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Rules

The 2008 CQ WPX RTTY Contest

February 9 - 10, 2008

Starts: 0000 GMT Saturday Ends: 2359 GMT Sunday

I. Period of Operation: Single Operator stations may operate only 30 hours of the 48-hour contest period. Off time periods must be a minimum of 60 minutes in length and must be clearly marked on the Summary Sheet. Multi-Operator stations may operate the entire 48-hour contest period.

II. Objective: The object of the contest is for amateurs around the world using RTTY to contact as many amateurs in other parts of the world as possible during the contest period.

III. Bands: The 3.5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 MHz bands may be used. No 1.8 MHz or WARC bands. Observance of established band plans is strongly encouraged.

IV. Terms of Competition (for all categories): All entrants must operate within the limits of their chosen category when performing any activity that could impact their submitted score. Transmitters and receivers must be located within a 500-meter diameter circle or within the property limits of the station licensee, whichever is greater. All antennas must be physically connected by wires to the transmitters and receivers used by the entrant. All high power categories must not exceed 1500 watts total output power on any band. Only the entrant’s callsign may be used to aid the entrant’s score. RTTY (Baudot) mode only. No unattended operation or contacts through gateways or digipeaters are permitted. Any form of DX alerting assistance is permitted in ALL categories.

V. Categories:

1. Single Operator (Single Band and All Band)

(a) Single Operator stations are those at which one person performs all of the operating, logging, and spotting functions. Only one transmitted signal is allowed at any time.
(b) Low Power: Same as 1(a) except that (i) output power is 150 watts or less and (ii) only All Band entrants may enter the Low Power category. Stations in this category compete with other Low Power stations only.
(c) Rookie: An entrant in this category shall, at the time of the contest, have been licensed as a radio amateur for three years or less. If you are entering this category, please indicate on your Summary Sheet.

2. Multi-Operator (All Band operation only)
(a) Single-Transmitter: Only one transmitted signal at any time. Limited to 6 band changes in any clock hour (0 through 59 minutes). For example, a change from 20 meters to 40 meters and then back to 20 meters constitutes two band changes. Violation of the 6-band change rule will result in reclassification to the Multi-Multi category.
(b) Multi-Two: A maximum of two transmitted signals are allowed as long as each transmitter is on a different band. Each of the two transmitters is limited to 6 band changes in any clock hour (0 through 59 minutes). For example, a change from 20 meters to 40 meters and then back to 20 meters constitutes two band changes. Violation of the 6-band change rule will result in reclassification of the entry to the Multi-Multi category. Each transmitter must keep a chronological log containing its own serial numbers and unique transmitter identifier (0 or 1 in the Cabrillo format).
(c) Multi-Transmitter: No limit to transmitters, but only one signal and running station allowed per band.

3. SWL: SWLs are required to log the callsigns of both the heard and correspondent station. Scores are based only upon the heard station, using the same rules as transmitting stations. Correspondent callsigns may not appear more than three times per band in your log.

VI. Exchange: RS(T) report plus a progressive contact three-digit serial number starting with 001 for the first contact. (Continue to four digits if past 999.) Your log MUST show the correct serial number sent and received for each contact.

VII. Serial Numbers and Identification of Transmitters: Single Operator log entries must contain a progressive three (or four) digit serial number sequence starting with 001 for the first contact. Multi-Two log entries must follow the same serial number scheme for each transmitter separately, and identify the transmitter (0 or 1) that makes each QSO. Multi-Transmitter (Multi-Multi) log entries must follow the same serial scheme as Single Operator log entries, but use separate serial numbers for each band. Multi-Multi logs need not identify the transmitter that makes each QSO.

VIII. QSO Points:
1. Contacts between stations on different continents are worth three (3) points on 28, 21, and 14 MHz and six (6) points on 7 and 3.5 MHz.
2. Contacts between stations on the same continent but in different countries, and contacts with maritime mobile stations, are worth two (2) points on 28, 21, and 14 MHz and four (4) points on 7 and 3.5 MHz.
3. Contacts between stations in the same country are worth one (1) point on 28, 21, and 14 MHz, and two (2) points on 7 and 3.5 MHz.

IX. Multiplier: The multiplier is the number of “valid” prefixes worked. A prefix is counted only once regardless of the number of times the same
prefix is worked.
1. A prefix is the letter/numeral combination which forms the first part of the amateur call. Examples: N8, W8, AB8, DL5, DJ2, HG1, WD200, WF96, 3DAØ, GB75, ZS66, U3, etc. Any difference in the numbering, lettering, or order of same shall constitute a separate prefix. A station operating from a DXCC country different from that indicated by its callsign is required to sign portable. The portable prefix must be an authorized prefix of the country/call area of operation. In cases of portable operation the portable designator will then become the prefix. Example: AB5KD operating from Wake Island would sign AB5KD/KH9 or AB5KD/NH9. American DX (KL7, KH6, KP2, KH3, etc.) operating within the 48 states must sign with a full designator of their choice. KH6XXX operating from Ohio must use an authorized prefix for the U.S. 8th district (W8, K8, etc.). United States portable stations are not permitted to select a portable prefix designation. For example, WS7I/2 is permitted, but WS7I/WY2 or WS7I/KZ2 is not. Portable designators without numbers will be assigned a zero (Ø) after the second letter of the portable designator to form a prefix. Example: N8BJQ/PA would become PAØ. All calls without numbers will be assigned a zero (Ø) after the first two letters to form the prefix. Example: XEFTJW would count as XEØ. Maritime mobile, mobile, /A, /E, /J, /P, or interim license class identifiers do not count as prefixes.
2. Special event, commemorative, and other unique prefix stations are encouraged to participate. Prefixes must be assigned by the licensing authority of the country of operation.

X. Scoring:
1. Single Operator: (a) All Band score = total QSO points from all bands multiplied by the number of different prefixes worked (prefixes are counted only once). (b) Single Band score = total QSO points on the band multiplied by the number of different prefixes worked.
2. Multi Operator: Scoring is the same as Single Operator, All Band.
3. A station may be worked once on each band for QSO point credit.

XI. Awards: First place certificates will be awarded in each category listed under Section V in every participating country and in each call area of the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan. All scores will be published. To be eligible for an award a Single Operator station must operate at least 12 hours. Multi-operator stations must operate a minimum of 24 hours. A single-band log is eligible for a single-band award only. (Single band entrants who also operate on other bands are encouraged to submit their logs to aid in the log checking process. Note: Logs containing more than one band will be judged as all-band entries unless they are submitted in Cabrillo format and the single band entry is specified in the Cabrillo header.) All certificates and plaques will be issued to the licensee of the station used. To the extent sponsors or winners purchase plaques through the Contest Director, plaques will be awarded in the following geographical areas for each of the categories listed in Rule V: World, North America, USA, Canada, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

XII. Club Competition. A plaque will be awarded each year to the club that has the highest aggregate scores from logs submitted by members. The club must be a local group and not a national organization. Participation is limited to members operating within a local geographical area defined as within a 275-km radius from center of club area (exception: DXpeditions specially organized for operation in the contest and manned by club members; club contributions of DXpedition scores are proportioned to the number of club members on the DXpedition). Indicate your club affiliation in the Cabrillo file. To be eligible for an award, a minimum of three logs must be received from a club, and if requested by the Contest Director a club officer must verify a list of participating club members.

XIII. Instructions for Preparation of Logs:

1. All logs should be submitted in Cabrillo format via e-mail to wpxrtty@kkn.net .  Logs must be submitted no later than March 7, 2008.  In the “Subject:” line of your e-mail message please include your callsign.  Logs should be sent as an e-mail attachment, not in the text of the e-mail, and the filename for the log should be yourcall.log.  Receipt of all e-mailed logs will be confirmed via return e-mail.  To view a sample Cabrillo QSO template for this contest, go to www.kkn.net/~trey/cabrillo/wpx-rtty.txt

2. Entries from Multi-Two and Multi-Multi stations must be merged into a single chronological log. In the case of Multi-Two stations, the log must also indicate clearly which station (shown as 0 or 1 in column 81 of the Cabrillo log) made each contact.

3. If the Cabrillo format is unavailable, contact the Log Checker, Paolo Cortese, I2UIY at i2uiy@cqww.com.

4. Other questions pertaining to the CQ WPX RTTY Contest may be sent to the WPX RTTY Contest Director, Glenn Vinson, W6OTC, 488 Locust Street, #401, San Francisco, CA 94118 USA, e-mail: w6otc@garlic.com.

XIV. Disqualification: Violation of amateur radio regulations in the country of the contestant, or the rules of the contest, unsportsmanlike conduct, taking credit for excessive duplicate contacts, unverifiable QSO’s or multipliers will be deemed sufficient cause for disqualification. An entrant whose log is deemed by the WPX RTTY Contest Committee to contain a large number of discrepancies may be disqualified as a participant operator or station for a period of one year. If within a five-year period the operator is disqualified a second time, he will be ineligible for any CQ contest awards for three years.

XV. Deadline: All entries must be received NO LATER than March 7, 2008. E-mail logs are subject to the same deadline. Logs postmarked after the deadline may be listed in the results but will be ineligible for any awards.