[CQ-Contest] A few contest reminders....

[Henderson, Dan N1ND]

With the ARRL International DX Phone Contest looming on the horizon this weekend I wanted to take a moment and remind the list (and encourage the list members to share with others) about some of the things that crop up each year...

1) Remember that electronic logs must be submitted in the Cabrillo format.  The available contest logging programs are pretty much universal in outputting this file with the extension .LOG  You might want to make sure you are running a version of your program that will output the file.

2) Electronic entries must be emailed to dxphone at arrl.org with the CALLSIGN used during the contest in the SUBJECT: field of the message.  Also, be sure all of the information in the Cabrillo file header is correct.  One of the most common problems we find is that the Header is missing required information.  This generally occurs when the participants does not set up the file properly (selecting the necessary information during the program set up). If you check the file before you send it, you may catch mistakes.

3) Non-W/VE stations should make sure that the ARRL-SECTION: Field shows the term DX, such as:

ARRL-SECTION:   DX

This allows the log checking to sort through the entries for processing.  And make sure you leave at least one space after each colon (:) in the header.  The space signals the robot to the end of the keyword.

4) To participate in the ARRL Affiliated Club Competition, your club must be a full ARRL affiliate.  Clubs in non-W/VE DXCC countries generally are not ARRL Affiliates, so they should simply not include a club name in the CLUB:  field.

5) Remember that we share our bands with non-contesters.  Listen before trying to grab a frequency.  Be respectful of on-going conversations, nets and bands plans.  With the higher bands being open for less time these days, the lower bands become more crowded. Don't let the heat of competition substitute for good operating procedures and courtesy. Finally, watch which transmit VFO you are on if operating split.

Keeping these points in mind should make for a more enjoyable contest for all of us.

Good luck and 73

Dan Henderson, N1ND
ARRL Contest Branch Manager