VHF/UHF Scoring Guidance

The Basic and Gold VHF/UHF Awards both require the collection of contacts (or reports for SWLs) with the Gx100RSGB as it moves between the RSGB Regions and any combination of points gained from multiple band contacts with UK Locator Squares, UK IOTA Islands and the UK DXCC countries.

Points can be gained from repeated logging of the same Regional SES station, UK Locator Squares, UK IOTA Islands and UK DXCC countries so long as they are made on different bands. Contacts with the Gx100RSGB SES can be claimed for each Region/Band. For example contacts with Region 3 on 6m and 4m would count for one point each.

If one has more than one contact whilst in the same Region and the same band, it won’t gain a further Region/Band point but it might qualify for points for a different UK Locator Square, UK IOTA Island or UK DXCC country. This is because points for these three categories can be gained on each VHF/UHF band, and also because Gx100RSGB if likely to be in different UK Locator Squares on different days, may be in a different UK DXCC Country (for example Region 3 covers England as well as the Isle of Man) and the SES may be operating from a different UK IOTA Island.

Let’s try some examples of how the Claim Sheet may be completed and the scoring made.

Here, we are assuming that the first contact scoring contact in 2013 is with the SES on 2m. On that date it will be operating from Region 3 so points can be claimed for a Region 3/2m contact, a new UK Locator Square, a new UK IOTA (EU-005) and a new UK DXCC (England). Four points in total. To claim your points, you enter the date, time, band, call sign and put an “x” in the relevant points category column. The spreadsheet scores automatically. Note that the points are totalled and sub-totalled at the top of the spreadsheet.

Now for the second contact. Here we have worked the fictitious M9AAA, also on 2m. Since this station is not the Gx100RSGB SES, Regional points are not applicable. We will assume that the station is also on the UK mainland so no new UK IOTA has been worked (EU-005 was worked on the same band with the previous contact), and the England DXCC likewise. So, if we assume that M9AAA is in a different, and hence new, UK Locator Square we can claim a further UK Locator Square/2m point for that contact. Thus the “x” in the Locator column, increasing the total points to five:

For the third contact we are working the same station on 70cm – a different band. Again, Regional points are not applicable because the station is not the Gx100RSGB SES. But being on a new band the contact gains 3 points, one for a new 70cm UK Locator Square, one for a 70cm UK IOTA and one for a 70cm UK DXCC. The total score is now eight:

The fourth contact is another one with Gx100RSGB SES in Region 3 but on a different band to the previous contact. Points can be claimed for a Region 3/6m contactand the UK locator, UK IOTA, or UK DXCC as EU-005 and England as they are all new ones for 6m. The total score has increased by one to 12.

The final example is a further contact with the Gx100RSGB SES again on 2m. A further Region/Band point cannot be scored for a Region 3/2 contact as this combination has already been claimed. However, one can score a point for a new UK Locator Square (it is presumed to be different from that of the previous contact with G100RSGB, as the SES is being operated from a different location than that on the 2 January. For this example the UK Locator Square is also different to that of M9AAA). The score is now 13.

Further help

Further help can be gained by completing the relevant Check Sheet, where one is able to keep a tally of the Regions contacted, as well as the Locator Squares, IOTA and DXCC entities that have been work on a per band basis.

It may seem complex, but you’ll soon get the hang of it, and it should keep you occupied throughout the year, especially to gain some of those final RSGB Regions!

Queries, etc, can be directed to awardsrsgb.org.uk