Bobek_Award

The LF Transatlantic Challenge

 BACKGROUND

The LF Transatlantic Challenge is a memorial to the late Peter Bobek. DJ8WL/DAOLF. for his work on 160 m and 137 kHz. The Challenge is being collectively sponsored by the DARC, AMRAD and RSGB.

DETAILS

Two pairs of trophies are to be awarded, one for each of the pair of amateur stations who make the first confirmed 2-way LF Transatlantic QSO on the 136 kHz amateur allocation. Awards will also be issued for reception and distance records. The details are given below. For the purpose of this challenge, by Transatlantic, we require that one of the two Amateur Radio stations be located in the US or Canada, and the other one in Europe. For the purpose of this challenge Europe is taken to mean Continental Europe, Gt. Britain, Northern Ireland and Eire (regrettably we have decided to exclude Greenland and Iceland from qualifying for the challenge).

1 . An Award will be issued to recognize the first European amateur to receive either a USA or a Canadian amateur station operating at 136 kHz.

2. An Award will also be issued for the first USA station and another Award for the first Canadian station to receive a European amateur 136 kHz station.

3. The LF Transatlantic Challenge is pair of Trophies for the first two-way Europe-USA 136 kHz contact once the band is allocated to the Amateur Radio Service by the FCC (assuming that happens).

4. Additionally, a pair of Trophies will also be awarded for the first two-way Europe-Canada 136 kHz contact, conditions as defined above.

5. Prior to the award of the two Trophies, Certificates will be awarded to the pair of amateur stations who currently hold the distance record on the 136kHz amateur band. Certificates will be awarded in the following categories:

a) 2-way QSO. with call sign and signal report exchange using receiving and transmitting equipment and communication modes common on the HF bands, e.g., normal speed CW and PSK3 1 .

b) 2-way QSO, with call sign and signal report exchange using receiving and/or transmitting equipment where low-information rate techniques are used which require something in excess of 30 minutes to complete a signal report exchange.

c) A reception report verified by the transmitting amateur-station.

The certificates will be awarded for the current claimants of the distance record in the above categories at the end-March and end-September. The certificates will be presented at the FriedrichsOhafen Ham Radio event and at the RSGB International HF & IOTA Convention each year. A certificate will not be presented if the record has not been exceeded by at least 100 km in the specific category.

Acknowledgement: Special thanks to AMRAD President Emeritus Andre’ Kesteloot. N4ICK for his tireless devotion to this challenge.

 

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