*Hello FQP Friendly Fun-seekers,*
*This is your **2023 Florida QSO Party Almanac* *for our Out-of-State
partners and FL Fixed and Mobile/Expedition stations.*
*(Frank K4EJ will provide a propagation report separately - tnx Frank! -
but the last few weeks have been generally terrific). NO BURPING ANOTHER
CME, OL' SOL!*
*FL Ops - Final Reminder:*
*Please register your Fixed, Mobile and Expedition county activations for
each day; the forms can be found at **https://floridaqsoparty.org/counties/
<https://floridaqsoparty.org/counties/>*
*The deadline is 0000z EDT Friday to ensure NO5W and K0RC super-duper
county tracking tools will include your operations.*
*Please note- folks across all continents use these tools, so be sure your
county activation is included.*
*Out-of-State Ops:*
You have many ways of having fun in the FQP that will keep you glued to the
radio:
A) Enjoy all the bands **Chock-Full** of FL stations; with 15m and 10m now
open in addition to 40m&20m there will always be open bands for you to hunt
for us here in the Sunshine State. Stations big and small at each end will
enjoy the fun. We have scores of registered stations and *many* more not
registered making Florida truly radio-active this weekend.
B) Go for a *County Sweep*! All 67 counties will be active; we will have
*350+* county activations by our Fixed, Expedition and Mobile ops! Every
county will be activated no less than two times with the vast majority five
or more times. But you have to be in the right place at the right time -
BIC time does make a difference. See 'Cool Tools' below...
Where: *10, 15, 20 and 40 Meters*
*SUGGESTED OPERATING FREQUENCIES: *
CW: 7.020-7.045, 14.025-14.055, 21.030-21.050, 28.030-28.050 MHz
Phone: 7.185-7.245, 14.240-14.295, 21.320-21.350, and 28.450-28.480 MHz
Contacts outside these frequency ranges are still valid; see rules for
details.
*MOBILE WINDOW: *We expect eight or more Mobile stations will be on and
most can be found here:
*CW: 7.025-7.035, 14.040-14.050, 21.040-21.050, 28.040-28.050 MHz*
*SSB: 7.230-7.240, 14.255-14.275 MHz *****If you are not mobile, *please*
refrain from calling CQ in these windows****
C) *2023 FQP SPELLING BEE:*
We will have a total of *12 special 1x1 stations* below whose suffixes
spell *CITRUS. *There will be two stations per suffix. Contact at least
one station of each suffix letter spelling CITRUS to earn this award.
These stations will be on both modes full-time and should be very
accessible. QSL these 1x1 calls active in FQP via KU9C Direct or via
LogBook of The World (LoTW).
The call signs and hosts are:
*CALL HOST CTY *
*K4C NF4A BAY *
*N4C AI4WW BRO*
*K4I K5KG SAR*
*N4I N4EEB VOL*
*K4T K1TO MTE *
*N4T N4TP HIL *
*K4R N4WW ORA*
*N4R N4OX ESC*
*K4U N1TO IDR*
*N4U N4UU ALC*
*K4S WO4O LAK*
*N4S N4SVC SUW*
D) *Compete for a plaque or earn a certificate:*
We perennially offer nearly 50 plaques, with more than two dozen for
stations outside FL. We also have printable certificates and the Worked
all Florida Award (tnx manager Charlie NF4A!). See the Awards tab and
pull-down menu on the FQP website for details.
E) *Way-Cool Tools* to maximize your fun and awards!
We suggest you use the following Super-Duper FQP tools to track FL
stations, maximize your score, complete the Spelling Bee and earn a County
Sweep on one or both modes:
- *Bob K0RC* provides a very detailed tracking analysis spreadsheet tool
*Here*
<https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wyet5pnvkxg3ogx16y60g/h?dl=0&rlkey=j1e23au5ke1dl25tygrmm8vad>
to
help you really fine tune when and who to look for to get those counties in
your logs...Fixed, Expedition and Mobiles all listed with tons of cool
analyses. Spend some time here; *it's worth it*. Simply Terrific tool
- Tnx Bob!
- *Chuck NO5W* provides a fabulous *Website*
<https://www.no5w.com/FQP_AnnouncedPlans.html> with higher level station
listings and visual maps of our FQP county activity. Take some time to
explore - if you want to get the overview of County activation each day
just click on a county on the map - this is a mighty FB site. Be sure to
click on the Counties Available links at the top for each day.
*Outstanding* - Tnx Chuck!
- *For Assisted stations use only*: *Chip, N3IW* has kindly provided a *FQP
Spotting Website* <http://qsopartyhub.com/fqp-spots.php>. Please
remember that FQP Rules **do not allow** self-spotting or asking to be
spotted; the only exceptions to this rule are the 1x1 FQP Spelling Bee
stations, who can self-spot. Tnx much Chip for adding a FB tool for
pack-hunting.
- A list of printable CW County Abbreviations is located *here
<https://www.floridaqsoparty.org/files/countabb.pdf>*.
F) *Catch Us If You Can!* In addition to our Mighty Armada of Fixed
stations, more than a dozen Mobile and Expedition teams have worked
together for an exciting game of Cat and Mouse. You can work each one over
and over as they change to a new county - and on each band too. HOLD ON
TIGHT - it's Fast and Furious on both ends!
G) *Be kind and encourage* our many new Florida Ops - pay it forward with
patience, guidance and QRS. "Please copy" can be an instructional moment.
*FL WX FORECAST:*
*Some passing isolated rain - but generally Just Beautiful! *
*Partly sunny and 20-40% chance of scattered rain across nearly *all* of
Florida from Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Daytona, Sarasota,
Naples, Palm Beach, Miami to Key West. You may get some rain but all-day
rain is very unlikely anywhere. Panhandle, Naples and Miami may get a bit
more rain Sunday am (west) or pm (mid-to-east).*
*Mobiles and Expeditions: Friday indicates more rain everywhere so plan
your pre-FQP activities accordingly (start earlier in the week).*
- *Lows from low/mid-60's (north) to mid-70's (south)*
- *Highs from low/mid-70's (north) to high-80's (Naples, Miami, etc)*
- *Mild 10-15mph breeze everywhere to keep us cool- nice.*
*The entire state will have generally decent weather - enjoy! Hope this
forecast holds...*
*ROAD CDX:*
-
*MOBILES and EXPEDITIONS: *The FQP Almanac is predicting *EXCELLENT to
GOOD *road conditions. Some construction areas and isolated small
pockets of rain will be signs to slow down and keep your eyes/ears open.
Please watch those low overhanging obstacles and be careful out
there - *safety
first!*
- Refueling stops for cars/ops should be quick and easy due to pleasant
temperatures. PRICES are another matter (ouch!). Reported gas prices can be
found here <https://www.gasbuddy.com/gasprices/florida> for most Florida
areas.
- *NOTE: Due to record rains and associated flooding in South Florida
two weeks ago, centered near Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, there may be some
isolated spots of limited gas availability. Please plan accordingly.*
- Hungry? Be sure to check the Waffle Houses for the "KN4Y(sk) FQP
Pancakes & Ham Special". We salute you, old FQP friend Ed- dit dit.
- Before you hit the road, be sure to check out the “QRQ Police
<https://www.speedtrap.org/florida/>“ listings beyond the usual places
we all know...
*LOVE BUGS (similar to last year's report):*
No heavy sightings reported but it’s really just luck if you avoid them
this time of year. According to Dr. Norman Leppla, a professor of
entomology and nematology at the University of Florida, the *frequency and
amount of rainfall* is likely a factor in determining the amount of
lovebugs each season. An overall lack of rain this year has led to a very
very light lovebug season to date. That said, take steps to be ready:
Road Warriors, please remember to *fill your windshield wiper fluid and
bring a spare bottle*. If you run out then a regular Soda will work in a
pinch but should be washed off with water.
Consider a front grill protector or spread a thin film of oil cooking spray
or baby oil on your car's front facing features (grill, roof, side mirrors,
etc.) and wash off bugs asap.
- Lou KE1F reports his XYL uses "Bounce" type dryer sheets to
effectively remove the critters.
- Jan K4QD reports McGuire’s Marine and RV wax on the front shell as
more industrial prevention.
Going dark soon to finish the K4OJ/m installation - see you all on the air.
Tnx and Enjoy the Party!
*FQP - So Bright, you gotta wear Shades! *
😎
*73,*
*Chris, NX4N*
*FQP Fully Fallible Forecaster*
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