Bill Erickson FRRL HF Challenge Rules
The objective of the Fox River Radio League HF Challenge is to work as many ARRL DXCC countries, Canadian provinces and U.S. states as possible during the calendar year. QSL cards, eQsls or LOTW confirmation are NOT required…. contact claims are based on the honor system and beautiful awards are presented to all participants. The Challenge is open to any FRRL member. For members joining during the year, contacts are eligible for the period covered by your dues payment. For example, if dues are paid for the full year, then all contacts for the year are eligible.
- Contacts may be made on any HF ham band 160-10 meters including 10-meter repeaters. Sorry but links through UHF, VHF, IRLP and other internet “repeaters/relays” do not count.
- All contacts per submission must be made by you while using a callsign officially assigned to you in one DXCC entity. Since we follow ARRL rules, submitted state contacts must be made from the same location, or from locations no two of which are more than 50 miles apart.
- Submission is limited to the following four entry classes. Dual class entry will be allowed provided one of the classes is the Rag Chewer Class.
1. Rag Chewer Class – Only count contacts that last longer than 10 minutes. For eligible contacts, check the RC column on the worksheet next to the entry worked. Hint: If you are planning on entering in this class, which everyone should because it embodies Amateur Radio fellowship, record non-RC contacts on the worksheet in pencil. Then if you later work a rag chew with that same entity, you can erase the non-rag chew and replace it with the rag chew contact.
2. Limited Class – This class has additional operating limitations placed on the entrants. While each participant is free to choose their particular limitation, they will be competing against each other in this class. Each entrant must choose one of the following limitations:
Single Band – Make all submitted contacts on the same band.
Digital Mode – Make all submitted contacts with any or a mixture of these digital modes: RTTY, Pactor, Clover, Packet, MT63, FAX, Throb, Hellschriber, Amtor, PSK or SSTV
QRP – Make all contacts submitted with an output power of 5 watts or less.
CW – Make all contacts submitted with CW
3. Operator Class – Make all contacts submitted with 250 watts or less power output.
4. QRO Class – Make contacts with any legal power level.
- Scoring: You score 1 point per current ARRL DXCC country, 1 point per state and 1 point per Canadian province. Alaska and Hawaii count as both states and DXCC countries. Any one worked Canadian province counts as that province plus the DXCC country of Canada. Similarly, any USA state worked counts as that state plus the DCXX country of USA.
- Reporting: Your progress will be published monthly in the ArcOver and on the club website. It’s more fun not to sandbag, so please email your call, entry class, number of states/provinces/countries worked, regular and rag chew, by the 15th of each month to hfchallenge "AT" frrl.org. After year end, but prior to the 15th of January, total up your Challenge Worksheet/Application and get it to The Challenge Administrator, NA9A.
- Judging: Interpretation of the rules will be the responsibility of The Challenge Administrator whose decision is final. Station logs must be made available if requested.
- Awards: Winners will be announced and awards presented at the annual FRRL Winter Banquet.