Worked All OARC
A fun contest for all OARC members, to encourage contacts between the community
Worked All OARC (WAO) is a fun contest to encourage community members to make and log QSOs with other members. Any mode, any band (within licence conditions), with multipliers for distance made (long and short!), DXCC reached, novelty and mode.
There may be prizes, but they are to encourage participation and innovation, not QSO collecting. Those motivated by numbers will find their own rewards in WAO…
To work as many OARC members as you can during the Award period, to encourage some fun through radio operation, to promote OARC on the air and to reward exceptional feats and innovation during the contest.
The Award Period for WAO season one (WAOS1) will run from 1 June until 31 August 2022 inclusive. QSOs must start and complete within the Award Period, unless there is an exceptional circumstance where the QSO cannot be completed within it.
An OARC member may use any valid callsign that they are licensed to operate, including overseas and short contest calls. However, all callsigns used will be individually scored, and those scores will only be added together if the individual chooses to identify themselves and which callsigns they own. This is to recognize that individuals may want to use the Platinum Jubilee RSL, or other RSLs, Club Callsigns (including OARCs own Club Callsign M0OUK) or special Contest Callsigns. [a]
Any legal band (i.e. CB or licence free bands count) can be used, and any valid mode of operation used.[b][c]
A valid QSO has the following:
Remote, unattended or automatic (think WSJT-X vs WSJT-Z, or JTDX) operation is not permitted. You must key the PTT on the device or permit it to operate, not via a computer link.[d][e][f]
QSOs will be submitted via a Google Form. Bulk updates will also be accepted via an agreed CSV format. However, QSOs should not be ‘saved up’ and submitted at the end of the contest. All QSOs should be submitted within seven days of completion unless there are exceptional circumstances (which can be explained when submitting).
Members may operate from any location, the home QTH, /M,, /MM (for Full Licence holders) /P, /A, even other DXCC (where licensed and allowed).
Scoring will be provided, and a simple count of QSOs logged and members worked will be the primary publish metric. However, a number of ‘secret’ achievements and leaderboards will also be maintained and prizes awarded. Think outside the box in the spirit of amateur radio.
Whilst the scoring algorithm will remain a closely guarded secret, in order to ‘feed the algorithm’, QSOs should recorded with the following metadata:
QSOs will not require validation as all members are trusted to act in the spirit of the contest. However, some sampling of QSOs will take place and a request for confirmation might be required, so it will be worth logging QSOs in the usual places in case of errors or dispute.
The judges decision will be final, but all parties will be allowed to make representations in the case of errors or disputes.
An online table for QSOs and most members worked will be maintained and published on OARC discord at regular intervals. Awards will be presented on a Zoom call at the conclusion of the Award Period.
Please note that this is based on a number of similar contests and thanks go to M7APR for directing me to SDARCs Worked All Europe contest on which this document is based.
[a]I've changed this as I think it is fair to allow people to notify me of all the callsigns they are using and have a 'total score'
[b]"any legal band you are licenced for"?
[c]I thought about that wording, and I'm not checking, so its enough its a legal band.
[d]JTDX, and JS8Call
[e]JS8Call isn't automatic or unattended by its nature... but it can be... so it would be allowed if used correctly
[f]JTDX is a good shout though