The Maine QSO Party continues to grow in popularity, with a record number of submissions in 2019! National winners include Gerry Bell VE3PYJ, for Canada, and Stefania Watson K1GJY, for the United States.

Winners per state outside of Maine, include Ethan (N1SOH) and Jacob Handwerker (W1FM), operating as N1SOH (Massachusetts), John Laney K4BAI (Georgia), Charles Williams N7MZW (Wyoming),  Michael Visich NG1M (Rhode Island), Robert Todaro N1XL (North Carolina), William Hendrick WI0WA (Iowa), Thomas Goodman AI4DB (Tennessee) Joseph Fischer AA8TA (Ohio), Steven Mosconi K6KS (California), Robert Fitch KM4IAJ (Virginia), Saul Broudy W3WHK (Pennsylvania), Bryan Horne KE8MFN (West Virginia), Larry Yoder K9WPV (Indiana), Robert Patten N4BP (Florida), John Laney K4BAI (Georgia), William Saulnier N5VR (Texas), Richard Rogers KF7ZKA (Arizona), Vincent Alvino W2KU (New Jersey), and Gerry Bell VE3PYJ (Ontario, Canada).

The overall Maine and Cumberland County winner was Stefania Watson K1GJY. Other county winners include, John Himes NC3O/1 (Lincoln County), John Huffman K1ESE (Oxford County), Tim Watson KB1HNZ (York County), and Robert Morse AB1EP (Hancock County).

The categories were won by Mark Coady VA3MYC and Michael Snook KE3VN (Single Operator QRP), Charles Williams N7MZW (Single Operator Low Power), Stefania Watson K1GJY (Single Operator High Power), and Ethan (N1SOH) and Jacob Handwerker (W1FM), operating as N1SOH (Multi Operator High Power).

On average only 1.1% of all logs included errors such as miscopied calls and unmatched QSO's.

We continue to see a number of log entries that ONLY include QSOs with Maine stations. The rules allow all QSOs during the contest period to be scored, as long as a proper exchange is made between the two stations. This means many of the entrants could've had significantly higher scores had they included their other QSOs!

Two logging programs were primarily used to submit logs this year. These include N1MM  and N3FJP.

Once again, congratulations to all the winners, and we look forward to hearing from you again next year!

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Other Notes:

NOAA issued a G2 (Moderate) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Saturday, September 28, 2019, and a G1 (Minor) watch for the 29th, issuing the following statement: "Geomagnetic activity is expected to escalate further in reaction to elevated solar wind speeds approaching 700 km/s, likely leading to G2 storm levels on Saturday, September 28."  

According to the K7RA Solar Report, no sunspots were reported for 24 consecutive days prior to the contest. "Over the past week (September 19-25) average daily solar flux shifted marginally from 68.1 to 67.3, while average daily planetary A index reflected quiet geomagnetic indices changing from 8.3 to 5.4 and mid-latitude indices went from 8 to 4.6."

Predicted solar flux was 67 on September 27 to October 4. Predicted planetary A index was 28, 45, and 20 on September 27-29. The planetary A index forecast of 28, 45 and 20 on September 27-29 was due to solar wind spewing from a large coronal hole.


Combined Club Scores:

Wireless Society of Southern Maine: 127,483 (2 logs)
Yankee Clipper Contest Club: 36,874 (3 logs)
Florida Contest Group: 10,656 (1 log)
South East Contest Club: 9,576 (1 log)
Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado: 9,169 (1 log)
Central Texas DX and Contest Club: 4,977 (1 log)
CTRI Contest Group: 270 (1 log)
Iowa DX and Contest Club: 204 (1 log)
Jackson County Amateur Radio Club: 30 (1 log)
Frankford Radio Club: 25 (1 log)
Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club: 24 (1 log)
Potomac Contest Club: 9 (1 log)
Contest Club Ontario: 4 (1 log)
Georgia Contest Club: 1 (1 log)