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THESE RULES DO NOT APPLY FROM 2017 ONWARDS
From the Start of 2017, each contest has its own set of rules
General Rules for RSGB HF Contests
Changes for 2016 are shown in red.
1. These rules apply to all RSGB HF Contests, except where superseded by specific Contest Rules.
2. Where the term UK&CD is used in the description of HF contests this refers to the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies, namely the DXCC entities: England - G, Isle of Man - GD, Northern Ireland - GI, Jersey - GJ, Scotland - GM, Guernsey & Dependencies - GU and Wales - GW.
3. Entrants must abide by their licence conditions.
4. Contacts
4(a) A contest contact requires establishment of communication and a two-way contest exchange. The information contained in a contest exchange often consists of an incrementing serial number starting from 001, acknowledgement of the call sign received and of the contest exchange received. Individual contest rules may vary this exchange.
The contest exchange must be sent to all stations contacted; with the following exceptions:
4(a)(i) where stations contacted are participating in a different contest which has an alternative exchange, entrants may send a report and other relevant information instead. Where this exception applies, the log entry submitted must show the relevant RSGB exchange as if it had actually been sent. The received exchange should be logged as it is received, as far as the logging program will permit.
4(a)(ii) where stations contacted are a DXpedition station who are not participating in a contest, entrants may send a report with no further information. Where this exception applies, the log entry submitted must show the relevant RSGB exchange as if it had actually been sent. The received exchange should be logged as “000”.
4(b) Incomplete contacts must be logged.
4(c) One contact only with the same station per band and per mode counts for points, regardless of that station’s operator or call sign. More than one contact with the same operator using different call signs may not be claimed. Contacts with stations which have no other contest contacts (“uniques”) may be disallowed. Duplicate contacts must be logged.
4(d) Cross-band, cross-mode contacts, and contacts scheduled before the contest, are not allowed. Schedules (“skeds”) may be made only during the contest, using the bands and modes specified in the contest.
4(e) Simultaneous transmissions on more than one frequency below 30MHz are not permitted, but in multi-operator / assisted categories the use of VHF/UHF to access the DX cluster is permitted. Usage of the cluster system, or any similar spotting network, must be via the public cluster network only. This means a system which is well-known, is demonstrably part of a more general cluster system, and in common use by contesters in different locations. Exceptionally, private networks may be set up for communicating spotting information and similar messages between different parts of the same station, but must be contained within the distance limits specified in rule 6(e).
4(f) The use of local CW decoders is permitted in all sections unless otherwise stated in the individual contest rules.
4(g) The use of any technology or source, other than listed in (f) above, that provides callsign or multiplier identification of a signal to the operator including, but not limited to, DX cluster, DX spotting web sites (e.g., DX Summit), local or remote call sign and frequency decoding technology (e.g., CW Skimmer or Reverse Beacon Network) are permitted in all entry sections except the single operator unassisted category, unless stated otherwise in the individual contest rules.
4(h) Self-spotting or asking to be spotted is not permitted.
4(i) Proof of contact may be required.
4(j) For contest purposes, /AM and /MM stations are treated as /M stations in their own country. Other stations are regarded as being in the call area / country indicated by their call sign as sent.
(k) Power output for Open sections is as defined by the Licence conditions of the entrant. Power output for other sections is defined as that measured at the output of the final amplifying stage of the transmitter.
(l) The rules for many RSGB contests specify (explicitly or via General Rules) frequencies to be used or avoided in that event. Usually these reflect recommendations from bodies external to the RSGB (such as IARU) covering matters such as contest preferred segments and centres of activity. Their aim is to ensure that RF energy radiated by entrants’ transmitters falls within, or avoids, specific frequencies as appropriate.
It is important to understand that the frequency indicated on the transmitter and the frequency or frequency distribution of the radiated signal are sometimes not the same. In the interests of making compliance with rules as easy as possible, RSGB contest rules specify indicated frequencies. Derivation of the stated indicated frequencies is based on the following:
4(l)(i) On CW the indicated frequency and radiated frequency of the signal are the same, subject to the calibration of the equipment.
4(l)(ii) On SSB the indicated frequency is that of the suppressed carrier. When using Lower Sideband (LSB), the radiated signal occupies bandwidth, which is typically between 2 and 3 kHz wide, immediately below the indicated frequency and similarly when using Upper Sideband (USB) the occupied bandwidth is immediately above the indicated frequency.
5. Portable contests and entries in Portable sections
5(a) Entrants must operate from the same site for the whole contest.
5(b) Stations must not be located in a permanent building or shelter.
5(c) No permanent building or structure may be used as an aerial support (trees are acceptable).
5(d) Power must be obtained solely from on-site batteries, portable generators or solar cells, without use of mains.
5(e) All equipment, aerials and supports must be set up on site no more than 24 hours before the start of the contest. This does not apply to short-term storage of equipment on site.
5(f) All stations entering a portable contest or entering in a portable section are required to sign /P when taking part even though licence regulations make the use of the /P suffix optional.
6. Entrants
6(a) All operators of UK&CD stations must be RSGB members, except visiting amateurs not normally resident in the UK&CD. Entrants using UK&CD call signs must not be /MM or /AM.
6(b) Call signs with a Club Regional Secondary Locator (e.g. GX, GC, etc.), and GB calls, may be used unless specific contest rules state otherwise. Call signs such as Special Contest Calls are permitted only where allowed by specific contest rules AND the licensing authority. Call signs used by UK&CD stations should contain a regional identifier such as GU, G0, MX, 2W etc. Those which do not, for example with a GB prefix, are not recommended, since the DXCC country (entity) cannot be determined from the callsign.
6(c) A single-operator station is operated by one person, who receives no assistance whatsoever
from any other person in operating, log-keeping, checking and so on. There are two categories of single operator:
(i) Assisted who may receive contest information by external means.
(ii) Unassisted who shall not receive notification of contest information by DX
Cluster, Reverse Beacon Network (RBN), ON4KST or any other internet or packet radio facility, radio
talkback channels, mobile phones (voice or texting), Twitter, Facebook or other social media, Skype
or other similar VOIP facilities, VPN, email, PSTN etc. or any other method except as allowed by rule 4(f).
6(d) Multi-operator entries are those not covered by 6(c). Multi-Operator entries are always regarded as assisted. One operator must act as Entrant and submit the entry.
6(e) All transmitters and receivers used by the entrant must be located within a single 500-metre radius circle or within the property limits of the station address, whichever is greater. All antennas used by the entrant must be physically connected by wires to the transmitters and receivers used by the entrant. An entrant’s remote station is determined by the physical location of the transmitters, receivers, and antennas. Only one station may be used by the entrant during the contest period. That means, for example, that an entrant may not work himself by use of a second, remote, station nor may that second station be used to aid the operation of the entrant's station.
6(f) Entrants must permit inspection of their stations by members of RSGB CC or its representatives, and give site access information if requested to do so. The inspector must be permitted to remain for as long as desired, and to return to the site for subsequent inspections at any time during the contest. Contestants must demonstrate to the inspector's satisfaction that they are obeying the rules of the contest.
7. Adjudication
7(a) Errors in sending / receiving are penalised by the loss of all points for the contact.
7(b) Points may be deducted or entries disqualified or excluded for any breach of the rules or spirit of the contest. The decision of the RSGB is final.
7(c) Error reports (commonly called UBN reports) may be sent by email to entrants for some RSGB contests. The RSGB Contest Committee encourages constructive feedback on UBN reports so that adjudication processes can be monitored, but this is unlikely to cause alteration of an entrant’s score. Off-air audio, IQ or similar recordings made by representatives of the RSGB Contest Committee may be used during contest adjudication. Similar recordings made by the entrant or a third party will not be accepted by the Committee in cases of dispute.
7(d) Sometimes a contact may be penalised because the station contacted made an error, for example, sending the wrong serial number. In these and similar cases, entrants accept that it is part of the luck inherent in any competition, even if they can show they were not in the wrong, and that it is not always possible for the adjudication process to determine who might be at fault.
8. Entries.
8(a) The log entry robot must normally be used for online entry to all RSGB contests. A log entry system, enabling entries to be typed online, is available on this web site for some contests.
8(b) Paper entries are accepted only if logging during the contest was not done on computer, and where the entrant makes a declaration that no computer access was available. The adjudicator may treat a paper entry derived from a computer as a checklog.
8(c) Correction of logged callsigns and exchanges after the contest, by use of any database, recordings, email or other methods, is not permitted. Callsigns logged must be the same as those exchanged over the air by the entrants during the QSO.
8(d) Unless specified otherwise, entries must be made no more than 7 days after the end of the contest. By submitting a log entry, entrants give the RSGB permission to score, amend, publish, republish, print, and otherwise distribute (by any means including paper or electronic) the entry either in its original format, in any other suitable format with or without modifications or combined with the entries from other contestants for entry into the specific contest, other contests, or for other reasons including training, development and advancement of amateur radio.
8(e) The required log format is Cabrillo, in which a single file only is required for entries. Where a contest exchange includes information not covered by the basic Cabrillo definition, the contest-specific format is defined at http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/information/cabrillo.shtml . A variety of logging programs can be used for RSGB contests; it is the entrants’ responsibility to inspect logs before submission, and to ensure that the correct log format is used.
8(f) Entrants are encouraged to use soapbox lines in the Cabrillo header for comments about the contest. The soapbox lines shall also be used to record any signal quality complaints made or received.
8(g) Entrants shall supply details of the equipment and antennas used during the contest. If details are not supplied during submission of the entry or the details supplied are not complete and/or adequate, entrants shall supply full details if required to do so by the Adjudicator of the Contest.
8(h) Requirements for paper logs may be obtained by emailing secretary@rsgbcc.org, or by sending a stamped addressed envelope to: RSGB-G0FCT, 3 Orion, Roman Hill, Bracknell, RG12 7YX, England.
9. Awards.
Trophies as specified will be presented at the annual RSGB Convention and will normally be held for one year. Certificates of Merit will be awarded to leading stations in each category / band as appropriate.