By Terry, W4YBV
We have devised a NFARL US Islands contest that will last throughout our 40th Anniversary Year!
This is a year long event similar to the 2016 NPOTA program. It will operate under US Islands Awards Program rules and NFARL's 40th Anniversary Contest rules.
Contest participants will earn points by making contacts with any US Islands Awards Program operation, or by activating a new or existing US Islands island using the club call sign NF4GA. Note that all NF4GA QSOs also count toward USI awards.
The club goal is to activate 40 US Islands using our club call, NF4GA, during our 40th anniversary year. The club already has 50+ operations planned. The official celebration started February 10 and 11 when NF4GA activated FL051S Windley Key and FL060S Upper Matecombe Key. Future plans include:
- One Day Island Get-a-Way on May 13th
- Islands QSO Party from Lake Lanier's Pine Island on August 26th
Your goal, if you elect to participate, will be to accumulate contest points by contacting or activating as many US Islands as you can during calendar year 2017. At the end of the year, club members with the most points will win awards and US Islands patches. The contest is open to all club members.
NFARL will also offer a certificate to non-member chasers who work NF4GA 40 times during 2017.
How to Earn Points
Members earn points by participating in these activities:
- Island Chaser Contact as many US islands as you can by logging the island name and US Islands number. Each contact counts (2) points.
- Island Activator Activate using our club call NF4GA a US island that has already been activated and has a US Island number. You must make (10) contacts, each island counts (10) points.
- New Island Qualifier Qualify a new island for the first time using our club call NF4GA. You must use the US Island rules for this, (25 contacts with 2 DXCC). Each island counts for (25 points).
NFARL Contest Rules
Jim N4SEC and Terry W4YBV set up their Three Rooker Island (FL 495s) station. Click here to see more photos of contest activations.
- You must be a NFARL member in good standing for the part of the year in which you claim points.
- Your logs must be available to the club at the end of the year if requested.
- At least one photo of each outing must be sent to our
webmaster
for posting on our web site. - Islands being activated for club points must be activated using club call NF4GA.
- Islands being activated for club points must qualify as an elegible island under US Islands Awards Program guidelines. See http://usislands.org for their rules and guidelines.
- When you activate an island, you must announce "this island is being activated in recognition of North Fulton Amateur Radio League's 40th anniversary", or something similar.
- You must add your island activation information to the US Islands calendar as soon as you plan an activation. Here is the link to the web page used to add an activation: http://usislands.org/request-to-add-an-operation-to-the-usi-calendar/
Awards will be presented at our 2018 February club meeting. Good luck to all!
Need more information or wish to participate in one of the club's upcoming activations? Contact Terry W4YBV at 770-993-8502 (home), 770-833-4413 (cell), or by email at w4ybv@yahoo.com.
Want to take part but don't have the portable equipment, boat, vehicle, or money ... or don't like boats? Contact Terry. He will be happy to talk with you about opportunities to activate drive-on and walk-on islands or help with contacts and spotting from your QTH station.
More Information about Club Members and US Islands Award Program
- QST Magazine (May 2015 issue, page 73)
- CQ Magazine (January 2016 issue page 18)
- www.usislands.org blog entry for Turkey Islands
- www.usislands.org blog entry for one Day Get-a-Way on Middle Island
- www.usislands.org QSO Party link for NF4GA Pine Island Contest
Terry