Hungarian Straight Key Contest (HSKC)
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Objective:
To make as many QSOs as possible during the 1-hour contest period, using only
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a straight Morse key;
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a barefoot transmitter; and
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the least possible power.
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Date and Time:
15:00-16:00 UT on Sunday of the second full weekend in April every year. (14th April in year 2024).
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Participants:
Every licensed ham radio operator observing the rules of this contest and the obligation to use barefoot transmitter as well as straight key for transmission.
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Categories:
By Operators:
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SO = Single Operator
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MO = Multi Operator
By Output Power:
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A = station with output power max. 10W
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B = station with output power max. 100W
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Categories and Their Indication:
SOA – means: Single Op max. 10W output SOB – means: Single Op max. 100W output MOA – means: Multi Op max. 10W output MOB – means: Multi Op max. 100W output
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Operating Frequencies: 3520-3560 kHz
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Mode: 2-way CW
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Calling for Contest: as „CQ TEST SKC", or „CQ SKC"
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Report Exchange: RST + serial number of QSO starting from 001 + one-letter code for own Output Power Category
Examples: - SO, output power = 5W (SOA); report given: 599 015 A
- MO, output power = 90W (MOB); report given: 599 008 B
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QSO Points: are Based on Report Received:
QSO point depends on Output Power Category of the other party station: QSO with a station Category A 3 Points
QSO with a station Category B 1 Point
Examples: Report Received: Points:
599 015 A 3
599 008 B 1
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Multiplier: is a combination of the last numeral character of callsign prefix and the next immediate letter to the right (first letter of the suffix). In case of special callsigns
without a suffix, the last two characters of the callsign are to be considered as multiplier.
Examples: Callsign:
Multiplier:
HA2MN
2M
HA5ABC
5A
YU9VK
9V
SP5A
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HA8KZ
8K
HA8KW
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HG2007PAX
7P
HA/DJ7EJ/M
7E
YO6QBC
6Q
HL22
22
TX9
X9
TM380
80
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Scoring: the final score is a result of the total QSO points multiplied by the sum of the multipliers. Important note: your own callsign is considered as multiplier if you could not contact any station giving you that multiplier.
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Log Instructions:
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The same station may only be scored once;
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A contact with station not sending log is valid only if the contacted station has been logged by at least 3 other participating stations;
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A contact is invalid if the logged times of both parties differ by 5 minutes or more (but: if no doubt who is faulty the QSO is valid for the other party);
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A contact is invalid if either the sent or the received reports differ in the logs of the two stations in contact (basically it is considered that the transmitted data are the correct ones, but: if no doubt who is faulty the QSO is valid only for the other party;
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Duplicate contacts must be logged. Of all the logged dupes only the one QSO which is logged by both stations first is valid. Dupes are not subject to penalties;
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Missing category mark in the TX-ed report does not lead to ignorance of a QSO if the serial numbering is correct and the category otherwise undoubtedly can be identified in the log.
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In case of equal score the number of QSOs made in the first half an hour shall prevail.
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Further Announcements:
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An entrant may use a single transmitter only and may not change categories throughout the contest.
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If someone undoubtedly and justifiably changed his/her category during the contest “B” will be considered as his/her own category in the evaluation for each QSO.
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Stations using callsigns licensed to Clubs or Groups may only participate as Multi Operator (MO) entries regardless of the actual number of operators.
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The logs which do not fulfill the requirements or the logs of stations who have undoubtedly violated the rules of the contest, will be handled as control logs.
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Incoming logs are open and public, and each-by-each can be seen after the log submission deadline in the form as they arrived by clicking on the chosen callsign in the menu “Evaluation” on the HSKC website (https://hskc.ha8kux.com/).
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Detailed evaluation log-by-log as well as the preliminary results – along with the reasons for requalification as control logs (if any) – will be published from the 40th day after the log submission deadline and can be viewed by clicking on to the chosen callsign in the menu “Evaluation” on the HSKC website. Notes, requests regarding the evaluation are welcome till the 50th day after the log submission deadline by sending e-mail to hskc(at)ha8kux(dot)com address. Rightful claims will be posted up in max.
2 days. Unless otherwise specified by the organizers the results become final on 60th day after the log submission deadline.
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Logs: we accept electronic logs only (in cabrillo-format or any kind of text editor- or spreadsheet-made file with extension of .log, .txt, .rtf, .xls, .dbf etc. that is suitable for further computerized processing).
Minimum criteria for the log content:
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Date of QSO (yyyy-mm-dd)
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Time of QSO in GMT (UT) (hhmm)
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Own callsign
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Report Sent (eg.: 599 015 A)
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Other Party Station’s Callsign
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Report Received (eg.: 599 008 B)
The name of the file in every case should be the callsign only (eg.: ha8kw.log).
Each log entry except cabrillo-format logs must be accompanied by a separate summary sheet. Header of the cabrillo log and the summary sheets should contain at least the following data:
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Contest name abbreviation (HSKC)
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Callsign
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Category
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QTH
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Output Power Used, RIG + ANT
(claimed score calculation is not obligatory, it is – along with crosschecking - done by our evaluating program anyway…)
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Log Submission Deadline: 15th day after the contest (posting date). Corrected logs may be resubmitted any time within this deadline.
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Log Submission:
Logs should be uploaded to „Submit Log” menu only at HSKC website (https://hskc.ha8kux.com/). Each submission results in automatic e-mail confirmation.
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Awards:
Every log submitting participant will be awarded with certificate. Certificates can be downloaded from the HSKC website’s “Certificate download” menu from the date of final result announcement. The winners of each category obtain the honoring title „Straight Key Juggler” displayed on their certificates.
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Trophy:
A brand new exclusive straight Morse-key manufactured by Imre, HA8KF will be awarded by Feco HA8KW to the winner of category „SOA”.
Good luck in the contest!
The organizers
HA8KW Feco, HA8ZE Feri, HA2NA Attila