Category Archives: Contest

Oceania DX Content 3-10-15

UluruVia VK Contest Club, original article here.  Contest website here.

The 2015 Oceania DX contest is now only a couple of weeks away, with the PHONE SSB section on the first weekend in October and the CW section on the second weekend in October.

The main aim of the contest is to promote HF contacts with stations in the Oceania region. Oceania stations can work other Oceania and non-Oceania stations. Non-Oceania stations can only work Oceania stations.

As always, this will be a great opportunity to work a lot of DX stations in the Oceania region, as well as giving your station a test drive for the new contest season and CQ WW contest events later in the year. We are expecting another good turn out from VK, ZL and YB stations, as well as stations from
some of the rarer Pacific entities.

We are pleased to announce that the 2015 contest includes two new plaques aimed at Indonesian entrants – Karsono Suyanto YB0NDT is sponsoring a plaque for the highest scoring entrant from Indonesia in the PHONE Single Operator All Band category, and the YB Land DX Club is sponsoring a plaque for the highest scoring entrant from INDONESIA with a General Licence (YD/YG prefix)
in the PHONE Single Operator 40M Band category

The OCDX Contest Committee is sad to report the passing of Mirek Rozbicki VK6DXI earlier this year. Mirek was the sponsor of the Frank Vander Drift VK3COF Memorial Plaque that was awarded to the highest scoring station from Europe in the CW Single Operator ALL Band category. Slawek Barciuk VK3CTN has kindly offered to pick up the ongoing sponsorship of this plaque. This will now be known as the VK6DXI Memorial Plaque – in recognition and memory of Mirek’s significant contribution to the OCDX contest and amateur radio contesting more generally.

Here is an abbreviated summary of the rules for the 2015 contest:

PHONE: 08:00 UTC Saturday 3 October to 08:00 UTC Sunday 4 October
CW: 08:00 UTC Saturday 10 October to 08:00 UTC Sunday 11 October

Bands: 160M to 10M (excluding WARC bands).
Exchange: RS(T) + serial number.
QSO points: 20 points per QSO on 160M; 10 points on 80M; 5 points on 40M; 1 point on 20M; 2 points on 15M; and 3 points on 10M.
Final Score: The sum of the QSO points multiplied by the number of prefixes worked (the same prefix can be counted once on each band).

Entry Categories:
Single Operator All Band QRP (max 5W)
Single Operator All Band Low Power (max 100W)
Single Operator All Band High Power
Single Operator Single Band QRP (max 5W)
Single Operator Single Band Low Power (max 100W)
Single Operator Single Band High Power
M1 – Multiple Operators and Single Transmitter (only one transmitted signal at any time)
M2 – Multiple Operators and Two Transmitters (no more than two transmitted signals at any time and on different bands)
MM – Multiple Operators and Multiple Transmitters (no more than one transmitted signal at any time on each band)
Shortwave Listener (receive only) All Band

Trophies and plaques will be awarded as listed on the web site here . Certificates will be awarded to the winning stations in each of the categories above – for each continent and country. A participation certificate will also be awarded to every station that makes at least one valid QSO.

Log Submission Deadline: All logs must be emailed (or postmarked) NO LATER than 31 October 2015. Logs are to be sent as an e-mail attachment to ph@oceaniadxcontest.com (for PHONE entries) or cw@oceaniadxcontest.com (for CW entries).

More information about the contest, including the detailed rules, is available from the Oceania DX Contest web site here.

73 and we look forward to seeing you in the pile ups!

Oceania DX Contest Committee
VK3MI/ZL1AZE, ZL2IFB, ZL3GA, VK3TZ, VK4FH and VK7GN

YARRRR!! Flagpole Contest

PirateFrom Manly Warringah Radio Society, original post here:

Manly Warringah Radio Society invites you to celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day, Amateur Radio and Flagpoles by participating in our yearly Flagpole Contest.

This is a fun and as you can see not too serious contest that will promote Amateur Radio and portable operations. So dust off your rig, get your antenna in the air and try out some new modes with friends.

When is it?

The contest runs on the Saturday closest to International Talk Like a Pirate Day, from 0000 to 2359 UTC.  The 2015 contest will therefore be on Saturday 19th September.

Why Flagpoles?

Geoff (VK2MIA, now VK2AVR) procured a Flagpole for mobile operations and tweaked the interest of the wider club when he brought it up to the clubhouse one Wednesday night. Upon inspection a group buy was in planning, with Shaun (VK2XPP) taking the lead. The club procured almost 2 dozen flagpoles (From here). Once Shaun picked up the shipment the club members get right to business, with some great results.

So with all these flagpoles ready for field operations the idea for this contest was born and the point structure was decided upon around the club fireplace with more than a few laughs.

Contest Aims

The winner of the competition will be the person who collects the most points during the day of the competition. The goal of the event is to exercise your ability to operate using a portable antenna across multiple modes and perhaps to get you out of your normal operating comfort zone.

Non-flagpole stations are welcome to participate, but will have to work a little harder to get points.  Note: The adjudicators have previously decreed that any “pole” carrying a flag is logically a “flagpole”.  Get creative!

Contest Rules

1. For the extra points, a flagpole must make up part of the antenna or antenna support.
2. The contest runs on the Saturday closest to International Talk Like a Pirate Day, from 0000 to 2359 UTC.
3. The President / Vice-Presidents of MWRS will be adjudicators.
4. This is a fun event, keep it fun and positive.
5. This event is open to all Amateur Frequencies and Modes.
6. A contact will be the exchange of Callsign, Signal Report and a quick report of your flagpole setup!
7. Log’s are to be submitted using the Competition spreadsheet. (See below)

Points

Make a contact using a non-flagpole antenna = 1 Point
Make a contact using a flagpole antenna = 2 Points
Make a flagpole to flagpole contact = 5 Points
Make a contact with D-Star = 10 Points (Maximum of 100 Points)
Make a contact with a F call = 5 Points
Email photo of your flagpole setup to contest@mwrs.org.au = 20 Points
Send a SSTV Image of your flagpole setup to MWRS on HF 14.314159 MHz = 50 Points
Flag being flown from your flagpole = 10 Points (Photo evidence req’d)
Pirate or funny flag being flown from your flagpole = 20 – 100 Points as judged by President
Pirate costume (Photo evidence req’d) = 20 – 100 Points as judged by President

Calling Frequencies

3670 kHz on 80 meters.
7045 kHz on 40 metres.
14.025 MHz on 20m (CW)
14.314159 MHz on 20 metres (SSB/SSTV frequency – 14 ‘Pi’ MHz as Pirates love Pie)
2 metre repeater 146.875 MHz FM output, 146.275 MHz input

Logs

MWRS_Logsheet – Open Office Format
MWRS_Logsheet – Excel Format

Submit your logs to contest@mwrs.org.au along with other supporting evidence
(eg photos of your flagpole station)