GridLoc Rules
Robert Barron
barron at liant.com
Tue Apr 4 12:22:41 EDT 1995
Here is what will probably be the final posting of the official
rules of this weekend's HF Grid Location Contest (GridLoc). The
last time I mentioned GridLoc in a posting I got several requests
for the rules so here they are again.
---------------------------------------------------------------
International HF Grid Location Contest (GridLoc)
I. Announcing
First annual International HF Grid Location (GridLoc)
contest.
II. Objective
For Amateurs around the world to contact other
Amateurs in as many Maidenhead grid squares as possible
during the contest period.
III. Contest Period
1200 UTC April 8 to 1200 UTC April 9, 1995 (Second
full weekend of April). All entrants may operate a total of
18 of the contest's 24 hours. Off periods must be no less
than 30 minutes.
IV. Operator Classes
There is only one power class (less than 150 watts).
1. Single Operator, phone only, CW only and mixed
mode. One person performs all operating and logging
functions. Use of spotting nets, DX Alert Packet Systems,
telephone, etc., is not permitted.
2. Multi-Operator, Two Transmitter. Mixed mode.
Only 1 signal per band permitted. Once a transmitter has
made a contact on a given band it may not change to
another band for at least 10 minutes. All transmitters and
receivers must be located within a 500 meter diameter
circle or within the property limits of the station licensee's
address, whichever is lesser. The antennas must be
physically connected by wires to the transmitter.
3. Rover. Mixed mode. One or two operators of a single
station moving between two or more grid squares during
the contest, and making contest contacts, using the same
equipment and antennas at each
site. A rover station should sign "rover" after their callsign
for voice and "/R" for CW.
V. Modes
Contacts may be made using CW or SSB.
VI. Bands
All HF bands (160-10 M) excluding the WARC bands
(30, 17, 12 M).
VII. Valid Contacts
A given station may be contacted only once per band
from a given grid square. Rover stations may be worked
once per band in each grid square they visit.
VIII. Exchange
All stations must transmit a proper Maidenhead grid
square (i.e. EM10) and an operator name. If the
Maidenhead grid square is unknown stations may be
counted for QSO credit only.
IX. QSO Points
Count 1 QSO point for each valid contact made during
the contest.
X. Multiplier Points
Count 1 multiplier point for each Maidenhead grid
square worked per band. Stations not supplying valid
Maidenhead grid squares do not count for multiplier credit.
XI. Final Score
Total QSO points times the total multipliers equals the
total claimed score for all entrants except rovers. Rover
stations must add the total number of QSO points from
each grid, add the total multipliers from each grid and
multiply these to produce the final score.
XII. Score Submission
Log submissions should be sent within 30 days of the
end of the contest to:
Internet: geoiii at bga.com Mail: GridLoc
P.O. Box 180703
Austin, TX 78718-0703
GridLoc is an Open Log contest and all log submissions
become the property of the GridLoc organizers.
XIII. Awards
To be decided.
Q. Why use Grid Squares as multipliers?
A. More common than countries and zones, Grid Squares
provide a large number of multipliers which can be worked
on each band. This makes the flavor of this contest
different from any other since WPX multipliers can not be
worked on each band.
Q. How do I determine my Grid Square?
There are a number of ways to determine this. Ask other
amateurs in your area (especially VHF operators) what the
grid square is. If no is knows either consult the ARRL grid
square map (which will be useful only if your community
is clearly within a grid's boundary) or type in the BASIC
computer program available from the ARRL Operating
manual. It will determine your grid square based on
longitude and latitude.
Q. Why is the contest 24 hours long?
A. To give everyone around the world equal opportunity to
operate at peak propagation hours.
Q. Why does it start at 1200UTC (7AM CST)?
A. This start time gives everyone around the world ample
time to get home from work on Friday and prepare for the
contest the next day. The contest ends before Monday all
over the world.
Q. Why limit stations to 150 watts of power?
A. One hundred fifty watts is more than enough to work
stations around the world. Higher power would raise QRM
levels on the bands and result in complicating the GridLoc
rules with the additional categories.
Q. What are the suggested frequencies?
A. There are no suggested frequencies. However it is
expected that most activity will be centered around the
lower edge of the general sub-bands and the Novice/Tech
portions of the 10 meter phone band.
Q. Are there any DX awards for HF Grid contacts?
A. Yes. The Japanese Amateur Radio League offers the
Worked All Grid award to Amateurs who work stations in
100 or more Grids. Endorsements are available for
multiples of 100 additional grids. For more information
write to:
The Japan Amateur Radio League, Inc.
Award Desk
14-2, Sugamo 1-Chome, Toshima-ku,
Tokyo 170, Japan
Q. Why are packet spotting systems not allowed?
A. Packet is not allowed for single operators only. An
entry using a packet spotting network would be part of the
multi-two category with "net" as one of the operators.
Q. What is an "Open Log Contest"?
A. An Open Log Contest is a contest in which operating
logs submitted for entry to the contest organizers are made
available to the public. It is the intention of the GridLoc
organizers to make all of the submitted logs available
electronically. This allows everyone to study the
techniques of the top operators and to analyze logs using
common software tools.
Q. Do any logging programs support GridLoc?
A. N6TR's logging program TRLog supports the GridLoc
contest starting with version 5.19. W5XD's logging
software WriteLog (for Windows) now includes a GridLoc
multiplier module.
Q. Will there be any awards?
A. Yes. The organizers will produce awards based on the
amount of activity for the contest. At this time it is certain
that continental winners in each operating category will
receive certificates as will the top ten scorers in each
division worldwide. Certificates for the top college clubs
are also planned.
Q. Where will the results be published?
A. There are several possibilities being investigated. The
organizers hope to have the results published so as to reach
the most Amateurs as possible.
--------------------------------------------------------------
I hope to hear many of you on the air. I may be operating as
W5EHM.
73,
Robert Barron, KA5WSS barron at liant.com
Liant Software Corporation Hook 'Em Horns!
Don't forget to operate the GridLoc contest (April 8-9, 1995)
>From Jim Reisert AD1C 04-Apr-1995 1255 <reisert at wrksys.ENET.dec.com> Tue Apr 4 17:57:46 1995
From: Jim Reisert AD1C 04-Apr-1995 1255 <reisert at wrksys.ENET.dec.com> (Jim Reisert AD1C 04-Apr-1995 1255)
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 95 12:57:46 EDT
Subject: ANARTS WW RTTY Contest Rules
Message-ID: <9504041657.AA23815 at us1rmc.bb.dec.com>
From: myzer at triode.apana.org.au (Myzer)
Newsgroups: aus.radio,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc
Subject: ANARTS WW RTTY Contest Rules
Date: 3 Apr 1995 00:39:11 GMT
Organization: APANA - Australian Public Access Network Association
Lines: 137
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO TELEPRINTER SOCIETY
For information of all potential contestants and the Editors
of all appropriate publications. These rules may be
published at the discretion of all readers.
A.N.A.R.T.S. To be held on the week-end of
10th-11th JUNE. 1995.
WW RTTY CONTEST
Australian National Amateur
Radio Teleprinter Society.
RULES P.O. Box 860, CROWS NEST, NSW 2065.
========================================================================
These Rules are distributed to cover the 1995 ANARTS WW RTTY CONTEST.
TEST PERIOD: Contest takes place on the second full week-end of June in
each year. Contests start 0000 UTC Saturday and end 0000 UTC Monday.
The 1995 contest is to be held 10-11th June.
Not more than 30 hours of operating is permitted for Single Op. Stations
Non operating periods can be taken at any time during the contest.
Multi Op. Stations may operate the entire contest period.
Summary of operating times must be submitted with each contest log.
BANDS: Use Amateur bands 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres.
MODES: All digital modes permitted (RTTY,AMTOR,FEC,PKT,PACTOR)
NOTE: No satellite operation permitted.
CLASSIFICATIONS: (A) SINGLE OPERATOR (One transmitter)
(B) MULTI-OPERATOR (One transmitter)
(C) SWLs
MESSAGES: To consist of RST, TIME (UTC), and (CQ) ZONE.
SCORING: For each band used - As per Exchange Points Table to obtain
QSO Points. (This Table was revised 1994 and is so marked).
Count Countries worked (see definition)
Total all bands used to obtain (1) Total QSO Points.
" " " " " " (2) Total Countries.
World stations calculate "VK BONUS" which is 100 points for
each VK worked on 14MHz; 200 points for each VK worked on
21MHz; 300 points for each VK worked on 28Mhz; 400 points for
each VK worked on 7MHz and 500 points for each VK worked on
3.5MHz.
CLAIMED SCORE for WORLD STATIONS is calculated by
multiplying (1) TOTAL QSO POINTS by (2) TOTAL COUNTRIES then
THAT TOTAL by (3) the NUMBER OF CONTINENTS WORKED during the
contest.(Note that each continent counts once only to a
maximum of 6). To the total obtained ADD the "VK BONUS" to
show GRAND TOTAL CLAIMED SCORE.
Example for World Station: 720 points from zone chart (1) X
29 countries (2) = 20,890 X 5 continents (3) = 104,400 pts
plus(+) 6 VK stations worked on 14MHz (that is 600 points)
giving a grand total of 105,000 points.
CLAIMED SCORE for AUSTRALIAN STATIONS (VK1-VK8) is calculated
by multipying (1) TOTAL QSO POINTS by (2) TOTAL COUNTRIES and
then that total by (3) the NUMBER OF CONTINENTS WORKED during
the contest with a maximum of six as stated above. This
calculation gives the GRAND TOTAL CLAIMED SCORE.
In all cases, a station may only be worked once per band, but
may be worked on other bands for QSO points and multipliers.
COUNTRIES: The country count is as per ARRL DXCC list of countries,
except that Australia (Areas 1-8), Canada, Japan, and U.S.A.
mainland DO NOT count as separate countries. HOWEVER, each
call area VK1-VK8, and each call area in Canada, Japan and
mainland U.S.A. DO COUNT AS SEPARATE COUNTRIES.
Contact with ones own country does count for QSO points but
does NOT COUNT AS A MULTIPLIER. (NOTE that call areas VK1-8,
and in Canada, Japan and USA mainland count as countries).
LOGS: Logs must show in this order:
1. DATE
2. TIME (UTC)
3. CALLSIGN OF STATION WORKED/HEARD
4. MESSAGE INFORMATION SENT/RECEIVED (RST/TIME/ZONE)
5. POINTS CLAIMED.
SUMMARY REPORT: Summary sheet must show: Callsign of station, name
and address of operator, bands used (a separate log is
required for each band), the points claimed for each band,
the number of countries worked on each band, the number of
continents worked; and details of VK BONUS calculations for
world stations. A summary of the calculations made to
obtain the GRAND TOTAL CLAIMED SCORE as per the "Scoring"
section will assist checking. The general certification
regarding compliance with rules and signature of operator is
also required.
Multi-op logs must contain signatures and callsigns of each
operator.
AWARDS: Plaques will be awarded for first place in each Classification.
Certificates will be given to 1st, 2nd, 3rd places in World and also on
a country basis (see above). The judges decisions will be final and no
correspondence will be entered into. Logs become the property of ANARTS
CLOSING DATE: Logs must be received by the Contest Manager, A.N.A.R.T.S
P.O. Box 93, TOONGABBIE, NSW 2146, AUSTRALIA, by 1st September of
the year of the contest.
-------------------------
Note that corrected Exchange Points Tables can be obtained from the Contest
Manager (SASE or similar appreciated) and that the Guide to RTTY Contests
published by N6GG and used by many of the Stateside magazines contains
correct versions of the Table. If in doubt, we can do the scoring for you
but it makes for a lot of work.
Please allow plenty of time for your log to reach the Contest Manager,
last year we had logs, mainly from eastern Europe but also one from South
America which took nearly six months to make the journey, by which time the
results had been determined and published.
73 es Good Luck to All. ANARTS...
The Society will be very appreciative of any circulation of the above
Rules carried out by recipients of this message. Amateurs in any areas
could canvass their local organisations to ensure good coverage.
--
myzer at triode.apana.org.au (-=Myzer=-) (aka. Daniel Godden, sometimes)
I am the terror that flaps in the night | I am too groovy to be cool!
-Darkwing Duck |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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