[CQ-Contest] Clarification on the Effective date of the new FCC rules

[Henderson, Dan N1ND]

Don't hold your breath anticipating that the new rules will be in effect for ARRL Sweepstakes.
 
It can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months before changes appear in the Federal Register.  In the case of the changes to Part 97 in the Report and Order on Docket 04-140, there are some errors that are being noted between what the FCC apparently intends to do and how those changes have been implemented in the re-writes to the rules.  Several parties in the ARRL, including Board, staff and counsel, are looking at these and will be in touch with the FCC to address these problems/errors.  This doesn't mean that it might not appear in the Federal Resgister shortly, but it is also likely that it may take anywhere from 60-90 days before they go into effect.  
 
They definitely will not be in effect before CQWW Phone weekend or Sweepstakes CW.  It is a long-shot that they will be in effect for Sweepstakes Phone.  It is a crapshoot that they will be in effect for CQWW CQ.  I think a realistic estimate is that they will be in place by the end of December or early January - again, depending on the significance and number of correction that have to take place.