Rules FAQ

CQ WPX Contest Rules - Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of this page is to answer some of the common questions about the rules of the CQ WPX SSB/CW contests and how some of the rules are interpreted by the CQ WPX Contest Committee. Please send any questions to the CQ WPX Contest Director, K5ZD, at k5zd@cqwpx.com.

The opinions and explanations here apply ONLY to the CQ WPX SSB and CW Contests!

NOTE: There are new rules for the Multi-Single category in 2010. Multi-single stations are permitted 10 band changes per hour.

Single operators must take 12 hours off during the contest.  How are off times calculated?

Single operator entries are permitted a maximum operating time of 36 hours. Breaks in operating time (also called 'off times') must be a minimum of 60 minutes. The 60 minute period is defined as a period with no contacts that is more than 60 minutes. If your last QSO before an off time is at 09:27, you may not make another QSO until 10:27. If you take a break that is less than 60 minutes, this time will count as operating time.

Off times can be of any length. For example, you can have breaks of 1 hour, 4 hours, and 7 hours. Or you can take all of your off time in one 12 hour break. Of course, you can take as much off time as you want.  It is your choice to take more than 12 hours off, but you may give an advantage to your competition.

Any QSOs in your log after 36 hours of operating time will be removed without penalty during the log checking.  The rules no longer require you to submit the list of off time periods in your log. The log checking software will do the off time calculations.

What are the overlay categories and who can enter them?

The overlay categories are treated as separate "Contests within a Contest" and have their own awards and score listings. Entrants are scored and ranked in their regular categories and then again in the overlay category.  There are separate awards available for each.

The overlay categories are only for single operator and single operator assisted entrants. QRP or multi-op entries are not eligible for the overlay categories.

To enter the overlay category, you MUST include the CATEGORY-OVERLAY: line in the header of your log file. Use CATEGORY-OVERLAY: TB-WIRES or CATEGORY-OVERLAY: ROOKIE.

Who is eligible for the Rookie category?

The Rookie category is only for operators who have had an amateur radio license for less than 3 years.  If you ever had an amateur radio license before that time, you are NOT eligible for the Rookie category. The time limit applies to the operator, not the station.

Is my station eligible for the Tribander/Single Element category?

The purpose of this category is to enable competition by similarly equipped stations, thus the restrictions on the number and types of antennas.

The rule states: (a) Tribander/Single Element (TB-WIRES): During the contest an entrant shall use only one (1) tribander (any type, with a single feedline from the transmitter to the antenna) for 10, 15, and 20 meters and single-element antennas on 40, 80, and 160 meters.

This allows the use of up to 4 antennas:

1. One tribander antenna for 10-20 meters
2. One single element antenna for 40 meters
3. One single element antenna for 80 meters
4. One single element antenna for 160 meters

Of course, you could have a single element antenna that works on 40/80/160 (or any combination).

The tribander can be any type as long as it only has one feedline from the transmitter to the antenna.

The single-element antennas can be of the following:

• A wire or aluminum dipole
• An inverted vee
• A wire or aluminum vertical or ground plane (radials are OK as long as there is only one driven or radiating wire)
• A shunt fed tower

If you have a question about whether your antennas meet the rule, please contact the WPX Director at k5zd@cqwpx.com.

There are some very unusual calls in the WPX Contest!  How do I determine what part of the call is the prefix?

One of the most interesting aspects of the WPX Contest is the unusual prefixes that are activated. The prefix includes everything up to the end of the first numbers in the call. Some examples showing the call and how the prefix is counted.
OL25LP = OL25
DL60CHILD = DL60
9A800VZ = 9A800
DR2006Q = DR2006
LY1000CW = LY1000
The prefixes will be calculated by the log checking software. All you need to do is make sure you log the calls correctly!

Do same-country QSOs also receive double points on the low bands?

No, they do not.  All QSOs made within your country count 1 point regardless of band.

Can I use different serial numbers on each band?

Single operators and multi-single stations must begin with serial number 001 and continue in sequence for all QSOs regardless of band.

Multi-two and Multi-unlimited stations must begin with serial number 001 on each band.

The rules say to begin with serial number 001. Do I have to send or announce the leading zeros in every serial number?

No, you do not.  It is only important that you give out a number that increases in sequence as you work stations. When you reach 1000, you should continue sending all 4 digits.

Our logging software caused us to give out duplicate serial numbers or to give numbers out of sequence. Is this a problem?

No, but only if your log shows the exchange that you actually sent. Each QSO line of the Cabrillo log contains the sent and received information for that QSO.  As long as that line shows what you actually sent to the other station, the log checking software will score it correctly.

A station sends me "cut numbers" on CW.  What should I enter in the log?

The log checking software is expecting to see a log with sent and received serial numbers.  No matter what someone sends you, it is your responsibility to convert it into the number you thought they were trying to communicate.

I would like to work on several bands, but only submit a single band entry. Is this allowed? How should I submit my log?

Yes, you may work other bands and still submit your log as a single band entry.  First, please make sure your log includes all QSOs made on all bands. This helps us with the log checking.  Second, make sure the Cabrillo file header has your category set for the single band you want to enter. (e.g., CATEGORY-BAND: 20M) Only the QSOs on the single band will be used to compute your score.

The club competition rule (XII) mentions a 275 Km radius circle. How is the center of the circle determined?

The club may choose any point as the center of the circle.  The only requirement is that all entries for the club be from within the area of the circle. Once the center of the circle has been selected, it must remain the same for both modes of the contest for that year.

The exception to this is operations by club members on DXpeditions to other countries organized specifically for the contest.  I.e., one or more members travelled to the DX location to operate around and during the contest.

Former club members who have moved their permanent residence outside the club area do not count as DXpeditions.

Can a score be split between more than one club?

Single operator entries must indicate only ONE club that will receive their score.

Multi-operator entries may split their score among the clubs of the operators.  The split is defined on the CLUB: line of the log file. Here are some examples of club splits:

CLUB: 80% WILLAMETTE VALLEY, 10% WESTERN WASH DX, 10% SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONTEST CLUB

CLUB: 1/7 NCCC, 6/7 SWODXA

Please spell out all club names according to the list of names at http://www.cqwpx.com/clubnames.htm.

Entering a split will cause the log submission robot to return a warning message that the club name does not match any on the list.  You can ignore this message.

What are the scoring penalties for errors detected during the log checking?

Incorrect callsign - loss of that QSO plus an additional penalty of the point value of the QSO

Not in Log - loss of that QSO plus a penalty of 2x the point value of the QSO

Incorrect serial number (number in log does not match the number sent by the other station) - loss of that QSO

Duplicate QSO - contact is removed with no additional penalty

Band change error (multi-one or multi-two station that violates the band change rules) - loss of all QSOs on that transmitter until it is back in compliance with the band change rules

Operation beyond 36 hours for single operators - Loss of all contacts after the 36 hours of operation (as calculated by the log checking software) has been reached

Should I work and log duplicates? How are they counted by the log checking?

Yes!  Please log all contacts that you make even if they are duplicates.

Let's look at an example... XX1ZZ works YY2WW but logs it as YY3WW. They work again later. XX1ZZ now has QSOs with YY3WW and YY2WW in his log. YY2WW has two contacts with XX1ZZ (one good and one is a dupe). In the log checking, YY2WW will end up with one good QSO and one dupe (removed with no penalty). XX1ZZ will have one busted call (with penalty) and one good QSO.

If a duplicate QSO is made, but the first QSO was busted for some reason, the second QSO will also be checked for credit.

Should I submit the log in Cabrillo v2 or v3?

The Cabrillo log format standard has changed over time. v3 is the preferred format for log submissions.  The WPX log robot will accept either v2 or v3 format and will automatically convert them to v3. View more information on log submission requirements here.

I logged on paper.  What is the best way to submit my log?

The WPX Committee does accept paper logs to be submitted by mail.  However, this costs us a lot of time and effort to type them into the computer. We would appreciate all entrants to submit their log in electronic form by email. LM by DL8WAA is an excellent free software program that makes entering the logs very easy. You can download it from http://contestsoftware.com/e/home.htm

The LM software is also very good for converting logs from ADIF format to Cabrillo format.

What about...?

The web page http://www.arrl.org/contests/hf-faq.html has some very helpful explanations about common situations encountered in HF contesting.