PRO CW CONTEST (PCC) 2024                                                                          
                                                               23th edition                                      
                                         RULES SUMMARY
                                  start : Saturday  December 7,  12:00 UTC 
                                           end: Sunday  December 8,  11:59:59 UTC
                                       bands: 80/40/20/15/10m ( Band segments allocated for the working modes used in the contest will be used).                                                   
                                              Changing bands can only be done after a break of at least 10 minutes.
                                                    The penalty is 5% of the total score obtined for each time this article of the contest rules is not respected.
                                        mode: CW
                                categories: M,
                                                   MO, (All club stations and teams)
                                                   SOHP,
                                                   SOLP,
                                                   SOSB : SO10, SO15, SO20, SO40, SO80
                                                   CL
                                                   SWL
          non-members transmit : RST + serial number starting with 001 (E.g. 599 001)
                  members transmit: RST + 001/M (members of any CW-club) (E.g. 599 001/M)                         
                  and in the contest log, members will write 599 001M or 599  001/M.
                      
                                             scoring: 1p for QSO with own DXCC
                                                            2p for QSO with another DXCC
                                                            2p bonus for a non-member in the case of a QSO with a member CW club
                                                            6p bonus for QSO between two members  CW club                                             
                                       multipliers: different prefix on each band, except all prefix from own DXCC
                                       logs deadline: Sunday, December 15 at 23:59 UTC at cw@proradiocontestclub.ro
                                       preliminary scores: Monday, December 16 up to 10:00 UTC
                                      contestations: are accepted only Monday, December 16 until 23:59 UTC
                                      official results: Tuesday, December 17, up to 10:00 UTC.(or after resolving the appeals if they exist)
                                      Decisions of the referee are final.
                                                    -------- ******* ---------
                                    
                                             Organized by PRO-CW-CONTEST-CLUB, Romania
    1. Object:
        Contact and exchange QSO information with as many stations as possible.
        With the  same station, only one QSO is allowed per band.
 
     2. Contest Period:
         First full weekend in December, Starts Saturday 12:00 UTC, ends Sunday 11:59 UTC. (24 hours)

     3. Mode: CW          

     4. Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m ( 3.510 -3.560, 7.010 -7.060, 14.010 -14.060, 21,010-21,060, 28.010 -28.060 ).
          - it is allowed to transmit only one signal at any given time;
    
      5. Contest call: "TEST PCC" or "CQ PCC"
   
      6. Entry Categories:        
          M = members of any special CW club, multiband, a single TX, any authorized power for this mode          
          Club stations or teams cannot participate in category M. If they do so, they will be listed in the CheckLog (CL).   
          Competitors from M category transmit on the first QSO RST + 001/M  (E.g. 599  001/M),
          and in the contest log, members will write 599  001/M  or 599 001M    
          Competitors registered in category M can participate only in this category, and in the Cabrillo log the name of the CW club will be specified          
          which includes the membership number (not clubs of other ways of working) and in the log will be entered e.g. CLUB: PCCC #155
        - The members of the CW clubs are not obliged to participate in the M category, but in this case they will no longer send the
           abbreviation "M" and will follow the rules imposed on the category they have chosen.
        - If you are not a member of a CW club but you want to participate in category M, before the start of the competition you must
          to become a member of a telegraphy club. If you do not resolve, send me an email asking you to become a member of the PCCC.                 
         PRO CW CONTEST CLUB (PCCC) was founded with one purpose, to facilitate your participation if you wish in the M category of the PCC.              
          (See examples of special clubs for CW mode)
        
     
          MO  = All club stations, regardless of the number of operators (even with a single operator) and well as the teams, operated from
          the same location by several operators and using a single call sign on all bands and the power is the one authorized for this mode.
          In all cases, a single TX will be used. They can only participate in the MO category, otherwise they will be included in the CheckLog(CL) list.                
          It is transmitted RST + serial number starting with 001 (E.g. 599 001).
          After making even a single QSO on one band, MO category stations can make another QSO on another band after at least 10 minutes.
          For each time this requirement of the regulation is not respected, the respective station will be penalized with 5% of the total score
          and the maximum penalty can be 75% of the total score obtained. Competitors penalized in the MO category will receive the prizes according to the rules
          of the competition only if the score remaining after the penalty is higher than the one obtained by the first place in the SOLP category in the respective edition.

           SOHP = Single Operator, All bands, Single TX, High Power, any authorized power for this mode. 
            It is transmitted RST + serial number starting with 001 (E.g. 599 001)
            Competitors who have made at least 150 valid QSOs in several bands can also opt for the second category, this being SOSB provided that in this
            make at least 75 valid QSOs, . If, as a result of the arbitration, it is found that these two conditions have not been met, the respective
            competitor will be included in the ranking only to SOHP category.                

            SOLP = Single Operator, All bands, Single TX, Low Power, ( up to 100 W ).   
            It is transmitted RST + serial number starting with 001 (E.g. 599 001)
            Competitors who have made at least 150 valid QSOs in several bands can also opt for the second category, this being SOSB provided
            that in this make at least 75 valid QSOs.
            If, as a result of the arbitration, it is found that these two conditions have not been met, the respective competitor will be included
            in the ranking only to SOLP category.           

            SOSB  = Single Operator Single Band : SO10, SO15, SO20, SO40, SO80 any authorized power for this mode.       
             It is transmitted RST + serial number starting with 001 (E.g. 599 001)
             Competitors whose log contains at least 150 valid QSOs in several bands can opt for the second category, also an SOSB provided that in each
             between the two categories to make at least 75 valid QSOs or in the SOLP or SOHP categories.
             If, as a result of the arbitration, it is found that these two conditions have not been met, the respective competitor will be included in the ranking only to a category.                   
                 
             SWL   = Short Wave Listeners, All bands
             Complete logging of one station only the callsign of the second station count 1 point.
             Complete logging of both sides of  a QSO - 3 points. There is no multiplier.
             If the SWL log contains the same callsign on a band more than once, the SWL station will be disqualified.

        
         7. Contest Exchange:
             Non members should send RST  + serial number, starting with 001 for the first contact. E.g. 599 001
             Members of any CW club, send RST + 001/M    ( E.g 599  001/M ).
             In the Cabrillo log please use following syntax : 599 001M or 599  001/M
             See the imaginary logs below. Only in this format will the evaluation program grant the corresponding bonus.

              Sample of Cabrillo imaginary log for CW-Club members (M category):                
               Sample of Cabrillo imaginary log for Non-members category: (SOHP, SOLP, SOSB, MO and CL            
        
          8. Scoring:               
              QSO Points: 
              For QSO with own DXCC country: 1 point;
              For QSO with another DXCC country: 2 points;
              For QSO with CW-club members (M category), non-members receive : 2 points extra-bonus;
              For QSO between two CW-Club members (M category), they receive: 6 points extra-bonus.
              SWL category is awarded 3 points for a valid full QSO and 1 point for a QSO incomplete.

              Multiplier:
              Each different prefix worked will count one (1) multiplier on each band,  except all prefixes from own DXCC
              country who do not count as a multiplier. 
              The final score is the result of the total QSO points on all bands multiplied with the sum of multipliers on all bands.
              There is no multiplier for SWL category

               No need to calculate the score.This will done by the referee software.   
 
          9. Prize
             Shortly after the publication of the results, the certificates in PDF format will be found on the website of the contest at the
             PCC RESULT ARCHIVE for downloading and printing.
             For prizes, CLAIM and UBN file, please indicate in the Cabrillo log your complete MAIL and EMAIL address.)   
             
             Click here for information about all PRO CONTEST CLUB awards for PRO-CW-Contest.

        10. Logs Instructions:
              Only electronic logs, Cabrillo format. Times must be in UTC. 
              Regardless of the number of categories of participation, please send only one log. 
              All sent and received exchanges are to be logged. PCC will be made with total computerized control followed by each QSO
              computerized analysis. All SO category entrants must clearly indicate the category power in the log.  If no power category
              is mentioned in the log and there are QSO's in several bands, the competitors will be automatically moved to SOHP category.
              EMAIL: The subject line of your email entry must include your callsign and category or categories.
              e.g. Subject: YP0ZZZ (M)  or YO0WWW (SOHP & SO40).  See example!!!
              The file name of the attached log will only be in the form : YR0XXX.cbr or YO0YYY.log  
              The participants for two categories will send only one log . In the e-mail of your log, please send the file as attachement.
              The log must be sent only as an attachment, not as text or other content within the e-mail message.
              In the header part of the electronic log submission you MUST specify a category of entrance and the EMAIL address and
              the full mail address in order to receive prizes.
              Check logs are very much  appreciated, they are used for cross checking of all entries.Remarks: Contact is valid,
              if a time difference in both logs does not exceed 3 minutes. Please don't forget to set your computer's clock before the Contest!
              Awards, prizes and trophies will be sent to the home address indicated in the Cabrillo log. If the Cabrillo log header
              does not cantain the EMAIL address and full name the competitor will not receive the CLAIM and UBN files.   
               In the case of the competitors from category M, they will indicate in the Cabrillo head the obligatory CLUB (specific to the CW club)
               with membership number without which it cannot be included in the ranking. 
               Logs will be sent to: cw@proradiocontestclub.com . Please also follow the RECEIVED LOGS page.
               If after 72 hours (but not sooner) you have not received your CLAIM file, please send the log again to cw-contest@yo2rr.ro
              If you send a new corrected or completed log, the address for it is: corrected_logs@proradiocontestclub.com , and in the respective email to specify what the
               changes consist of. The last day when you can inform me that your code is not in the list of received logs or there have been errors regarding the
               category in which you were included is the Monday, the 8th day after the end of the competition when the Provisional Result is published.
              With the publication of the final result, no further changes are made to the result unless refereeing mistakes or non-compliance with the regulation are found.
               The deadline for sending logs is Sunday, 7 (seven) days after the end of the contest until 23:59 UTC .
               After this date, please do not send the log because the activity of making the provisional ranking has started.
               and pages for the net, and the introduction of a new log implies the resumption of this activity from the beginning.
                Logs sent after the set deadline will be included in the NO LOG list and will not be checked.
              

          11.Dupes:       
               Dupes are contacts made with the same station on the same band. If the first contact between stations is valid, dupes
               have zero points value. If the first contact is not valid, second  (dupe) contact is accepted. Dupe contacts are not penalized,
               so DUPES should not be marked or deleted.
         
               Free Contest software that the PRO CW Contest supports: 

               N1MM Loger+ (using the PRO-CW-Contest module in USER DEFINED CONTESTS) 
   
               TR4W  and DXLog                                                                
              You can use any contest program for CW mode, but do not forget to enter in the log file, the name of the contest (PCC)
               and the abbreviations "M" when it's the case, otherwise you lose points.  It is not necessary to declare the score.

        12. Arbitration:
              If a competitor opts for a category to which the rules do not allow, the referee has the right to change the category according
              to the regulation.
              QSOs are not counted and ara excluded from the UBN report in case of: 
            - if the log is missing from the correspondent the message is NoLog except for the indicatives that exist in at least 15 logs received from at least 5 different countries,
            - if the QSO is not confirmed in the correspondent's log or the difference between the log times exceeds 3 minutes the message is NotInLog,
            - if there are errors in the callsign or the serial number changed, the link will be canceled and the message is BadCallsign or ReceiveError,
              if the Band or Mode differ from the correspondent's log, the QSO will be canceled,
            - competitors who obtain 0 (zero) points are included in the Check Log (CL) category.
     
        13. Disqualification
              For cheating, imaginary loging and clear repetitive and intentional violation of the contest rules.
              If the SWL log contains the same call sign in a band several times, the station will be disqualified.

    
        14. The Result of the contest:
             The Provisional results appears on the site: www.proradiocontestclub.com , on the morning of Monday, the 8th day after the contest.           
             Each competitor will receive the UBN file after the declaration of the provisional result, which will contain the mistakes of the competitors as well
             as the list of stations that did not send a log. Therefore, the log must contain, in addition to the complete postal address, the EMAIL address of
             the competitor. (for EMAIL not E-MAIL, not ADDRESS).
             Appeals regarding the provisional result are accepted only on Monday, on the day it is posted on the site until 23:59 UTC.
             The final ranking is definitive and will be posted starting from Tuesday, the 9th day after the contest until 10:00 UTC (or after resolving the appeals if any).
             The prizes for PCC will be sent only once, usually in the months of March - April next year to the postal addresses specified in the log.             
             The prizes intended for radio amateurs from RUSSIA or BELARUS will be sent only if the winning competitor communicates to me by February 15th of the
             next year the address of a friend who is domiciled in one of the countries of the European Community to whom the prize can be sent.
                 In the past editions, some of the prizes were returned, and others were lost.

        15. Contest manager, referee and personal sponsor is YO2RR.                                                                                                                    
                     Last update:07-Sep-2024 at 05:44 UTC