AOCC Club Ladder Competition Rules
Updated effective June 1, 2021
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by Dave Gilbert AB7E
A. Purpose:
1. To provide a mechanism for friendly competition between club members on an ongoing basis.
2. To provide an opportunity for individuals to track and improve their radiosport proficiency.
3. To facilitate recognition for the AOCC by encouraging higher scores.
4. To have fun.
B. Eligibility
The AOCC Competition Ladder is open to any current club member regardless of experience level, station capability, or geographical location.
C. Current Ladder Categories (subject to change)
Overall
CW
SSB
Digital
Low Power
QRP
Single Band 160m
Single Band 80m
Single Band 40m
Single Band 20m
Single Band 15m
Single Band 10m
VHF/UHF (combined)
DX
Domestic
Team
Participation
Restricted
Category Notes:
1. For the purpose of the AOCC Ladder, a "contest" is defined as a non-weekly, non-monthly radiosport event, nominally four continuous hours or more in duration, with log checking by the sponsor.
2. The power classifications will be per the particular contest rules. In other words, if Contest A defines Low Power as 100 watts or less and Contest B defines Low Power as 150 watts or less, both will count toward the Low Power ladder category.
3. Scores will generally apply to multiple categories. For example, CW scores will also count toward the Overall category (in fact, EVERYTHING counts toward the Overall category). QRP scores will also count toward the Low Power category, etc. Categories will apply per the particular contest scoring mechanism. An exception to this is if, for example, a member operates a mixed mode contest in ONLY one category AND adequately identifies such in his official results posting to the AOCC email reflector, the appropriate mode category credit can be given. Similarly, if a member operates ONLY on a single band in a contest without a single band category, AND adequately identifies such in his official results posting to the AOCC email reflector, appropriate single band category credit can be given. The burden is on the entrant to clearly indicate any exception to the official category designations of the contest in question in their submission to the AOCC email reflector.
4. Some contests make it impossible to assign ladder points to certain categories. If you operate both CW and SSB in mixed mode contests like ARRL 10m, IARU HF, or the various state QSO Parties, it won't be possible to grant ladder point credit for either SSB or CW since the scores are conjoined and can't be split apart. However, if you operate only CW or SSB and properly identify such in your submission to the AOCC reflector, appropriate credit can be assigned. The same holds for contests like CQ WPX where it is generally not possible to split scores between the DX and Domestic categories. In all cases credit will be given for the Overall category unless the member has opted of that category.
5. The Team category is for members who sign up for a team in contests like NAQP, participate in a multi-operator entry, or join a multi-operator DXpedition.
6. The Participation category is for members who participate in any scored contest during the year.
7. One “station” category exists for folks with severely limited installations ... indoor dipoles, very short verticals, wire antennas very low to the ground, etc. This is called the Restricted category and the criteria are necessarily rather arbitrary, but full-size verticals and/or dipoles approaching 1/2 wavelength in the air generally don't qualify. It is up to the club member to reach agreement with AB7E (AB7Echo@gmail.com) on whether or not they qualify for this category.
D. Scoring Mechanism
The scoring system is similar to that used to determine qualifiers for the various WRTC events. Every contest applicable to the AOCC Competition Ladder has been assigned a point value by the AOCC Ladder Committee based upon the contest's historical participation level, perceived prestige, and general visibility within the contesting community. See the list below for details.
The ladder points for any particular contest will be prorated to each participant based upon the top score for any member who has not opted out of any category. For example, if K7ABC scores 2,000,000 points in CQWW DX CW (a contest worth 1,000 ladder points) and W7XYZ scores 1,200,000 points, K7ABC will get credit for 1,000 ladder points and W7XYZ will get credit for 600 ladder points. It doesn't matter which operating category any club member participates in ... everyone gets compared to the top score. If someone else operated that same contest and scored 150,000 points operating 80m low power, they’re going to receive 75 ladder points toward the Single Band 80m and Low Power categories.
Claimed scores for each contest will be used for better timeliness. Besides, this is a hobby … nobody gains by making false claims and spot checking is easy to do anyway.
To have your score contribute to your ladder ranking YOU MUST POST YOUR RESULTS TO THE AOCC EMAIL REFLECTOR to allow compilation, AND you need to officially submit a log on time for that contest to the contest sponsor … nobody gets credit for sitting on the sidelines. Your official entry to the contest sponsor needs to show the “Arizona Outlaws Contest Club” as your club affiliation, with the following considerations:
a. If you operate outside the “club circle” for that particular contest, your scores aren’t eligible for the club score and you can assign your points to another eligible club while still having them count toward your AOCC Ladder ranking.
b. If you participate in a DXpedition or other multi-op effort where you don’t have the voting right to assign your share to the AOCC, your normal prorated share of that operation’s score will still count toward your AOCC Ladder ranking.
c. If you are the station owner of a multi-op contest entry, or are otherwise in a position to determine which clubs receive the scores of a multi-op contest entry, that operation’s ladder points will be based upon the score that is actually assigned to the AOCC.
E. Multi-Op Entries
The AOCC Competition Ladder is intended to be a ranking for individuals, yet many club members from time to time are likely to participate in multi-op efforts (domestic or DXpedition), and in fact that sort of thing is encouraged so that members with limited stations have the opportunity to operate from better-equipped stations if they so desire. Given the very large discrepancy between typical multi-op scores and single op scores, the total multi-op score that is attributed to the AOCC will be divided by the number of listed operators for the AOCC Ladder. If the scores from a multi-op operation cannot be assigned to the AOCC for reasons beyond the control of the AOCC members involved, each AOCC member will be given ladder credit for their share of the total multi-op score (total score divided by the number of listed operators).
F. Eligible Contests
The AOCC Ladder Committee has identified certain contests that will be eligible for ladder points each season independent of how many AOCC club members participate. The available points for each contest are listed below. In addition, any qualified non-listed contest with five or more score submissions from AOCC members will be assigned 30 points per participant for that year.
January
ARRL RTTY Roundup 600
NAQP CW 600
NAQP SSB 600
ARRL VHF 500
CQWW 160m CW 700
February
NA Sprint CW 300
CQWPX RTTY 900
NAQP RTTY 500
ARRL DX CW 900
CQWW 160m SSB 600
March
ARRL DX SSB 900
CQWPX SSB 1000
Russian DX 800
BARTG HF RTTY 500
April
JIDX CW 300
CQMM 700
Florida QSO Party 300
May
7th Area QSO Party 500
CQWPX CW 1000
June
ARRL VHF 800
All Asian CW 500
ARRL Field Day 50 for all participants
July
IARU HF 800
RAC Canada Day 300
NAQP RTTY 500
CQWW VHF 500
August
NAQP CW 600
NAQP SSB 600
WW Digi 500
September
ARRL September VHF 300
NA Sprint CW 300
Wash St Salmon Run 300
CQWW DX RTTY 900
October
California QSO Party 300
Arizona QSO Party 300
JARTS RTTY 500
CQWW DX SSB 1000
November
ARRL SS CW 1000
ARRL SS SSB 1000
CQWW DX CW 1000
December
ARRL 160m 700
ARRL 10m 700
RAC Winter Contest 300
Stew Perry TBDC 500
For current score compilers' call signs & assigned points by month and contest,
click on the icon below for full list in .pdf (view) format.
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Any contest not on this list, having 5 or more entries, becomes a 30 point per entrant Ladder contest for the year.
N1JM will report the scores for those contests.
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