I would like to remind the VHF community again that CQ WW VHF Contest sponsored by CQ magazine is this coming weekend from 1800Z on Saturday July 8 to 2100Z on Sunday July 9. This is a six and two meter contest ONLY designed to take advantage of the usually good E skip propagation that we see at this time of year.

I would also like to clarify the rover rules, which we did not describe in sufficient detail.  The intent is to return to the old rover rule scoring -- sum of Q's worked in each new grid  x  sum of grid locators worked in each new grid.  Everything is new in each new grid you operate from.  There is no grids activated bonus -- it is unnecessary.

You can send in your logs by snail mail on paper OR preferably send them electronically. We have a rather decent robot that almost never loses an electronic log, the same species that is use by the CQ WW DX Contest. Details are listed below.

In the past there have been problems both in publishing the results in a timely manner and getting out certificates within the participant lifetimes. I have the full resources of the CQ WW Contest Committee and Rich Moseson, the new editor of CQ, behind me and I hereby pledge that won't happen on my watch.

73 and hope to cu this weekend in the CQ WW VHF Contest.

Gene W3ZZ
Director, CQ WW VHF Contest

FM19jd -- MD
Grid Pirates VHF Group -- K8GP
VHF Contest Forum in CQ Contest Magazine

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Announcing:

The 2000 CQ World-Wide

VHF Contest

Starts: 1800 UTC Saturday, July 8, 2000

Ends: 2100 UTC Sunday, July 9, 2000

I. Contest Period: 27 hours for all stations, all categories. Operate any portion of the contest period you wish.

II. Objectives: The objectives of this contest are for amateurs around the world to contact as many amateurs as possible in the allotted 27-hour period, to promote VHF, to allow VHF operators the opportunity to experience the enhanced propagation available at this time of year, and for interested amateurs to collect VHF Maidenhead grid locators for awards credits.

III. Bands: All authorized amateur radio frequencies on 50 MHz (6 meters) and 144.00 MHz (2 meters) may be used as authorized by local law and license class.

IV. Class of Competition:

For all categories: Transmitters and receivers must be located within a 500 meter diameter circle or within the property limits of the station licensee’s address, whichever is greater. All antennas used by the entrant must be physically connected by wires to the transmitters and receivers used by the entrant. Only the entrant’s callsign may be used to aid the entrant’s score.

1. Single Op—All Band. Only one signal allowed at any one time; the operator may change bands at any time.

2. Single Op—Single Band. Only one signal allowed at any one time.

3. Multi-Op. A multi-op station is one with two or more operators and may operate 6 and 2 meters simultaneously with only one signal per band.

4. Rover station. A rover station is one that is manned by no more than two operators, must travel to more than one grid locator, and must sign "rover" or /R. The spirit of this class is to encourage operation from rare grid locators by persons who are inclined to do so. It is not the intent of this class to encourage one operator to move from one super station to another super station in another grid locator in order to compete in this category.

5. QRP station. Anyone operating a station running 25 watts output, or less, is eligible to enter this category. There are no location restrictions. You may operate from your home QTH or from the highest mountain you can find.

V. Exchange: Callsign and Maidenhead locator grid locator (4 digits, e.g., EM15). Signal reports are optional and need not be included in the log entry.

VI. Multipliers: The multiplier is the number of different grid locators worked per band. A "grid locator" is counted once per band. Exception: The rover who moves into a new grid locator may count the same grid locator more than once per band as long as the rover is himself or herself in a new grid locator location. Such change in location must be clearly indicated in the rover’s log. It is required that rover category operators maintain separate logs for each grid locator location.

A. The rover who changes location during the course of the contest is free to contact as many other stations as he or she wishes. The rover becomes a new QSO to the stations working him or her when that rover changes grid locator.

B. The grid locator is the Maidenhead grid locator to four digits (FM13).

VII. Scoring: One (1) point per QSO on 50 MHz and two (2) points per QSO on 144 MHz. Work stations once per band, regardless of mode. Multiply total QSO points times total number of grid locators (GL) worked. Contest entrants may not transmit on 146.52 MHz, or your country’s national 2 meter FM simplex calling frequencies, or commonly recognized repeater frequencies for the purpose of making or requesting contacts. Contacts made within your own country, in the DX window of 50.100–50.125 MHz, are discouraged. Contacts made on the SSB calling frequencies of 50.110 MHz, 50.125 MHz, and 144.200 MHz are discouraged. Contest participants are required to use UTC as the logging time.

Example: W1XX works stations as follows:

50 QSOs (50 x 1 = 50) and 25 GL’s (25 multipliers) on 50 MHz.

35 QSOs (35 x 2 = 70) and 8 GL’s (8 multipliers) on 144 MHz.

W1XX has 120 QSO points (50 + 70 = 120) x 33 multipliers (25 + 8 = 33) = 3,960 total points.

VIII. Awards: Certificates suitable for framing will be awarded to the top-scoring stations in each category in each continent. Certificates may also be awarded to other top-scoring stations who show outstanding contest effort. Certificates will be awarded to top-scoring stations in each category in geographic areas where warranted.

Geographic areas include states (U.S.), call areas (Japan), provinces (Canada), and countries, and may also be extended to include other subdivisions as justified by competitive entries.

IX. Miscellaneous: An operator may sign only one callsign during the contest. This means that an operator cannot generate QSOs by first signing his callsign, then signing his daughter’s callsign, even though both callsigns are assigned to the same location.

A station located exactly on a dividing line of a grid locator must choose only one grid locator from which to operate for exchange purposes.

A different multiplier cannot be given out without moving the complete station at least 100 meters.

X. Log Submissions: You may request log sheets from: CQ VHF Contest, 25 Newbridge Road, Hicksville, NY 11801. Include an SASE with your request.

Completed logs must be postmarked no later than September 1, 2000 to be eligible for awards. All logs should be mailed to: CQ VHF Contest, 25 Newbridge Road, Hicksville, NY 11801.

We encourage logs to be submitted on disk or sent via e-mail. We prefer an electronic log.

Disks: If you use a computer, please send your IBM, MS-DOS compatible computer disk. A disk containing your files may be submitted in lieu of a paper log. All disks must be accompanied by a paper summary sheet satisfying all logging instructions. Label your disk clearly with your call and category.

If you submit your log in electronic form, we prefer one of the commonly available logging programs.

You may submit your electronic log via e-mail to <cqvhf@kkn.net>. Questions may be sent to <questions@cqww.com>.