. 20-meters was open 3 hours later on both evenings. Also in 1979, the bulk of my contacts were on 15 and 10-meters. That trend continued for several years and for the next sunspot Cycles 22 and 23. Sunspot Cycle 23 peaked around 2001. 15 and 10-meter openings are kind to modest stations. 20-meters is another story.
I hope we can take some encouragement by looking at the last sunspot cycle peaks and look forward to the return to what we used to take for granted.
What can we do in the meantime? One thing we can do is to wait patiently for the return of the sunspots and improved conditions. Next we can encourage our fellow Telephone Pioneers to hang in there. Support your local clubs and your Telephone Pioneer chapter coordinators. Try to improve your station where possible, perhaps by focusing your efforts in antenna improvements. Remember Morse code (digital contacts) count for two points. CW has the advantage in weak signal contacts by 6 to 9 dB over single-side band. We need to maintain a critical mass of operators so that the number of contacts will increase. No more dead bands!
I would appreciate any suggestions on how we might improve the TPQSO party. Some suggestions include shortening the hours to avoid the 20-meter QRM on Saturday. These poor conditions cannot last forever, so we for now just have to make the best of it, by showing the true pioneer spirit.
73-- Jim Muiter N6TP
Results Continue! -- Read On for the Full Score Reports.
See you on the air
December 4-6, 2009!
For the 45th Annual TPQSO Party in December 2009, watch this website for the full announcement this fall!
For the latest information, go to: http://www.tpqso.com
From the archives: Previous Years' Results...
TPQSO Party results from 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1995 are also available.
Official Rules & More -- For Reference
You may wish to view the following pages, and print them from your Web Browser.
- The QSO Party rules are available on this website.
- A sample contest log sheet is available for the event.
- Please use the summary sheet when you submit your scores!
- A list of chapters is available for you to refer to during the event.
There are two stellar events that serve the common interests of Amateur Radio followship in the telephone industry: The annual CQ WE (CQ Western Electric) event provides the chance to renew contacts with your friends from the old Bell System companies. The Telephone Pioneer QSO Party does the same with all Amateur Radio Telephone Pioneers. All operators are invited to take part in both events.
Contact your local Telephone Pioneer Chapter for information on
becoming a Telephone Pioneer, or visit the Telephone Pioneers'
website: http://telecompioneers.com/
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Updated February 11, 2009
