The Society’s Contests and Awards Rules

The New Year’s Eve PIPO Net 2025

The Society organises a Pop-In, Pop-Out Net (hence PIPO) every New Year’s Eve from 12:00 until Midnight, local time.

It consists of twelve one-hour slots. The idea is for members to attempt to contact each slot’s Net Controller, i.e. Pop In, exchange Name, QTH and RSARS number, season’s greetings, then Pop Out.

The PIPO Net will start on 40m SSB and move onto 80m SSB as conditions dictate. Last year there were almost 200 QSOs logged, so expect lots of pile-ups when conditions are good.

Net Controllers will forward logs on to the Awards and Contest Manager and the top stations will be published in the next available Mercury as their reward.

The G3SIG award has been suspended until the Society has representation in all G call areas.

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Our Next Contest is the “Five Fifty-Nine”

This Contest consists of FOUR operating periods held on the

2^nd Wednesday of November, December, January and February each year.

Timings are as follows:-

Section	Month	Time	Band
Section 1	Nov 12th	1400-1600Z	7 MHz CW
Section 2	Dec 10th	1400-1600Z	7 MHz SSB
Section 3	Jan 14th	1400-1600Z	3.5 MHz CW
Section 4	Feb 11th	1400-1600Z	3.7 MHz SSB

Results

The results of the 2024-2025 559 Contest are as follows:

A total of 91 QSOs were in the submitted logs and these were either copied or typed into a giant spreadsheet to calculate the results.

The winner of all three sections was Tim, G4SVC. He wins the 559 Trophy, Le Touquet Trophy and G4SXF Trophy.

Here are the top three stations:

1 G4SVC, 2 M0OIC, 3 M0KVW

CW Top Three:

1 G4SVC, 2 M0OIC, 3 M0KVW

SSB Top Three:

1 G4SVC, 2 M0KVW, 3 M0OIC

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May Activity

Reminder to all Members that this has been shortened to 2 weeks and will run from 1st May 2026 at 0001/Z to 14th May 2026 at 2359/Z inclusive. There will be no nets during this activity. For full details check out the Awards and Contests rules on the link shown below.

The ANNIVERSARY Contest – To celebrate the Anniversary of the founding of the Society and to encourage members to make as many contacts as possible with other members worldwide on all bands.

Duration: Start on the 1st May at 0001 hrs and runs for 14 days ending 14^th May at 2359 hrs .

Exclusions: The society supports the exclusion of the WARC bands for all Contest activity. Operation on all bands, with the exception of the WARC Bands and 60m(5MHz) There is now no restriction on band use except for above.

Scoring: No serial numbers to be used. 1 point for working members inside you own continent and 2 points for working members outside of your continent. The definition of the six continents to be used is that used for the RSARS WAC Award. It is not a requirement to work an overseas member, but is beneficial in as much as it is worth 2 points as explained above (provided that they are on a different continent).

Members working more than a one-to-one QSO are not allowed under any circumstances ie sitting on a frequency and running of a group QSO with members taking turn to work each other. This is NOT in the spirit of the activity, any such action will result in disqualification.

Prize-winner’s for the 2025 contest where:

First place goes to Ray GW4PUC with 23 valid QSOs.

Second place is Harry GI4JTF with 10

Third place is Vince M0KVW with 8

Fourth place is Bryan M0OIC on 7.

Logs:- To include DATE, TIME of QSO, BAND, CALL SIGN of station worked, RST Sent, RST Received, NAME, QTH, RSARS Number Received. Logs not submitted correctly will be returned to the claimant for completion, time permitting. For those without a PC, Log Sheets and a Summary Sheet can be downloaded from the Society website or an S.A.E. to the Awards Manager will secure you a printout. Logs and Summary Sheet to be submitted by post or email to the Awards and Contests Manager, QTHR and inside front cover “MERCURY” no later than the 20th June.

If you are in any doubt about this, please contact the Awards and Contests Manager for clarification.

A winner for each continent and 2nd place certificate for the 2nd place member in the European continent No member can win more than once in any 3 consecutive years, unless decided by the Awards Manager for those continents where there is or has been a lack of activity.

Members in other continents are required to work at least 15 members, this subject to the Awards managers’ discretion, i.e. lack of propagation. circumstances ie sitting on a frequency and running of a group QSO with members taking turn to work each other.

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The RSARS Awards Scheme recognises two classes of membership: “British Isles” operating from locations within “The British Isles”, and “Overseas” operating from outside “The British Isles”. Contacts made on and after 1st August 2004 are eligible. “The British Isles” is defined as one call area.
RSARS Awards are for three types of activity:- (1) General operating awards, (2) Annual achievement, and (3) Contest Awards. Trophies, plaques and certificates are awarded free of charge (except for postage) to fully paid-up members.
Awards are based upon confirmed two-way contacts in a single mode. A contact is the unassisted exchange of callsigns, signal reports, names, locations and RSARS membership numbers. Contacts through repeaters do NOT count. Claims from listeners (UNLICENSED members ONLY) must be supported by the same verification as is required from licensed members. Please ensure that sufficient Postage is included with claims for return (NOT envelopes, please, because these need to be of the correct size for each certificate). Send postage in the form of UK postage stamps whenever possible – dollar bills are acceptable from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA. The Awards & Contests Manager will help in any cases of difficulty – Please do NOT send cheques..

Annual winners of these awards each receive an individual plaque as a permanent keepsake.

TROPHY LIST
Location – Type – Name
Top Row 1 Shield G3DSS Data Award
Top Row 2 Shield Le Touquet Trophy –Ken N Cook
Top Row 3 Rectangle G3CWW/G3EKL All Data Modes
Top Row 4 Small Shield The N2DAN Shield G4WYG
Top Row 5 Shield GW2OP trophy
Top Row 6 Rectangle Le Touquet Trophy G2KK/ZL1AXM
Bottom Row 1 Shield G3EKL Memorial Trophy
Bottom Row 2 Shield The G4SXF Trophy
Bottom Row 3 Statuette !! GW2OP Trophy Awarded to G4RS
Bottom Row 4 Shield QRP Shield – G3VPM
Bottom Row 5 Cup GW2OP Cup
Bottom Row 6 Cup Presented to G8VG 1967
Bottom Row 7 Shield Chairman’s Choice G3EKL
Bottom Row 8 Shield Anniversary Shield ST Dunstan’s CCF
Bottom Row 9 Shield 5-5-9 Trophy GW3ASW **