K5ZD announcements, results

New On-Line Score Database and 2008 SSB Results

The 2008 CQ WPX SSB Contest results are now available on-line at
http://www.cqwpx.com/results.htm. You will find links to the full magazine results (write-up and scores) in Adobe pdf format.

Announcing the new On-Line Score Database for the WPX Contest

I am a numbers guy.  I love to look at contest scores from around the world and imagine what challenges or thrills operators were experiencing during the contest.  One of the things I always missed in the CQ WPX Results was the ability to see band breakdowns and operating time for each entry.  My mission for January was to do something about that!

With thanks to past WPX Director N8BJQ and his log checking databases, I am excited to announce a new searchable score database containing all WPX SSB Contest log submissions from 1996 to 2008! Search selections allow you to filter the database by year, continent, country, category, and callsign. You can select options to view band breakdowns, club names, complete operator lists, and change the sort order. The database also contains all soapbox comments from the logs, which can be viewed for each contest.

The records are as complete and accurate as we could make them. The earlier you go in time, the less complete the details such as club name, operators, or operating time may be. Despite our best efforts I expect there are some errors. Please take a moment to look at your own scores and let me know if anything is not correct. Please provide enough information so I can research the error and make the correction. Going forward, this on-line database will be the official record for score corrections for the WPX Contest.

If you have any questions about how to use the search features or suggestions on other views that you would like to see, please send them in.

I am open to any ideas on how to make the score database more useful for WPX participants.

A similar database for WPX CW is now under construction.  Look for that to be complete by on-line release of the 2008 WPX CW Contest results at the end of March.

K5ZD announcements

New Plaque Sponsors

In early December I posted a message on cq-contest asking if anyone was interested in sponsoring a plaque for the CQ WPX CW contest.  We had a number of outstanding efforts from the 2008 contest that were not going to receive the recognition they deserved.

Plaque manager K1DG and I were extremely gratified to receive such incredible response from the contest community.  The result is 17 new plaques for the 2008 and 2009 WPX CW Contests!

New WPX plaque sponsors include:
USA Low Power: Ken Boasi, N2ZN
USA Zone 3 High Power: Northern California Contest Club
AFRICA: Chris Terkla, N1XS
NORTH AMERICA: Louisiana Contest Club
WORLD 21 MHz: Andrei Stchislenok, NP3D
WORLD 7 MHz: 6Y1V Contest Station
WORLD 1.8 MHz: Dusko Dumanovic, ZL3WW
USA 7 MHz: Darin Divinia, WG5J
USA 3.5 MHz: Wes Printz, W3SE
WORLD QRP/p: Chris Kantarjiev, K6DBG
USA QRP/p: John T. Laney, K4BAI
WORLD Rookie: Tim Duffy, K3LR
NORTH AMERICA Rookie: CQ WPX Committee
EUROPE Multi-Single: Andy Russe, YO3JR/YR1A
NORTH AMERICA Multi-Single: Jim George, N3BB
EUROPE Multi-Two: Tom Georgens, W2SC
EUROPE Multi-Multi: David Robbins, K1TTT
USA Combined Score (CW+SSB): Bill Fisher, W4AN Memorial (sponsor KM3T)

My sincerest thanks to all of them for their supporting their fellow contesters and the CQ WPX Contest!

We now have more plaques for the WPX CW contest than we do for SSB.  See a complete list of WPX awards at http://www.cqwpx.com/plaques.htm.  If you see something missing that you would be interested in sponsoring, please contact the plaque manager Doug, K1DG, at k1dg@cqwpx.com. 

Best wishes to all for the new year.  Wishing you more sunspots and bigger scores in 2009.

K5ZD announcements, rules

2009 WPX Contest Rules now Available

The rules for the 2009 CQ WPX Contest are now available. See http://www.cqwpx.com/rules.htm

There are changes throughout the rules so participants are encouraged to read the complete rules carefully. Many of the changes were to align with similar rules in the CQ WW Contest or to clarify administrative details. There is no change to the scoring.

Highlights of the changes include:

  • Revised Terms of Competition specify maximum power limits, prohibition against self spotting, and entry location of remote stations.
  • Operator categories have been edited to match CQ WW format. There have been no change in the actual categories, only in the text description of each. Use of skimmer places an entrant in the assisted or multi-operator category.
  • Overlay categories (tribander/wires and rookie) have been clarified to apply only to single operator high and low power entrants.
  • The text of the club competition rule is now in alignment with the CQ WW Contest.
  • Log submission instructions now state
    • how multi-single and multi-two stations should specify which transmitter made each QSO
    • single band entrants are requested to include all contacts made on other bands
    • US stations should include the LOCATION: field in the Cabrillo header of their log
  • Disqualification criteria is now same as CQ WW Contest.
  • The entry declaration permits the submitted log to be made public.

Most of the changes are administrative and should have little impact on the competitive and fun aspects of the contest. We look forward to more sunspots and another record year of participation in the 2009 WPX contests.

Look for CQ WPX 2008 Contest results in the January (SSB) and March (CW) issues of CQ Magazine.