CQWS RULES 2025

CONTEST CQWS 2025

RULES

NATIONAL COORDINATION OF RADIO SCOUTING

Official station:

Union of Scouts of Brazil – PY5UEB

Association of Scouts of Mexico – 4A0ASM (invited)

 National Coordinator of Radio Scouting

Ronan Augusto Reginatto – PY2RAR

National Radio Scouting Team – CQWS

Fabio Guedes – PP5FZ

Nelson de Almeida – PS8NF

CQWS 2025 Coordinator

Marcos Akira Matsuyama PY2MAM

 CQWS Contributors

José de Jesus López – XE2N/N5MEX
(National Coordinator of JOTAJOTI – Mexico)

Dora Luz Candanosa – XE2DLC

Dora Luz López – XE2DL

Genaro Pool- XE1Q

Rubén Flores – XE2AJ

Quinatzin Gomez – XE2MCQ

Jorge Archer – SWR

Support

https://contestbr.org

CQWS RULES 2025 (V.2-fix and improvements)

Updated on February 17, 2025

The CQWS-HF – CQ World Scout Contest in HF is an activity promoted by the National Radio Scouting Team of the Scouts of Brazil with additional support of National Coordination , whose main objective is to develop the good operational practice of Amateur Radio among members of the Scout Movement and Radio Amateurs from all over the world.

1. Date:

1.1 Second full weekend of April

Start:     12/04/2025       18:00 UTC

End:       13/04/2025                      20:00 UTC

2. Modes and Bands:

2.1. CW, SSB, MIXED:

2.2. 10m, 15m, 20m, 40m, 80m and 160m

3. Power:3.1. High Power: The total output power should not exceed 1500W in any band at any time.

3.2. Low Power: The total output power must not exceed 100W in any band at any time.

3.3. QRP: The total output power should not exceed 5W.

3.4. The output power must not exceed the maximum power allowed by the legislation in force in the country.

4. Categories

4.1. (SOYL) Single YL Operator, by class, exclusive for amateur radio, regardless of mode and power. All operation and registration work are performed by one person (the operator);

NOTE: Amateur radio is not required to compete as an YL.  Choosing another category, the Exchange sent must be the one in the chosen category.

4.2. (SOSB) – Single Operator – Single Band: 10m, 15m, 20m, 40m, 80m or 160m, regardless of mode and power. All operation and registration work are performed by one person (the operator).

4.3. (SOAB QRP) – Single Operator – QRP, more than one band, mixed mode (up to 5W): All operation and registration work are performed by one person (the operator).

4.4. (SOAB) – Single Operator – More than one band, regardless of mode and power. All operation and registration work are performed by one person (the operator).

4.5. (SODB) – Single Operator – Dual-Band: 10m and 80m – mode-independent, maximum 100 watts. All operation and registration work are performed by one person (the operator),

4.6. Any competitor can operate in all bands and modes allowed for their category and choose to compete in a single band, if they send the complete log and indicate the band in the cabrillo log, correctly selecting these options at the time of sending the log, on the logcheck platform. You can also choose to compete in SODB, if you have not used power above 100W in the 10m and 80m bands.

4.6.1. Any submitted log   containing only one band will compete on the respective band.

4.7. (SOAB – PT) – Single Operator, more than one band, regardless of mode and power. Exclusive for Brazilian radio amateurs. Patrolmen of the Always Alert Round to Serve in Patrol B-P. All operation and registration work are performed by one person (the operator). The call sign licensed in the name of the operator. Indicate the patrol number in the “SOAPBOX” line of the Cabrillo log.

4.8. (MULTI ONE) – Multi-Operator – Single Transmitter, regardless of mode and band, more than one person can contribute to the final score during the official competition period. Only one transmitted signal is allowed at any given time. Mandatory category for stations with their own callsign and not Scouts.

4.8.1. Exchanges for the MULT ONE category must be CL or HQ

4.9. (MULTI ONE GE) – Multi-Operator – Single transmitter, regardless of mode and band. For Groups, Associations and Scout Associations with or without their own Indicatives (Legal Entity), more than one person can contribute to the final score during the official period of the competition. Only one transmitted signal is allowed at any given time.

4.9.1. Exchanges for the MULTI ONE GE category must be either DB or GE

4.10. (FIELD DAY – FD). Single transmitter, independent of mode, band, and power. To participate in this category, the station must be set up in an open area, such as squares, streets, avenues, fields, parks, etc., which has free access to the public. More than one person can contribute to the final score during the official competition period. Only one transmitted signal is allowed at any given time. It can be used to make a Parks On The Air (POTA) or Summit On The Air (SOTA) additionally. It is mandatory to send photos of the station and antennas, showing and identifying the installation location to the e-mail: radioescotismo@escoteiros.org.br

4.11 SWL (INDIVIDUAL or GROUP/ASSOCIATION RADIOLISTENING)

4.11.1. The SWL log must contain the data of the QSOs of the related stations such as QRG, DATA, UTC, EXCHANGE sent and received.

4.11.2. The radio listener may use the N1MM with the CQWSSWL.UDC file specific to SWL or another program that generates the Cabrillo file to be sent to checklog.

4.11.3. All bands may be used at any time.

4.11.4. Only SWARL callsigns will be accepted in the contest. Those who do not yet have a SWL callsign may register for free on the website https://swarl.org well in advance.

4.11.4.1. Register the name of the Group/Association in SWARL if you choose to participate in teams, where several radio listeners can contribute with log notes.

4.11.5. The use of WebSDR is permitted.

4.12. OVERLAY: ROOKIE AND TEEN SUBCATEGORY

4.12.1. SINGLE OPERATOR OVERLAY: LP – Low Power (up to 100 watts); Any Single Operator participant who uses BP, DX, PT, RA, RE, and YL, as an Exchange and meets the ROOKIE or TEEN requirements, may choose to compete in one of the subcategories described below (ROOKIE or TEEN), and must include this option in the appropriate CATEGORY-OVERLAY line of the Cabrillo file. The classifications of the OVERLAY categories will be listed separately in the results.

4.12.2. ROOKIE – (Newbie) Sole Operator, must have been licensed three (3) years or less prior to the date of the competition and have never participated in the CQWS Contest. Indicate the date of the first license and declare that you have never participated in the CQWS Contest, in the “SOAPBOX” line of the Cabrillo log.

4.12.3. TEEN – (Age up to 17 years on the date of the competition) Single Operator, must indicate the date of birth in the “SOAPBOX” line of the Cabrillo log.

5. Clubs

5.1. To validate the score for your club, the name of the club must be selected at the time of uploading  the log (End of the second page of the logcheck) where all the clubs listed in https://contestbr.org/clubes/ are listed (if necessary, request the registration or correction of the name of your club)

5.2. Club Classification: (Sum of the score of all members):

6. Message/Exchange

6.1. Steering Stations: PY5UEB and 4A0ASM

RST + WS (599 WS or 59 WS)

6.2. LABRE stations and amateur radio associations recognized by the IARU

RST + HQ (599 HQ or 59 HQ)

6.3. Scout Single Operator Stations (Brazil)

RST + RE (599 RE or 59 RE) Single Operator Amateur Radio Scout (RE) – Indicate the Scout Unit represented in the SOAPBOX line

6.4. Scout Single Operator Stations from other countries

RST + BP (599 BP or 59 BP) Single Amateur Radio Scout Operator (BP – Baden-Powell) – Indicate the Scout Unit represented in the SOAPBOX line

6.5. National and international Scout Associations and Groups

RST + GE (599 GE or 59 GE) – Indicate the Scout Group (GE) represented, in the SOAPBOX line

6.6. Amateur radio associations or non-Scout groups

RST + CL (599 CL or 59 CL)

6.7. Stations representing Bandeirante, Desbravadores (DB) and related Districts

RST + DB (599 DB or 59 DB) – Indicate the DB Unit represented, in the SOAPBOX row

6.8. Ranger Stations

RST + PT (599 PT or 59 PT) – Indicate the Ranger Numeral (PT), in the SOAPBOX line

6.9. Single Operator Stations – Radio Amateurs not belonging to the Scout Movement (Brazil)

RST + RA (599 RA or 59 RA)

6.10 – Single Operator Stations – Radio amateurs from other countries not belonging to the Scout Movement

RST + DX (599 DX or 59 DX)

6.11. QRP Stations

RST + QRP (599 QRP or 59 QRP)

6.12. YL Stations

RST + YL (599 YL or 59 YL)

6.13. Field Day Stations (Demonstration)

RST + FD (599 FD or 59 FD)

7. General Call:

7.1. CW: CQ WS

7.2. PHONE: CQ WORLD SCOUT or CQ WS

8. Punctuation (acronyms):

All confirmed QSOs, with a station worked once per band, will be valid.

CQWS Directing Station: (PY5UEB and A40ASM) = 10 points. (Hors Concours)

FD stations = 7 points.

Stations PT, BP, RE, GE or DB = 5 points.

Stations CL, YL, HQ, QRP, RA, DX = 3 points.

9. Multipliers:

Two types of multipliers will be used:

M1) One multiplier per different Brazilian state contacted per band.

Example PY1CJ logged in at 28,000 kHz and 14,000 kHz add up to two (2) multipliers

M2) One multiplier per different country, only once.

Example K2MM logged in at 28,000 kHz and 14,000 kHz adds 1 (one) multiplier.

9.1. Attention: In the N1MM log window, the stations with messages or Exchange, “RA, BP, RE, PT, GE, CL, DB, DX, YL, FD, WS, QRP, HQ” are not being counted as UF multipliers, but in the CQWS calculation program, they will be counted as multipliers normally.

Brazilian Federative Units:

10. Final Score

10.1. The final score is obtained by the following formula:

Total Sum of QSO points, multiplied by the total sum of the total multipliers.

11. Awards:

11.1. 1st place (national and international): Special Certificate by category.

11.2. CW: 1st place nationally and internationally: Special Certificate by category.

11.3. MIXED: 1st place national and international: Special Certificate per category.

11.2. The TEEN subcategory will be awarded a special award for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places as a way of encouraging young radio amateurs.

11.3. The Organizing Committee may grant the special award.

11.6. To send the award, the address contained in the Cabrillo log will be used. The sending of the award and its follow-up will be disclosed on the https://contestbr.org page maintaining the confidentiality of the address and informing the tracking code (if any). The award returned by mail will only be resent, upon payment of the postage by the recipient.

12. Penalties:

12.1. Incorrect annotation of the Callsign: loss of QSO for those who wrote it wrong.

12.2. Incorrect Exchange annotation: loss of the QSO for those who annotated it wrong.

12.3. Duplication of QSO: there is no penalty, however, only one QSO will be validated.

12.4. Band divergence: loss of QSO for both.

12.5. QTR divergence, over 5 minutes: loss of QSO for both.

12.6. Sending logs on paper or formats other than Cabrillo 3.0 will not be accepted by the calculation system.

12.7. The use of DX Cluster is allowed, but the “auto spot” is prohibited, whether coming from the main station or from one of its operators, as well as announcing by any digital means or other artifice, even in a disguised, subliminal way, where your station is tuned. Finding it is part of each one’s effort and this procedure is considered unsportsmanlike behavior. One of the ways to prove an auto spot, or analogous procedure, is to verify that the IP address used during the contest coincides with the IP address used by the competitor, with its own callsign, to make a spot before or after the contest, subject to disqualification, in case of proven complaint.

12.7. All station transmitters, receivers and antennas shall be located within a circle of 500 meters in diameter, hereinafter referred to as the “station location”. All antennas must be physically connected to the transmitters and receivers. The use of reception equipment outside the “station location” is considered unsportsmanlike and violation of this rule subjects the participant to disqualification.

12.8.  Any station classified as a Single Operator, which complies with item 12.7 may be operated remotely via network connection. A remotely operated station must abide by the station’s license limits, operator’s license limits, and the limitations of its class. The call sign used shall be the licensed call sign for the station to be operated remotely. Remote receivers, outside the station site are not allowed.

12.9. It is forbidden to operate (to score) by people without license: Disqualification.

12.10. It is forbidden to operate (to score) license holders in QRG and power not authorized to their class: Disqualification.

12.11 – HORS CONCOURS – To disseminate and encourage amateur radio, the station that is so defined may operate under the terms of Art. 37 of the Amateur Radio Service Regulation. This category does not compete, but all their QSO will be used in the calculation and will be entitled to the certificate of participation.

NOTE: Regulation of the Amateur Radio Service – Art. 37. “The amateur radio station may only be used by third parties or operated by another radio amateur in the presence of the owner of the station or person in charge and respecting the ethics of the service and the provisions of the legislation and standards in force.”

12.12. Violation of the contest rules or amateur radio legislation or unsportsmanlike conduct may lead to disqualification or reclassification to the Checklog category.

13. Appeals/Complaints

13.1. Appeals and Complaints will be accepted at any time and up to 72 hours after the disclosure of the provisional result, through the e-mail radioescotismo@escoteiros.org.br

13.2. All complaints received will be investigated under total confidentiality, for the protection of the accused and the   complainant. The fulfillment of requests from the accused will be at the discretion of the CQWS Organization.

13.3. During the investigative process, failure to comply with the questions formulated by the CQWS Organization, based on a complaint received, essential for the defense of the accused and its analysis, will result in the trial “in absentia” and the complaints may be judged as true.

13.4. Resorting to any instance not provided for in this regulation or judicializing decisions of the CQWS Organization will be considered a very serious infraction, subjecting the appellant to a ban from the CQWS Contest, definitively. The highest appellate body of the CQWS is the National Coordination of Radio Scouting of the Union of Scouts of Brazil.

14. Statement:

14.1. By submitting your CQWS participation log, you declare that you have read and agree with the rules of the contest and that you will operate in accordance with the Brazilian legislation on amateur radio and agree that your log may be open to the public and,

14.2. Unconditionally accepts that the decisions of the CQWS Organization are sovereign and final.

15. Logs and Results:

15.1. No log will be accepted that does not contain the sender’s e-mail in the header of the cabrillo file.

15.2. The original logs will be received only via https://contestbr.org/enviar-logs/ until 11:59 pm on the 7th day after the contest. Submission of any log by other means or after this date will not be availed. The file name should be “indicativo.log”, example: PS7AA.log.

15.3. The log received within the above period, which has a pending published on the logs received page, may be corrected up to the 9th day after the contest.

15.3. All logs received by the logcheck platform will be received by the robot, which will respond automatically, with an e-mail and the log received as an attachment, which will be used in the calculation, if you do not receive it, check your SPAM box. To replace a log, simply resubmit it through the same logcheck page.

15.4 Logs received in disagreement with the regulation or with errors that prevent their correct calculation are the sole responsibility of the contester and will be automatically reclassified as Checklog.

15.5. The entire process of entering data into calculation system feed is manual (human), so it is strongly recommended to follow the process of your log in https://contestbr.org/logs-recebidos.htm until the end of the receipt period. Your log will only enter the ranking when it is “OK” by the system. If your log has errors and is not corrected by you within the period mentioned above, it may be reverted to Checklog and will not participate in the contest classification.

15.6. In the (Operators) line of the Cabrillo file, only the operator’s callsign must be included and when more than one, separated by a comma.

15.7. After the disclosure of the provisional result, a request for correction of a log that may change the classification of the competitor or his club will not be accepted, unless it is proven that there was a failure of the Verification Committee.

15.8. The provisional result will be announced by the 20th day after the contest and the official result, by the 30th day after the contest on the contestbr.org website.

15.9. The recommended software for logging is N1MM, https://n1mm.hamdocs.com.

15.10. The CQWS certificates of participation will be made available for download and will bring the total score and overall ranking, including by country.

15.11. Checklogs will not be disclosed. These records are sent to help the competition committee and will not have the score published in the results.

15.12. The disclosed logs will have the Address and EMAIL fields removed. Whenever possible, we try to find email addresses on SOAPBOX and will remove them, to protect the privacy of participants.

15.13. We recommend not to put email on the SOAPBOX line

15.14. Only the logs made public were those used in the CQWS calculation process.

15.15. All published logs will be in Cabrillo 3.0 format. You will be able to read them using any text editor or viewer.

15.16. Information on configuration and use of the UDC file of the contest in N1MM access the website: https://www.contestbr.org in the CQWS tab and search for the file cqws.zip

16. Arbitration Committee:

16.1. The CQWS Contest Committee is responsible for reviewing and refereeing the competition logs. Participants are expected to follow the rules and best practices of amateur radio. Violation of the competition rules or unsportsmanlike conduct may lead to disciplinary action by the Committee.

16.2. For Brazilian stations, arbitration decisions will use the communications laws of Brazil.

16.3. Throughout the counting phase, the competitor will have to pay attention to his e-mail, because, if the organization needs additional information, the competitor will have up to 5 calendar days on the date of issuance of the deadline e-mail to formalize his defense, or even send additional information. Failure to comply or non-response will be considered in default and will be subject to the decisions of the Committee.

HAPPY CONTEST!

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