A.R.I. International DX Contest

The Associazione Radioamatori Italiani (A.R.I.) has the honour of inviting radio amateurs all over the world to participate in the ARI International DX Contest.

Aim It is a world-wide competition: everybody can work everybody.
Date and time

The contest will be held on each first full week-end of May from 2000z Saturday till 1959z Sunday. Dates for the next years are:

  • 2010 = May 1 -2

  • 2011 = May 7 - 8
Categories

Single Operator - CW

Single Operator - SSB

Single Operator - RTTY

Single Operator - Mixed

Multi Operator - Single TX - Mixed

SWL - Single Operator - Mixed
Bands

Bands from 10m thru 160m (RTTY: 10m thru 80m), except WARC bands, are allowed according to IARU Band Plans. Band AND MODE can be changed only after 10 minutes you have been on it (only Multi Operators).
Exchange

Italian stations will send RST and two letters to identify their province. Other stations will send RST and a serial number from 001. The serial number will NOT restart from 001 on each band/mode.
Multipliers

  • each Italian province (110) count 1 (one) multiplier,

  • each DXCC country (except I & IS0) count 1 (one) multiplier.

The same multiplier (country/province) can be counted once and only once for band.

The 110 Italian provinces (by call-area) are:

  • I1: AL, AT, BI, CN, GE, IM, NO, SP, SV, TO, VB, VC.

  • IX1: AO.

  • I2: BG, BS, CO, CR, LC, LO, MB, MI, MN, PV, SO, VA.

  • I3: BL, PD, RO, TV, VE, VI, VR.

  • IN3: BZ, TN.

  • IV3: GO, PN, TS, UD.

  • I4: BO, FC, FE, MO, PC, PR, RA, RE, RN.

  • I5: AR, FI, GR, LI, LU, MS, PI, PO, PT, SI.

  • I6: AN, AP, AQ, CH, FM, MC, PE, PS (or PU), TE.

  • I7: BA, BR, BT, FG, LE, MT, TA.

  • I8: AV, BN, CB, CE, CS, CZ, IS, KR, NA, PZ, RC, SA, VV.

  • I0: FR, LT, PG, RI, RM (or ROMA), TR, VT.

  • IT9: AG, CL, CT, EN, ME, PA, RG, SR, TP.

  • IS0: CA, CI, NU, OG, OR, OT, SS, VS.
QSO/Points

  • QSO/HRD with own country counts 0 (zero) point but is good for the multipliers credit.

  • QSO/HRD with own continent counts 1 (one) point,

  • QSO/HRD with different continent counts 3 (three) points,

  • QSO/HRD with any Italian (I & IS0) station counts 10 (ten) points.

The same station can be contacted on the same band once on SSB/CW/RTTY but only the first QSO is good for multipliers credit.

PLEASE REMEMBER that I (Italy) and IS0 (Sardinia Island) are NOT country-multipliers.
Final score

The sum of QSO/points from all bands times the sum of multipliers from all bands.
SWL Stations

Listeners are required to log the callsigns of both the station heard and the correspondent station. Score is calculated based only upon the station heard using the same rules as transmitting stations. A callsign may not appear more than 3 (three) times per band as a correspondent regardless of mode. SWLs MUST log no more than 1 (one) QSO on each line of their log.
Log

  • E-mail logs. Cabrillo format is highly recommended. Alternatively, logs in ASCII format (or as attached files) may be sent via e-mail addressed to  aricontest –at- kkn –dot- net. Use your call and category in the Subject of message. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your log within 48 hours.

  • Logs on CD or floppy disk are really very welcome and accepted in substitution of e-mail logs. Please send us your log on diskette. Accepted formats are N6TR, K1EA, EI5DI, UA1AAF, WF1B, OH2GI, DL4RCK, N1MM Cabrillo as well as the old MS/DOS software distributed FREE of cost from the Contest Committee. A printed summary sheet must always be enclosed if a format different from Cabrillo will be used. We ask Cabrillo logs as your first choice!

  • Paper logs: separate logs are necessary for each band. Logs must show all the QSOs data. A summary sheet is required showing all the scoring details, class of entry, name, callsign, full address of the applicant, callsign of other operators and a signed declaration. Paper Logs must be mailed within 30 days from the end of the contest and addressed to A.R.I. Contest Manager, c/o ARI, Via D. Scarlatti 31, 20124 Milano (MI) Italy.
Penalties and disqualifications

Logs will be carefully checked by the Contest Committee and mistakes may cause a score reduction. Disqualification may apply for:

  • excessive number of unmarked duplicates (more than 2%),

  • violation of the "10 minutes rule" (either for band and mode),

  • excessive declared score,

  • log without the summary sheet.

Instead to disqualify a log, the Committee may decide to penalize it by erasing a percentage of its score.
Awards A plaque with a certificate will be awarded to the top scoring station in each class. Special plaques can be awarded by the Contest Committee if country/continental/call-area participation will justify the decision. A certificate will be awarded to No. 2, 3, 4, 5 top scoring stations in each class as well as to the top scoring stations in each country in each class.
Free software

Several programs manage ARI DX Contest and you can find a list at <http://www.qsl.net/contest_ari>, together with a lot of informations about our contest.