[MAMS] ARRL January VHF Contest, 900 UTC Saturday, 1/30 - 0359 UTC Monday, 1/1

[Mark Thompson]

http://www.arrl.org/january-vhf
 
About ARRL January VHF Contest 

  Objective: For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US & Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its posessions) and Canada.Stations in KH0-9, KL7 & KP1-KP5, CY9 and CY0 count as W/VE stations and can be worked by DX stations for contest credit.   
Overview
     
   -  Dates-   The date will be announced annually by the ARRL but will generally be the third or fourth weekend in January. Begins 1900 UTC Saturday, ends 0359 UTC Monday (January 30-February 1, 2016)   
   -  Bands+ 
   -  Log Submission Deadline+ 
   -  Contact Information+ 
   -  Awards+ 
   -  Paper Entry Forms+ 
   -  Power Limits by Category+ 
   -  Results+ 
   -  Cabrillo Templates for the New SO3B and SOFM categories+ 
   
Contest Details
 January VHF Rules (Download PDF)
1. Objective: To work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Foreign stations work W/VE amateurs only.2. Date and Contest Period: The date will be announced annually by the ARRL but will generally be the third or fourth weekend in January. Begins 1900 UTC Saturday, ends 0359 UTC Monday (January 30 - February 1, 2016).3. Entry Categories:3.1. Single Operator: One person performs all transmitting, receiving, spotting, and logging functions as well as equipment and antenna adjustments. Only one transmitted signal per band is permitted at any given time. Non-contact-producing activities as described in rule 7.1 are not considered transmitted signals for the purpose of applying this rule.3.1.1. Single Operator Low Power:3.1.1.1. Power limits on any band may not exceed the following:3.1.1.1.1. 50 MHz and 144 MHz--200 W PEP.3.1.1.1.2. 222 MHz and 432 MHz--100 W PEP.3.1.1.1.3. 902 MHz and above--50 W PEP.3.1.2. Single Operator High Power: Power limits on any band exceeds the limits for the Single Operator Low power.3.1.3. Both Single Operator High and Low Power stations compete for all-band and single-band awards.3.1.4. Overall and single-band winners are recognized in awards offered.3.2. Single Operator Portable:3.2.1. Ten (10) W PEP output or less.3.2.2. Portable power source.3.2.3. Portable equipment and antennas.3.2.4. Single Operator Portable stations must operate from a location other than a permanent station location.3.2.5. Single Operator Portable stations may not change locations during the contest period outside of the original 500-meter diameter permitted circle.3.3. Single Operator, 3-Band: 3.3.1. Restricted to 50, 144 and 432 MHz.3.3.2. Power limits are 100 W PEP on 50 and 144 MHz, 50 W PEP on 432 MHz.3.4. Single Operator, FM Only:3.4.1. All QSOs must be made using Frequency Modulation (FM).3.4.2. Restricted to 50, 144, 222 and 440 MHz.3.4.3 Power limits are 100 W on all bands.3.5. Rover: A rover consists of no more than two operators that moves among two or more grid squares during the course of a contest. An operator may perform any or all rover functions, but a driver's function shall be limited to driving the vehicle. Drivers may be switched out during the event. Any number of observers is also allowed, however observers may not perform any rover function at any time. Rover vehicles with only one occupant are allowed to perform all functions listed above.3.5.1. A rover vehicle may transport only one station using a single call sign. An exception is provided for in "General Rules for All ARRL Contests" number 3.5 (Family Rule).3.5.2. A rover may not operate with more than one call sign.3.5.3. Rover vehicles must transport all the equipment, power supplies, and antennas used at each operating site.3.5.4. Rovers MUST sign "rover" on Phone and /R on CW and digital modes after their call sign.3.5.5. All Rovers are encouraged to adopt operating practices that allow as many stations as possible to contact them.3.5.6. Rover operators may submit separate logs for single operator (fixed station) in addition to their rover entries. Rovers submitting a score for inclusion in a club competition must also include a secondary summary sheet indicating the portion of the score that counts for the club score if any of the QSOs submitted take place outside of their club's territory.3.5.7. A rover may not make more than 100 QSOs with any other one rover.3.6. Limited Rover. Same as the "Rover" class above, but competes using only the lowest four bands available for any given contest (6M - 432 MHz for VHF+ contests, 222MHz - 1.2 GHz for August UHF). Output power limits shall be the same as those defined for the Single Operator Low Power category (3.1.1)3.7. Unlimited Rover. Same as "Rover" class above, but Unlimited Rovers may use more than two operators and are exempt from rules 3.5.3 and 3.5.7.3.7.1. Unlimited Rover scores may NOT be applied to a club score for Club Competition.3.8. Multioperator:3.8.1.Multioperator (Unlimited): Stations submit logs with more than four bands used.3.8.2. Limited Multioperator: Stations submit logs with a maximum of four bands used. (Logs from additional bands used, if any, should be included as checklogs.)4. Exchange:4.1. Maidenhead grid-square locator (see www.arrl.org/grid-squares)4.2. Exchange of signal report is optional.5. Scoring5.1. QSO points:5.1.1. Count one point for each complete 50- or 144-MHz QSO.5.1.2. Count two points for each 222- or 432-MHz QSO.5.1.3. Count four points for each 902- or 1296-MHz QSO.5.1.4. Count eight points for each 2.3 GHz (or higher) QSO.5.2. Multiplier: The total number of different grid squares worked per band. Each grid square counts as one multiplier on each band it is worked.5.3. Final score: Multiply the total number of QSO points from all bands operated by the total number of multipliers for final score.5.4. Rovers only: The final score consists of the total number of QSO points from all  bands times the sum of unique multipliers (grid squares) worked per band (regardless of  which grid square they were made in) plus one additional multiplier for every grid square from which they successfully completed a contact.5.4.1. Rovers are listed in the contest score listings under the Division from which the most QSOs were made.6. Reporting:6.1. Email electronic Cabrillo-formatted logs to JanuaryVHF at arrl.org; hand-written paper logs or diskettes should be mailed to ARRL January VHF Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.6.2. Entries that have been electronically generated must submit their log file in the Cabrillo file format. Paper printouts of electronic files are not acceptable substitutes. Logs created with word processing or spreadsheet software are considered electronic logs  and must be submitted in Cabrillo format.6.3. Entries must be emailed or postmarked no later than 0359 UTC Wednesday, March 2, 2016.6.4. Entries may be submitted using the web applet.
6.5. Rovers who submit scores for the club competition must submit a second summary sheet indicating QSOs and score if they make any contacts from outside of the club territory. Indicate clearly on the summary sheet and in log if the log is the total entry or  that portion to be counted for the club score.7. Miscellaneous:7.1 All entrants, regardless of category, are permitted to use spotting assistance or nets including but not limited to DX-alerting nets, internet chat rooms, APRS and other packet, reverse beacon networks and repeaters to identify stations available for contacts and to announce (self-spot) their availability for contacts. Announcements shall be limited to call sign, location, band or frequency, mode and–if applicable–transmitting sequence and listening direction. These methods of spotting assistance may also be used to coordinate antenna peaking prior to initiation of the contact and to explain contest rules, such as the exchange required, for those who need clarification. Such assistance may not be used to facilitate the completion of any contact once the contact has commenced. This means such assistance may not be used to convey receipt or non-receipt of any required element of a contact or to request a repeat of any required element of a contact.7.2. Stations may be worked for credit only once per band from any given grid square, regardless of mode. This does not prohibit working a Rover station from more than one  grid square with the same call sign.7.3. All stations may have only one signal per band (6, 2, 220MHz, etc) at any given time regardless of mode.7.4. Multioperator stations may not include QSOs with their own operators except on frequencies higher than 2.3 GHz. Even then, a complete, different station (transmitter, receiver and antenna) must exist for each QSO made under these conditions.8. Awards: Certificates will be awarded in the following categories:8.1. Single Operator8.1.1. Top Single Operator entrant in each ARRL/RAC Section for High and Low Power.8.1.2. Top single operator on each band (50, 144, 222, 432, 902, 1296 and 2304- and-up categories) in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Note: Since the highest score per band will be the award  winner for that band, an entrant may win a certificate with additional single-band endorsements.) For example, if KA1RWY has the highest single-operator all-band score in the CT Section and her 50- and 222-MHz scores are higher than any other CT single operator’s, she will earn a certificate for being the single-operator Section leader and endorsements for 50 and 222 MHz.8.2. Top Single Operator, Portable entrant in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant  effort or competition is evident. (Single operator portable entries are not eligible for single-band awards.)8.3.Top Single Operator, 3-Band entrant in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident.(Single Operator, 3-Band entries are not eligible for single-band awards.)8.4. Top Single Operator, FM Only entrant in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Single Operator, FM Only entries are not eligible for single-band awards.)8.5. Top Rover, Limited Rover and Unlimited Rover entrant in each ARRL Division and  Canada where significant effort or competition is evident. (Rover entries are not eligible for single-band awards.)8.6. Top Multioperator score in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Multioperator entries are not eligible for single-band awards.)8.7. Top Limited Multioperator in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Limited Multioperator entries are not eligible for single-band awards.)8.8. Top DX stations where significant effort or competition is evident.9. Other:9.1. See “General Rules for All ARRL Contests” and “General Rules for ARRL Contests on bands above 50 MHz (VHF)”9.2. For more information contact contests at arrl.org or (860) 594-0232.