2024
1500z Oct 12 to 0500z Oct 13, 2024 (UTC)
AZQP 2024
begins in:
16th Running of the AZQP*
History & Historical Results
History of the Arizona QSO Party
The Arizona QSO Party is known to have at least four distinct incarnations.
The first know incarnation of the AZQP was sponsored by Saguaro High School in Scottsdale in 1966 to honor that school’s first year of existence. Rick N6NR (ex WA7CNP) and Brian W0DZ (ex WA7FIK) ran the AZQP for three years. They believed they had created the first AZQP.
Later in 1975, the Motorola Amateur Radio Club of Arizona sponsored the second known incarnation of the AZQP. They also believed they had created the first AZQP.
In 1982, the Southern Arizona DX Association sponsored the third know incarnation of the AZQP. Phil N7BUP ran the contest for several years.
The fourth and present AZQP incarnation traces its roots to 2008 when the ARRL Headquarters asked then Arizona Section Manager Tom Fagan K7DF to organize an Arizona QSO Party to be held in 2009, which the ARRL had designated as the “Year of the State QSO Party”. Tom asked the Catalina Radio Club to host the party. Tom also instigated the revival of the AZ-Worked All Counties award sponsored by the Yavapai Amateur Radio Club. Gary KE7DX (SK) took the lead on the Arizona QSO Party for the Catalina Radio Club and launched the fourth and present incarnation of the AZQP in 2009. Gary remained the prime driver of the AZQP until 2018 when Bill K6WSC took the reins of what he also thought was the first AZQP. The Radio Society of Tucson sponsored the AZQP in 2018 & 19. The AZQP is now sponsored by the Amateur Radio Council of Arizona.
Therefore, the caveat that goes with the Xth Running of the AZQP in the header is the following: This is the Xth continuous year of the Running of the AZQP in its fourth known incarnation.