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    RSGB CONTEST COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER


    ISSUE 33

    DATE: OCTOBER 2015


    CONTENTS:

    RSGB Contests in October 2015
    RSGB Contests in November 2015
    Other UK VHF/UHF Contests in October 2015
    Other European VHF/UHF Contests in October 2015
    Other HF Contests in October 2015
    Recent Results
    2015 White Paper - decisions at CC meeting
    Trophies at the 2015 Convention
    The robot is there to help you.....
    VHF NFD commentary available
    "And Finally" from the Newsletter Editor


    PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS:


    2013 -- January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

    2014 -- January, February, March, April, April special, May, May special, June, July, August, September, October, October special, November, December, December upissue.

    2015 -- January, February, March, March special, April, May, June, July, August, September, September special.




    RSGB CONTESTS IN OCTOBER 2015 (by Quin G3WRR & John G3XDY)

    Saturday 3rd October 2015 1.2GHz Trophy /2.3GHz Trophy Contest 1400 - 2200 UTC
    Saturday-Sunday 3rd-4th October 2015 October 432MHz - 248 GHz Contest 1400 - 1400 UTC
    Sunday 4th October 2015 21/28MHz Contest (SSB/CW/mixed) 0700 - 1900 UTC
    Tuesday 6th October 2015 144MHz UK Activity Contest 1900 - 2130 UTC
    Tuesday 13th October 2015 432MHz UK Activity Contest 1900 - 2130 UTC
    Wednesday 14th October 2015 80m Club Sprint Contest (CW) 1900 - 2000 UTC
    Sunday 18th October 2015 50MHz AFS Contest 0900 - 1300 UTC
    Tuesday 20th October 2015 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest 1900 - 2130 UTC
    Tuesday 27th October 2015 50MHz UK Activity Contest 2000 - 2230 UTC
    Tuesday 27th October 2015 SHF UK Activity Contest 2000 - 2230 UTC
    except 2.3GHz 2030 - 2230 UTC
    Thursday 29th October 2015 80m Club Sprint Contest (SSB) 2000 - 2100 UTC


       


    RSGB CONTESTS IN NOVEMBER 2015 (by Quin G3WRR & John G3XDY)

    Tuesday 3rd November 2015 144MHz UK Activity Contest 2000 - 2230 UTC
    Saturday-Sunday 7th-8th November 2015 144MHz Marconi CW Contest 1400 - 1400 UTC
    Tuesday 10th November 2015 432MHz UK Activity Contest 2000 - 2230 UTC
    Wednesday 11th November 2015 80m Club Sprint Contest (SSB) 2000 - 2100 UTC
    Saturday 14th November 2015 Club Calls Contest (1.8MHz AFS) (SSB) 2000 - 2300 UTC
    Tuesday 17th November 2015 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest 2000 - 2230 UTC
    Saturday-Sunday 21st-22nd November 2015 2nd 1.8MHz Contest (CW) 2100 - 0100 UTC
    Tuesday 24th November 2015 50MHz UK Activity Contest 2000 - 2230 UTC
    Tuesday 24th November 2015 SHF UK Activity Contest 2000 - 2230 UTC
    except 2.3GHz 2030 - 2230 UTC
    Thursday 26th November 2015 80m Club Sprint Contest (CW) 2000 - 2100 UTC

    Don't forget that the clocks go back at 2 a.m. on 25th October, and that all times shown above are in UTC!

    The full 2015 RSGB contest calendars and rules for the above contests are available here (HF) and here (VHF). Provisional HF and VHF calendars for 2016 are available here (HF) and here (VHF).



    OTHER UK VHF/UHF CONTESTS IN OCTOBER 2015 (by John G3XDY)


    There are no UK Microwave Group Contests in October. However the full UK Microwave Group contest calendar can be found here.



    OTHER EUROPEAN VHF/UHF CONTESTS IN OCTOBER 2015 (by John G3XDY & Quin G3WRR)

    A co-ordinated calendar of IARU Region 1 VHF Contests for 2015 is available here.


    With thanks to Leon ON5WL, the rules of the 2015 ON Contest are given below:

    Rules for non-ON stations.

    The Mechelen (MCL) Club of the UBA invites all amateurs to take part in the ON Contest 2015.

    Dates and times : some times have changed:-
    * 27 September 2015: 7 to 10 UTC : 6 m Fone and CW
    * 4 October 2015: 6 to 10 UTC :80 m SSB
    * 11 October 2015: 6 to 9 UTC :80 m CW
    * 18 October 2015: 6 to 10 UTC : 2 m Phone and CW.

    Rules:
    * Only contacts with ON stations are permitted
    * Exchange : RS(T) + serialnumber starting at 001
    * ON stations also give their club code. e.g. 59001 MCL
    * Each QSO with ON counts 3 points
    * Each club worked gives one multiplier
    * In each part of the contest the winners from each country receive an award, if they made at least 25 valid QSOs
    * Cabrillo logs preferred
    * Send your logs not later than 3 weeks after the contest to:
    Welters Leon ON5WL
    Borgstraat 80
    B 2580 Beerzel
    Belgium.
    e-mail : ubaon@uba.be



    OTHER HF CONTESTS IN OCTOBER 2015 (by Quin G3WRR)

    For more data on a wide range HF contests, the SM3CER and WA7BNM websites are very useful sources of information.

    Another useful source of HF contest information is at http://www.hb9dhg.ch , which can be reached by clicking here, and clicking on "Contest Calendar".


    RECENT RESULTS (by Quin G3WRR & John G3XDY)

    The following results have been published or updated since the previous Newsletter:

    50MHz UKAC
    144MHz UKAC
    432MHz UKAC
    1.3GHz UKAC
    SHF UKAC
    Overall UKAC

    70MHz Trophy
    70MHz Cumulatives Final

    80m Club Sprint (SSB)

    ROPOCO CW

    HF Championship
    VHF Championship



    2015 WHITE PAPER - DECISIONS AT CC MEETING (by Ian G0FCT)

    The 2015 White Paper was issued at the start of May containing 41 proposals for changes to the rules for 2016 RSGB contests. 130 individual responses were received plus two block responses from clubs, representing 24 members. This represents a 37.5% increase in responses compared with 2014. The majority of proposals received a clear "YES" OR "NO" indication from respondents. The responses were considered at a recent Contest Committee face to face meeting, and the outcome is tabulated below. Proposals marked * will be considered as part of the Contest Rules rewrite / Contest Calendar review originating from the recent Presidental Review of Contesting.


    NUMBER
    PROPOSAL
    RESULT
    1.1
    		 Open logs
    Yes
    1.2
    		 V/UHF contest QSOs to automatically count towards RSGB Awards programme
    Yes
    1.3
    		 16 hour Restricted section for NFDs
    Yes
    1.4
    		 7 day log submission period
    Yes
    2.1
    		 6 hour IOTA section
    No
    2.2*
    		 IOTA rookie category
    Yes
    2.3*
    		 IOTA Multi-2 category
    Yes
    2.4
    		 Move ROPOCO2 to Sunday p.m.
    Yes
    2.5
    		 Extend 80m CC to November
    No
    2.6
    		 Discontinue 80m Sprints
    Yes
    2.7*
    		 Add EU Sprints to HF Contest calendar
    Yes
    2.8
    		 Add 40m to AFS CW
    Yes
    2.9*
    		 Align some HF NFD (CW & SSB) rules
    Yes
    2.10
    		 Alter Commonwealth Contest (BERU) format to "world works the Commonwealth"
    No
    3.1
    		 Add MGM sections to V/UHF contests
    Yes
    3.2
    		 2 hour minimum rest period in 6 hour section
    Yes
    3.3*
    		 Recommend activity slots for 6 hour section
    Yes
    3.4
    		 Mandate full log to be submitted if activity extends beyond 6 hour section
    Yes
    3.5
    		 Add a remote station rule to VHF rules
    Yes
    4.1
    		 Introduce a Team distance rule to UKACs
    No
    4.2*
    		 Introduce a 10W FM only section to UKACs
    Yes
    5.1
    		 Remove most of the restrictions on use of the Internet in V/UHF contests
    Yes
    6.1*
    		 Simplify rules
    Yes
    6.2*
    		 Issue more place certificates
    Yes
    6.3
    		 Change definition of UK to UK & CD
    Yes
    6.4*
    		 Add VHF rule concerning copying information at time of QSO to HF rules
    Yes
    6.5*
    		 Make it clear that "power" means "power output" (helps non-UK entrants)
    Yes
    6.6
    		 Add HF claimed score page to the CC website
    Yes
    6.7*
    		 Add new NA / JA awards to IOTA
    Yes
    6.8*
    		 Clarify notification of QRP operation in CC (BERU)
    Yes
    6.9*
    		 Change all references to BERU to Commonwealth Contest
    Yes
    6.10
    		 Remove minimum power limit in all UKAC sections
    Yes
    6.11
    		 Clarify how HF Championship scores are accumulated
    Yes
    6.12
    		 Reinstate the 'rule' that all logs become the property of the RSGB on submission
    Yes
    6.13
    		 Add 'centre of activity' to list of protected frequencies
    Yes
    6.14
    		 Clarify VHF NFD MS section time limit rule
    Yes



    TROPHIES AT THE 2015 CONVENTION (by Jacqui G6XSY)

    Congratulations to all the Trophy Winners.

    If you have won a trophy this year and would like to be presented with it at the RSGB Convention, then please let me know ASAP. If not, you will be disappointed, as only those trophies that we expect to present will be brought to the Convention. If you, or someone else acting on your behalf, want to take the trophy away with them please complete the form that was sent to you. And please note that the person collecting the trophy will need to bring the completed form with them.

    73 Jacqui G6XSY, RSGBCC Trophy Administrator. Email: trophies@rsgbcc.org


    THE ROBOT IS THERE TO HELP YOU..... (by Quin G3WRR)

    A case has arisen recently where a 2m UKAC log was submitted without any times shown. In acknowledging receipt of a log to the originator, the robot identifies any instances where it does not comply with the required standards, and why. This enables the error(s) to be corrected and the log resubmitted. Clearly the originator did not take advantage of the opportunity in this case, involving the adjudicator in unnesessary extra work and potentially contributing to delay in publication of the results. Entrants in all RSGB contests are therefore asked to read the acknowledgement from the robot carefully and act on any errors identified.


    VHF NFD COMMENTARY AVAILABLE (by Quin G3WRR)

    The commentary to support the VHF NFD results previously published is now available on the CC website or by clicking here.



    AND FINALLY (by Quin G3WRR)

    Many thanks to those groups who responded to the request in last month's Newsletter for pictures from HF NFD for inclusion in the NFD report for Radcom. Sadly they can't all be included but they are all appreciated. John G8IYS would still be glad to have pictures from VHF NFD, so if you have any that you think might be suitable, please contact him at g8iys@rsgbcc.org.

    That's all for this month - good contesting to you all!


    73, Quin G3WRR


    For RSGB Contest Committee