2022 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge Winners Announced

Point to point study of K1GJY’s QSOs during the 2022 MEQP

For the second time in Simplex Challenge history, we had a tie for the overall win. Stefania Watson K1GJY and Tim Watson KB1HNZ, who operated as Mobile Medium, each made 164 QSOs, in 17 different towns, for a total of 2,788 points. Congratulations on a job well done!

Although most pandemic-related restrictions had been lifted by late March, served agencies, such as the National Weather Service, County EMAs, and Red Cross facilities were still closed to the public, which prevented activations from those facilities.

John Horton KC1LSO, and Dakota Dumont KB1YYC, operated as QRP mobiles, while Stefania Watson K1GJY and Tim Watson KB1HNZ, operated in the Medium Mobile category. Dakota and John were heard mostly in the towns around Portland and west (Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cumberland, Westbrook, Windham, etc.), while Tim and Stefania covered the most ground, ranging from Camp Ellis to Waldoboro, and west along Rt. 196 to Androscoggin County.

Similar to years past, the most popular categories were the medium-powered classes, and they were also the most competitive, with K1GJY and KB1HNZ being even on QSOs and multipliers in Medium Mobile, and Medium Fixed continued to show a strong number of entries. K1HC and WD1F led the pack, but K1JJS and AC1FB were close behind.

Some stations that appeared in many logs, include KC1HBL, KC1MPV, K1CYJ, and WZ1J, but of those only KC1MPV and K1CYJ submitted logs.

The Wireless Society of Southern Maine captured the club competition, earning 7,533 points from 8 logs. Congratulations on a job well done!

Click here for complete details, and to see all the category winners.

Mark your calendars! The next Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge takes place Saturday, March 25, 2023.

The Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge is this Saturday!

The 12th Annual Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge takes place Saturday, March 26th, from 12PM – 4PM!

Contacts are limited to FM Simplex on the 2 meter band.

Participants may be entered as either fixed or mobile, (but not as both).

Exchange – Exchange items include your call sign, the name of the city, village, town, or township you are operating from, and your power level. Rovers and mobiles must be within the city limits of whatever city they claim to be operating from. If you are operating from a served agency station, you should also include this with your exchange. Specify which agency you serve, for example, “SKYWARN,” “EOC,” or “Red Cross.” On the log sheets, however, there will only be a place to notate whether or not the station is operating from a served agency.

City or Town – This is simply the name of the city or town you are operating from. If you do not live within the city limits, use the name of the town or municipality to which mail or a package would be addressed. For mobile entries, use the name of the city or town you are in, or the closest city or town.

Power levels are defined as follows:
• QRP – 5 watts or less
• Medium Power – greater than 5 watts, but less than 100
• High Power – 100 watts or more

Enter as either Fixed (either at home or portable) or Mobile (roving).

Click here for complete rules and details, including Entry Forms and Log Sheets, for the 2022 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge.

2021 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge Winners Announced

Point-to-point study of K1HC’s QSOs during the 2021 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge

This year’s overall winner of the Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge is: Dick Bean K1HC, from Westwood, Massachusetts, who made a total of 95 QSOs, in 41 different towns, for a total of 3,895 points. Congratulations on a job well done! K1HC operated as Fixed Medium from his vacation home in Haprswell, Maine, using an Icom IC-9700 into a Diamond X50 at 295′ above sea level, during the contest.

The continuing pandemic meant that served agencies, such as the National Weather Service, County EMAs, and Red Cross facilities were closed to the public, so we didn’t have any activations from those places like in years past. There was also a continuation of the trend from the previous year, which saw more participants operate from their own homes.

John Horton KC1LSO, and Dakota Dumont KB1YYC, operated as QRP mobiles, while Stefania Watson K1GJY, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, Eric Emery N1RXR, and Jason Andrews W1SFS operated in the Medium Mobile category. Dakota, John, and Eric were heard mostly in the towns around Portland and west (Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cumberland, Westbrook, Windham, etc.), while Jason travelled south from the Scarborough area. Tim and Stefania covered the most ground, ranging from Camp Ellis to Waldoboro.

Similar to years past, the most popular categories were the medium-powered classes, and they were also the most competitive, with K1GJY and KB1HNZ being separated by only 1 QSOs in Medium Mobile, and Medium Fixed tied a record for the number of entries. K1HC and WD1F led the pack, but K1JJS and KB1FGF were separated by just 10 QSOs and even on multipliers.

Some stations that appeared in many logs, include W1DYJ, KC1MSQ, N1TTT, KA1KJR, KC1HJN, and WZ1J.

The Merrymeeting Amateur Radio Association (MARA) captured the club competition for the first time, earning 7,782 points from 4 logs. Congratulations on a job well done!

Click here for complete details, and to see all the category winners.

The next Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge takes place Saturday, April 2, 2022.

The Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge is this Saturday!

The Maine 2 meter FM Simplex Challenge is this Saturday!

Contest Period: Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 from 12PM-4PM.

Contacts are limited to FM Simplex on the 2 meter band.

Participants may be entered as either fixed or mobile, (but not as both).

Exchange – Exchange items include your call sign, the name of the city, village, town, or township you are operating from, and your power level. Rovers and mobiles must be within the city limits of whatever city they claim to be operating from.

City or Town – This is simply the name of the city or town you are operating from. If you do not live within the city limits, use the name of the town or municipality to which mail or a package would be addressed.

For mobile entries, use the name of the city or town you are in, or the closest city or town.

Power levels are defined as follows:
• QRP – 5 watts or less
• Medium Power – greater than 5 watts, but less than 100
• High Power – 100 watts or more

Entry Categories – There are two entry categories: Fixed and Mobile. You may enter only one category for the contest. If a station gives out more than one multiplier during the contest, that station will automatically be entered into the mobile category.

Click here for complete rules – and don’t forget there’s a club competition as well!

Catch you on the air!

11th Annual Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge is Saturday, April 3rd!

Please join us Saturday, April 3rd, from 12PM-4PM for the 11th Annual Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge.

The Maine 2 meter FM Simplex Challenge is a ham radio sprint-style contest designed to give 2 meter operators a chance to compete on an even basis, and have fun doing it.

Contacts are limited to FM Simplex on the 2 meter band.

Participants may be entered as either fixed or mobile, (but not as both).

Exchange – Exchange items include your call sign, the name of the city, village, town, or township you are operating from, and your power level. Rovers and mobiles must be within the city limits of whatever city they claim to be operating from.

City or Town – This is simply the name of the city or town you are operating from. If you do not live within the city limits, use the name of the town or municipality to which mail or a package would be addressed.

For mobile entries, use the name of the city or town you are in, or the closest city or town.

Power levels are defined as follows:
• QRP – 5 watts or less
• Medium Power – greater than 5 watts, but less than 100
• High Power – 100 watts or more

Entry Categories – There are two entry categories: Fixed and Mobile. You may enter only one category for the contest. If a station gives out more than one multiplier during the contest, that station will automatically be entered into the mobile category.

Click here for complete rules – and don’t forget there’s a club competition as well!

Catch you on the air!

2020 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge Winners Announced

Congratulations to the 2020 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge winners! Bill Richardson NG1P, from Topsham, Maine, who made 67 QSOs, in 26 different towns, for a total of 1,742 points, took the overall win. Bill operated QRP fixed, using a Kenwood TH-D79A and J-Pole during the contest. In the categories, Donnie Dauphin WD1F, won the Medium Fixed class. Charlie Shepard W1CPS, won QRP Mobile over Cindy Shepard W1CJS by just 2 QSOs, and Tim Watson KB1HNZ won the Medium Mobile Category, by just 2 QSOs over Stefania Watson K1GJY.

Please click here for a complete run down of the 2020 results.

Here’s a point-to-point study of NG1P’s contacts from the 2020 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge

The 2020 2 Meter FM Challenge is coming up soon, on Saturday, April 3rd.

Click here for more information and complete rules.

The Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge is Saturday, March 28th

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT

Saturday, March 28th, from 12PM – 4PM

The 2020 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge takes place Saturday, March 28th, for 4 hours, beginning at 12pm local time!

Getting started is easy!

Choose a power level from: QRP (5 watts or less), Medium (Greater than 5, but less than 100 watts), or High (100 watts or more), and decide whether to operate as Fixed or Mobile.

The Exchange is 3 items: your call sign, the name of the city, village, town, or township you are operating from, and your power level.

For example, if your call sign is W1ZZ, and you’re operating from your home station in Gorham, and running 50 watts, you’d say: “Please copy, Whiskey One Zulu Zulu, Gorham, Medium Power”.

Suggested frequencies: 146.475, 146.490, 146.505, 146.550, 146.565, 146.580, 147.420, 147.435, 147.450, 147.465, 147.480, 147.495, 147.510, 147.525, 147.540, 147.555, 147.570.

Contacts with an EOC, SKYWARN, Red Cross, or other served agency station are worth 2 points each! Check out the official rules for more details.

Now, get on the air, and have fun!

Click here for complete rules and details.