IOTA 50th ANNIVERSARY MARATHON – SWL Competition
INTRODUCTION
THE YEAR 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Islands On The Air (IOTA) Programme by British SWL Geoff Watts, BRS-3129. To celebrate the occasion, the RSGB IOTA Manager and Committee announce an exciting activity period in which all licensed amateurs world-wide are invited to participate. For a two-year period during 2012 and 2013, IOTA chasers are encouraged to contact as many different IOTA groups as possible, and IOTA activators to play their part by operating from as many groups as possible, with special emphasis on the less-frequently activated ones.
A separate SWL competition on the same rule basis as for amateurs participating in the IOTA Chasers Marathon will be organized by German SWL DE3EAR. The IOTA committee will accept scores forwarded by DE3EAR for listing in an SWL section alongside the amateurs' scores and will issue certificates endorsed 'SWL'. The conditions are that the SWLs will need to follow the IOTA rules for logging valid QSOs, namely they will need to indicate the callsign of the station that the island station is working at the time (CQs are not allowed) and the committee may disallow reported contacts on the same basis as for amateurs if they believe circumstances require it.
RULES FOR THE SWL MARATHON – General Rules
1. The IOTA 50th Anniversary Marathon takes place from 0000UTC 1 January 2012 until 2359UTC 31 December 2013.
2. Its purpose is to promote the IOTA Programme during the lead-up period to the Anniversary and to provide enjoyment and fun to participants by encouraging greater activity from IOTA island groups and in particular the less-frequently activated ones.
3. All short wave listeners worldwide are encouraged to participate in the SWL Marathon.
4. Participants may listen on any band and in any mode.
5. The decisions of the RSGB IOTA Committee are final.
‘IOTA SWL’ MARATHON – Special SWL Rules
1. All contacts must be heard personally by the applicant.
2. A heard two-way contact with a qualifying island in a numbered IOTA group attracts one point. The same group may be heard up to three times, each on a different band, for up to three points. Logged contacts matching with details from any DX Cluster are invalid and will be deleted for points. Furthermore logged contacts of IOTA stations which put their complete log with full details of QSOs into an online logbook (e.g. the logbook of qrz.com) cannot be counted for the SWL Marathon.
3. All contacts claimed must be heard from within the same DXCC entity.
4. Except where changed here, participants should regard the rules for the Standard Category of Application as varied in the SWL Category of Application in the 2011 IOTA Directory as applying.This means that the island name should be listed in the log extract. This might prove difficult to obtain in all cases as SWLs cannot ask the island station but there are a number of info sources (especially on the Internet) to help complete this field (including the Clusters which certainly will increasingly show the island name as the Marathon progresses). The name can be added afterwards (it does not need to be heard at the time).
5. QSLs are not required, but in the event of a dispute or doubt about a QSO, the RSGB IOTA Committee may take whatever measures they consider appropriate to resolve the issue, including asking the island operator to check his / her log. Uniques or near-uniques will be subject to special scrutiny.
AWARDS
‘IOTA SWL’ Marathon
Certificates, sent electronically, will be available for all ‘IOTA Chasers’ who score a minimum of 100 points. The following certificates are also available for short wave listeners and will be endorsed ‘SWL’:
50th Anniversary Marathon IOTA Chasers Participation certificate 100 points
50th Anniversary Marathon IOTA Chasers ‘Bronze’ certificate 250 points
50th Anniversary Marathon IOTA Chasers ‘Silver’ certificate 500 points
50th Anniversary Marathon IOTA Chasers ‘Gold’ certificate 750 points
50th Anniversary Marathon IOTA Chasers ‘Diamond’ certificate 1000 points
APPLICATIONS
All logs must be submitted electronically. Paper logs will not be accepted. All applications should be made after the end of the IOTA 50th Anniversary Marathon period, i.e. not before 1 January 2014 and be sent to [email protected]. The deadline for applications is 28 February 2014.
The logs must be in alphanumerical order of the IOTA numbers and must include:
IOTA number; island name (every effort should be made also to include this); call of station heard; date; UTC; band; mode; call of station worked
Any questions about the IOTA 50th Anniversary SWL Marathon rules may be sent to: [email protected]
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
1. Take part in the SWL Marathon.
2. Inform your local club about the IOTA Marathon.
3. Help fund IOTA operations either through IREF (Island Radio Expedition Foundation) at www.IslandRadio.org or directly.
4. Promote the event in whatever way you think useful (does your National Society know about it?). Inform fellow SWLs and amateur radio operators about the IOTA Marathon.
USEFUL ADDRESSES
1. RSGB IOTA Website for the list of qualifying islands: http://www.rsgbiota.org
2. Questions about the ‘SWL’ rules: [email protected]