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::.  RULES

The 45th Annual
CQ World-Wide WPX Contest 2003
SSB: March 29-30, 2003

CW: May 24-25, 2003

Starts: 0000 GMT Saturday
Ends: 2359 GMT Sunday


MORE INFO

 I. Period of Operation:

48 hours. Single Operator stations may operate 36 of the 48 hours. Off times must be a minimum of 60 minutes in length and clearly marked in the log. Listening time counts as operating time. Multi-Operator stations may operate the full 48 hours.

 II. Objective:

Object of the contest is for amateurs around the world to contact as many amateurs in other parts of the world as possible during the contest period.

 III. Bands:

The 1.8, 3.5, 7, 14, 21 and 28 MHz bands may be used. No WARC bands allowed.

Observance of established band plans is strongly encouraged.

 IV. Terms of Competition (for all categories):

All entrants must operate within the limits of their chosen category when performing any activity that could impact their submitted score. Transmitters and receivers must be located within a 500-meter diameter circle or within the property limits of the station licensee, whichever is greater. All antennas must be physically connected by wires to the transmitters and receivers used by the entrant. All high power categories must not exceed 1500 watts total output power on any band. Only the entrant’s callsign can be used to aid the entrant’s score. No self-spotting of any form on DX spotting nets is permitted for any category. Self-spotting is defined as generating packet spots for your contest callsign by: (a) using your own callsign; (b) spotting your call while using another callsign; or (3) spotting of your callsign by other stations as a result of prearranged solicitation. A different callsign must be used for each entry.

Categories: Note — Category and Category-overlay names for the Cabrillo header are shown in (italics) after each category definition.

1. Single Operator (Single Band and All Band)

  • (a) Single operator stations are those at which one person performs all of the operating, logging, and, for the Assisted category only, spotting functions. Only one transmitted signal is allowed at any time. Maximum power allowed is 1500 watts total output power. (SINGLE-OP ALL HIGH or SINGLE-OP [BAND] HIGH)

  • (b) Low Power: Same as 1(a) except that output power shall not exceed 100 watts. Stations in this category will compete with other low power stations only. (SINGLE-OP ALL LOW or SINGLE-OP [BAND] LOW)

  • (c) QRP: Same as 1(a) except that output power shall not exceed 5 watts. Stations in this category will compete with other QRP stations only. (SINGLE-OP ALL QRP or SINGLE-OP [BAND] QRP)

  • (d) Assisted/with Packet: Same as 1(a) except the passive use (no self-spotting) of DX spotting nets or other forms of DX alerting is permitted. Stations in this category will compete with other Assisted stations only. (SINGLE-OP-ASSISTED)

  • (e) Tribander/Single Element: Tribander (any type) with a single feedline from the transmitter to the antenna and single element (TS) category. During the contest, an entrant shall use only one (1) tribander for 10, 15, 20 meters and single-element antennas on 40, 80, and 160. (TB-WIRES)

  • (f) Band Restricted: An eligible entrant must hold a license restricting operation to less than the six (6) contest bands (160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10) on both modes. Examples of such licenses in the USA are Novice, Technician, 4 class license, etc. Since frequency privileges differ from country to country, competition is between stations within one’s own country. (BAND-LIMITED)

  • (g) Rookie: To enter this category you must have been licensed as a radio amateur three (3) years or less on the date of the contest. (ROOKIE)

2. Multi Operator (All band operation only)

  • (a) Single-Transmitter: Only one transmitter and one band permitted during the same time period (defined as 10 minutes), defined as starting with the first logged QSO on a band.

    Exception: One - and only one - other band may be used during any 10-minute period if - and only if - the station worked is a new multiplier. Logs found in violation of the 10-minute rule will automatically be reclassified as multi-multi. Maximum power allowed is 1500 watts total output power. Your log MUST show the correct serial number sent and received for each contact. (MULTI-ONE)

  • (b) Multi-Two: A maximum of two transmitted signals at any time on different bands. Both transmitters may work any and all stations. A station may be worked only once per band regardless of which transmitter is used. Each transmitter must keep a chronological log containing its own serial numbers and unique transmitter identifier. Each of the two stations may make a maximum of eight (8) band changes in any clock hour (00 through 59 minutes). For example, a change from 20 meters to 40 meters and then back to 20 meters constitutes two band changes. Maximum power allowed is 1500 watts total output power. (MULTI-TWO)

  • (c) Multi-Transmitter: No limit to transmitters, but only one signal (and running station) allowed per band at any time. Note: All transmitters and receivers must be located within a 500-meter diameter area or within property limits of the station licensee, whichever is greater. All operation must take place from the same operating site. Maximum power allowed is 1500 watts total output power. (MULTI-MULTI)

 V. Exchange:

RS(T) report plus a progressive contact three-digit serial number starting with 001 for the first contact. (Continue to four digits if past 999 and five if past 9999).

Multi-operator, multi-transmitter stations use separate serial numbers for each band. Your log MUST show the correct serial number sent and received for each contact.

 VI. Contact Points:

  • (a) Contacts between stations on different continents are worth three (3) points on 28, 21, and 14 MHz and six (6) points on 7, 3.5, and 1.8 MHz.

  • (b) Contacts between stations on the same continent, but different countries, are worth one (1) point on 28, 21, and 14 MHz and two (2) points on 7, 3.5, and 1.8 MHz.

    Exception: For North American stations only - contacts between stations within the North American boundaries (both stations must be located in North America) are worth two (2) points on 28, 21, and 14 MHz and four (4) points on 7, 3.5, and 1.8 MHz.

  • (c) Contacts between stations in the same country are worth 1 point regardless of band.

 VII. Prefix Multipliers:

The prefix multiplier is the number of valid prefixes worked. A PREFIX is counted only once regardless of the number of times the same prefix is worked.

  • (a) A PREFIX is the letter/numeral combination which forms the first part of the amateur call. Examples: N8, W8, WD8, HG1, HG19, KC2, OE2, OE25, etc.

    Any difference in the numbering, lettering, or order of same shall constitute a separate prefix. A station operating from a DXCC country different from that indicated by its callsign is required to sign portable. The portable prefix must be an authorized prefix of the country/call area of operation. In cases of portable operation, the portable designator will then become the prefix.

    Example: N8BJQ operating from Wake Island would sign N8BJQ/KH9 or N8BJQ/NH9. KH6XXX operating from Ohio must use an authorized prefix for the U.S. 8th district (W8, K8, etc.).

    Portable designators without numbers will be assigned a zero (Ø) after the second letter of the portable designator to form the prefix. Example: PA/N8BJQ would become PAØ.

    All calls without numbers will be assigned a zero (Ø) after the first two letters to form the prefix. Example: XEFTJW would count as XEØ.

    Maritime mobile, mobile, /A, /E, /J, /P, or interim license class identifiers do not count as prefixes. You may not make up your own prefix.

  • (b) Special event, commemorative, and other unique prefix stations are encouraged to participate. Prefixes must be assigned by the licensing authority of the country of operation.

 VIII. Scoring (QSO Points):

  1. Single Operator:

    • (a) All Band score = total contact points from all bands multiplied by the number of different prefixes worked (prefix multiplier; prefixes are counted only once).

    • (b) Single band score = total contact points on the band entered multiplied by the number of different prefixes worked (prefix multiplier).

  2. Multi Operator: Scoring is the same as Single Operator, All Band.

  3. A station may be worked once one each band for QSO point credit. Prefix credit may be taken only once.

 IX. QRP/p Section:

Single Operator only. Output power must not exceed 5 watts. You must note QRP/p in the header of your Cabrillo file or, in the case of non-Cabrillo logs, on the summary sheet and state the actual maximum output power used for all claimed contacts. Results will be listed in a separate QRP/p section and certificates will be awarded to each top-scoring QRP/p station in the order indicated in Section XI.

 X. Low Power Section:

Single Operator only. Output power must not exceed 100 watts. You must indicate low power in the header of your Cabrillo file or, in the case of non-Cabrillo logs, on the summary sheet and state the actual maximum output power used for all claimed contacts. Results will be listed in a separate low power section and certificates will be awarded to each top-scoring low power station in the order indicated in Section XI.

 XI. Awards:

Certificates will be awarded to the highest scoring station in each category listed under Section IV.

  1. In every participating country.

  2. In each call area of the United States, Canada, Australia, and Asiatic Russia.

All scores will be published. To be eligible for an award, a single operator station must show a minimum of 12 hours of operation and multi-operator stations must show a minimum of 24 hours of operation.

A single band log will be eligible for a single band award only. If a log contains more than one band, it will be judged as an all-band entry unless specified otherwise.

In countries or sections where entries justify, second- and third-place awards will be made.

 XII. Trophies, Plaques, and Donors:

SSB
 
Single Operator, All Band
WORLD Stanley Cohen, WD8QDQ
USA Atilano de Oms, PY5EG
EUROPE Jim Hoffman, N5FA
SOUTH AMERICA Ron Moorefield, W8ILC
OCEANIA Phillip Fraizer, K6ZM Memorial
AFRICA Peter Sprengel, PY5CC
JAPAN The DX Family Foundation
WORLD Low Power Steve Bolia, N8BJQ
USA Low Power Oklahoma DX Association
CANADA Low Power Amateur Radio League of Alberta
USA QRP/p Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q
USA ZONE 4 HIGH POWER Society of Midwest Contesters
USA ZONE 4 LOW POWER Society of Midwest Contesters
 
Single Operator, Single Band
WORLD John N. Reichert, N4RV
WORLD 28 MHz Alan Dorhoffer, K2EEK Memorial
WORLD 7 MHz William D. Johnson, KVØQ
USA 21 MHz Bernie Welch, W8IMZ Memorial
USA 3.7 MHz Lance Johnson Digital Graphics
USA 14 MHz Low Power Boomer Contest Club
 
Multi-Operator, Single Transmitter
USA Steve Bolia, N8BJQ
USA ZONE 4 Society of Midwest Contesters
ASIA W2MIG Memorial (NT4TT Sponsor)
 
Multi-Operator, Multi Transmitter
WORLD Gail Schieber, K2RED
 
Contest Expedition
WORLD Kansas City DX Club

 

CW
 
Single Operator, All Band
WORLD Steve Bolia, N8BJQ
USA Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV
EUROPE Ivo Pezer, 5B4ADA/9A3A
OCEANIA Tom Morton, K6CT
CANADA Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC)
JAPAN The DX Family Foundation
WORLD LOW POWER Steve Bolia, N8BJQ
CANADA LOW POWER Amateur Radio League of Alberta
ZONE 3 High Power Jim Pratt, N6IG
USA ZONE 4 HIGH POWER Society of Midwest Contesters
USA ZONE 4 LOW POWER Society of Midwest Contesters
 
Single Operator, Single Band
WORLD Pedro Piza, Sr., KP4ES Memorial (NP4A Sponsor)
WORLD 7 MHz William D. Johnson, KVØQ
WORLD 3.5 MHz Lance Johnson Digital Graphics
USA Kansas City DX Club
USA 28 MHz Bernie Welch, W8IMZ Memorial
USA 21 MHz Wayne Carroll, W4MPY
 
Multi-Operator, Single Transmitter
WORLD Ron Blake, N4KE
Asia W2MIG Memorial (NT4TT Sponsor)
USA ZONE 4 Society of Midwest Contesters
 
Contest Expedition
WORLD Steve Bolia, N8BJQ

 

Combined SSB/CW
 
Single Operator, All Band
WORLD Al Slater, G3FXB Memorial

 

Club (SSB & CW)
 
WORLD CQ Magazine

A station winning a World trophy will not be considered for a sub-area award. That trophy will be awarded to the runner-up for that area if the returns justify the award.

 XIII. Club Competition:

A trophy will be awarded each year to the club that has the highest aggregate scores from logs submitted by members. The club must be a local group and not a national organization. Participation is limited to members operating within a local geographical area. (Exception: DXpeditions specially organized for operation in the contest and manned by members).

Indicate your club affiliation on the summary sheet or in the Cabrillo file. To be eligible for an award, a minimum of three logs must be received from a club.

 XIV. Log Instructions:

  • (a) All times must be in GMT. All breaks must be clearly marked (not required for Cabrillo logs). Single operator and multi-single logs must be submitted in chronological order. Multi-multi logs must be submitted chronologically by band.

  • (b) All sent and received exchanges are to be logged.

  • (c) Prefix multipliers should be entered only the FIRST TIME they are worked.

  • (d) Logs must be checked for duplicate contacts, correct QSO points, and prefix multipliers. Duplicate contacts must be clearly marked. Computerized logs must be checked for typing accuracy. Original logs may be requested if further cross-checking is required.

  • (e) An alpha/numeric check list of claimed PREFIX multipliers must be submitted with your log.

  • (f) Each entry must be accompanied by a Summary Sheet listing all scoring information, the category of competition, and the entrant’s name and mailing address in BLOCK LETTERS. Also submit a signed declaration that all contest rules and regulations for amateur radio in the country of operation have been observed.

  • (g) Official log and summary sheets are available from CQ via snail mail (SASE) or fax, or on the web at <www.cq-amateur-radio.com>. You may make your own forms as long as all the required information is present.

  • (h) Electronic submission of logs is encouraged for all participants, and is required for all top scoring entrants and all who use a computer to log or prepare the logs. The Cabrillo format is preferred. Please ensure that you fill out all of the header information, including your club affiliation. If you submit a Cabrillo log, no additional summary sheet is required. For instructions on filling out the Cabrillo header, see the WPX Contest website. Failure to fill out the header correctly could result in your entry being placed in the wrong category.

    If you cannot submit a Cabrillo log, you may submit the ASCII output from most of the popular logging programs such as TR, CT, NA, Writelog, and SuperDuper. You may also submit the *.BIN, *.DAT, *.QDF files from CT, TR, or NA. If the log is not in Cabrillo format, a separate summary sheet is required. Please name your files with your call and the file type.

    Example: N8BJQ submits a Cabrillo file. It should be named N8BJQ.LOG. If N8BJQ chose to submit a non-Cabrillo file such as TR’s .dat file, he should name the log file N8BJQ.DAT and the summary file should be N8BJQ.SUM. See the WPX Contest website for more information on e-mail log formats. Logs sent on disk should be on 3.5" disks.

  • (i) E-mail is the preferred method of log submission.

    SSB Cabrillo logs should be sent to:

    E-mail SSB Cabrillo logs to:
    wpxssb@kkn.net

    and CW Cabrillo logs should be sent to:

    E-mail CW Cabrillo logs to:
    wpxcw@kkn.net

    Non-Cabrillo internet or disk submissions require a summary sheet as well as the log file. All logs received via e-mail will be confirmed via e-mail. A listing of logs received can be found on the CQ WPX Contest website at:

    http://home.woh.rr.com/wpx/

    and the list will be updated frequently.

 XV. Disqualification:

Violation of amateur radio regulations in the country of the contestant, or the rules of the contest, unsportsmanlike conduct, taking credit for excessive duplicate contacts, unverifiable QSOs or multipliers will be deemed sufficient cause for disqualification. An entrant whose log is deemed by the WPX Contest Committee to contain a large number of discrepancies may be disqualified as a participant operator or station for a period of one year. If within a five-year period the operator is disqualified a second time, he or she will be ineligible for any CQ contest awards for three years.

The use of non-amateur means such as telephones, fax, telegrams, packet, e-mail, etc., to solicit contacts or multipliers during the contest is unsportsmanlike and is grounds for disqualification.

Declaration: By submitting an entry in the CQ WPX Contest you agree that you have read and understood the rules of the contest and agree to be bound by them, as well as all rules regulations of your country which pertain to amateur radio. Actions and decisions of the WPX Contest Committee are official and final.

 XVI. Deadline:

All entries must be postmarked NO LATER than May 1, 2003 for the SSB section and NO LATER than July 1, 2003 for the CW section. All logs, including e-mail entries, are subject to these deadlines. If you snail-mail your entry, indicate SSB or CW on the envelope. Logs postmarked after the deadline may be listed in the results, but will be ineligible for any awards.

Check the WPX Contest website http://home.woh.rr.com/wpx/ for instructions on mailing WPX logs.

WPX Log submittal information

E-mail logs via the robot are encouraged. If you can not send an electronic log, you may mail your log to:

Paper logs:
CQ Magazine
25 Newbridge Rd, Suite 405
HICKSVILLE, NY 11801
USA

Please mark the envelope plainly as WPX SSB or WPX CW.

Questions pertaining to the WPX Contest can be mailed to: WPX Contest Director, Steve Merchant, K6AW, 441 Palo Alto Avenue, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94041, USA.

or via e-mail to: k6aw@cqww.com

Date of info: 26 March, 2003
Original rules dated: 18 November, 2002
Source: CQ WPX Contest Home Page
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E-MAILING WPX LOGS
Updated 03/16/02 on CQ WPX Contest Home Page by Steve Bolia, N8BJQ
 
E-mailing WPX logs:

CQ WPX Contest CABRILLO logs should be submitted via e-mail to wpxssb@kkn.net for SSB and wpxcw@kkn.net for CW. CABRILLO logs will be received by a Robot and if the log appears ok, you will be given a tracking number. If there is a problem with your log, the robot will give you suggestions to fix it. You can submit your logs as many times as needed. Once you get a tracking number your log has been accepted. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE CALLSIGN USED APPEARS IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF THE EMAIL. If this info is not there, your log will be rejected by the robot. If your log is rejected, please read the notice carefully. Many of the problems are minor (wrong dates or modes) and can be easily corrected.

Just about every logging program will now support CABRILLO. If yours does not please check for an upgrade. Non CABRILLO logs will still be accepted but must be sent to a different address. Please check back prior to the contest for information on non CABRILLO log submissions. Non CABRILLO logs will require both a log file and a summary sheet sent as attachments.

Please name your file with your call and the extension .LOG. Completely fill out the header information in the CABRILLO file. This will serve as your summary sheet. If you can not provide a CABRILLO file, you may submit an ASCII file from your logging program showing all required information. This log should follow as closely as possible the WPX log sheet format. Also, CT's .BIN, TR's .DAT or NA's QDF files can be submitted. If these files are submitted, a separate summary sheet is required. Name the log file with your call and the logging programs normal extension (*.bin, *.dat or *.qdf). DBF and Spreadsheet files are difficult to convert but will be accepted. If you email your log, please send the file(s) as attachments. Do not paste the log file into the text of your message. This is often impossible to extract correctly. Large files may be zipped if necessary. If you need help with preparing or emailing your log, please contact K6AW at k6aw@cqww.com.

Note: CT now supports CABRILLO for the WPX contest. If you use CT, please check the CABRILLO file closely. Some items are left out such as OPERATORS for multi ops or guest ops. Also, if you did not answer all of the questions correctly when you start your bin file, the wrong information WILL get posted to the CABRILLO file. It is important to check your operating category also. What is reported is what you enter when you set up the bin file. If you enter as a single band entry but the bin file just shows single op. your CABRILLO header will show as single op all band.


The CABRILLO Format:

If you are manually entering the CABRILLO header information, please follow the format below. Most of the software packages correctly follow this format.

CABRILLO log header information is extracted directly into the scoring database and is the basis for your entry. If you do not fill in the header correctly, you may get placed in the wrong category.

START-OF-LOG: version-number
Must be the first line of the log submission.
The current version-number is 2.0.

END-OF-LOG:
Must be the last line of the log submission.

ARRL-SECTION: arrl-section
For USA and Canada stations arrl-section must be the ARRL section abbreviation as shown in http://www.arrl.org/contests/sections.abv.html.

For foreign stations arrl-section must be DX. For USA stations, please use the STATE abbreviations. This determines what call area your log is placed in.

CALLSIGN: callsign
The callsign used during the contest.

CATEGORY: operator-category band-category power-category [mode-category]
For HF contests the operator-category must be one of the following:
SINGLE-OP, SINGLE-OP-ASSISTED, MULTI-ONE, MULTI-TWO, MULTI-MULTI, or CHECKLOG.
- THESE ARE THE ONLY HEADINGS USED FOR WPX.

For HF contests the band-category must be one of the following:
ALL, 160M, 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M or 10M.

The power-category must be HIGH, LOW or QRP.

The mode-category must be CW, or SSB.
This is optional and may get kicked back by the robot.

CATEGORY-OVERLAY: [category-overlay...]
In CQ-WPX CW and CQ-WPX-SSB, category overlay may be any combination of ROOKIE, BAND-LIMITED or TB-WIRES.
TO GET PROPER CREDIT THESE MUST BE FILLED OUT EXACTLY AS SPECIFIED ABOVE - DO NOT USE COMMAS.

CLAIMED-SCORE: n
The claimed-score of the log submission, in integer form such as
1217315 or 19113 or 12. DO NOT USE COMMAS IN THE SCORE.

CLUB: text
Name of the radio club with which the score should be aggregated.
PLEASE SPELL OUT THE CLUB NAME.

CONTEST: contest-name
The contest-name must be one of the following: CQ-WPX-CW, CQ-WPX-SSB.
If the contest name is not correct, your log WILL get bounced back.

CREATED-BY: text
Name and version of the logging program used to create the Cabrillo file.
This field is optional.

NAME: text
ADDRESS: text
Name and address.

OPERATORS: callsign1 [callsign2 callsign3...]
USE NO COMMAS IN THIS LIST.
A space-delimited list of operator callsigns for multi operator stations.
Use this field for Guest OPs also.

SOAPBOX: text
TRY TO LIMIT TO ABOUT 75 CHARACTERS PER LINE.
YOU CAN USE MANY LINES AS LONG AS EACH BEGINS WITH SOAPBOX:

Soapbox comments.

QSO: qso-data


Cabrillo QSO template for CQ WPX:


                              --------info sent------- -------info rcvd--------
QSO: freq  mo date       time call          rst exch   call          rst exch   t
QSO: ***** ** yyyy-mm-dd nnnn ************* nnn ****** ************* nnn ****** n
QSO:  3799 PH 1999-03-06 0711 HC8N          59  001    W1AW          59  001    0
000000000111111111122222222223333333333444444444455555555556666666666777777777788
123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901

PLEASE INSURE THAT YOUR CABRILLO FILE INCLUDES THIS INFORMATION. YOU MUST INCLUDE BOTH SENT AND RECEIVED SERIAL NUMBERS FOR A COMPLETE LOG. MULTI OP STATIONS MUST SHOW THE ACTUAL SERIAL NUMBERS SENT and RECEIVED. For MULTI-TWO, the last column indicate which transmitter made the QSO. This should be a 0 or 1.

 
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This contest directly supported by

AALog
by RZ4AG
 
CQPWIN
by AE6Y
 
CT
by K1EA
 
GEN LOG
by W3KM

Lux-Log
by LX1NO
 
MixW
by UT2UZ
 
N1MM
Logger
 
NA
by K8CC

OH2GI
Ham System
 
RCKLog
by DL4RCK
 
SD
by EI5DI
 
TLF (Linux)
by PAØRCT

TR
by N6TR
 
Wincontest
by I8VKB
 
WriteLog
by W5XD
 
YP-Log
by VE6YP

Go to SM3CER Contest Service Software Page

MORE INFO
Text-only pageThe WPX Home PageCQ Magazine Home Page
E-mailing WPX LogsWPX Log submittal information


Please send corrections/changes/new rules/results to:
Jan-Eric Rehn - SM3CER
sm3cer@contesting.com

URL: http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/cqwwwpx.htm
Copyright © 1997-2003 Jan-Eric Rehn - SM3CER
This page was created March 9, 1997
Most recent revision March 26, 2003