The CW QRS Telegram Group
presents the
Xmas Activity 2024
Rag-chewing QSO Marathon

Goals:

• Promote the use and spread of amateur radio telegraphy.
• Encourage interaction among radio operators with different skill levels.
• Allow less experienced operators to gain the confidence needed to establish bilateral CW connections.
• Promote “rag-chewing QSO”.

Duration:

From 00:00 UTC on 24.12.2024 to 23:59 UTC on 01.01.2025.
There are no time restrictions during the day.

Participation:

This activity is open to all amateur radio operators worldwide.

Mode and Bands:

The only permitted mode is CW, in all amateur radio bands, in compliance with the band plan of the participant’s country of residence.

Categories:

• Senior single operator;
• Rookie: a special internal category, open only to members of the CW QRS Group and accessible to all operators who have attended or completed our Basic Course (sixth, seventh, and eighth edition), conducted by Ben, i8QFK, during 2024.

Calling:

No special call is requested, the standard call will be used:
Cq cq de …

Exchange of Reports:

The minimum data exchange must include: both call signs, RST, name, and QTH.
Any additional information will extend the QSO duration and lead to higher scoring.

Rules:

• CW contats at any speed are valid. The faster operator must adjust to the slower operator’s speed.
• QSOs will contribute to the score even if one of the stations does not participate in the activity.
• Each station can be contacted only once per day per band. Repeated QSOs on the same day will only count for the first connection.
• Minimum QSO duration: 5 minutes.
• To qualify for prizes, participants must achieve at least 300 points in the Senior Category and 150 points in the Rookie Category.

Scoring:

• 1 point for a QSO of at least 5 minutes + 1 bonus point for each additional minute beyond the fifth, up to a maximum of 30 points per QSO. Once 30 points are reached, further duration will not affect scoring.
• The total score is the sum of the points for each QSO.
• “Roundtable QSOs” are discouraged and will not contribute to scoring. A QSO with multiple stations simultaneously will not automatically increase points.
• Points will only be assigned to the two stations that initiated the QSO.
• If a third station joins an ongoing QSO, it must not log the QSO for scoring. Doing so will result in a penalty and a reduction of improperly claimed points.
• The scoring software will verify and correctly attribute points if a third station joins an ongoing QSO.
• Each QSO must include the start and end times.

The calculation of the score will be carried out by the Activity management software, so the participants are not required to make any.

To allow the correct attribution of points each QSO must be recorded with its start and end time, in the case of a QSO with more than one correspondent the start and end time of each must be recorded as if they were single simultaneous QSOs.

Example of Scoring for a QSO with a Single Correspondent:

• 4 and a half minutes -> NOT VALID FOR SCORE CALCULATION
• 5 minutes -> 1 point
• 6 minutes -> 2 points
• 10 minutes -> 6 points
• 25 minutes -> 21 points
• 45 minutes -> 30 points
  
  Note: This scoring applies only to the two stations that initiated the QSO.

Log:

• The log extract, in ADIF format, must be uploaded to the website https://www.cwqrs.it/xmas_2024/ and must include: date, band, mode, correspondent’s call sign, start and end times of the QSO, RST sent and received.
• Partial logs must be uploaded from the first day of the Xmas Activity and can be updated at any time (even multiple times a day) with new QSOs by uploading an updated ADIF file containing both previously uploaded and new QSOs. New files will entirely replace those already uploaded.

Submitting the log implies acceptance of the following conditions:

• Full understanding and acceptance of the rules.
• Compliance with applicable laws.
• Agreement that the log may be used for verification and ranking purposes and may be made public in its entirety.

Ranking:

• Daily uploaded logs will form the provisional ranking, which, although important to encourage competition during the Xmas Activity, is entirely indicative and non-binding.
• The only official scores will be the final scores, resulting from the verification of all participants’ logs.
  The final score will be available only after the Xmas Activity concludes.
• The provisional ranking will be updated in real-time upon each log upload and will be immediately viewable.
• The final ranking will be published on the websiteWebsite: https://cwqrs.it, on the CW QRS Telegram Group, and on the corresponding Facebook group.

Log Submission Deadline:

Final logs must be uploaded no later than two (2) days after the end of the activity.

Prizes:

• The first-place winner in the Senior Category (minimum 300 points) will receive an RTX QMX kit.
• The first-place winner in the Rookie Category (minimum 150 points) will receive a CW QRS/QRQ Q Evo Keyer, sponsored by Keyer Development Team.
• All participants will receive a PDF certificate.

Link:

• Website: https://cwqrs.it
• Telegram: https://t.me/cw_qrs
• Facebook: CW QRS Telegram Group