Contest: Michigan QSO Party 2026!

Spartan ARC members gathered on a rather chilly day in April to participate in the annual Michigan QSO Party, an event in which radio amateurs try to contact all 49 other states, all Canadian provinces, at least one distant contact (DX), and all the Michigan counties. This year, conditions on the usual bands was tough in comparison to recent history. 20 meters was troublesome and contacts around the country were quite limited. Higher bands, including 15 and 10 meters were essentially closed, which was unusual for the past couple years.

MSU set up two stations this in anticipation for 40 and 80 meters to be the primary driver for points in the contest. The regular shack, which operates a wonderful Momobeam Penta 10 for 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20 meters, was the place for the 12 o’clock noon starting line, but even a beam was having trouble cutting through the poor atmospheric conditions. Meanwhile, a second portable station was deployed for operation on 40 and 80 meters due to the regular noise of the Engineering Building, driven by a 40 meter doublet hung from the trees near the MSU Pavilion camping spots. This provided shore power, flat ground, and ample tree space to throw lines. The only downside was the temperatures, which dipped into the lower 40s as the day progressed and the sun began to set, driving us to pack up as the sun was going down around 9pm. This unfortunately left points on the table for 80 meters.

Overall, it was a valiant effort, and fun was had by all who attended. A group of students in Charlie KE8ZRH, Brennan KE8JVZ, Dong AD8QG, and Michael KF8DQS worked some of 20 and 40 meters, then turned their attention to working on improving the satellite station while Frank NF8M racked up CW QSO points primarily on 20 and 40. The portable station was worked by Al W8RXY, Jay NT0Y, Michael KF8DQS, Sawyer, and Leandro KF8FHZ, primarily on 40 meters, and then for a bit on 80 meters before temperatures dipped below human tolerance levels.

Here’s the breakdown:

390 QSOs
184 SSB / 206 CW
44 Mults SSB / 63 Mults CW = 107 Mults
596 QSO Points * 107 Mults = 63,772 Claimed Score

BAND MODE QSOS PTS-EACH-POINTS
80m CW 47-2-94
80m PH 3-1-3
40m CW 118-2-236
40m PH 170-1-170
20m CW 41-2-82
20m PH 11-1-11

Michigan Counties: 25/83
US States & DC: 38/50
Canadian Provinces: 4/13
DX: 1/1