Centenary Construction Competition

Entrants

Entrants must be members of the RSGB. All entrants must agree to prepare an article for RadCom. (Assistance will be given in this by RadCom editors.) Entrants must advise the RSGB that they propose to submit and entry.  We have extended the date from end-August  to the end-September 2013 by which this should occur.

Projects

Projects must have an amateur radio context and may be based on hardware, software or a combination, e.g. receivers, transmitters, transceivers, aerials, instrumentation, test equipment, etc. Projects should have been home-constructed, tested, complete and working; source code for any specially written software must be open and be freely available. Only readily available components must be used and sourcing information must be provided. Projects should not have been commenced prior to the announcement of this competition (Dec 2012) and original designs should not have been published.

Categories of entry

Three Categories of entry are available.

a) Builders: this is aimed at those getting started in home construction using relatively low cost projects. Kits may feature, either as a part or the whole of the project. An upper limit of £100 is placed upon the final build of the project. Credit for simplicity of design, where appropriate, will be given for projects that come in well below that spend limit. For kit builders, credit will also be given for personal additions, modifications or finishing touches.

b) Designers: this is where we will be looking evidence of novel design, reproducibility and quality of construction. The size of the project will not necessarily determine the winner; a clever but simple project could well catch the eye of the judges. There is no spending limit within the rules.

c) Pi Users: this category is reserved for a design where we expect to see originality and ingenuity to create something outstanding using the Raspberry Pi along with a significant hardware element. A fitting way to mark our Centenary, where we might later use this part of the competition to show the professionals that Radio Amateurs are still able to use their “freedom to innovate” with something as simple and cheap as the Raspberry Pi.

The judges reserve the right to ask for a demonstration. Members may enter more than one project, and all entries need to have stipulated into which category the entry is to be entered. Entries must be displayed for judging (and demonstrated, if required) at the RSGB Convention, October 2013. Attendance at the Convention is not essential but entries can be posted in (to arrive no later than end-September 2013), or brought and demonstrated by a proxy. Members will be responsible for any loss of entries during transit; the RSGB will accept responsible for entries whilst on display and during the judging at the Convention.

Criteria

Judges

Eben Upton (Raspberry PI Foundation), Joe Taylor, K1JT, Olof Lundberg, G0CKV and Steve Hartley, G0FUW

Prizes

ML&S are offering prizes for overall winners and there are also plaques along with cash prizes are in each category.