ARRL Rookie Roundup – RTTY
https://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup
1. Mission and Objective
1.1. Mission: To encourage newly-licensed operators (“Rookies”) in North America (including territories and possessions) to operate on the HF bands and experience competitive Amateur Radio operating. Experienced operators (“Non-Rookies”) are strongly encouraged to participate and help new operators – either on the air or in person.
1.2. Objective: Rookies exchange information with as many other stations as possible on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter HF bands. Rookie entrants are encouraged to read “HF Contesting – Good Practices, Interpretations and Suggestions.”
2. Time Period, Modes, Frequencies and Power:
2.1. Time period: The Sunday of the third full weekend of April, August and December from 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC.
2.2. Modes: August = RTTY
2.3. Frequencies: Contest activity will most likely be found in and around these frequency ranges:
2.3.3. RTTY: 3.580-3.585, 7.080-7.085, 14.080-14.085, 21.080-21.085, and 28.080-28.085 MHz
2.4. Power: All categories are limited to 100 watts transmitter power output.
3. Entry Categories:
3.1. Single-Operator, Rookie
3.1.1. Rookie entries are limited to operators who have either:
3.1.1.1. Made no contacts at all or have made their first amateur radio contact during the current or preceding three calendar years.
3.1.1.2. Have not made any contacts on the contest mode (SSB, CW, or RTTY) before the contest. Operators may only enter in this category only one time and must send the current year in their exchange.
3.1.2. The use of information from a spotting network (“spotting assistance”) is permitted. Spotting yourself on a spotting network (“self-spotting”) or asking others to spot you is not allowed. See “HF Contesting – Good Practices, Interpretations and Suggestions” for clarification. (See 1.2 above)
3.1.3. Rookie stations may contact Rookie or non-Rookie stations. (Also see 3.4)
3.1.4. Rookie stations are encouraged to identify themselves as a Rookie station by calling “CQ RR” on CW or RTTY and “CQ Rookie Roundup” on SSB.
3.2. Multioperator, Rookie
3.2.1. Any number of Rookie operators may participate as a multioperator entry from a single station. (Also see 6.6)
3.2.2. Multioperator stations may transmit only one signal at a time using a single transmitter during the contest.
3.2.4. Multioperator stations are not eligible to participate in team entries.
3.3. Team
3.3.1. Team entries may be submitted containing up to five (5) different single-operator entries. The single-operator entries will be listed separately in the results. A single-operator entry may be a member of only one team.
3.3.2. Team entries must be registered with the ARRL Contest Branch prior to the contest using the on-line form on the Rookie Roundup web page (www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup). See the Rookie Roundup web page for registration deadlines.
3.4 Non-Rookie
There is no Non-Rookie entry category but experienced operators are encouraged to participate and report their contact totals using the online score reporting form on the Rookie Roundup web page (www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup). Non-Rookies may call CQ but may only work Rookie stations in the contest. Non-Rookie stations should call “CQ Rookie” on SSB and “CQ R” on RTTY or CW.
4. Exchange: Call sign of station worked, your call sign, your first name, two-digit number of the year first licensed (“check”) and state, Canadian province, Mexican call area, or “DX”.
Examples:
NØAX from KB1QAW, Carol, 08, Connecticut
KX9X DE VE7XYZ DAVE 07 BC
KD2ABC DE XE1KK RAMON 96 XE1
KG6PQR from JH4NMT Toshi 75 DX
4.1. Rookies must have a check from the current year or any of the preceding three calendar years. For example, in the 2023 Rookie Roundup events, Rookies must have a check of 23, 22, 21 or 20.