One more Q!

One more Q, the official motto of the Northeast Maryland Amateur Radio Contest Society, is what we are all about. There are many things that drive us, whether it be personal goals, contributing to our overall combined club score, the thrill of competition, or just giving two antennas a comparison test, but in the joyful grind of a weekend contest, sometimes we need to latch on to whatever we can to keep us in the chair.

The purpose of this page is to provide one more incentive to keep making Qs, and even more importantly, to recognize the accomplishments of the great contesters in our group.

Origins of One More Q!

Just so the origins of NEMARCS "One More Q" motto and the spirit behind it is documented for all, especially those who follow in the decades to come, I have this short story to share....

Dave, N3HCN is a tremendous CW OP and very competitive, always striving to do a little better than he did last time. Before Dave had a home where he could build antennas, he used to come over and operate CW contests here at my place. Since Dave could operate CW in circles around me, I was happy to let Dave take the driver's seat.

Dave would be rolling, running a frequency until the wee hours, when his head would start to bob as the automated CQs went out. I would say Dave, you better get a few hours shut eye, to which he would repeatedly reply, "just one more Q"!

THAT is the NEMARCS spirit!!!!

Medalist Award Qualifications

To qualify for new medal award recognition, you must exceed a threshold listed below in a single ARRL or CQ HF contest lasting 48 hours or less, as a Single Op, while being a member of NEMARCS. When you do, please let N3FJP know, so that this page can be updated.

Members who become silent keys while in good standing will never be forgotten and remain on this list in perpetuity. Members inactive for 3 years will be removed from the standings, but all records will be restored should they become active again.

Without further ado, here are our NEMARCS medalists!

Diamond => 2,000 QSOs

The 2,000 Diamond medalist line has yet to be crossed! Will you be the first to reach our highest honor!?

Platinum => 1,500 QSOs

N3FJP
W3JX
WC3N
WQ3O

Gold => 1,000 QSOs

AG4Q
AK3B
K2PLF
KA3YJM
KE3GK
NT3U
N3FZ
W3YR

Silver => 750 QSOs

N3HCN
W3FR
WM3A

Bronze => 500 QSOs

K2EJ
KC3SVR
K3AK
K3TEF
N3AML
N3BD
N3FM
N3OZT
N3WD
WA1HEW
W7IGC
WT8WV

Copper => 300 QSOs

KA2BKG
KC3ODW
KC3UDO
K3NO
K4JDF
N3GT
W2QFV
W3WC

Iron => 100 QSOs

KA3KHZ
KB3IYN
KC2VON
KC3ECO
KC3MRT
KC3RGK
KC3WKU
KC3WRH
K2SHF
K3IB
K3RLW
N3UR
WI3Y
W6YTG

Padawan 0 - 99 QSOs

Excellent, we are glad you are here, learning and we are very happy to help. Once you make at least 100 QSOs in one contest weekend, you will earn the right to be recognized here. Meanwhile, check our contest tips page and keep asking us questions!

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Seeking Medals!

Ray, WQ3O put together this excellent summary of how he views the significance of each medal level. Ray writes...

I love the medalist system that these guys set up before I joined here. I think of it like this:

Iron => 100 QSOs - Dabbling

Copper => 300 QSOs - Good effort for a non-contester trying things out to see if a full effort is something they might want to try.

Bronze => 500 QSOs - Now we're getting somewhere. When I first hit 500, I felt like I went from "guy who plays in contests" to "contester". It was on 1-wire antenna and 100w, but it showed that time in chair and effort make up for compromised station.

Silver => 750 QSOs - Now we're getting real. Unless you are popping out 80+ hour rates, this takes a lot of effort, especially if you are new to contesting. You are going to need some planning on when you can operate and put in 24 hours+.

Gold => 1,000 QSOs - Gold for a reason. You are reaching here after you've learned some things in previous efforts. You also know your station and it's capabilities. You know yourself and your capabilities (how is your cw? How are you after sitting at the rig for 10 hours straight with hardly a break?).

Platinum => 1,500 QSOs - Only been reached by 3 people [as of 2024], and they are all ones with a) good antenna set ups b) power c) experience.

Diamond => 2,000 QSOs - Yet to be done by us pistols in the club. This would be a major effort, conditions, and luck aligning.

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