Saturday, October 8, 2011

Scandinavian Activity Contest

Rules for all participants


1. Aim of the contest
The aims of the contest are to promote amateur radio activity within Scandinavia as well as to encourage amateur radio communications between Scandinavian and non-Scandinavian amateur radio stations. Scandinavian stations will try to work as many non-Scandinavian stations as possible and vice versa.
Scandinavian stations are defined by prefixes as follows:
Svalbard and Bear Island JW
Jan Mayen JX
Norway LA - LB - LG - LJ - LN
Finland OF - OG - OH - OI
Aland Islands OFØ - OGØ - OHØ
Market Reef OJØ
Greenland OX - XP
Faroe Islands OW - OY
Denmark 5P - 5Q - OU - OV - OZ
Sweden 7S - 8S - SA - SB - SC - SD - SE - SF - SG - SH - SI - SJ - SK - SL - SM
Iceland TF
All other legal prefixes according to the ITU definition of Scandinavian prefixes are good for the contest and multipliers as well.

2. Eligible entrants
Radio amateurs all over the world are invited to participate.

3. Periods
CW: 3rd full weekend of September each year.
SSB: 2nd full weekend of October each year.
Starts 12:00:00 UTC Saturday and ends 11:59:59 UTC Sunday.

4. Sections
Scandinavian stations, other European stations, and non-European stations are placed in separate categories.
4.1 Single Op./Single TX
Single operator means that one person performs all operating, logging and spotting functions without any external assistance. The use of DX-Cluster, Skimmer or Skimmer-like technology (such as Reverse Beacon Network, RBN) is not allowed. The station must be located in one site, with the location determined by the physical location of the transmitters, receivers, and antennas. Asking and begging stations to announce ones own call on the DX-Cluster is NOT allowed.
4.1.1 For Scandinavian stations:
* Multi Band - High Power [SINGLE-OP ALL HIGH]
* Multi Band - Low Power (output 100 W or less) [SINGLE-OP ALL LOW]
* Multi Band - Low Power Rookie (output 100 W or less) [SINGLE-OP ALL LOW] [CATEGORY-OVERLAY: ROOKIE]
* Multi Band - Low Power Tribander/Single-element (output 100 W or less) [SINGLE-OP ALL LOW] [CATEGORY-OVERLAY: TB-WIRES]
* Multi Band - QRP (output 5 W or less) [SINGLE-OP ALL QRP]
* Single Band [SINGLE-OP 80M] [SINGLE-OP 40M] [SINGLE-OP 20M] [SINGLE-OP 15M] [SINGLE-OP 10M]
Multi-band entrants may participate in one of the ”Tribander/Single Element” or ”Rookie” categories by adding the line CATEGORY-OVERLAY: TB-WIRES or CATEGORY-OVERLAY: ROOKIE in their Cabrillo log file. Participants in the Tribander/Single Element category shall use only one triband antenna for 10, 15, and 20 meters, and single-element antennas for 40 and 80 meters. Participants in the Rookie category must be licensed less than 3 years before the CW contest starts.
4.1.2 For non-Scandinavian stations:
* Multi Band - High Power [SINGLE-OP ALL HIGH]
* Multi Band - High Power Assisted [SINGLE-OP-ASSISTED ALL HIGH]
* Multi Band - Low Power (output 100 W or less) [SINGLE-OP ALL LOW]
* Multi Band - QRP (output 5 W or less) [SINGLE-OP ALL QRP]
The Multi Band - High Power Assisted category allows the use of DX-Cluster, Skimmer, and Skimmer-like technology (such as RBN). The station must be located in one site, with the location determined by the physical location of the transmitters, receivers, and antennas.
4.2 Multi Op./Single TX/Multi Band [MULTI-ONE]
Only one signal may be transmitted on any band at any time (running station). When operation has started on one band, the station must remain on that band for at least 10 minutes. The 10-minute period starts with the first QSO worked on that band.
Exception: It is allowed to work a QSO on another band if it is a new multiplier (multiplier station). The multiplier station is allowed to be on the air at the same time as the running station. The multiplier station must also stay on the "multiplier band" at least 10 minutes.
The use of DX-Cluster, Skimmer, and Skimmer-like technology (such as RBN) is allowed. The station must be located in one site, with the location determined by the physical location of the transmitters, receivers, and antennas. Asking and begging stations to announce ones own call on the DX-Cluster is NOT allowed.
4.3 Multi Op./Multi TX/Multi Band [MULTI-MULTI]
This category is only for Scandinavian stations. There are no restrictions on the number of transmitters. Only one signal per band is allowed at any time. All equipment, including receivers, transmitters, and antennas must be located within a circle with a maximum diameter of 500 meters. Separate serial numbers are used for each band.
The use of DX-Cluster, Skimmer, and Skimmer-like technology (such as RBN) is allowed. Asking and begging stations to announce ones own call on the DX-Cluster is NOT allowed.

5. Frequency bands
The 3.5 - 7 - 14 - 21 - 28 MHz frequency bands may be used according to the IARU HF Band Plan. On 3.5 MHz, Region 1 stations must not transmit below 3510 kHz on CW or above 3790 kHz on SSB.
Note: On 7 MHz you may still want to work split on SSB between Scandinavia and Region 2 stations, since the Region 2 Band Plan upper frequency limit is 7300 kHz.

6. Contest exchanges
The contest exchange consists of RS(T) plus serial number starting with 001 (e.g. 59(9)001). (QSO’s after 999 are numbered 1000, 1001 etc). The same station may be worked once on each band. Cross-mode and/or cross-band QSO’s are not allowed. The minimum content of a valid contest QSO is a correct callsign and correct contest exchanges.

7. Scoring
7.1 For Scandinavian stations:
A two-way QSO with correct sent and received exchanges counts for QSO points.
* EUROPEAN stations give two (2) points for every complete QSO.
* NON-EUROPEAN stations give three (3) points for every complete QSO.
7.2 For non-Scandinavian stations:
A two-way QSO with correct sent and received exchanges counts for QSO points.
* EUROPEAN stations credit their logs with one (1) point for every complete Scandinavian QSO.
* NON-EUROPEAN stations credit their logs with one (1) point for every complete Scandinavian QSO on 14, 21, and 28 MHz and with three (3) points for every complete QSO on 3.5 and 7 MHz.

8. Multipliers
8.1 For Scandinavian stations:
Each worked non-Scandinavian DXCC country is valid for one multiplier for each band.
8.2 For non-Scandinavian stations:
Each worked prefix-number (Ø-9) in each Scandinavian country is valid for one multiplier for each band (e.g. SI3, SK3, SL3, SM3, 7S3 and 8S3 are all in ONE district and count for ONE (1) multiplier on each band).
Portable stations without a prefix number count for the 10th area (e.g. LA/G3XYZ counts for LAØ).
OHØ (Aland Is.) and OJØ (Market Reef) are separate call areas. SJ9 and SI9 counts for the 9th district in Sweden.

9. Final score
To calculate the final score, multiply the sum of QSO points on all bands with the sum of multipliers worked on all bands.

10. Logs
Logs must be submitted separately for CW and SSB, and the QSOs must be listed in chronological order.
By submitting a log, you agree that your log and the corresponding log checking report may be made open to the public.
Electronic submission of logs at http://www.sactest.net is required for all entrants. The website provides conversion tools and allows manual entry for those operators who have used a paper log while operating.
Use the CABRILLO format. Please ensure that you fill out all of the header information.
Please check your log for typing errors and leave all your QSOs in the log, dupes included. The log checking software will find the dupes and mark them with zero points.

11. Closing date for logs
Cabrillo logs or typed-in paper logs shall be uploaded no later than two weeks after the end of each part of the contest.

12. Awards
The top scoring station in each country, in each category, on both CW and SSB, will receive a Contest Award, provided a reasonable score is made.
Scandinavian winner stations will receive a Contest Plaque in the High-power, Low-power, Low-power Rookie, and Low-power Tribander/Single-element multi band categories.
The non-Scandinavian continental winners will receive a Contest plaque in the High-power multi band category, provided a reasonable score is made.
Depending on the number of participants, the Contest Committee may consider additional awards.

13. Dispute
Violation of Amateur Radio Regulations in the country of the contestant or the rules of this contest, unsportsmanlike conduct and taking credit for unverifiable QSOs or multipliers may lead to disqualification.
The decisions by the Contest Committee are final and definite. The right to changes in these rules is reserved.

14. Organizer
The Nordic Radio Amateur Union (NRAU) is the organizer of the contest. Members of NRAU are EDR, FRA, IRA, NRRL, SRAL and SSA.
Arranging Societies
CW: 2011 17-18 Sep, SRAL Finland
SSB: 2011 8-9 Oct, SRAL Finland
CW: 2012 15-16 Sep, SSA Sweden
SSB: 2012 13-14 Oct, SSA Sweden
CW: 2013 21-22 Sep, NRRL Norway
SSB: 2013 12-13 Oct, NRRL Norway
CW: 2014 20-21 Sep, EDR Denmark
SSB: 2014 11-12 Oct, EDR Denmark
CW: 2015 19-20 Sep, SRAL Finland
SSB: 2015 10-11 Oct, SRAL Finland
CW: 2016 17-18 Sep, SSA Sweden
SSB: 2016 8-9 Oct, SSA Sweden
CW: 2017 16-17 Sep, NRRL Norway
SSB: 2017 14-15 Oct, NRRL Norway
CW: 2018 15-16 Sep, EDR Denmark
SSB: 2018 13-14 Sep, EDR Denmark
CW: 2019 21-22 Sep, SRAL Finland
SSB: 2019 12-13 Oct, SRAL Finland

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Do special prefixes such as OZ700 or OH25 count as their own multipliers for non-Scandinavians?
A: No. The example prefixes count as OZ7 and OH2.

Q: How is a log penalized in the logchecking process?
A: You lose all points (and the multiplier, if applicable) from a specific QSO by miscopying the other station's callsign ("Busted"), RST, or serial number ("Exchange error"), or by not being in the log of the other station ("Not in log"). However, any multiplier lost in this manner is compensated if there is a later correct QSO that gives the same multiplier. You do not lose points for a copying mistake (call/RST/nr) made by the other station.

Q: We're planning to work in the M/M category, but our logging program isn't able to send separate serial numbers for each band. Can we use common numbering for all stations?
A: Yes, in 2011 you can. It has come to our attention that some of the leading logging programs don't support separate serial numbers for M/M stations in SAC. This will be remedied as soon as possible (for N1MM v11.09.01 and newer it has in fact already been fixed), but because of the short timing, please go ahead with common numbering.

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