Note: As an exception to the General Rules, the use of GQ, GO and similar prefixes will be permitted for entrants who have received a Notice of Variation allowing their use, for the period during which the NoV is valid.

A series of short weekday evening contests on 80m, based on competition between Affiliated Societies. Individual scores in every event count towards a Society's overall score, so it is important for contest organisers to get members to come on in as many sessions and as many modes as possible. A rolling club listing is maintained on the Contest Committee web page.

1. Basic Information

Rules: The General Rules apply to this contest.

Dates: February to July 2012 (see Calendar for Specific Dates)

Time: 20:00-21:30 UTC (February and March). 19:00-20:30 UTC (April, May, June, July)

Mode: CW, SSB and Datamodes: see table in Calendar

Exchange: RS(T) + serial number

Contacts: A UK station is required to be at one or both ends of a QSO for it to be valid.

Non-UK: Stations operating outside the UK are welcome to participate, and their scores will be listed with UK stations in individual tables. These stations can also earn certificates by providing points to UK competitors. Scores from such stations do not contribute to club scores.

Note: There are no 80m events on Tuesdays, when the associated UKAC events above 30MHz take place. 

2. Categories for Affiliated Societies

These are weekday contests between Affiliated Societies who are represented by members in each event of the series. There is no limit to the number who can participate on behalf of their club, but all must be bona fide Society members. Entrants do not need to be members of the RSGB.

Societies entering the Championship must decide at the beginning of the year to enter in one of two Categories. The Local Category is intended for societies which generally draw their membership from a limited geographical area. The General Category is intended for societies which are national, regional, or more contest-oriented, and which may have a geographically diverse membership. Societies which do not specify the category which they are entering will be placed in the General Category.

(a) Local

In the first contest of each year that a Society enters the Championship, one of the logs submitted for the Society must specify in the SOAPBOX section its "Usual Meeting Place", stating its address and Postcode or Locator. The considers that the spirit of the contest for this Category can be met only if genuine meetings are held regularly at this location, and will offer a ruling in advance if requested.

Members representing their Society must operate from within a circle of radius 35km from the Usual Meeting Place. However, members whose nearest Affiliated Society has a Usual Meeting Place which is greater than 35km from their home address (as shown on their Ofcom validation document) may nonetheless operate from their home address when representing this Affiliated Society. Members must operate within the UK, and must state the Postcode or Locator of their station for the session being entered when submitting their entry to the contest Robot.

(b) General

Societies that do not meet the requirements of the Local Category must enter in the General Category. Members must operate from within the UK.

3. Sections for entrants

LOW:  100W maximum power at the transmitter output;
QRP: 10W maximum power at the transmitter output.

Entrants may change Section from one event to another.
Entrants may represent only one Affiliated Society in a session.
Stations may be single or multi-operator.

4. Frequencies

CW: 3.520-3.570 (QRS Corral around 3.560)
SSB: 3.600-3.650 & 3.700-3775
Datamodes (RTTY and PSK): 3.580-3.620.

Note: The frequency segment 3580 to 3585kHz is reserved for PSK operation - stations operating PSK must transmit only between these limits. Stations operating RTTY must not make QSOs in this 5kHz segment.

5. Scoring

One point per contact. An entrant may be contacted once per session on CW or SSB, and twice on datamodes (once on RTTY, once on PSK). For CW and SSB, the final score will be normalised to the leading score in their Section, with the leading score being awarded 1000 points and all other scores expressed in proportion.

In the datamodes contests, contacts may be on RTTY or PSK only. The same station may be worked on both RTTY and PSK, and an entrant's score on each mode (RTTY and PSK) is normalised to the leader on that mode.  For each entrant, the two mode scores are then added together and the sum again normalised, so that the leading overall score in each Section is awarded 1000 points and all other scores are expressed in proportion.

The Cabrillo Mode Codes are RTTY: RY, PSK: PS

Entrants are advised to look at their logs carefully before submission, being particularly careful to check that "RY" and "PS" are recorded correctly in Datamode logs. 

6. Entries

Each session is a contest in its own right, and log entries must be submitted to http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/hfenter.pl within seven days of the contest. So for example, for a contest on the 5th March, the deadline is 23:59:59 on the 12th March. Entries must be in Cabrillo format.

In order to count towards the total for an Affiliated Society, the Society name must be clearly indicated when the log is submitted to the contest Robot. Societies are advised to appoint a Contest Coordinator, who will check members' entries, to ensure that the correct format is used, that logs contain all required information and are submitted on time, and also that Local Category entries provide the required location information.

As an alternative to using logging software during the contest, details can be logged on paper and entered directly onto the web form here after the event

Example of 80m Club Championship Contest log.

Further information regarding the Cabrillo Format

7. Tables and Awards

There will be a listing of Societies for each Category: Local and General.

       The leading Society in the two categories considered together receives the G5RV trophy
       The leading Society in the other Category also receives a trophy
       The top three Societies in both Categories are awarded certificates

There will be separate listings for CW, SSB & Datamodes entrants, showing UK & non-UK together.