ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
At our November meeting Stephan Anderman, WA3RKB, announced that he would make his home available for a TARA contest effort, provided there were enough interested volunteers. This is quite a generous offer on Stephan's part and it sure would be a lot of fun (whoops) WORK! But the rewards would surly be worth it. Come on TARA-- let's get something going!!  If you're interested please contact: Stephan Anderman, WA3RKB @ 664-6809  or Gerald Murray, WA2IWW, @  482-8700

1) Object: 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) Contest Period: Begins 1900 UTC Saturday, January 17 and ends at  0400 UTC Monday, January 19, 1998.
3) Categories:
 (A) Single Operator: One person performs all operating and  logging functions.
  (1) Multiband.
  (2) Single Band: Single-band entries on 50, 144,  222, 432, 902, 1296 and 2304-and-up categories    will be recognized both in  QST score listings and in awards offered. Contacts may be made on any    and  all bands without jeopardizing single-band entry status. Such additional  contacts are encouraged    and should be reported.
 (B) Single Operator, QRP Portable: Run 10-W output or less  using a portable power source from a portable   location. The intent of this  rule is to encourage operation from "remote" locations, not to have home or  fixed   stations run low power.
 (C) Rover: One or two operators of a single station that  moves among two or more grid squares during the   course of the contest. A  rover vehicle may transport only one station using a single call sign; thus  a rover may   not operate with multiple call signs under the family rule 7  (C). Rover vehicles must transport all the    equipment, power supplies, and  antennas used at each operating site. This rule is not  intended to prevent  an   operator from using the same call sign to submit separate logs for  single operator (fixed station) and rover   entries. Rovers sign "rover" on  phone and /R on CW after their call sign. All Rovers are encouraged to  adopt   operating practices that allow as many stations as possible to  contact them. Rovers entering club competition   must indicate the grid  squares where operating sites were within their club's area, as spelled out  in the Club   Competition Rules. Only scores from those operating sites count  toward the club's aggregate score for club   competition.
 (D) Multioperator: Multioperator stations must locate all  equipment (including antennas) within a circle whose   diameter does not  exceed 300 meters (1,000 feet).
 (E) Limited Multioperator: Multioperator stations that  submit a maximum of four bands for score are eligible.   Logs from additional  bands used should be included as checklogs.
4) Exchange: Grid-square locator (see April 1994 QST, p 86).  Example: W1AW in Newington, CT would send FN31. Exchange of signal report  is optional.
5) Scoring:
 (A) QSO points: Count one point for each complete 50- or  144-MHz QSO. Count two points for each 222- or   432-MHz QSO. Count four  points for each 902- or 1296-MHz QSO. Count eight points for each    2.3-GHz or-higher QSO.            (B) Multiplier: The total number of different grid squares  worked per band.  Each 2 degrees X 1 degree grid   square counts as one  multiplier on each band it is worked.
 (C) Final score: Multiply the total number of QSO points  from all bands operated by the total number of   multipliers for final score  (see scoring example).
 (D) 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 activated  (made a contact from). Rovers are listed in the contest   score listings  under the Division from which the most QSOs were made.

6) Use of FM:
 (A) Retransmitting either or both stations, or use of  repeater frequencies, is not permitted. This prohibits use of   all repeater  frequencies. Contest entrants may not transmit on repeaters or repeater  frequencies for the purpose   of soliciting contacts.
 (B) Use of the national simplex frequency, 146.52 MHz, or  immediate adjacent guard frequencies is    prohibited. Contest entrants may  not transmit on 146.52 for the purpose of making or soliciting QSOs. The    intent of this rule is to protect the national simplex frequency from  contest monopolization. There are no   restrictions on the use of 223.50 MHz.
 (C) Only recognized simplex frequencies may be used, such  as 144.90 to 145.00; 146.49, .55 and .58, and   147.42, .45, .48, .51, .54  and .57 MHz on the 2-meter band. Local-option simplex channels and  frequencies   adjacent to the above that do not violate the intent of (A) or  (B) above or the spirit and intent of the band plans   as recommended in the  ARRL Repeater Directory may be used for contest purposes.
7) Miscellaneous:
 (A) Stations may be worked for credit only once per band  from any given grid square, regardless of mode.   This does not prohibit  working a station from more than one grid square with the same call sign  (such as a   Rover). Crossband QSOs do not count. Aeronautical mobile  contacts do not count.
 (B) Partial QSOs do not count. Both calls, the full  exchange and acknowledgment must be sent and received.
 (C) A transmitter or antenna used to contact one or more  stations may not be used subsequently under any   other call during the  contest period (with the exception of family stations); one operator may  not give out   contest QSOs using more than one call sign from any one  location. The intent of this rule is to accommodate   family members who must  share a rig, not to manufacture artificial contacts.
 (D) Only one signal per band (6, 2, 1 1/4, etc) at any  given time is permitted, regardless of mode.
 (E) While no minimum distance is specified for contacts,  equipment should be capable of real communications   (ie, able to communicate  over at least 1 km).
 (F) 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.
 (G) A station located precisely on a dividing line between  grid squares must select only one as the location for   exchange purposes. A  different grid-square multiplier cannot be given out without moving the  complete   station (including antennas) at least 100 meters.
 (H) Above 300 GHz, contacts are permitted for contest  credit only between licensed amateurs using coherent   radiation on  transmission (eg, laser) and employing at least one stage of electronic  detection on receive.
 (I) Marine Mobile (and Maritime) entries will be listed  separately as "Marine Mobile" in the listings and   compete separately for  awards.
 (J) Participants are reminded that the segment 50.100-50.125 MHz should be used for intercontinental QSOs   only, using 50.125 MHz  as a calling frequency then QSY after contact is established.
8) Reporting:
 (A) Entries must be postmarked no later than 30 days after  the end of the contest . No late entries can be  accepted. Use   ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes forms, a reasonable facsimile,  submit your entry on diskette, upload your entry to   the ARRL BBS, or send  your entry to ARRL HQ via Internet.
  (1) You may submit your contest entry on diskette  in lieu of paper logs.  The floppy diskette must be    IBM compatible, MS-DOS  formatted, 3.5 or 5.25 inch (40 or 80 track).  The log information must    be  in an ASCII file, following the ARRL Suggested Standard File Format, and  contain all log    exchange information (band, mode, date, time in UTC, call  of station worked, exchange sent,    exchange received, multipliers [marked  the first time worked] and QSO points). One entry per    diskette. An official  summary sheet or reasonable facsimile with signed contest participation     disclaimer is required with all entries.
    (2) You may submit your contest entry via the  ARRL BBS (860-594-0306), via Internet to    contest@arrl.org, or anonymous  FTP to ftp.arrl.org. Send your summary sheet file (Make sure it    includes  all the pertinent information outlined in the official ARRL summary sheet.)  and your log file    following the ARRL Suggested Standard File Format.

*For Additional "Rules & Regulations" try:  http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/jan-vhf.html