RSGB 80m Sprint Contests

A series of short Sprint contests to complement the 80m Club Championship events earlier in the year.  These events introduce different contesting skills through the Sprint format. This requires stations to QSY often, and not maintain a "run" frequency.

NOTES:
(a) The frequency sub-band on CW has been modified so as to comply with contest-preferred sub-bands in IARU Band Plans.
(b) The specification of a club's "Normal (or Usual) Meeting-place" for clubs in the Local Category has been replaced by the requirement to define a club's "Virtual Meeting Place".

1. Basic Information

The HF General Rules apply to this contest

Contest Call Signs (SCC) are not permitted in this contest, even for entrants who hold a valid NoV from OFCOM.

Dates: August to November (see Calendar for Specific Dates)

Time: 19:00-20:00 UTC (August, September and October); 20:00-21:00 UTC (November)

Mode: CW & SSB: see table in the Calendar

Exchange: Other station’s callsign  + Sending station's callsign + Serial Number + Name

Each station may use only one name during each Sprint event.

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.

Contacts: Note that both stations must repeat both callsigns during their exchanges.

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 these contests must decide 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

Members representing their Society in the Local Category must operate from within a circle of radius 35km from their Virtual Meeting Place and be within the UK. However, members whose home address (as shown on their Ofcom validation document) is greater than 35km from the Virtual Meeting Place of their nearest Affiliated Society may nonetheless operate from their home address when representing this Affiliated Society. Stations must state the UK Postcode or 6-digit QTH locator of their location 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.

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: 3520-3560kHz (QRS Corral around 3555kHz)

5. Special QSY Rule

Stations soliciting a call, by sending CQ, QRZ?, or otherwise indicating that other stations may call them, are permitted to contact ONLY one station on the same frequency. They must then move at least 2kHz before calling another station or soliciting (CQ, QRZ?, etc.) other contacts.

Exception: If at least 5 minutes has elapsed since a station made a contact, that station may nonetheless call other stations or solicit calls on any frequency allowed in the contest.

6. Scoring

One point per contact.

7. 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 12th August, the deadline is 23:59:59 on the 19th August. Entries must be in the appropriate Cabrillo format for Sprints.

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.

Entrants should set up their contest logging software as per the EU Sprint contest, which is supported by SD, N1MM, Writelog, Win-test etc. 

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 Sprint contest log.

Further information regarding the Cabrillo Format

8. Awards

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

       The leading Affiliated Society in the Local Category receives the Newbury Trophy
       The top three Societies in both Categories are awarded certificates

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