Frequently Asked Questions
Can I operate on a county line and give out both
counties?
Yes. This has become common practice in other QSO Parties where one can operate on a county line and give out contacts for both counties. A separate QSO must be logged for each county.
What is the difference between mobile and rover?
You are starting the contest with antennas mounted
on a vehicle that can be used in motion. This makes you
mobile. Changing loggers, drivers oroperators
does not change the definition.
You become a rover when you use antennas that
are set up and taken down from specific locations. Presumably these
antennas are better than the purely mobile antennas, hence the
different definition.
With either a mobile or rover, all antennas must be transported by the vehicle. You cannot travel between stations that have fixed antennas and use those antennas as part of a mobile or rover operation.
Either way you enter the same Mobile/Rover Category
in the OQP. They are NOT separate categories.
Can I change category partway through the
contest?
If you want to change categories partway through the
contest, you must change call signs. There is no provision to vary
categories with the same call sign.
Can I change from multi-op to single-op during
the contest?
No. Once you operate as a multi-op station then you
are multi for the duration.
Is there a 10 minute rule for M/S stations?
No.
If I'm in Ontario may I work stations outside of Ontario for
points?
For sure! You get the same multiplier points for
another province, state, or DX station as you do for an Ontario
station. We would urge you to get on the higher HF bands and work as
many of these stations as possible.
Stations outside of Ontario only work Ontario
stations for points.
May I operate the contest using a single band?
Yes, but as there is no single band category you
would enter as a single operator. You would still be eligible for
certificates but would be competing with all band operators.
How was it determined what city becomes a
multiplier in the OQP?
These categories are those set by the provincial
government. The various categories are Regions, Counties, Single
Tier (Cities) and Districts and are shown on this web page.
http://www.amo.on.ca/YourAssociation/Municipal101
What Category am I in if I operate an HF station
located remotely in
one county
and a VHF station locally in a different county?
Remote operation is permitted. However, using fixed antennas at two different locations is not permitted. You can use two different callsigns to reflect that you are activating two different counties. At the same time, you cannot "work yourself" - use a remote station in a different county to contact yourself where your HF station is located. Your exchange multiplier is where your transmitter is located.
Can I work CW on VHF/UHF?
Yes. Historically there has been very little CW
activity on these bands but if you can find someone to work contacts
in CW are worth points just as they are on the HF bands.
How can I submit a text log with a few contacts. I don't have a fancy logging program that can generate a cabrillo file.
Bruce Horn, WA7BNM has added a text to cabrillo converter on his website at:
http://b4h.net/cabforms/onqp_cab3.php - you can enter your contacts and it will generate a suitable cabrillo file for you to copy and paste into our webform.
Remember, we need an easy way to score your log! Computer logging these days is not that difficult, and we encourage you to use one if you are not already. Many contests now require log submissions in Cabrillo format.
Can I submit one cabrillo file to both the OQP and the Quebec QSO Party?
Yes you can, but because the multipliers are different between the parties, you have to "double log" each Ontario <> Quebec QSO. In other words, you log your ON multiplier with the Quebec station as "QC" and then you log an additional contact with the Quebec multiplier and your qth as "ON" The scoring software used in both contests will ignore the "wrong" QSO lines. Your total QSO count will be off, but it will score correctly when it is reviewed.
Updated 28 Feb 2023
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