QRPFOXHUNT.ORG


QRP FOX HUNT
Winter Rules

All Hounds will be in competition with each other, as will all Foxes. At the end of the hunt, the winner(s) will be the Hound(s) who has/have worked the most Foxes, and the Fox who has worked the most hounds. Special recognition may be given in other categories. The Foxes may also participate as Hounds. Good hunting, and make FUN your First Priority!
QRP Fox Hunt Definitions:
   Fox    =    The station the Hounds try to work.   
   Hound    =    Each QRP station trying to work The Fox.   

Team
=
Group of 5 hounds acting as a team, to participate in the 
teams competition.

   Pelt    =    Slang for a completed QSO.   
   QRO    =    Any output power greater than 5 watts.   
   QRP    =    5 watts or less RF output from the transmitter.   
   QRPp    =    1 watt or less RF output from the transmitter.   
   QSO    =    Complete exchange of Signal Report, QTH,
Operator's Name, & Power Output.
  
   QTH    =    State, Canadian Province (or Country if outside US/Can).   

QFOX
=
Internet Reflector (list) for QRP Fox Hunt discussion.

Winter Fox Hunt Rules:

GENERAL

These rules apply equally to the  40M  and 80M QRP Fox Hunts, which will be conducted on Tuesday (40M) and Thursday (80M) evenings throughout the winter season..

Each Hunt will start at 0200Z (0100Z if Daylight Saving Time is in effect), and last for 90 minutes. The last valid log entry can be no later than 0329Z (0229 DST).  

The local Tuesday and Thursday evening starting times will be as follows in North America:

6:00pm Pacific
7:00pm Mountain
8:00pm Central
9:00pm Eastern

In each week there will be four Hunts, i.e. two Foxes operating simultaneously on each of the two bands.

GUIDELINES

1.1 The Fox tries to complete as many CW QRP QSOs as possible during the 90 minute hunt.

1.2 Each 40M Fox and each 80M Fox will have two sessions or "runs" during the season, and the Fox's score for the season will be the aggregate QSO total for the two runs.

1.3 No later than 5PM EST on the day before a Hunt, the Fox will post a notice on the QFOX list providing useful details such as his QTH, equipment, antenna(s), etc. Because many Hunters read the listserver's daily digest, changes after that time are to be avoided, as far as possible. Since it's a "Hunt," the Foxes will not post their starting frequencies.


1.4 The 40M Foxes will operate within +/- 10Khz of 7.040 MHz.  The 80M Foxes will operate within +/- 10Khz of 3.560 MHz.


1.5 The Fox will operate at an output level of 5W.


1.6 The Fox will call "CQ FOX DE [callsign]," "QRZ FOX," or otherwise identify himself as the Fox during the progress of the hunt.


1.7 The Fox may QSY to avoid QRM, but will indicate his intention by sending "FOX QSY" or similar.


1.8 The Hounds should avoid transmitting on the Fox's transmitting frequency. Splits (separate transmit/receive capability or XIT/RIT) of up to 5 Khz may be used by the Fox, but the Fox will not ordinarily indicate where he is listening.  
The Fox can be expected to change his listening frequency often, depending on the number of stations calling and the frequency spread. Hounds who cannot work "split" or do not have RIT should nevertheless operate as far from the Fox's transmitting frequency as possible, or wait until late in the hunt when the Fox is working zero-beat. 

1.9 The dissemination,  posting,  or use of  "spots" (i.e. reports about Fox activity that indicate a Fox's operating frequency) is strictly prohibited during a hunt and will result in disqualification.
 

1.10 A valid QSO is defined as the accurate exchange of:

- Signal Report
- QTH
- Operator's Name
- Power Output

Example:  "559 WY LEE 1...... 579 MT DOC 5   or  579 REG* CA 5.....599 CO PETE CO
Pete* 5 --- * "REGGIE" and "PETER" is NOT accurate if NOT sent.  FOX use of "prefills" is not
ethical, however they may be used IF and only if verified accurate to what was sent by the HOUND.
Use is Softward Defined Receivers is also unethical and counterproductive to our study of Propagation. 

The Fox's information may in some cases be "deemed" to be exchanged. That is, the Hunter need not acknowledge the Fox's information, and the Fox may work a list. For example, the Fox may call several stations and acknowledge their information one by one, while sending his own information only once for the list. Hounds must be operating at QRP power levels (5W or less) if the contact is to count in the competition. Hounds may participate at QRPp power levels (1W or less), in which case they should report their power as 1W or as mW as appropriate. Hounds may work each Fox only once per session. Hounds must not work the Fox again using a different call sign (e.g. a club call). Foxes may also compete as Hounds, and may claim one point for their own sessions as the Fox, and one point for each other Fox operating at the same time (this is to avoid having Foxes abandon their frequencies in order to work each other).

1.11 Each Fox will post his log to QFOX as soon as practical after the completion of each hunt, ideally within 24 hours of completion of the Hunt. The log is to be in ASCII text format, showing one QSO per line with the following information:

Time Call RST (received) QTH Operator Power

For example:
0101 N1FN 559 CO ET 5W

Extraneous information such as colons in the time entries, dates, and "QSO numbers" are to be deleted from the Fox's log before posting.



2.0 Hounds will ANSWER a CQ or QRZ? call by the FOX. Hounds do not call CQ, nor do they work each other in proximity to the hunt
 

2.1 In his notice to the listserver, the Fox may include suggestions as to preferred operating procedure, but in the absence of any other instructions, the Hound should send his call sign only once after a call by the Fox or the conclusion of a QSO.

2.2 Hounds participating in the 40M and 80M Hunts may organize themselves into Teams of five members, with the Teams competing separately with each other for "40M and 80M team honors." Teams are to advise their rosters to the Teams Coordinator, via the QFOX List before the third Hunt (Week 2).  No Team member changes can be accepted after the 3rd hunt deadline. "Sub-contests" are encouraged (for example, a competition between hounds in one state or region), but are the sole responsibility of the person who decides to organize them.

2.3 At the end of the Hunt, the winners will be everyone who participated! Certificates will be sent to the Hound who has worked the most Foxes, and the Fox who has worked the most Hounds.

2.4 Good hunting, and make FUN your First Priority!



Q Fox
QRP Fox Hunt Group
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The QRP Fox Hunt Committee wishes to thank the Colorado QRP Club for their generous sponsorship of these hunts! We especially want to thank Marshall, at MorseExpress, for all of the web assistance he provided CQC and the QRP Fox Hunt since their first appearances on the Internet in the 1990s! 

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