Times – Weekly / Times to be announced
OBJECTIVE For amateurs around the world to make as many contacts as possible in a one hour period while having a good time. The goal is to face off against a friend, a group of people, and/or other Youtubers
BANDS As this is not an official contest, any band/frequency which allows FT8 is permitted.
TWO TRANSMITTERS A maximum of TWO Transmitters may be used at any given time during the competition. Total output power must not exceed 1500 watts on any band at any time, anything above 100 Watts makes you a WAR CRIMINAL.
AWARDS In the future, multiple awards may be offered. The plan or thought is to have two different awards: Multiband competition awards and single band. Awards can be done in certificate format or in prize format. Awards can also be fun. Any recommendations for awards may be considered.
CERTIFICATES No certificates are granted at this current moment.
PRIZES In the future, Prizes may be given out for tournament winners. This will be updated when further information becomes available.
CLUB COMPETITION In the world of Amateur Radio Sports Contests, this is currently an individual contest. Plans to make club tournaments will be added in the future.
Participants Anyone with an Amateur Radio Callsign anywhere is welcome to participate. Additionally, anyone being supervised by someone with a valid callsign is considered eligible under that Callsign. One supervised individual per competition.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Station location - The area in which all the transmitters, receivers, and antennas are located. All transmitters and receivers must be within a single 500-meter diameter circle. Antennas must be physically connected by RF transmission lines to the transmitters and receivers.
Grid Field - The first two characters of the Maidenhead locator system. Each character is a letter from A-R for a total of 324 Grid Fields defining the world. These are used for multipliers on each band.
Grid Square - The first four characters of the Maidenhead locator system. The first two characters are the Field as defined above. The second two characters are each a digit from 0-9 for a total of 32,400Grid Squares defining the world. These are used in the exchange and for determining QSO points.
GENERAL RULES FOR ALL ENTRANTS
- Entrants must operate within the limits of their chosen category when performing any activity that could impact their submitted score.
- A different call sign must be used for each entry. Only the entrant’s call sign may be used to aid the entrant’s score.
- Do not exceed the total output power limitation of the chosen entry category on any band. Total output power on any band at any time is measured at the output of the active amplifier(s).
- Self-spotting or asking to be spotted is permitted.
- Remote operation is permitted if all transmitters, receivers, and antennas are personally owned by you.
- A remotely operated station must obey all station licenses, operator licenses, and category limitations. The call sign used must be the one issued or permitted by the Regulatory Authority of the station location.
- Remote receivers outside the station location are not permitted.
- Alternating CQs on two or more frequencies on a band is not permitted.
- All requests for contacts, responses to calls, and copying of callsigns and contest exchanges must be accomplished during the contest period using the mode and frequencies of the contest.
- Correction of logged call signs and exchanges after the contest, by use of any database, recordings, email, or other methods is not allowed.
- Call signs logged must be the same as those exchanged over the air by the entrants during the QSO.
- Currently, only FT-8 is permitted. Future plans to implement SSB, CW, FT-4, and other modes may become available after the implementation and evaluation of FT-8 modes.
- Each QSO must require some action by the operator, e.g., selecting a QSO partner.
LOG INSTRUCTIONS Electronic submission of logs is required for all entrants.
- The log MUST show the following for each contact: Correct date and time in UTC and must be within the time frame of the contest Frequency (or band) The call sign of the station worked Exchange sent Exchange received
- A log without all required information may be invalidated. Contacts should be logged at the time they are completed.
- Single-band entrants are required to include all contacts made during the contest period, even if on other bands. Logs with contacts only on one band will be classified as single band entries unless the operator is operating in a tournament-style contest which does not specifically state it is a single band tournament.
- The standard way to submit logs currently is to send the contents of the ADIF/ADI file via E-Mail.
- Email is the current required method of log submission. Email is your logs in ADI/ADIF format to hrd@atfguy.com.
ENTRY CONFIRMATION All logs received will be confirmed by “Ham Radio Dude” or “Temporarily Offline”
LOG DEADLINE
- All entries must be sent WITHIN EIGHT (8) HOURS of the contest end.
- Currently, no extensions are considered. This may change in the future.
- Logs submitted after the deadline may be listed in the results, but are not eligible for awards/prizes.
LOG CHECKING All logs are checked using custom software and human judgment.
- Duplicate contacts are removed with the penalty that NO points will count for any of the contacts made with that callsign/individual.
- Contacts with an incorrectly received exchange are removed.
- Call sign errors (bust) or call signs, not in the other log (NIL) are removed and receive a penalty of the QSO point value for that contact.
- Contacts that do not meet the band change rules for multi-operator entries are removed with no additional penalty.
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT Examples of unsportsmanlike conduct include, but are not limited to:
- Arranging or confirming any contacts during or after the contest by use of ANY non-amateur radio means such as telephones, Internet, instant messaging, chat rooms, VoIP, email, social media, or websites.
- Transmissions by the entrant on frequencies outside of license limitations.
- Changing times in the log to meet band change rules.
- Taking credit for excessive unverifiable QSOs or unverifiable multipliers.
- Poor signal quality that interferes with other stations’ ability to operate. This includes, but is not limited to: signals with excessive bandwidth (e.g., splatter, clicks, IMD), harmonics on other bands, and excessive audio levels.
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS In the event of a violation, the entrant is subject to disqualification at the discretion of the committee.
- Disqualified entries will be listed at the end of the published results and are not eligible for an award.
- Notification of Committee actions will be sent by email to the address provided with the log submission. The entrant has five days to appeal the decision to the Contest Director. After that time the decision is final.
- The Committee reserves the right to change the category of any entry based on its examination of the log or other information.
DECLARATION By Contest log, and in consideration of the efforts of the judges to review and evaluate that log, an entrant unconditionally and irrevocably agrees that he/she has:
- Read and understood the rules of the contest and agree to be bound by them.
- Operated according to all rules and regulations that pertain to amateur radio for the station location.
- Agreed the log entry may be made open to the public.
- Accepted that the issuing of disqualifications and other decisions of the Committee are official and final.
SCORING Point system is as follows:
- 1pts Contacts within your own country
- +2pts DX Contacts (Source of truth: cty.dat)
- +3pts Special Event (SE) stations (Must be disclosed/verified within 24 hours of contest)
- +1pts for QRP (<=20 watts) (in power in FT8 Log)
- +4 SOTA/POTA Contestants operating Parks on the Air / Summit on the Air (in comments in FT8 Log)
- *0.5 FT4 Contacts
- +1 for contacts made on US Technician Bands
- Duplicate on same band/mode void all points with that contact on that band/mode
- Bonuses are Stackable