II. Objectives: The objectives of this contest are for amateurs around the world to contact as many amateurs as possible in the allotted 27-hour period, to promote VHF and above activity, to allow VHF and above operators the opportunity to experience the enhanced propagation available at this time of year, and for interested amateurs to collect VHF and above Maidenhead grid locators for awards credits.

III. Bands: All authorized amateur radio bands above 50 MHz may be used, as authorized by local law and license class.

IV. Class of Competition: (1) Single op fixed station. (2) Multi-op class I fixed station. (3) Multi-op class II fixed station. A fixed station is defined as one that is a regular home station location. You may operate from your home station or you may be a "hired gun" at another home station to qualify for a fixed station category. A multi-op class I station is one that operates five or more transmitters simultaneously on all authorized amateur frequencies above 50 MHz. A multi-op class II station is one that operates four or less transmitters simultaneously on all amateur frequencies above 50 MHz. (4) Single op portable station. (5) Multi-op class I portable station. (6) Multi-op class II portable station. A portable station is defined as one that you set up away from a regular home station location. (7) Rover station. A rover station is one that is manned by no more than two operators, must travel to more than one grid locator, and must sign "rover" or /R. The spirit of this class is to encourage operation from rare grid locators by persons who are inclined to do so. It is not the intent of this class to encourage one operator to move from one super station to another super station in another grid locator in order to compete in this category. (8) QRP station. Anyone operating a station running 25 watts output, or less, is elgible to enter this category. There are no location restrictions. You can operate from your home QTH, or from the highest mountain you can find. However, you cannot run more than 25 watts output on any band.

V. Exchange: Callsign and Maidenhead locator grid locator (4 digits—e.g., EM15). Signal reports are optional and need not be included in the log entry.

VI. Multipliers: The multiplier is the number of different grid locators worked per band. A "Grid Locator" is counted once per band. Exception: The rover who moves into a new grid locator can count the same grid locator more than once per band as long as the rover is himself or herself in a new grid locator location. Such change in location must be clearly indicated in the rover’s log. It is required that rover category operators maintain separate logs for each grid locator location.

A. The rover who changes location during the course of the contest is free to contact as many other stations as he or she wishes. The rover becomes a new QSO to the stations working him or her when that rover changes grid locator.

B. The grid locator is the Maidenhead grid locator to four digits (FM13).

VII. Scoring: One point per QSO on 50, 70, and 144 MHz; 2 points per QSO on 222 and 432 MHz; 4 points per QSO on 903 and 1296 MHz; 6 points per QSO on 2.3 GHz and above. Work stations once per band, regardless of mode. Multiply total QSO points times total number of grid locators (GL) worked. Contest entrants may not transmit on 146.52 MHz, or your country’s national 2 meter FM simplex calling frequencies, or commonly recognized repeater frequencies for the purpose of making or requesting contacts. Contacts made within your own country, in the DX window of 50.100-50.125 MHz, are discouraged. Contacts made on the SSB calling frequencies of 50.110 MHz, 50.125 MHz, and 144.200 MHz are discouraged. Contest participants are required to use UTC as the logging time.

Incentive scoring: Operators completing two-way CW or MCW contacts may add one point to the QSO value for each contact. As an example, W1XX works stations as follows:

37 QSOs, with 3 QSOs on CW (34 * 1 = 34; 3 * 2 = 6; 34 + 6 = 40) and 10 GL’s (10 multipliers) on 50 MHz.

45 QSOs (45 * 1 = 45) and 8 GL’s (8 multipliers) on 144 MHz.

26 QSOs (26 * 2 = 52) and 4 GL’s (4 multipliers) on 222 MHz.

38 QSOs (38 * 2 = 76) and 5 GL’s (5 multipliers) on 432 MHz.

2 QSOs (2 * 4 = 8) and 2 GL’s (2 multipliers) on 903 MHz.

6 QSOs (6 * 4 = 24) and 2 GL’s (2 multipliers) on 1296 MHz.

W1XX therefore has 245 QSO points (40 + 45 + 52 + 76 + 8 + 24 = 245) * 21 multipliers (8 + 4 + 5 + 2 + 3 = 21) = 5,145 total points.

VIII. Awards: Certificates suitable for framing will awarded to the top-scoring stations in each category in each continent. Certificates may also be awarded to other top-scoring stations who show outstanding contest effort. Certificates will be awarded to top-scoring stations in each category in geographic areas where warranted. Geographic areas include states (U.S.), call areas (Japan), provinces (Canada), and countries, and may also be extended to include other subdivisions as justified by competitive entries.

IX. Miscellaneous: An operator can sign only one callsign during the contest. This means that an operator cannot generate QSOs by first signing his callsign, then signing his daughter’s callsign, even though both callsigns are assigned to the same location. All contacts above 300 GHz must use coherent radiation on transmissions and employ at least one stage of electronic detection on receive. A station located exactly on a dividing line of a grid locator must choose only one grid locator from which to operate for exchange purposes. A different multiplier cannot be given out without moving the complete station at least 100 meters.

X. Log Submissions: You may request log sheets from CQ at the address below. Include an SASE with your request. Completed logs must be postmarked no later than August 31, 1998 to be eligible for awards. All logs should be mailed to: CQ VHF Contest, CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Rd., Hicksville, NY 11801. Logs may be submitted on disk, provided a hard copy of the log is sent with the disk and the data is in an ASCII format compatible with an IBM-PC type computer.