KC9BQA

          I want to get this up on the website and see how it looks in print.   I’ll be changing slightly as time goes on.   This is a work in progress, but there will DEFINITELY be a WIVUCH  Award Program.   Don’t get stuck on exact details now — see the big picture.    The program started on 1/1/10, so your recent contacts are already counting toward the initial goal of working at least 20 Wisconsin counties for a nice certificate.  

   1.  WIVUCH  was created and administered by KC9BQA, with a primary goal of increasing V/UHF activity levels in and near WI.    This is not an ARRL or Club program.    Another goal is to motivate others in different states to start similar programs.   VHF/UHF needs all the grass-roots promotion it can get. 

    2.   Award period starts Jan. 1, 2010, and will continue for 3 years, minimum, perhaps much longer.    Contacts made prior to 1/1/2010 can be reworked after 1/1/2010  for award credit. 

    3.   Mix/match any/all bands above 50 MHz, mix/match SSB/CW/Digital/FM simplex modes.   No repeaters contacts are eligible.  
           3a.   Individual band endorsements will be available.     

    4.    Valid contacts will consist of callsigns and rogers on both ends.   If you are in doubt about a ham’s county, ask.   It is OK to assume that base stations are operating from their home county, per callbook lookups.   Only direct contacts are allowed.   3rd parties – please resist the temptation to “assist”.  
          4a.   Valid contacts can be made at any time – ragchewing, contests, band openings or nets.  

    5.   Hams both in and outside WI are eligible.    No geographical restrictions.   Spread the word. 

    6.  Working all 72 WI counties on only 50 MHz and up will be quite an achievement.  
        A handsome plaque will be awarded.    If there are more plaque winners than anticipated, KC9BQA reserves the right to cut off after 20 plaques.    A few plaque sponsors have come forward; contact me if you are interested.  

    7.  Certificates with initial endorsements at the 20 county level will be awarded.   Extra endorsements available for 30, 40, 50 and 60 counties.   The 20 county level is mostly designed to get newer VHF/UHF’ers  thinking about working beyond the horizon.   If you know you can work 20 WI counties in one contest on SSB, or in one good 6m opening, then save KC9BQA some paperwork and submit when you get to 30-40 counties.     
        7a:    Example of getting to 20 counties for an initial certificate:   AB9XYZ works 12 different WI counties on 6m (SSB, CW, FM, AM, Digital — doesn’t matter).   He then works 8 different WI counties on 2m  (not the same ones he worked on 6m)   Since he’s worked 20 different WI counties, AB9XYZ is now eligible for a certificate.    Another example would be working 8 WI counties on 50/52MHz; 4 on 144/146 MHz; 4 on 222/223 MHz and 4 on 432/440 MHz.    Working 20 counties on any single band will get you a certificate, too.
         Using KC9BQA as an example, if you work me on both 6m and 2m, you get only one county toward the Award — Sheboygan.     Also, no additional credit for working me on both SSB and FM. 

    8.   Four first class US postage stamps will be appreciated when you apply for your initial certificate.  I want to send out a lot of wallpaper, and having postage covered will be helpful.

    9.   Rovers/portable stations also get credit for activating 20, 30, etc. counties, subject to some small number of contacts being made in each county they activate.  It will probably be 3 contacts per county activated.   Rover to rover contacts will be eligible, provided they are at least 5 miles apart.    County circling among rovers is discouraged; the idea is to make Q’s over meaningful distances, and with other fixed stations.    A rover who submits a majority of their counties with only close-range rover Q’s is missing the point and may be denied an award.   
         9a.   Rover or portable stations will be allowed to activate two counties at once (not four), if indeed they are physically located on the county dividing line.  
         9b.   Rovers/Portable stations identify with the county you are in, to distinguish from your home QTH. 

    10.   A website will be developed to administer WIVUCH.   The website will have current rules, downloadable WI county maps and entry forms.  This website should also have a place (message board or forum) where Fixed and /R and /P stations can post their plans to be active.  The more publicity the plans receive, the better activity levels will be.    
        10a.   Organized, well-publicized WIVUCH Activity Days or Nights will be an option.    
        10b.   A roster of WI stations with their counties and bands is a good idea.     Those who wish to be listed, contact me.   Again, spread the word. 

   11.   Verification will be Honor System at the 20, 30, 40, 50 county level.   I will investigate if something seems fishy.   I want to send out lots of certificates, but I won’t tolerate BS.   Be honorable, try hard, and I’ll be happy to send you an award.  
        11a.   To get a nice plaque for working — or activating — all 72 WI counties, I reserve the right to request QSL cards for any/all counties, especially those known to lack V/UHF activity.    Anyone I judge to be cheating will have to start over or be disqualified, at my sole discretion.     

   12.   There will be a period of several months where rules may be fine tuned for unforseen issues.   That period should end by August 1^st, 2010.   This is a work in progress but you have 90% of the big picture, so  spread the word to others with confidence and enthusiasm. 

   13.   Primary goal of the WIVUCH  Award Program is to greatly increase day-to-day activity levels on VHF/UHF in and around WI.    To accomplish this, we need publicity.   Hams and ham clubs in all 72 WI counties need to be aware this program exists.   Hams in surrounding states need to be aware of WIVUCH.   Please help spread the word in all directions.   If you have ideas, contact me with them.   NOTE — Hams in surrounding states are encouraged to develop similar programs.   The more states that do this, the better VHF/UHF will be.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 1:29 pm and is filed under Blog Post. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.