TOP OF OPERATORS ACTIVITY CONTEST (TAC)  
      
              This contest is dedicated to the  memory of the TOPS  CW CLUB members, qrv or sk.
                                (TOPS CW CLUB , founded in 1946)

     Objectives: To contact in CW as many ham radio stations.
                  
To promote the CW communication skills  and talent.
                         To give the possibility to obtain the awards of PRO-CW-Club.

                         Participants: any licensed radioamateur station or SWL.  

  1. Organizer PRO-CW-CLUB, ROMANIA. 

  2. Date and time: The first full weekend of December, between Saturday 16:00 UTC to Sunday 15:59 UTC
                         In
2014: December 6-7 . ( 9th edition)
    
  3. Frequencies, Mode and Call
:
     Frequencies:
3,5 - 28 MHz (no WARC bands). The recommendations for IARU Region 1   
     Mode:
CW
    - any band can be used at any time;
    - please do not use DX band segments;
    - it is allowed to transmit only one signal at any given time;
    - the use of DX spotting networks is permitted;

    Contest call is "CQ TAC" or "TEST TAC".

   

   4. Entry Categories:

   SOAB-HP   = Single Operator, All band, Single TX, High Power, ( exceeding 100 W ).     
   SOAB-LP   = Single Operator, All band, Single TX, Low Power, ( up to 100 W ).
  
SOAB-QRP  = Single Operator, All band, Single TX, QRP, ( max. 5W out power and Callsign/QRP ).
   SOSB       = Single Operator Single Band (SO10M, 15M, 20M, 40M, 80M any authorized power).
   MOAB      = All club stations and team, (regardless of the number of operators) single TX, All band only, any authorized power.
  
SOAB-M   = PRO-CW-Club and TOPS members, All band only, Single TX, any authorized power (including members using QRP).
   SOAB-SWL = Short Wave Listeners
   
  New
: For the accuracy of the contest, the participants in the category SOAB QRP will use max 5w out and will send the call sign/QRP.
  
If the referee of the contest appreciates that the power of the station /QRP exceeds 5w out or if we  receive observations
   during the contest (sending call sign QRP and the band he is working on) from the part of a participating station , and after
   checking we will estimate they are real, the station QRP will be disqualified from the contest.
 
 
 
All AB category entrants must clearly indicate the category power in the Cabrillo log. If no power is mentioned in the log
   the competitors will be automatically 
moved to High Power category.

  
Competitors in categories SOAB-HP, SOAB-LP and SOSB may participate in two categories (three with CHECK-LOG).
   In this case, one of the categories must be
SOSB.

   (For example: SOAB-LP and SO80M, SOAB-HP and SO20MSO40M and SO15M, and for other QSOs 
CHECKLOG)
   They will be send two Cabrillo logs (or three with CHECKLOG).
   For TROPHY and GRAND TROPHY we take in consideration the log with the highest score and if the two logs are from the
   categories SOSB, the scores are added together.

   Clubs and teams may participate only in the MOAB category, QRP only in the SOAB-QRP category and PRO-CW and TOPS
  
members may participate only in the category SOAB-M.

  5. Contest Exchange:
   Non members should send RST report plus serial number, starting beginning with 001 forthe first contact. E.g. 599 001
   Members TOPS and PRO-CW-CLUB, send RST + serial number + club abbreviation.E.g. 599 001TOPS or 599 001PRO .
   I
n the Cabrillo log appear: 599 001TOPS or 599 001PRO.
   Please make sure that you don't separate number from the abbreviation PRO or TOPS, and you don't use any characters between.
.  
  

  6. Scoring:   
  QSO Points: 
  QSO with own DXCC country: 1 point;
  QSO with another DXCC country: 2 points;
  QSO with TOPS and PRO-CW members: 2 points extra-bonus;
  QSO between TOPS and/or PRO-CW-Club  members, (MEMBERS category): 6 points extra-bonus.
  Category SWL for a valid QSO is given 3 points and 1 point for each incomplete QSO.

  
  Multiplier:
  Each different prefix worked will count one (1) multiplier on each band.
 
The final score is the result of the total QSO points on all bands multiplied with the sum of multipliers on all bands.
  The station which has shown the maximal results in his category becomes the winner.
 
For SWL category no multiplier, only points. Log SWL category may contain up to 5 times a call in a band.                               
               
  7. Awards: 
  The Grand  Trophy: (Trophies, cups or large plaques) is granted every year to the station which has the highest score
    cumulated over in the last 10 years consecutive,
thus: 
  -  to the first classified to the SOAB-M category,
  -  to the first classified to the MOAB category ,
  -  to the first classified in the others categories (SOAB-HP, SOAB-LP, SOAB-QRP and SOSB).

   It will be awarded for the first time in 2015, at the 10th edition.
   (Ranking for SO category contains only the first 25 finishers after each edition of the competition).
 

 
 The
Trophy: (Trophies, cups or medium plaques): is granted every year to the station which has the highest score
      cumulated over the last 5 years
consecutive, thus:
  
-  to the first classified to the SOAB-M category,
   -  to the first classified to the MOAB category ,
   -  to the first classified in the others categories (SOAB-HP, SOAB-LP, SOAB-QRP and SOSB).
   
(Ranking for SO category contains only the first 25 finishers after each edition of the competition).

  
Small Plaques will be awarded to:

  - the competitor who got the highest score in any of the categories SOAB-HP, SOAB-LP, SOAB-QRP, SOSB and MOAB.
  - the competitors ranked
in each of the categories above, if there are at least 75 competitors ranked at the
    categories SOAB-HP and SOAB-LP if there are at least 50 competitors ranked in each of the categories SOSB,
    if there are at least 25 competitors ranked in each of the categories MOAB and SOAB-QRP,
  - the first competitor ranked at the SOAB-M category regardless of the number of contestants ranked.
  - the  first three competitors ranked in any category if there are at least 100 competitors ranked in the category.
        

    Medals will be awarded to:
  - Top three/category (if you have not paid the plaques) if they have valid QSO's with minimum
3 DXCC entities.(Not for SWL) 
 
    Certificate:
  - The top three  in each category,
 
- The first classified in each DXCC entity for each category,
 
- The top three  in each category for entities outside Europe,
  - All XYL and YL participating in the contest for 50 and more valid QSO's,
  - All members of the PRO-CW-CLUB and TOPS for 100 and more valid QSO's,
  - Others competitors, including the SOAB-SWL category, will receive awards in electronic type ( PDF or JPG file ).
    Exceptions are those who send CHECKLOG's (CL).
    (Plaques and medals will be shipped to the snail address present on the Cabrillo. Diplomas will be printable PDF files sent by email.)
    (Please indicate in the Cabrillo log your complet MAIL and EMAIL address.)

     Special prize:
  - First entrant in SOAB-HP, SOAB-LP, SOAB-QRP and SOAB-M categories (only for TOPS members), certified as a member of PRO-CW-CLUB
   
(if the competitors wish), sponsored by YO6EX. Starting with the next year, the new members will participate only in the category SOAB-M.                

   8. Logs Instructions:  Only electronic logs ASCII-files, Cabrillo format preferred. Times must be in UTC.
    Paper logs are not accepted. Those who sent paper logs will be included in the list NO LOG.
    All sent and received exchanges are to be logged.  TAC will be made with total computerized control followed by each
 
  QSO computerized  analysis.
    EMAIL: The subject line of your e-mail entry must include your callsign and category.
    e.g. Subject: YP0CW SOAB-M or YO0AAA SOAB-HP & SO40M (& CL) if there are more categories.
    Your output file should be named by your callsign.log, i.e. YP0CW.cbr or YO0AAA.log  
    The participants for two categories will send the filenames: your call-1.cbr & call-2.cbr.
    i.e: YO0AAA-1.cbr & YO0AAA-2.cbr & YO0AAA-CL.(if there is checklog ).In the e-mail of your log, please send the
    file(s) as attachement.The log must be sent only as an attachment, not as text or other content within the e-mail message.

    In the header part of the electronic log submission you MUST specify a category of entrance and the EMAIL address and
   the full mail address
in order to receive TAC results, trophies, awards and certificates.
    Check logs are very much  appreciated, they are used for cross checking of all entries.Remarks: Contact is valid,
    if a time difference in both logs does not exceed
3 minutes. Please don't forget to correct your computer's clock before the Contest!

    Awards, prizes and trophies will be sent to home address indicated in the Cabrillo log.
    LOG SUBMISSION: Logs must be submitted in Cabrillo format by e-mail to: contest@procwclub.ro
    A confirmation will be sent to each entrant. If you do not receive a confirmation in 3 days, send your log again.  
     
  
   9. Dupes
    Dupes are contacts made with the same station on the same band. If the first contact between stations is valid, dupes
    have 0 points value. If the first contact is not valid, second  (dupe) contact is accepted. Dupe contacts are not penalized,
    so DUPES should not be marked or deleted.

  10. Arbitration
   QSOs are not counted and excluded from the report in case of:
   - if the referee does not receive a Log report from a correspondent; (NoLog)
   
- if QSO is not confirmed by the Log report of the correspondent; (NotInLog)
   - if there are miscounts in exchange numbers and callsigns, QSO is removed from both operators
     (Bad callsign, receive error
, partner error );
    - if
the time of QSO differs for more than 3 minutes (QSO is removed from both operators).
   -if QSO bands or modesin entrant's log and other station's log differ.
 

    Claimed score is not important.   

    Disqualification: For cheating, imaginary loging and clear repetitive and intentional violation of the contest rules,
                       or f
or the use of an improper power to QRP category.

      Free Contest software that the TAC supports:
   - TAC-LOG   by YO9HSW 
       After installing the programm and before contest start actualize following files: Procw.ini and Tops.ini.

   -  N1MM  (User Defined Contests)
     Read carefully the install and use instructions.Before contest start please actualize following files:
     
Call_Histori_Pro_Tops.txt and Tac_Bonus.txt . These files can be found on the PRO_CW_Club site.


  -  UCX-LOG

  - Post-contest: LM         


    If you use another contest program do not forget to enter in the Cabrillo file, the name of the contest (TAC) and the
    abbreviations PRO and TOPS, otherwise you lose points.

 11.Submission: Entries for this competition must be emailed by 23:59 UTC, December 18.

 12. Results: The results will be published on the site http://www.procwclub.ro  on 20 December at 10:00 UTC.
    
Prizes will be sent in January to the MAIL address and EMAIL specified in the Cabrillo log.

  Every participant who sends his electronic log will receive personal UBN-list, containing  his errors and errors of worked stations.   
  

    
All about this contest at:  http://www.procwclub.ro

            Contest manager, referee and sponsor is YO2RR                                                              Last updated on 05.10.2014