WWSA GACW Contest Rules.
Revision: June 1st, 2021.
I - Dates
Second weekend of June of every year.
From Saturday 15.00 UTC until Sunday 15.00UTC. 24 hours period.
II - Goal
To communicate with the greatest quantityof ham radio stations around the world, in as many CQ zones and countries aspossible, using A1A mode (CW, Radiotelegraphy).
III - Bands
Contest will be held in 80, 40, 20, 15 and10m bands.
You should observe CW segments accordingyour national laws and license. IV - Categories
Mono-operator categories
It could be Monoband (one band at yourelection) or Multiband.
Only one signal is permitted on air at thetime and the operator must do every task by itself. In the Multiband category,as many band changes as necessary are permitted, without time limits.
Multi-operator categories
In these categories, Multiband operationshould be carried out without exception. Even if participants choose to operatein one band, contest result calculations will be made as if Multiband wasperformed.
-Mono-Transmitter
Only one transmitter and one band ispermitted during any 10 minute period. This period is counted since the firstlogged QSO. Exception: another band –but only one band- can be used during thisperiod if the logged station is a new multiplier. Violations to this rule willconvert category automatically to Multi-Multi.
- Multi-Transmitter
There is no limit to the number oftransmitters, but only one signal can be on air in any band at the same time.
Power
With respect to the power used toparticipate, either Mono-operator or Multi-operator:
- HighPower: Maximum power is the one authorized by the license.
- LowPower: Output power must not exceed 100 Watts.
- QRP:Output power must not exceed 5 Watts.
V - Exchange
Stations must Exchange following data: RST& CQ Zone.
VI -Multipliers
There are two types of multipliers.
1. Onemultiplier for every different CQ zone worked in each band.
2. Onemultiplier for every radio country worked by band. Stations of same country cancommunicate only to compute Zone and Country. For score computation CQ WAZdefinitions and DXCC-GACW-WAE and WAC limits will be used. Stations working asMaritime Mobile count only as zone multiplier of the zone they are navigating.
VII – Points
1. QSObetween stations in different continents are worth three (3) points.
2. QSObetween stations in the same continent but different countries are worth one(1) point.
3. QSObetween stations inside the same country are permitted for zone and countrymultipliers but are worth zero (0) point.
4. QSOwith stations of South America are worth five (5) points. This only applies forstations outside South America.
One same stations only gives points onetime per band.
For a contact to be valid, time differencebetween what is declared in both logs must be equal or less than ± 5 minutes.
VIII- Score
For all the participating stations: Finalscore is calculated as the sum of the points times the sum of multipliers.
Example:
100 points of QSO x 100 multipliers (20Zones + 80 Countries) = 10,000 (Final result).
IX – Club competition
1. Clubscan be local or national organizations (Except IARU Member Societies).
2. Thereis no country and/or geographic zone restrictions.
3. Mentionfor which Club/Group you are participating and sum the scores.
4. Specifycomplete club name for which you want to add scores. You can use WPX list as aguide.
X – Logs
1. Alldates and time stamps must be expressed in UTC time.
2. Allthe sent and received exchanges must be logged along with the band used forevery QSO.
3. RepeatedQSO in a same band will not be penalized but count only once.
4. Logsmust be sent to the contest organizers following the instructions detailed inthe following web page:
An automatic robot will check the structureof your log, then you will receive a message by e-mail that will confirm theacceptance of your log or the need to make corrections. If to the deadline, youhave not sent your log correctly (informed by the robot), the log will not betaken into account for the final score computation.
Logs can be sent several times beforedeadline. The score will be made taking into account the last valid logreceived.
Please be patient, sometimes the robotconfirmation that your log has been received can be delayed.
5. Donot send separate logs for each band. QSO must be logged chronologically.
6. Alist of received logs by the robot can be seen in the web site. This list willbe updated every 24 hours approximately.
XI – Software
GACW neither suggest any special software,nor can guarantee the correct function or score computation of them.
XII – Supervision
Violation to Amateur Service rules of yourcountry, your license attributions or contest rules are considered as anunacceptable non ethic conduct. To log repeated or non-existent QSO andmultipliers can lead to observations and disqualification.
The use of external means to amateurservice and competition spirit such as telephone calls, mobile phone messages(SMS), social networks, emails, electronic or PC-based CW decodifiers,autospoting, remote receivers and/or transmitters (more than 500 meters fromoperating position), etc, constitute an inappropriate conduct and could also becausal of observations and disqualification.
Contest participation implies that allrules and the norms corresponding to your license and category of your countryare respected.
Actions and decisions of Contest Committeeof GACW will be official and final.
XIII – Deadline
Contest logs must be sent before June,30th, inclusive. Confirm that the robot has accepted your log before deadline.If your log has been rejected by the robot, fix it and sent it again beforedeadline.
XIV– Results and certificates
Contest results may be consulted in thewebsite. These results will be available as quick as possible, within timelimitations. Please keep in mind that score computation is carried byvolunteers.
Due to the high price of postal service,the certificates will be issued in digital format that may be downloaded fromwebsite. Certificates will be available to the best score of each category andthe best score of each country. Also participation certificates will be issuedfor all the participants.
Only for Argentina participants:
- Acertificate will be issued to best classified Novice of Argentina, regardlessof participants’ category entry. A minimum of 30 QSO or 10 countries will benecessary to apply.
- Acertificate will be issued to the best classified Radio Club of Argentina,regardless of participants’ category entry. A minimum of 30 QSO or 10 countrieswill be necessary to apply.
To apply to these certificates, arequirement should be sent by email, plus license photocopy and a short note expressingthe willing to participate of these certificates to the following address:
XV – Other information
Contest rules, received logs list andcontest results reading, certificate downloading, etc can be accomplished inthe following website:
Please send your comments, corrections andsuggestions to the email address cited before. Indicate also your name, countryand callsign.
FAQ
+ GACW is a directed movement of ideas,with the aim to establish an opinion flow in favor of all radio amateurs andspecially radiotelegraphers, sustained in ethics codes, well behavior andsolidarity, following the real spirit of Amateur Radio Service of ITU.
+ Contestis called ‘World Wide South America’ (WWSA) because of we would like to mean acompetition between South America and the rest of the world. Its name andacronym are in English with the aim of world projection.
+ OnlyCABRILLO logs are accepted. Most of contest software can generate them. It is atext format with a standard header and a list of QSO.
+ From2019 and ahead we will no longer accept logs in paper because of it takes toomuch time to be transcripted. Please get in contact with a friend HAM that mayhelp you to use some of the logging software. These learning is an enrichmentof the contest activity.
+ SouthAmerica stations may use any software that is capable to work with CQ WW DXrules, it will give complete and correct scoring during contest participation.
+ Youngcan send a;; your comments, suggestions, photographs and observations so we caninclude them in contest results publication.
+ Asfar as possible and if contest participation justifies, we will increasecertificate quantities to be issued.
+ Thereis neither a minimum of contest communications for your log to be valid, nor aminimum CW speed to participate. WWSA’s spirit is to include as much as radioamateurs and serve as a school for future participation in contests. Please begood and considered operators.
Suggestions about Cabrillo logs:
+ Callsignmust figure exactly as it was used during contest period, without added spacesor special characters.
+ Checkthat all the information concerning category is correct. Accepted values are:
Category-Operator: SINGLE-OP / MULTI-OPCategory-Power: HIGH / LOW / QRP
Category-Band: ALL / 80M / 40M / 20M / 15M/ 10M Category-Transmitter: ONE / MULTI
+ Writeyour name in the appropriate field (NAME) using only Cabrillo acceptedcharacters. This field is used to issue certificates.
+ Donot send your log to an email address or web site different to the onedescribed in the present document. Only those logs approved by the robot willbe valid for score computation.
