Join SARA for the Ohio QSO Party on Saturday, August 22, 2026! We’ll have three club stations operating from Portage Lakes State Park’s Big Oak Shelter for a day of contesting, food, and fun.
Whether you’re an experienced operator, newly licensed, or curious about HF and contesting, come out and give it a try!
Event Information
Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
Schedule:
• Noon – Operations begin on 40m, 20m, and 15m
• ~5:00 PM – Dinner: burgers and hot dogs
• Evening – Transition to 80m, 40m, and 20m
• Dusk / Park Closing – End operations and tear down
Portage Lakes State Park – Big Oak Shelter
Just off on Manchester Road south of Highway 619
https://maps.app.goo.gl/aPabJkQBxDYeyd8G9
Coordinates: 40.96430850068532, -81.56149815719304
NOTE: This is a different pavilion than our previous Portage Lakes events!
Operating
SARA is providing up to three complete club stations for members and guests. You do not need to bring your own radio, antenna, or station equipment! Just come out, find an available station, and get on the air.
There will be no operating sign-ups. Stations are first come, first served.
Planned radios:
- Icom IC-7300
- Two Yaesu FT-991A radios
- Yaesu FT-891 as a backup
Antenna: 80m Off-Center-Fed Dipole (OCFD)
The Ohio QSO Party permits SSB and CW. Digital modes are not permitted.
CW: 2 points
SSB: 1 point
Hawaii QSO Party
The Hawaii QSO Party takes place on the same day! If Hawaii is still needed in your log, keep an ear out for those stations while working the Ohio QSO Party.
Multipliers
There are 149 possible multipliers:
- 88 Ohio counties
- 49 U.S. states
- 11 Canadian provinces
- 1 DX
The more multipliers you work, the higher your score will be!
Food
The SARA Social Committee will provide burgers and hot dogs around 5:00 PM. Thank you to the Social Committee!
Feel free to bring a side dish or dessert to share.
Operating From Home
Can’t make it to Portage Lakes? You can still help SARA’s score! It’s very easy to submit your personal logs for the QSO party.
Ohio stations can submit their Cabrillo log and select SARA as their club. Your score will still count toward your individual operator score while also contributing to SARA’s club score.
For a station operating at 100 watts or less, for example, you would select:
Category: Fixed SingleOp Low Power
Location: Your Ohio county
Club: Silvercreek Amateur Radio Association
The log submission period ends 7 days after the event, so don’t wait to submit your log!
Ohio QSO Party Rules
For complete rules and information visit: https://www.ohqp.org/index.php/rules/
Come Join Us!
Come out to Portage Lakes, grab a radio, make some contacts, enjoy some food, and help put SARA on the air!
For more information or questions, contact Josh (W8HRF) at ke8vka@gmail.com.