UKSMG Summer Es Contest Rules

UKSMG Es Summer Contest

The UKSMG welcomes you to the UKSMG Es Summer Contest.

This is a great opportunity to get on the Six Metre band and work as much DX as possible during a 24-hour period. The contest attracts stations in rare grid squares around the world, with many portable stations taking advantage of HF Field Day activities to activate Six Metres as an additional band.

Contest Period

Saturday 19 June 2027 at 13:00 UTC to Sunday 20 June 2027 at 13:00 UTC — 24 hours.

  • The objective is to work as many stations as possible during the 24-hour contest period on the Six Metre band.
  • The UKSMG Summer Contest is open to ALL amateur radio operators worldwide. UKSMG membership is NOT required.
  • The UKSMG aims to promote and encourage activity on the Six Metre band through this contest.

Important Note

The dates for the 2027 contest have changed. The contest will now take place from Saturday 19 June 2027 through to Sunday 20 June 2027.

Committee Member Bonus Points

An additional 1,000 points will be awarded for working each participating UKSMG Committee Member during the contest.

G5KW
G4IFX
EA5NW
G3OIL
SA4BKD
M1ABK
G0GCQ
G4FVP
G8FXM
G0VUH
G3XDV

Notes

  1. Contest logging programs will not be aware of these bonus points, so they will not be reflected in the score calculated by your logging program. They can be added manually when submitting your Claimed Score.
  2. The above special stations will be submitting Checklogs only.

G5KW

The use of G5KW is in honour of Ken Ellis, G5KW, the founder of UKSMG. The callsign G5KW is now the official UKSMG club callsign.

This station will be operating periodically throughout the contest period. Bonus points will be awarded for working the participating Committee stations.

A. Sections

Entrants may choose from one of the following sections:

  1. Single Operator — Fixed Stations
  2. Single Operator — Portable Stations
  3. Multi Operator — Fixed and Portable Stations
  4. 6 Hour — Single Operator — Fixed Stations **
  5. 6 Hour — Single Operator — Portable Stations **
  6. QRP — 5 watts maximum — All Stations

6 Hour Sections

Stations may only operate for a maximum of six hours. Entrants may choose any continuous six-hour period, starting at the beginning of an hour, for example 1500–2100 or 1900–0100.

Alternatively, the six hours may be split into two segments separated by at least one hour of off-time.

Contest exchanges are not allowed outside your chosen six-hour period.

Serial numbers must start at 001 for your chosen six-hour period.

We welcome logs from short wave listeners. If you would like to submit an SWL log, please contact the Contest Manager.

Checklogs can be submitted using the log-file entry system.

B. Exchange

The exchange will be RS(T), Serial Number (starting at 001), Six Character Grid Square (e.g. IO90IR) and your UKSMG Membership Number. The membership number is compulsory if the operator is a UKSMG member, or if one member is operating as part of a multi-operator station.

G5KW de G7RAU ur 599 067 IO90IR / 2952

If a distant station only sends a Four Character Grid Square, for example FN41 as is customary in North America, this will not invalidate the QSO. However, all stations entering the contest must send a Six Character Grid Square. The score for the contest QSO will be calculated from the midpoint of the large four-character grid square received.

C. Scoring

The scoring is based on 1 point per kilometre, with multipliers for DXCC entities, Grid Squares and Membership Numbers. A weighting factor of 500 is applied to each multiplier. An additional 1,000 bonus points are awarded for each Committee callsign worked.

Total Kilometres + (Total DXCC × 500) + (Total Grid Squares × 500) + (Total Members × 500) + (Total Committee Calls × 1,000)

For example, a station with 145,000 km, 34 DXCC entities, 120 Grid Squares, 55 Members and 2 Committee callsigns worked would score:

145,000 + (34 × 500) + (120 × 500) + (55 × 500) + (2 × 1,000)

Total Claimed Score = 251,500

D. General

  1. Use of the DX cluster and chat/forums is permitted; however, self-spotting to arrange contacts during the contest is not allowed.
  2. The contest exchange must be made over the air in real time during the QSO. Completing exchange details via DX cluster or chat/forums is not permitted.
  3. QSOs made via active or passive reflectors, including repeaters or EME, are not permitted.
  4. Meteor scatter is allowed provided all details are exchanged on air by the operators, who must be physically present at the transmitter making the exchange.
  5. All licence conditions must be observed.
  6. Contest running frequencies must be outside the INTERCONTINENTAL SECTION 50.100–50.130 MHz and are not to take place below 50.080 MHz. Do not CQ within these band segments. QSOs with intercontinental stations between 50.100–50.130 MHz are allowed provided the station holding the frequency is not running in the contest.
  7. Cross-band contacts are not permitted.
  8. Aeronautical mobile contacts are not permitted.
  9. The permitted modes for the Summer Es Contest are SSB, CW, FM, AM, SSTV and RTTY.
  10. MGM contacts are not permitted.
  11. Remote station control is allowed provided the operator is in direct control of the station. The operator must be physically present at either the transmitter or the remote control terminal.
  12. Each claimed contact must include real-time direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact.

E. Entries

Log submission deadline: 3 August 2027.

Logs can be accepted in both IARU Region 1 EDI format and Cabrillo V3 format. REG1TEST EDI is preferred as this helps speed up the adjudication process.

Both EDI and Cabrillo entry files may be submitted using the Online Log Entry System. This is the preferred method of submitting a contest log.

Paper logs and other formats may be accepted if you cannot produce either an EDI or Cabrillo file. Please contact contest@uksmg.org immediately after the contest for advice on how to submit your log.

Useful tips on Cabrillo log submission are available from W3KM Cabrillo Hints.

Claimed Scores

After the end of the contest and until the official results are published, stations can enter a Claimed Score so that everyone can see the scores immediately after the contest.

Enter a Claimed Score

Entering a Claimed Score is NOT an alternative to submitting a contest log in the correct format. Entrants MUST submit a valid log to appear in the final results.

Contest Logging Software

The following contest logging software is available free of charge and is known to support the UKSMG Summer Contest:

Tucnak: Setup instructions for the UKSMG Summer Es Contest may be found here.

N1MM: Version 12.03.00 or higher is supported. Setup instructions for the UKSMG Summer Es Contest may be found here.

TR4W can be configured to log UKSMG Summer Es Contest QSOs, although it will not score them. Please contact the Contest Manager if you require assistance.

There are many other logging software solutions that can export logs in REG1TEST EDI and/or Cabrillo format.

If your logger can only export ADIF, don't let this put you off entering the contest. Please contact the Contest Manager, who may be able to assist with converting your ADIF file into REG1TEST or Cabrillo.

To help with conversion, export your log using the minimum ADIF requirements shown here.

Additional Information

If you have any problems with your log entry, please contact the Contest Manager as soon as possible. Nearly all issues are resolvable.

We welcome logs from short wave listeners, who will be acknowledged.

Thanks to the RSGB Contest Committee, in particular Pete Lindsay G4CLA and Mike Goodey G0GJV, for supplying the log-file entry system and adjudication software for use with this contest.

F. Results

The Contest Results will be announced at the AGM and published on the UKSMG website.

For all correspondence relating to this contest, please email the UKSMG Contest Manager.

Good Luck in the Contest!