Worked All Germany (WAG) Contest Rules
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Worked All Germany (WAG) Contest rules - more languages
The Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club (DARC) has the honor to invite amateurs all over the world to participate in the annual Worked All Germany Contest.
Effective of May 2014 are the General Contest Rules of DARC Committee DX and HF Contesting.
Translations in more languages are available here in Spanish (tnx EA1HEO). To not put any stress and discussions on those helpful translators: The official versions in case of dispute are those in German and English on our site.
1. Contest periods:
October, third full weekend,
1500 UTC Saturday to 1459 UTC Sunday
2024: 19./20. October
2. Modes and bands:
SSB, CW: 3,5 - 7 - 14 - 21 - 28 MHz
To reduce interference with the participants of JOTA,
contest operation is not allowed in the following contest-free sections
(list as pdf):
80m: CW - 3560 - 3800 kHz, SSB – 3650 – 3700 kHz
40m: CW - 7040 - 7200 kHz, SSB – 7080 – 7130 kHz
20m: CW - 14060 - 14350 kHz, SSB – 14100 – 14125 kHz and 14280 – 14350 kHz
15m: SSB – 21350 – 21450 kHz
10m: SSB – 28225 – 28400 kHz
(sideband is part of the signal)
3. Categories:
- Single operator, CW, low power
- Single operator, CW, high power
- Single operator, SSB, low power
- Single operator, SSB, high power
- Single operator, mixed, low power
- Single operator, mixed, high power
- Single operator, mixed, QRP
- Multi operator
- SWL, single operator
Output power: QRP = up to 5 watts (hint), low power = up to 100 watts,
high power = more than 100 watts
For Multi operator Band changes are allowed every ten minutes; Exception: working of new multipliers. Other transmitters may be used in parallel to the main station to work multipliers on other bands. This means, several signals may be on the air on different bands at the same time (hint about X-QSOs).
Notes:
- Transmitters, receivers and antennas used in the contest must be located within a 500m radius circle
- DX cluster support is allowed for all categories (hint)
- Only one signal permitted at any time (exception: multi operator for working new multipliers)
For participants from Germany there will be a local association classification, a YL classification and a rookie classification.
Club Competition (new from 2022 on)
The club score is the total aggregate score from logs submitted by its members. There are two separate club competition categories for DX clubs residing in Europe (except Germany) and outside Europe, respectively.
The winner of each category will be awarded a plaque.
National organizations, e.g. REF, ARRL or RSGB are not eligible for the club competition.
Single-operator entries may only contribute to one club. Multi-operator scores may be allocated to multiple clubs as a percentage of the number of club members participating in the operation. The log entry must spell out the full club name (and club allocations if multi-op).
Stations from Germany are not counted for the club score.
A minimum of four logs must be received for a club to be listed in the results. Checklog entries as well as SWL entries are not counted for the club score.
4. Exchange:
A contest QSO can only be established between non-German and German stations and also between German stations. Non-German stations give the usual RS/RST + serial number. German stations give RS/RST + DOK (code for local DARC/VFDB chapter).
Single operator participants from Germany (inhabitants and visitors, irrespective of the used callsign), who are not member of the DARC or VFDB will send “NM” (non member) and will be no multiplier. A station may be worked once per band per mode (hint about dupes).
5. Multipliers:
For German stations, the DXCC/WAE list valid at the time of the contest will be used.
Each DXCC/WAE area plus IG9/IH9 counts one multiplier point per band once in CW and once in SSB (new from 2024).
Stations outside Germany receive one multiplier point for each German district worked (first letter of the DOK) per band once in CW and once in SSB. For special DOK, the first letter also counts.
6. Scoring:
Each complete exchange counts 3 points for non-German stations. German stations get one point for QSO with an other German station, 3 points for an European station and 5 points for a DX-station. The final score is computed by multiplying the total number of QSO points by the sum of multipliers from all bands.
7. Contest awards:
Electronic certificates will be made available for download for everyone that submits an entry.
The 3 highscorers from Germany, irrespective of category, whose first licensing date is no older than 3 years will be awarded.
New from 2019: Plaques are awarded for the winners of each categories, separate for winners from Germany and for winners from outside Germany.
8. Penalties:
Discovered rule violations or unsportsmanlike behaviour will be penalized with different sanctions up to disqualification (hint; see also pt. 4 of General Rules).
For adjudication SDR recordings of the contest will be used.
9. Logs:
The log-file has to be submitted in Cabrillo-format (no stf anymore from 2017 on) via
Webupload DARC Contest Hub
The receipt of the log will be automatically confirmed by an email with a message of possible errors in the log.
The logs will be part of the DCL (DARC Community Logbook). By submitting the log, the participant claims to fully accept the rules of the contest.
10. Special regulations for SWLs:
All SWLs get one point (SSB) or three points (CW) for logging each new German station with the sent RS/RST + DOK and the call of the station working with the German station. Any corresponding station of DL-stations can appear only once per band and mode in the log (exception: allowed again when the German station is a new multiplier; new rule from 2014 on). The multiplier is determined by the sum of German districts (first letter of DOK - see point 5) heard on each band. Each German station may be counted once in SSB and once in CW on each band.
SWLs send their logs to this mailaddress wag-info(at)dxhf2.darc.de
11. Deadline for log entries:
Log deadline is one week after the end of the contest.
2024: October 27.
12. Addresses:
For questions (not for logs): wag-info(at)dxhf2.darc.de
Hints & Tips
- Never delete dupes - under no circumstances!
You cannot be sure that a dupe is really a dupe. Deleting dupes can cost you and/or the station worked good QSOs. Our logchecking software only counts every dupe with zero points but gives NO penalty or deduction.
- Please do NOT use /qrp at the end of your call !
- No selfspotting or asking for spots is allowed (see General Rules).
- There is no district J, but there are rare special-DOKs starting with J, which will count as J-multiplier.
- 10-Minute-Rule for Multioperator stations & X-QSO: Working a non-multiplier-station in breach of the 10-Minute-Rule will cause point deductions (loosing up to ten minutes of QSOs).
When working such a station in error, you are not allowed to delete this confirmed QSO (which could be proved by SDR-recordings). Instead mark this QSO with X-QSO: as first item in its Cabrillo log line (instead of QSO:)or inform us per Mail about the contact. Then this QSO will not be counted for you, but it will also NOT be seen as breach of 10-Minute-Rule anymore and you will not receive point deductions. Also the station you worked can claim full credit for the contact.
- Some examples for unsportsmanlike behaviour are: Operating in the contestfree segments, selfspotting or asking to be spotted, deleting confirmed QSOs or manipulating the log, i.e. times by "rubber clocking".
Penalties are deleting such QSOs, deducting 2 or 5 or 10 percent of the final score (by a published Yellow Card) or disqualification.