2025 Information

The Central States VHF Society is proud to sponsor the 2024 Spring Sprints! 

Your Central States VHF Society Spring Sprints Committee:

Kent O'Dell, KA2KQM

Mike Metroka, WB8BZK

Jon Platt, W0ZQ

Below are the complete rules for the sprints. 

All are welcome and encouraged to participate!

Please see rules highlighted in blue for updates!

1.0 Contest Purpose:  Encourage weak signal VHF/UHF amateur radio operation & have fun.

2.0  Contest Date and Time:

• 144 MHz Monday April 14, 2025.  2300z (7pm EDT) to 0700z (11pm PDT), operate no more than four hours between your first contact and your last contact.

• 222 MHz Tuesday April 22, 2025.  2300z (7pm EDT) to 0700z (11pm PDT), operate no more than four hours between your first contact and your last contact.

• 432 MHz Wednesday April 30, 2025.  2300z (7pm EDT) to 0700z (11pm PDT), operate no more than four hours between your first contact and your last contact.

• Microwave (902 MHz and up) Saturday May 3, 2025.  0800 AM – 0200 PM Local

• 50 MHz Saturday May 10, 2025.    2300z through Sunday May 11, 2025, 0300z

3.0 Modes of Operation: 

3.1 All simplex modes of operation are allowed. (SSB, CW, FM, AM, Digital etc.) EME via your preferred analog or digital mode is also allowed. 

3.2 For all Sprint events other than the Microwave Sprint, a station may be worked once on SSB, CW, FM or AM (i.e. Analog) and once again using a digital mode for a total of two times per band.  Analog contacts cannot be made on generally recognized digital frequencies while digit contacts must be made on generally recognized digital frequencies (see Operating Hints).  For the Microwave Sprint work a station only once per band regardless of mode.

3.3 Contacts through repeaters or via satellite are not allowed and will not count as contest contacts. 

4.0 Classes:  Stations will be classified as either Single Op or Rover. A portable or mobile station that operates from only one grid is considered a Single Op

 station.  A Rover must operate from at least 2 grid squares. A rover can have more than one operator, but only one operator on the air at a time!

4.1 Power: Power output used for contacts is for informational purposes only. Power output will not be used to separate contestants into different groups or  categories. You may want to place your station information such as rig, output power, antenna etc. in the notes section of your entry. That being said, the   following are the suggested power levels for the HP, LP and QRP groupings on the 3830 web site.

a. QRP: up to 5 watts PEP. (any band)

b. Low Power: up to 200 watts PEP. (any band)

c. High Power: up to 1500 watts PEP. (any band) 

d. ** Please note: Rookie Class is for informational purposes only! **

4.2 A transmitter used to contact one or more stations may not be subsequently used under any other call sign during the contest period, except

a) for family stations where more than one call sign has been issued, and then only if the second call sign is used by a different operator.

b) for remote stations used by individual amateurs that have limited or no access to their own stations.

This rule does not permit any operator to use multiple call signs at the same station to manufacture contacts to another station in the contest. 

5.0  Exchange:  Maidenhead Grid Square.  Microwave contest exchange must be the full 6 character grid.

6.0 Reporting:  Score will be entered on the 3830 web page in the form provided for the particular sprint.   The web page is http://www.3830scores.com/  . 

Alternatively, you can postal mail a complete log to the contest chairman in place of a 3830 entry. A 3830 entry is preferred. 

Your grid square goes in the web site box for “QTH”.  Microwave use 6 digit grid.  Rovers use the first grid activated as QTH.

Contestants with winning entries MUST SUPPLY A LOG for review by the sprint chairman to make score official.  The Log can be a mailed paper log or emailed as an attached text file in an ARRL recognized format. (ASCII, .txt, .log, Cabrillo)  ARRL log sheets are the preferred paper format.

Your Central States VHF Society Sponsored Spring Sprints Chairman is:

Kent O’Dell, KA2KQM

Email: moreeirp@gmail.com

Or postal mail:

Kent O'Dell

KA2KQM

2752 Monument Road

Jasper, GA 30143

The results must be posted on the 3830 web page within 14 days of the event.  Paper logs may be mailed to the Sprint Chairman for this event.  Mailed logs must be post marked within 14 days of the event.  The Sprint Chairman will post the results from a paper log on the 3830 web page.

6.1  Scoring: Scoring: 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz, 1 point per QSO on any band. Multiplier would be the total number of grid squares worked for that specific band/Sprint.  Count grids worked only once per band regardless of mode worked.  Example: Working EM73 on both Digital and on Analog counts as one multiplier, not two.

Final score: Multiply QSO points by the multipliers. Each Sprint is scored separately. Distance based total kilometers worked would be an optional entry for information only.  (Distances are not very accurate from 4 digit grids. )

6.2 Rover Scoring:  Rover Scoring:  50, 144, 222 and 432MHz ,  1 point per QSO on any band. Multiplier would be the total number of grid squares worked regardless of mode for that specific band/Sprint.  If the rover moves to a new grid, then works a station again, a new contact is made for both stations.  The new grid will be a new multiplier if the grid was not worked before.  When you move to a new grid, you start over on additional new multipliers. 

Example:  Rover in EM73 works EM84 as a multiplier.  Rover moves to EM74 and works EM84 for a new multiplier

Final score: Multiply QSO points by the multipliers. Each Sprint is scored separately. Distance based total kilometers worked would be an optional entry for information only.     

6.3  Microwave  Scoring:  For Microwave, 902 MHz and above use the  sum of the distance of all contacts in kilometers.  A station worked on a new band is a new contact.

 If a rover moves to a new grid (4 digit) he/she can be worked again for another contact.

 The 6 digit grid square exchange is required for accurate distance calculation.

Minimum contact distance is 1 kilometer. Thus, contacts within a 6 digit grid count as 1 kilometer. 

6.4 Microwave Rover Scoring:   Scored like Single Op Microwave, except stations can be contacted again for score after moving to a new grid.  Grids activated are not used directly for scoring and are not reported on 3830 web site.

6.5 The contest scoring is intended to be done mostly on the "Honor System".   But, after the submission period has expired,  14 days after that particular operating event, the Sprints Committee or Chairman for that particular event will review the top 3 submissions to validate accuracy of the submission. And, the  Sprints Committee or Chairman reserves the right to request to review the actual contest log for any entrant for review if required.

7.0 Rover Operation:  A rover must be a portable or mobile station that makes contacts from at least two different Grid Squares.  For all sprints, including  microwave the rover must move to a new 4 digit Grid Square.

8.0 Assistance:  Use of telephone, packet or internet methods to schedule contacts during the contest is acceptable.  The telephone, packet or internet channel will not be used while the contact is in progress.  No “OK I am hearing you now” over the another communications channel.  The alternate channel will not be available in any way to the operator during the contact.  The complete exchange of call signs and grids must be accomplished on the relevant amateur radio band.

The preferred scheduling method is on an amateur frequency such as 144.250MHz or 432.090MHz.

See following  for 3830 site information.  Underline identifies a user entry box.

3830 information   50 to 432 MHz  Spring/Fall Sprint  

*** Note: Please do not post your entire log into the comments section on the 3830 Scores Web site. With the ability of entrants being able to update and

make changes to their entry, we want to avoid bringing the integrity of the Sprint's events into question. ***

(band is 50MHz, 144MHz, 222MHz, or 432MHz) for 4 separate contest entries

Submitter’s E-mail Address*   _________________             __ Send copy to this email address

Call Used*   ______________           Class*  ^Single Op/Rover       Power  ^HP/LP/QRP

Operator Call _____________           Station Call ___________

Op Time (hrs) _____________           QTH* ________________   Club   ^(none)

              QSOs                        Mults               Total Score                  Total Distance, km(optional)

band     *_____        *______             *________                  _______                                                           

Comments __________________________________________________(optional)

3830 information  Microwave Spring/Fall Sprint

Submitter’s E-mail Address*   _________________             __ Send copy to this email address

Call Used*   ______________           Class*  ^Single Op/Rover       Power  ^HP/LP/QRP

Operator Call _____________           Station Call ___________

Op Time (hrs) _____________           QTH* ________________   Club   ^(none)

              QSOs                        Total Distance, km      Best DX QSO, km

            *_____          *___________              *__________                                                                                                 

Comments __________________________________________________(optional)

Information is included in all forms on 3830 site:

            Log submission info                http://www.3830scores.com/index.php

            Link to contest rules               https://sites.google.com/site/springvhfupsprints/

Operating Hints:

·   Generally recognized digital frequencies are those commonly used for such modes as FT4, FT8, Q65, MSK144 and others, and are typically defined in the frequency tables of commonly used programs such as WSJT-X and others.

Revision 12 by KA2KQM, WB8BZK and W0ZQ 05/01/24