Participate in both COQP and POTA/SOTA!
If you’re already planning a park or summit activation, why not schedule it during the Colorado QSO Party and make it a twofer? You’ll get all the usual POTA/SOTA fun, plus way more activity on the bands as stations across the country fire up their radios for the day.
Why Activate During COQP?
COQP brings a ton of operators to the airwaves who are actively hunting Colorado stations. That means more contacts, faster pile-ups, and a better shot at activating that park or summit you’ve been eyeing. Whether you’re working from a popular spot or trying somewhere new, you’ll have plenty of eager stations ready to work you.
And the best part? You don’t have to change much about how you normally operate. Just do your normal activation, and then submit your logs as usual to POTA/SOTA and submit a Cabrillo log to COQP.
How It Works
It’s super easy:
1. Pick your park or summit. Any POTA or SOTA entity in Colorado works. Feeling ambitious? Choose one in a rarer county and watch the pile-up grow.
2. Activate during COQP hours. The Colorado QSO Party runs from 7:00 a.m. to 8:59 p.m. local time on Saturday. Activate for as long or as short as you want—there’s no minimum.
When you’re on the air, you can mention both activities and provide your park ID and your three-character county abbreviation. For example:
“CQ CQ CQ, this is W0̷QRZ for Parks on the Air and Colorado QSO Party.”
“K1QRV, you’re 59. I’m at park US-1234, and county code LAR“
Feel free to spot yourself or solicit contacts on social media. In the spot comment, you can put “POTA and COQP”.
3. Use a logger that supports COQP Programs like N1MM+, N3FJP, and others have built-in COQP support. Just select it in your logging software and you’re good to go. It’ll handle the exchange for you.
4. Submit your log to both. When you’re done, upload your log to POTA or SOTA like usual, then also submit it to COQP. You’ll get credit for both activities.
What to Expect on the Air
During COQP, Colorado stations send their county abbreviation as part of the exchange (like “EL” for El Paso or “JF” for Jefferson). Out-of-state stations just send their state, province, or “DX.”
For more details, see the COQP Rules.
You’ll probably notice more activity than a typical weekend, especially on 20m and 40m. Take advantage of it—this is your chance to rack up contacts and maybe even snag some of those harder-to-reach parks or summits in Colorado.
You’re Part of the Fun
By activating during COQP, you’re not just doing your own thing—you’re helping make the event better for everyone. Colorado stations will be thrilled to work you, especially if you’re in a rare county or at an interesting location. And you’ll enjoy the busier activations.
So grab your gear, pick a spot, and let’s make some contacts. Whether you’re a POTA regular, a SOTA enthusiast, or someone trying it for the first time, you’re welcome here. See you on the air!
For lots more details, see the Getting Started page.