Greater Houston Texas 2-meter FMChallenge
Sponsored by the Katy Amateur Radio Society
Saturday Oct 4, 2014: 1pm-5pm Texas Time
Goals:
To introduce contesting to a larger population of hams. To make as many two-way Simplex QSO's with as many different hams as possible in as many different cities or townsin the Houston – Sugar Land – Baytown Area as possible in a 4-hour time period.
Mode: FM simplex
Band:2 Meters
Classes:Single Op Fixed (QRP, Low Power)
Multi Op Fixed(Low Power)
Rover/Mobile (QRP/Low Power)
Max. Power: QRP : 5 Watts or less
Low Power: 50 Watts or less
Exchange: Serial #, Op Name, City/Town
Work Stations: Once per band. Rovers may be worked once for each City/Town they operate from.
QSO Points: 1 point per contact
Multipliers: Fixed Stations – Each City/Town Worked
Rover/Mobile – Each City/Town worked and
each City/Town Operated from.
Score Calculation: Total QSO points X Total cities worked X Each City location operated from.
Submit Logs by: Nov 8, 2014
Submit Logs to:
Mail Logs to:Two Meter FM Challenge
15547 Stoney Fork DR
Houston, Tx 77084
Entry Categories:
Single Operator: One person performs all transmitting, receiving, spotting, and logging functions as well as equipment and antenna adjustments. You may not receive assistance from any other person for anything related to the challenge.
- Single operator, fixed location, 5 watts or less.
- Single operator, fixed location, greater than 5 watts but not greater than 50 watts.
- Multi-operator: More than one person performs the transmitting, receiving, spotting, logging functions and antenna adjustments during the Challenge. This allows team entries. Example: One person operates the radio while another person logs the contacts. Multi-operator efforts may only be conducted from fixed locations. Multi-operator, fixed location. No power limit..
- Rover/mobile: Participant operates from a vehicle, with the option of activating more than one multiplier during the duration of the Challenge. No power limit.
"Fixed Location" means the participant must operate the entire duration of the Challenge from one specific location. This category would also include setting up a temporary, portable station at a remote location, "Field-Day" style.
You may enter only one category for the Challenge. If a station gives out more than one multiplier during the Challenge, that station will automatically be entered in the "Rover" category. STATIONS ONLY COMPETE WITH OTHER STATIONS IN THE SAME ENTRY CATEGORY.
Frequencies: Anywhere within the 2-meter simplex range. According to the Texas Band Plan, FM simplex is permitted on the following frequencies:
145.500 to 145.800,
146.400 to 146.440,
146.500 to 146.600 (except 146.520),
147.400 to 147.440,
147.500 to 147.590
While not required, in Texas it is customary to stay on frequencies that are multiples of 20 kHz.
QSO's made through repeaters are not allowed, and contacts made on 146.520 will be disqualified. 146.520 needs to be reserved as the recognized National Calling frequency and NOT tied up with contest usage.
Fixed station location: The city or town you are operating from.
Rovers/mobiles:
Must be within city limits of whatever city they claim to be operating from.
Scoring:Fixed location stations: 1 point for each complete QSO. Multipliers will be the different number of cities worked. Total score will be the total number of QSO points multiplied by number of unique cities contacted. (Example: You work 10 different stations in 9 different cities. 10 QSO's x 9 multipliers = 90 points)
Rovers/Mobiles: 1 point for each complete QSO. Multipliers will be the different number of cities worked times the unique number of cities you operate FROM. Total score will be the total number of QSO points multiplied by number of unique cities contacted, multiplied by the number of cities operated from. (Example: A Rover works 15 different stations in 12 different cities, and the Rover transmits from 3 different cities. Score = 15 QSO’s X 12 cities/towns contacted X 3 cities operated from = 540 points.
Stations may only contact any given station 1 time for QSO points and/or multiplier credit.
Rovers/Mobiles may be worked for QSO/multiplier credit 1 time for every unique city they operate from.
Miscellaneous:
Contacts with aeronautical mobile stations do not count.
No remote operation is allowed.
Soliciting QSO's:
The use of non-amateur communications to make a pre-planned QSO (i.e: phone, e-mail, carrier pigeon, etc.) is not in the spirit of this event. You should test your ability to make contacts without any pre-planning.
Challenge entrants may not transmit on repeaters or repeater frequencies for the purpose of soliciting contacts.
Rules For Rover/Mobile Stations:
A Rover/Mobile is a station that operates from more than one city (multiplier) during the duration of the Challenge.
Rovers are allowed to have one additional person act as the driver of the vehicle. However, no assistance is allowed for operation of the transceiver or antennas or logging of QSOs.
Rovers may operate with only one callsign during the duration of the Challenge.
Rover vehicles must transport all of the radio equipment, power supplies, cables, antennas and logging tools with them. No equipment of any type may be dropped off at a pre-determined location for use during the Challenge, nor may Rovers use pre-existing antennas at any fixed or temporary portable location. In short, you can only use what you bring with you.
Rovers must sign /Rover during the Challenge. Example: "K5USS/Rover, QRZ FM Challenge."
A Rover/Mobile shall use the city or town they are in at the time of any given QSO as their city. Mobile/Rovers must be within the city limits in order to give QSO credit for that city. Outside the city limits in the county does not score city credits.
Rovers/Mobiles may be worked for QSO points and multiplier credit one time for each city the mobile operates from. (Example: It is okay if KD5UMO works K5USS/Rover in Katy, then works K5USS/Rover again when K5USS is in Fulshear. However, if K5USS/Rover returns to Katy, KD5UMO is not allowed to contact K5USS again, since KD5UMO already worked K5USS when K5USS was in Katy.)
Disqualification: A contestant may be disqualified for the following reasons:
a) Violating any of the rules of the Challenge.
b) Violating FCC Rules or the terms and conditions of their Amateur Radio license.
c) Excessive duplicate contacts in their submitting log (more than 10 percent of the QSOs in the log).
d) Falsifying any information in their submitted log.
e) The decision of the contest judges is final.
Prizes: Certificates will be awarded to the top scoring entrant in each Entry Category.
Logs:Logs must be submitted electronically in Cabrillo format or as an excel spreadsheet. The contest will be supported by N1MM Logger. Participants are encouraged to use N1MM logger to for logging.
You may also submit your log as an Excel spreadsheet in the format described below.
Each entrant's logs must be in the following format: QSO #, Time, Frequency, Station worked callsign, Contact Name, and City, Your Name and City during the contact (important when you are a rover, the same when you are fixed), and Yes or No if new city multiplier. Example: I work KD5UMO for my first QSO in the Challenge, I work W5ADC/Rover for my second QSO in the Challenge, and I work KE5TJL for my third contact in the Challenge. My log should look like this:
QSO# / Time / Freq. / Contact Callsign / Contact Name / Contact City / Your Name / Your City / New multiplier?001 / 8:01p / 145.560 / K5ABC / Fred / Cypress / Ron / Barker / Yes
002 / 8:03p / 146.540 / W5ADC/Rover / Tony / Sugar Land / Ron / Barker / Yes
003 / 8:05p / 147.580 / KE5TJL / Michael / Sugar Land / Kipton / Barker / No
If any of the required information is incorrect or missing from a QSO, that QSO is considered null and void, and no points or multiplier credit will count from that contact. We may check to see if your log matches your contact's log for that entry. If they are different one or both of you may lose the QSO.
No Handwritten logs are acceptable.
Log Submission: Logs must be received no later than 11:59 pm on , November 8, 2014. Decision of the judges is final. Send logs to:
Operating Tips:
You can either scan the FM simplex frequencies listening for people to work, or you can call CQ on a simplex frequency. We would suggest calling "CQ FM Challenge" or something like that, so people know that you're participating in the event. It would also be a good idea to open your squelch up, so you can hear weaker stations.
Be sure to check the upper portion of the FM simplex band (147.420 to 147.570 MHz). Few people venture outside the lower simplex bracket, so there's a lot of QRM-free spectrum you can use.
Make sure you copy the information from your QSO correctly. If you missed the operator's name, ask for a repeat, and make sure you spell it correctly. You may want to also verify the time you are logging so you both log the same time. Reporting incorrect information in your log will count as a penalty and disqualify the contact, so make sure you take the time to get it right.
Appendix A - List of Cities and Towns
Sugar Land-Houston-Baytown Area
Houston, TX
Pasadena, TX
The Woodlands, TX
Pearland, TX
League City, TX
Sugar Land, TX
Baytown, TX
Missouri City, TX
Atascocita, TX
Conroe, TX
Spring, TX
Galveston, TX
Texas City, TX
Channelview, TX
Friendswood, TX
La Porte, TX
Deer Park, TX
Rosenberg, TX
Lake Jackson, TX
Alvin, TX
Cloverleaf, TX
Fresno, TX
Angleton, TX
Dickinson, TX
Stafford, TX
South Houston, TX
Bellaire, TX
Aldine, TX
Humble, TX
West University Place, TX
La Marque, TX
Katy, TX
Sienna Plantation, TX
Santa Fe, TX
Freeport, TX
Seabrook, TX
Richmond, TX
Clute, TX
Galena Park, TX
Tomball, TX
Jacinto City, TX
Webster, TX
Bacliff, TX
Liberty, TX
Cleveland, TX
Jersey Village, TX
Highlands, TX
Dayton, TX
Hitchcock, TX
Sealy, TX
Hempstead, TX
Willis, TX
Prairie View, TX
Manvel, TX
San Leon, TX
Brookshire, TX
Meadows Place, TX
Pinehurst CDP, TX
Hunters Creek Village, TX
Bellville, TX
Nassau Bay, TX
West Columbia, TX
Mont Belvieu, TX
Sweeny, TX
Bunker Hill Village, TX
Taylor Lake Village, TX
Richwood, TX
Winnie, TX
Piney Point Village, TX
Oak Ridge North, TX
Brazoria, TX
Needville, TX
El Lago, TX
Hedwig Village, TX
Weston Lakes, TX
Wild Peach Village, TX
Waller, TX
Shepherd, TX
Crosby, TX
Anahuac, TX
Beach City, TX
Panorama Village, TX
Shenandoah, TX
Pinehurst, TX
Sheldon, TX
Kemah, TX
Stowell, TX
Danbury, TX
Southside Place, TX
Arcola, TX
Splendora, TX
Patton Village, TX
Roman Forest, TX
Bayou Vista, TX
Brookside Village, TX
Shoreacres, TX
Magnolia, TX
Woodbranch, TX
Wallis, TX
Old River-Winfree, TX
Iowa Colony, TX
Rosharon, TX
Fulshear, TX
Oyster Creek, TX
Holiday Lakes, TX
Cut And Shoot, TX
Clear Lake Shores, TX
Pleak, TX
Ames, TX
Pine Island, TX
Jamaica Beach, TX
Tiki Island, TX
Daisetta, TX
Coldspring, TX
Hardin, TX
Simonton, TX
Fairchilds, TX
San Felipe, TX
Hilshire Village, TX
Hull, TX
Beasley, TX
Cedar Point, TX
Montgomery, TX
Plum Grove, TX
Kenefick, TX
Damon, TX
Stagecoach, TX
Cove, TX
Liverpool, TX
Surfside Beach, TX
Pattison, TX
Devers, TX
Kendleton, TX
Orchard, TX
Bonney, TX
Industry, TX
North Cleveland, TX
Thompsons, TX
Oakhurst, TX
Woodloch, TX
Dayton Lakes, TX
Quintana, TX
Alief, TX
Barker, TX
Bleiblerville, TX
Cat Spring, TX
Cypress, TX
Danciger, TX
Dobbin, TX
Gilchrist, TX
Guy, TX
Hankamer, TX
High Island, TX
Hockley, TX
Huffman, TX
Hufsmith, TX
Kenney, TX
Kingwood, TX
New Caney, TX
New Ulm, TX
North Houston, TX
Old Ocean, TX
Pointblank, TX
Port Bolivar, TX
Porter, TX
Raywood, TX
Romayor, TX
Rye, TX
Wallisville, TX