The NJQRP Club is announcing the 14th Annual " Skeeter Hunt".  The objective is to get QRPers out of their shacks for the day; and into the fresh air and sunshine, to spread their wings and fill the airwaves with "Skeeters".  While commercial equipment can certainly utilized, bonus points will be awarded for those who personally home brewed their own or kit built their own  transciever or separate transmitter/receiver (equipment not built by the operator would not count as either home brewed or kit built - it would be considered commercial equipment).  The event is to be held on Sunday August 17th, 2025.  It will be a four hour sprint - from 17:00 UTC to 21:00 UTC (1:00 TO 5:00 PM EDT).

QRP stations who wish to be designated as "Skeeters" can get a Skeeter number by requesting one by sending an e-mail (including your name, call sign and the state or province) from which you will be operating, no sooner than 12:01 AM EDT on June 20th to [email protected]  You do not have to operate portable to be a Skeeter!  Please let me know if you intend to operate from a state other than your home state as listed on QRZ. Skeeter numbers will be issued from June 20th (the First Day of Summer) through the day before the event. Skeeter requests by e-mail only, please! I am very likely to miss requests submiited by social media.

Station Classes and Multipliers
X1 Home stations - commercial transceiver or separates
X2 Home stations - home brewed or kit built transceiver or separates
X3 Portable station - commercial transceiver or separates
X4 Portable station - home brewed or kit built transceiver or separates

Portable stations cannot use permanent antennas, i.e you can't work from your backyard, hook up to your dipole or tower and yagi and be considered a portable station. Also, portable stations cannot be connected to the local power grid - alternative energy sources must be used - solar, battery, wind, etc. Mobile stations (which are considered to be portable stations for this event) CAN use whatever permanent antennas may be mounted on their vehicles.

Multi-Op Stations: - Great idea!  Want to get together with some of your best buds to have a barbeque and hunt some Skeeters?  FB deal, OM!  When you send in your log, send the calls of everyone who participated under that call and or Skeeter number. 

Suggested Call - Either CQ QRP or CQ BZZ

Exchange -
Skeeter Stations - RST, S/P/C, Skeeter number
Non-Skeeter Stations - RST, S/P/C, Output power
Note: For those of you new to contesting, "S/P/C" refers to your "State" (US), "Province" (Canada), or "Country" (DX).

Mode – CW, SSB 
Power - 5W max CW, 10 Watts max SSB

Scoring -
Working a Skeeter Station - 3 points
Working a non-Skeeter, but QRP station - 2 points
Working any other QRO station - 1 point

NOTE: Stations can be worked on different bands for QSO points, but S/P/C's only count once for multiplier credit. For example. if you work W2LJ on 40, 20 and 15 Meters, that would count as three different Skeeter QSOs, but you can only count NJ once for S/P/C muliplier credit.

BONUS POINTS! -To be determined.

Suggested frequencies:
The QRP "Watering Holes"

For CW
80 Meters ~ 3.560 MHz
40 Meters ~ 7.040 and 7.030 MHz - also consider using from 7.114 to 7.122 MHz for a "slower" speed CW area.  We want to have everyone involved!
20 Meters ~ 14.060 MHz
15 Meters ~ 21.060 MHz
10 Meters ~ 28.060 MHz

For SSB
80 Meters ~ 3.985 MHz
40 Meters ~ 7.285 MHz
20 Meters ~ 14.285 MHz
15 Meters ~ 21.385 MHz
10 Meters ~ 28.885 MHz, and for those Novices and Technicians wanting to try a little SSB QRP - try hanging around 28.385 MHz.

These are suggested starting points, of course. Feel free to spread out and give your "Skeeter" wings a chance to do their thing.

For those of you who are new to QRP contesting, or contesting in general, here's how a sample QSO might go:

I call CQ
CQ BZZ CQ BZZ DE W2LJ W2LJ K

K2NBC hears me and comes bac to me:
W2LJ DE K2NBC K2NBC BK

I give him my half of the exchange:
BK K2NBC TU UR 559 NJ NR 13 BK

He copied me and gives me his hlf of the exchange:
BK TU UR 559 NJ NR 5960 BK - if he had a Skeeter number. If he's not a Skeeter, he would send: BK TU UR 559 NJ 5W BK

If I copied him, I would finish and go on to my next CQ:
BK TU DE W2LJ QRZ BZZ DE W2LJ

If I didn't copy , I would ask for fills or repeats - and that's all there is to it!

Categories:
CW Only and SSB Only, or Mixed Operating will be considered separate categories. Please indicate with your log summary which category you are participating as.

Log summaries, can be sent to [email protected] no later than 14 days after the event.

Photos and soapbox comments are to be loaded onto the Facebook page

Please note that when you send in your log summary, you will receive a confirming e-mail. If you do not receive a "Thank You" e-mail, your entry was not received - so please try again!

Please no ADIF, Cabrillo or N1MM files! Here's an example of a summary that can be used:

Larry - W2LJ - NJ
Skeeter #13 - All CW
Single Op
Skeeter QSOs - 23
Non-Skeeter QRP QSOs - 5
Non-Skeeter QRO QSOs - (if any)
S/P/Cs - 18
Station Class Multiplier X4
Bonus - TBD

Hope to hear and work all of you during this year's event. Special thanks to the NJQRP club for their sponsorship!

Here are the answers to a few questions asked so far:

Question - "Why don't I get to keep my Skeeter Number from year to year?"

Answer - It's all part of the fun! Lower Skeeter Numbers seem to be favored and in-demand. By applying for a new number each year, it allows everyone to have a shot at a low number.

Question - "Is self spotting allowed?"

Answer - Why not? This isn't a hard core "contester's contest", just a fun little QRP Sprint. Feel free to post to QRPSPOTS, but please mention "Skeeter Hiunt" in the comments.

Question - "I have a question that you or someone else may have the answer to. At one time, several years ago wasn't there a transmitter project that was called a 'MOSquito'? It possibly was a transceiver. If I recall it was in one of the magazines, CQ, 73, or Ham Radio."

Answer - I think you're thinking of the Miss Mosquita - The DL QRP Project still has that kit available:
http://www.qrpproject.de/UK/missmosquita.htm

Question - "Do I have to be a resident of NJ to get a NJQRP number?"

Answer - I'm assuming you mean a Skeeter number. Certainly not!  Anyone worldwide, who desires a Skeeter number can have one.  And as far as I know, NJQRP numbers are still given out when you join NJQRP - anyone can join that fine organization, also.  For the record, W2LJ's NJQRP number is 47.

Question - "Any thought about multiop or multi multi stations? A couple of us are thinking of a cookout and contest afternoon."

Answer - No, I hadn't, but it sounds like a cool idea to me!  Want to get a group together and have a cookout and get some radio in?  Sure!  All I ask is when you submit your log, to list the operators who participated.   Of course, this will be considered a separate operating class - but no problem with that.  I will make note of it when I update the rules.

Question - "You'll probably need to add some clarification on the "Kit" points. Some of the other "homebrew" contests are not counting modular kits like the K3 and KX3 as homebrew anymore, does this contest?"

Answer - This might rankle a few purists. But as far as I am concerned, for the Skeeter Hunt, here's the definition of "kit built". The operator's hands were involved in more than 50% of the building of the kit. Solder need not necessarily be involved. If you built a K3 or KX3 with your own hands, it counts. If you finished a kit (half of it or more, I will let the entrant judge that for himself) that someone else started, it counts. If you're using a PFR3A or a KX1 or whatever and you didn't build it yourself? Consider it commercial equipment. The idea here is to have fun and not get too trapped in the details. The honor system will rule - there will be no checking.  If anyone homebrews a key or paddle for the Skeeter hunt, please send a photo with your entry!

Question - "I am assuming it is ok for skeeters to operate in the field for the event?"

Answer - That's the whole idea!  Get out with your gear, get on the air and then share your tale of adventure with the rest of us!

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