MARAC SSB QSO Party Rules

2008 MARAC COUNTY HUNTERS SSB CONTEST

0000Z Saturday May 3, 2007 to 2400z Sunday May 4, 2007

 

The MOBILE Amateur Radio Awards Club is pleased to sponsor the annual County Hunters SSB Contest.  MOBILE and FIXED operation from every county in the U.S. is encouraged. 

The SSB and the CW contest will be held on the same weekend this year.  While they will be held concurrently, they are in fact two contests.  If you participate in both, please forward the applicable logs to the appropriate contest manager.

 

The rules have been changed to create some uniformity, between the CW contest and the SSB. This change includes the newly added “MIXED” category.  In this new category you can now work the contest in the MOBILE category and in the FIXED category. As part of the MIXED category you should maintain two lists of Multipliers. One list is for the MOBILE category and the other list is for the FIXED category. The reason for the two lists is to be able to compete for State Certificates and ease of switching between categories.

 

RULES

ˇ          Mobiles must clearly identify themselves as being MOBILE by signing /M several times during each county run.

ˇ          Multipliers: Each category, MOBILE and FIXED, will have a separate set of Multipliers.  The MOBILE category will have a set of 3077 multipliers and the FIXED category will have a set of 3077 multipliers.  A Multiplier can only be counted once in each category during the contest, regardless of band.

ˇ          A mobile on a county line can be counted for each county as a new potential multiplier, but as only one contact – 15 points. Three and four county lines are not allowed.

ˇ          Single operator stations only. Drivers are OK.

ˇ          Contest contacts between operators in the same vehicle or in shadowing vehicles are invalid. There are no restrictions against spotting mobiles. To be considered as “MOBILE” you must put out at least three counties.

ˇ          Net contacts are invalid and are discouraged.

ˇ          For a valid contact one station must be in a U.S. county. (Independent cities like ‘DC’ and Carson City are not a valid US County.  You must use one of the 3077 declared US Counties.)

 

Official list of County Codes (Multipliers) can be downloaded at:        WWW.BNK.COM/W0QE/COUNTYABBREV-V3-4COL.PDF
WWW.BNK.COM/W0QE/COUNTYABBREV-V3-4COL.DOC

Additional rules for the NEW MIXED category:

ˇ          While in the MOBILE category you cannot run the county that you declare as the county that you are in while operating in the FIXED category.

ˇ          You must remain in a category for at least one hour. You may switch several times during the contest.

ˇ          You must have at least 50 contacts from the FIXED category.

ˇ          You must submit a MOBILE log and a summary sheet.

ˇ          You must submit a FIXED log and a summary sheet.

ˇ          You have two sets of 3077 multipliers: one for MOBILE and one for FIXED.

Ex: If you work KENT, MI for the first time in the MOBILE category and again for the first time in the FIXED category. Both contacts are new multipliers, one for each category.

 

EXCHANGE

U.S. station: Signal report, State code and County

Ex: 59 MI Jackson

All others:    Signal report, “DX” (Including Mexico and Canada).

Ex. 59  DX

SCORING

FIXED stations - 1 point.      DX stations - 5 points.      MOBILE stations - 15 points.

MOBILES:

1.        Calculate a STATE score for each state that you put out a county in by:

a.        Add up the Total # of QSO points worked while in that state.

b.        Add up the total # of unique multipliers worked while in that state.

c.        Total State score = (Total # QSO pts.) x  (Total # Multipliers)

2.        Final score  =  (Total QSO points from all states)  x   (Total Multipliers from all states)

3.        Submit a Summary sheet for Total MOBILE Category Score.

ˇ          You must submit log and summary sheet for each state.

ˇ          Scores CAN NOT count a multiplier more than once regardless of the State, County or band that you are operating in.

 

FIXED:

Scores CAN NOT count a multiplier more than once, regardless of band. 

Final score = (Total QSO points)   x   (Total multipliers)

You must submit a log and a summary sheet.

 

MIXED:

Determine your total MOBILE QSO points following the MOBILE scoring rules.

Determine your total FIXED QSO points following the FIXED scoring rules.

Determine total number of multipliers worked from your MOBILE operations.

Determine total number of multiplies worked from your FIXED operations.

Final score = (Total QSO points from both the MOBILE and FIXED categories) x (Total Multipliers from both the MOBILE and FIXED categories)

You must submit a log and summary following MOBILE rules and FIXED rules.

 

SUGGESTED FREQUENCIES

3.850, 7.250, 14.270, 21.400, 28.400

Fixed stations should operate above the suggested frequencies and mobiles below.


 

 

AWARDS

MARAC Plaques:  (A station can win only one plaque).

  • 1st and 2nd place MOBILE and FIXED.
  • 1st and 2nd place MIXED if enough entries warrant an award.
  • 1st place Canadian Station if enough entries warrant an award.
  • 1st place DX station.

 

MARAC Contest Certificates:

  • Highest scoring MOBILE, FIXED and MIXED stations in each State.
  • Highest scoring Canadian Provinces and Each ARRL Country.
  • MARAC Participation Certificate is awarded to all entrants with at least 100 valid contacts.

 

APPLICATION AND FEES:  In order to be eligible for an award, an entrant must submit a log and entry information that meets all of the requirements of the contest rules. There are no contest entry fees or other fees for this award.

 

Log submission

 

Please note that the contest chairmen will not score your log. Un-scored logs will be considered check logs only.  Randy, AA8R has created a contest logging program that can be used to log this contest.  It is available for free at http://www.aa8r.net/ch_contest_logger.htm.  Please review all of the pertinent information related to this program.

 

Send completed logs and summary sheet by June 9, 2007 to:

1st choice:               k0ere(at)marac.org

2nd choice:           Bill Blake, K0ERE

                                214 S. First

                                Clearwater, KS  67026

 

More info available at www.countyhunter.com or http://www.marac.org