Kansas QSO Party 2026
A Weekend of Signals Across the Sunflower State
FHARC participated in the KS QSO Party on Aug. 29 & 30, 2026.
The Kansas QSO Party rolls around each year like a friendly radio reunion, and if you’ve ever tuned across the bands during that weekend, you know it’s anything but quiet. Members of the Flint Hills Amateur Radio Club again played a strong and enthusiastic role in the statewide event representing the Flint Hills and Butler County with skill, teamwork, and plenty of RF energy.
FHARC Operators on the Air
What makes this event special is its mix of competition and camaraderie. It’s part contest, part statewide adventure, and part celebration of amateur radio’s ability to connect people who may never meet in person. Gathering one again at the Schlueters home, club participation came in several forms.
Our Single Side Band (SSB) station ran on Barb’s ICOM 7300, paired with an LDG AT‑1000ProII autotuner for smooth band transitions. We operated at a steady 100 watts, which proved more than enough for solid, reliable contacts throughout the event.
We once again used the KS QSO Party Contesting software from N3FJP to handle scoring and logging. Barb entered all of our handwritten contacts into the program, then exported the log into a second piece of software to compare each call sign against QRZ, tracing any discrepancies back to the operators’ original scratch sheets. After correcting any mismatches in the contest log, Barb uploaded the finalized file to the KS QSO Party website.
This year we added a second operating station running WSJT‑X (FT8) for the Kansas QSO Party. The setup was put together by Barb (KDØWAU) and George (KAØOSN), with George handling most of the operating throughout the weekend. Barb took a turn at the controls, and Catherine (KE5CEJ) jumped in for her first hands‑on experience with FT8 and WSJT‑X.
For the station, we paired Barb’s Yaesu 857 with George’s MFJ tuner, feeding a Windows 10 laptop and using the kitchen’s large TV as a second monitor. That big screen made it easy to watch both the waterfall and the QSO map in real time. The radio was tied into an Alpha Delta dipole mounted on the berm at roughly 47 feet, giving the station excellent reach.
We ran WSJT‑X alongside GridTracker, which let us pull up each contact’s QRZ page through the Lookup feature and visualize activity across the band on the large monitor. George spent time teaching and demonstrating how WSJT‑X and GridTracker work together, showing how the software makes FT8 far more interactive and engaging.
Despite a minor issue with stray RF sneaking into the computer, we worked around it and kept the station running smoothly. By the end of the weekend, the FT8 station logged 63 QSOs:
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47 on 40 meters
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2 on 20 meters
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12 on 15 meters
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2 on 10 meters
It was a solid first year for the second digital station, and the hands‑on learning made it even better.
Showcasing the Flint Hills
One of the joys of the Kansas QSO Party is the chance to highlight the unique character of our region. FHARC members helped put the Flint Hills on the map—literally—by giving operators nationwide a chance to log Butler county. Each contact is a small spotlight on our part of Kansas, and the club’s presence helped ensure the Flint Hills was well represented.
On SSB we logged 212 contacts, with stations checking in from 42 different states. Most of the action was on 20 meters, where we racked up 181 contacts, while 40 meters added another 31 to the tally.
More Than a Contest
For FHARC, the QSO Party is about more than points. It’s a chance to sharpen operating skills, test equipment, enjoy friendly competition, and connect with fellow hams across the country. Hearing familiar call signs pop up on the bands adds a sense of camaraderie that makes the event feel like a statewide reunion.
Members Steve (KD0IJP), Wayne (KD0WAT), Barb (KD0WAU), Tom (KE0KQP), Catherine (KE5CEJ), Bern (KC4CRH), George (KA0OSN), and Ron (KF0AMJ) either operated during the event or stopped by to support and encourage those on the air.
Mobile Tower and Antenna
John (K0JDL), rolled in with his portable tower and set it up right in the driveway, giving us a solid foundation for the whole project. Steve added his omni‑directional antenna, and Wayne contributed his rotor, completing a surprisingly capable little station.
Once everything was assembled and guyed, the antenna topped out at just under 47 feet, giving us far better height — and reach — than anyone expected when we started.
Looking Ahead
With another successful Kansas QSO Party in the books, FHARC members are already talking about next year—improved setups and maybe even a few mobile adventures. The club’s participation continues to reflect its commitment to amateur radio, its pride in representing the Flint Hills and Kansas hospitality – sent over the airwaves.
