Oceania DX Contest
Oceania DX Contest
Contest Manager
Oceania DX Contest Committee
For VK Amateurs you may contact
Tony Burt - VK3TZ
Phone : (03) 9887 4936
Email : vk3tz@wia.org.au
Contest Introduction
The Oceania CD contest has been designed to allow for maximum participation from those keen in contesting.
Aim Of The Contest
 Oceania Stations
The aim of the contest for stations within the Oceania Region is to contact as many other amateur radio stations as possible within the 24 hours of the contest on any of the 160/80/40/20/15/10m amateur bands. Each prefix worked on each band is counted as a multiplier.
DX Stations outside Oceania
The aim of the contest for stations outside the Oceania Region is to contact as many amateur radio stations within Oceania as possible within the 24 hours of the contest on any of the 160/80/40/20/15/10m amateur bands. Each prefix worked on each band is counted as a multiplier.
There is a separate contest for both CW and phone, each running for 24 hours.
Previous Years Winners
Tony Burt VK3TZ
Contest History
The Oceania DX Contest is one of the oldest running DX contests in the amateur radio calender. This contest was previously known as the VK/ZL Contest until the contest was renamed in 2000 to reflect a desire to increase participation and focus on the entire Oceania Region.
As far as can be gathered the first VK DX Contest was held in the mid 1920s and the contest has existed in one form or another since this time. Up until 2000, the VK/ZL contest was managed in alternate years by the WIA and the NZART with some rule changes and log submittal address changes each year. Once management was associated with a single committee made up of both VK and ZL contestors, the rules and structure of the contest have permitted a steady and consistent growth in participation from both international and Oceania contestors alike.
Upcoming Contest Date & Time
The next Oceania DX Contest will be held during the first and second full weekends in October 2008, as follows:
Phone - 0800z xx October 2008 to 0800z xx October 2008.
CW- 0800z xx October 2008 to 0800z xx October 2008.
Contest Rules
The complete rules for the Oceania DX Contest can be downloaded in PDF format from http://www.oceniadxcontest.com
A summary of the 2007 Rules is as follows.
The 2007 contest is on the following dates:
PHONE: 0800 UTC Saturday 6 October to 0800 UTC Sunday 7 October 2007
CW: 0800 UTC Saturday 13 October to 0800 UTC Sunday 14 October 2007
The exchange is callsign, RS(T) and serial number. DX stations only work Oceania stations and Oceania stations can work all stations world-wide.
Special Notes
Electronic logging is compulsory for logs containing more than 50 contacts. See rule 12 for details. While paper logging is still acceptable for a few contacts, it is much easier for the contest committee to get the results out quickly if electronic logs are provided.
Electronic logs are to be in Cabrillo format which is now generated by all of the popular contest logging software programs. Alternatively entrants can use the forms at http://www.b4h.net/cabforms/ to manually create and submit a Cabrillo file.
Portable prefixes must be inserted in front of the home callsign, e.g., W1XXX operating in ZL1 would sign as ZL1/W1XXX.
If the station worked does not provide a serial number, then log the received number as 001. See rule 7. This new provision allows credit for contacts with stations that are not in the Oceania DX Contest.
A reminder that Single-Op Single Band logs are to record ALL contacts made by the station - both on the band chosen for the entry and on any other bands.
Stations must log a minimum of 10 contacts to be eligible for an award.
To avoid any doubt, a second transmitter may be used in the Multi-One category, but only if it used for the purpose of working new multiplier/s on other bands, and noting that it can only be used on one band during any ten minute period.
Contest Scoring
Contacts on each band are worth different points as follows:
160m - 20 points
80m - 10 points
40m - 5 points
20m - 1 point
15m - 2 points
10m - 3 points
Each prefix worked on each band is a new multiplier. E.g. working VK3 on 80m and then VK3 on 20m is worth 2 multipliers.
The final score is the sum of all points gained from valid QSOs multiplied by the total number of multipliers. If a station worked 100 QSOs with a total of 500 points and the multipliers were 160m - 5, 80m - 10, 40m - 20 and 20m - 15, then the score would be:
500 x (5+10+20+15) = 500 x 50 = 25,000 points.
Submitting Your Log
The Oceania DX Committee requests that all logs that contain more than 50 QSOs are submitted in the Cabrillo format. Most, if not all of the contest software listed supports this format and greatly reduces the administrative effort required by the committee to adjudicate winners. Logs should be sent to:
CW - cw@oceaniadxcontest.com
SSB - ph@oceaniadxcontest.com
Contest Results
Contest Results are published in AR each year and also in the NZARTs Break-In magazine. The complete results are published on the Oceania DX contest web site at http:/www.oceniadxcontest.com
Contest Award
There are many awards available for different regions of the world and Oceania. Each award is sponsored. The following plaques are available:
Best Score in Asia phone - EMDRC
Best Score in Asia CW - EMDRC
Best Score in Nth America Phone - N6RO
Best Score in Nth America CW - N6RO
Best score in Europe Phone
Best Score in Europe CW - Mirek VK6DXI
Logging Software
An increasing number of contest software loggers are supporting the Oceania DX Contest, evidence of it's growing importance in the contest world. A brief review of the various packages follows. Click on the software title to visit the website.
SD Logger is a powerful contest logger intended for Single Operator - Unassisted classes in most major contests. The program is written by Paul EI5DI and comes with an excellent manual and user support. SD is now Freeware and has been recently updated to run easily on any Windows PC.
DxKeeper, part of the DxLab freeware suite of programs fully supports the contest.
OH2GI's software Hamsystem has supported Oceania DX Contest for many years.
Win-Test supports the Oceania DX Contest
N1MM Logger now supports the Oceania DX Contest (Freeware)
AALog contest module now supports the Oceania DX Contest
CT is one of the most popular contest logging packages and includes support for all categories in the Oceania DX Contest. CT is now Freeware
Writelog . The Oceania module is now fully operational.
Gen Log Another excellent Freeware logger
TR Log has been updated to include the Oceania Dx Contest. TR is a DOS based programme that also works under Windows and provides great flexibility in it's configuration system to account for different operating styles and equipment.
Cabrillo Tools Bruce WT4I kindly provided the Log Checking/Scoring Tools for the contest committee.
VKCC by Mike VK3AVV support the OC DX Contest and many other Australian Contests.
Quickscore Freeware program by VK4EMM. Converts and scores older CT BIN files in the Oceania format.
Contest Sponsors
The Oceania DX Contest is sponsored by both the WIA and the NZART who both contribute financially, administratively and organisationally to running the contest. Both the WIA and NZART contribute to publish results, provide certificate and results to winners and competitors as well as providing some of the trophies and winning plaques.
Other private, corporate and club groups provide sponsorship for the Oceania DX Contest log checking, Plaques, Web site and other administrative and organisational functions required to ensure a successful and prosperous international DX Contest. These include but are not limited to:
The EMDRC (Eastern and Mountain Districts Radio Club
N6RO
VK6DXI
The Oceania DX Group (ODXG)
The VK Contest Club (VKCC)
Rippletech Electronics
W4TI Cabrillo Tools
Page Last Updated: Sunday 13 April 2008 at 20:9 hours
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