Friday, March 13, 2015

Africa All Mode Contest - March 14-15



Website: http://www.africadxcontest.org/

The objective of this all mode contest is to stimulate contesting from Africa.

All participating stations worldwide may work any country during the contest period, but QSOs with radio amateurs from Africa is encouraged as reflected in the higher points being awarded in the scoring mechanism. African DXCC entities are defined as those valid per the ARRL DXCC AF listing published at the time of the contest.

2. Date

From 12: 00 UTC on Saturday 14 March to 12: 00 UTC on Sunday 15 March 2015). Both single and multi-operator stations may operate for the entire 24 hour 24-hour period. There are no mandated breaks in operating time required. 

3. Bands

160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres, in acc ordance with your country and specific licensing requirements governing the portion(s) of these bands that you may use. No contest QSOs are allowed on 12, 17, 30 or 60 metres.

4. Modes

CW, RTTY and SSB. Contestants may elect to enter a single mode category (where offered – see “Entry Categories” below) or take part as a mixed-mode entrant. Mixed-mode entrants may work the same station once on each mode per band (see “Entry Categories” for more details).

5. Log Submissions and Deadlines
No paper en tries will be accepted for contest or checking purposes. Entries must be submitted in Cabrillo format only, and be received no later than 15 days after the contest – 30 March 2015 . Entries must be sent to contest@sarl.org.za

6 . Awards
Posted certificates will be awarded, printed and sent to: -

- The highest scoring entrant in each category for the contest
- The highest scoring entrant in each category per continent
- The highest scoring entrant overall (any category) per ITU zone
- The overall top Rookie score each year per continent

Electronic certificates will be awarded and emailed to:
The first and second place entrants in each category from each entity entered

7 . Results
Results will be posted on the South African Radio League website at : www.sarl.org.za two months after the entry deadline.

8 . Entry Categories

For all categories, the use of spotting nets and skimmers are permitted. For all categories, there are no restrictions on the number of band or mode changes made in any given period during the contest. Contestants may only submit their log in one of the 18 categories available.

Single Operator Single Transmitter
Single band
Phone only, high, low and QRP power levels
CW only, high low and QRP power levels
RTTY only, high low and QRP power levels
Mixed mode, high low and QRP power level
All band
Phone only, high, low and QRP power levels
CW only, high low and QRP power levels
RTTY only, high low and QRP power levels
Mixed mode, high low and QRP power levels
One person performs all operating and logging functions and without exception, only one transmitted signal is allowed at any given time. Mixed mode entrants may work a stat ion once per mode per band.
Single Operator Two Radio
Single mode all band, low power
Single mode all band, high power
Mixed mode all band, high power
Mixed mode all band, low power
Multi Operator Single Transmitter
Single band
Mixed mode high power
Mixed mode low power
All band
Mixed mode high power
Mixed mode low power
Multi Operator Multi Transmitter
Mixed mode all band, high power
Mixed mode all band, low power
All Multi-op efforts must enter the mixed mode category. There is no multi-op or SO2R QRP power level. Stations may be worked once per mode per band.

In all categories, cross-mode, cross band and repeater contacts is not
allowed.

9. Categories Eligible for Rookie Awards

The rookie awards in the AMA contest aim to reward individual rather than team efforts, that efforts, which show flexibility and skill in operating procedure for recently licenses amateurs. They are available for the categories of 1.1.4 and 1.2.4. You are e ligible to mark your log submission as a rookie entry if you were licensed for the first time on, or less than two years prior to, the contest date. If you enter one of the rookie categories, you may not enter a different category in the same contest. It i s not mandatory to enter as a rookie if you qualify as such, you may also elect to enter any of the non-rookie categories.

10. Contest Exchange
The exchange is your RS(T) (not checked during the log checking process), followed by an incremental serial nu mber commencing at “001”. Changing modes or bands does not necessitate different serial number ranges, i.e. the serial number simply progresses from “001” upwards sequentially as you log QSOs in any category, for single or multi-op efforts. A complete exchange, consisting of an RS(T) and serial number, must be logged for each QSO.

1 1 . Power Levels
For the purposes of this contest, all entrants must adhere to the power levels (expressed as Peak Envelope Power, or PEP) as set out below when determining their entry category. Additionally, all entrants must adhere to their specific licensing requirements regarding permitted power and other regulations, which take precedent over the contest-define d power levels when operating in the contest.

QRP is defined as 5 watts PEP or less as measured at the antenna port at the transmitter, or power amplifier (if used).
Low power is defined as more than 5 watts PEP but not more than 100 watts PEP measured at the antenna port either at the transmitter, or power amplifier (if used).
High power is defined as more than 100 watts PEP but not more than 1 500 watts PEP measured at the antenna port either at the transmitter, or power amplifier (if used).
1 2 . Points, multipliers and scoring

Points
All QSOs with African entities are awarded with 10 points, points; all other QSOs are awarded 1 point.

Band multiplier
The band multiplier is determined on a band-by-band basis.
The band multiplier increments by one for every AF-DXCC entity worked, for each of the three operating modes: CW, SSB and RTTY.

Band score

Band score is simply the band points multiplied by the band multiplier. Band score = (band points) X (band multiplier)
Total score

Total score is simply the sum of all the band scores. Total score = 10 m band score + 15 m band score + 20 m band score + 40 m band score + 80 m band score + 160 m band score

12. AF Entity Definition

For the purposes of this contest, Africa entities are considered as per the standard ARRL DXCC AF list as published at the time/year of the contest currently taking place.
Ship-based and aeronautical stations only count 1 point when worked and do not count as multipliers regardless of them being in international or territorial waters during the contest period.
13. Cabrillo Information
 QSO : Required information fields and format.

--------info sent------- -------info rcvd--------
QSO: freq  mo date       time call          rst exch   call          rst exch   t
QSO: ***** ** yyyy-mm-dd nnnn ************* nnn ****** ************* nnn ****** n
QSO: 28080 RY 2014-09-12 0531 ZS6A          59  001    W1AW/5        59  073    0

Note for Column 81 (transmitter number): For the MULTI-TWO category, the last column in the log indicates which transmitter made the QSO. It must be a 0 or a 1. This column is not required for other categories.

14. General

Conditions of Entry: Each entrant agrees to be bound by the provisions set out in this document. The decisions of the South African Radio League Contest Committee are final and binding.
The use of self-spotting on packet via any means is inconsistent with the spirit and intent of this contest.
The use of non-amateur radio means of communications (e.g. telephone or internet) for soliciting a contact during the contest period is inconsistent with the spirit and intent of this contest.
Where contest-preferred segments are incorporated into regional band plans, entrants must observe them.
Penalties and disqualifications: participants breaching the provisions as set out in this document may be subject to a points deductio n as decided by the contest committee, or in serious cases disqualification.
Duplicate QSOs will not attract any penalties, but will also not count for additional points.
All transmitters and receivers must be located within a 500-metre diameter circle, ex cluding antennas.
The use of remote receiving or transmitting installations outside of your own entity is prohibited.
(Larry Van Horn/N5FPW)