[NLRS] ARRL Contest Rules

[Jon Platt via NLRS]

Hello NLRS land -

Yesterday the ARRL announced significant rule changes that will take effect starting with the June VHF contest.  In addition, several weeks ago, there were some lesser changes to the pending January VHF contest rules.   N6NB has written a nice summary of these two changes that he posted on the VHF Contesting reflector which I have trimmed down and pasted below.  Wayne's posting provides clarity to both the pending January contest as well as to what we have for new rules starting with this summers June contest.   

One aspect of the new rules that start with the June contest that Wayne missed in his summary is that single-op stations may have signals on more than one band at a time .... the current rules only allow for one transmit signal.   This will mean that starting with the June contest that you can call CQ on all bands concurrently .... time for a new power supply.

Full information for this ARRL announcement can be found at http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-board-okays-changes-to-dxcc-program-vhf-and-above-contesting-rules  .

73, Jon
W0ZQ


A new set of rules was announced in December for the January contest. Those rules will apply ONLY in January.  Still another set of rules (the ones just approved by the ARRL board) will go into effect in June.

During January 2015 (this weekend) here are the highlights of what is new:

* Three new categories are being created:  single operator high power unlimited, single operator low power unlimited and single operator portable unlimited.
* In those three categories and in the multioperator categories, "assistance" will be allowed.  But rovers who use assistance will be moved to the unlimited rover category where they will be ineligible for the club competition.
* Assistance is limited to passive monitoring of spotting information, with no "self-spotting" allowed.

Starting in June 2015, here is what will happen:

*The three new "unlimited" categories being created for the January contest will cease to exist. Those three categories will be in effect for only one contest.
*EVERYONE in all categories, including rovers, will be free to use assistance under a very broad new definition of assistance.
*"Self-spotting" will not only be allowed--it will be encouraged as a way of increasing interest in the contests.  It will be okay to self-spot on the internet, via repeaters, via email and telephone.  Anyone can monitor anyone else's spots by any means,including APRS.  If those who control a repeater or an online reflector don't mind, it will be okay to post or announce something like, "this is N6NB/R.  I just arrived on Frazier Mountain, DM04ms, and I'm looking for contacts on 144.220" or "I'm QRV on WSJT right now.  Anybody wanna run with me?"  Anyone can monitor and post in any amateur or non-amateur medium of communication.


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