Rules


How to play in the Repeater Roundabout.

The Repeater Roundabout will begin on November 11th, 2023 at 00:00, and end on November 12th, 2023 at 23:59, Pacific time.

Repeaters

Only these 124 participating repeaters from 54 radio groups are eligible for scoring points in the Repeater Roundabout. Please stick to these repeaters; we don’t want to annoy anyone who did not want to bring the contest to their repeater.

Please ensure that there is no ongoing activity on a repeater (such as a net) before you call for contacts. We cannot interfere with normal operation.

Exchange

You should exchange

  • your callsign and name
  • a mention of the “Repeater Roundabout”
  • a signal report using the CM system (1-5, 1 being unreadable, 5 being perfect)

Scoring

One point per contact. You score one point for each contact you make on any repeater in this list. Multiple contacts on the same repeater count this year, so feel free to “run” a repeater ! Treat this like “running a frequency” during a contest. Also note that the person you contact does not necessarily have to be participating in the Repeater Roundabout for you to score a point – any non-duplicate contact counts. Note that duplicate contacts with the same person, on the same repeater, do not count.

Multipliers

  • It Pays to QRP. If you’re running 5W or less, the contact is worth double.
  • Club Connoisseur. If you make a contact on all repeaters with the same club name (for systems with at least two repeaters), your point score for that system are doubled.
  • Band Hog. If you hit at least 30 FM repeaters on the 2m or 70cm bands, your score for that band is doubled.
  • Full House. If you make a contact on at least 80 repeaters, your full score is doubled.

Logging

You should log

  • the date and time (in Pacific time) of the contact
  • the callsign of the person you contacted
  • their signal report for your signal
  • the repeater’s Repeater Roundabout number (RR#) – see the repeaters page
  • whether your contact was QRP (5W or less)

You must use this spreadsheet for logging, to make it easier to calculate your points. To get started, click on File, then Make a copy or Download.

Here’s an example log file :

Date Time Callsign Report RR# QRP
Nov 11 11:32 KI7RMU CM5 1 X
Nov 11 17:02 KD7DK CM3 35 X
Nov 12 08:51 WB7J CM4 57  
Nov 12 13:16 K7MCK CM2 22 X
Nov 12 13:16 KD7WGN CM5 102  

Logs can be submitted on this page. After the contest, a leaderboard will be published on this website. Logs must be returned to K7DRQ by November 20th to qualify.

FAQ

Is there a prize ?
Fame and fortune await you ! Or at least fame. There might be a trophy too.
Can I make a contact with the same person over and over again ?
Yes – on different repeaters. You can’t just make a contact every few minutes with the same person on the same machine. That would be a duplicate contact, and you won’t get points for it. It’s also not terribly respectful to those on the repeater ! This is the Dean Clause, named affectionately for Dean KG7ODB, who asked the question during an info session.
Explain the multipliers to me.
Sure ! First, you get double points for any contact made with 5W or less. Then, we do some sleuthing through the log, looking for club and band groups. If you hit 30 repeaters in either the 2m or 70cm bands, you get double points for all those contacts on that band. If you hit all of the repeaters in a given club, we double all those points too (for example, all three PSRG repeaters in the contest). Finally, if you activate at least 80 different repeaters, we double your full score. This is a big one, and will be hard to achieve, but well worth it !
Can I stay on the same repeater the whole contest ?
Yes ! You can “run a repeater”, like running a frequency during an HF contest. You can make contacts with different people, helping them activate that repeater. Some folk will move between machines, and some will stay put. A strategy that mixes the two will probably win out, in terms of points.
Can I arrange a contact beforehand ?
Yes, skeds are perfectly okay ! Arranging your QSO beforehand is perfectly fine. We have a Discord system that’s a great place to arrange a sked, or see who’s around to find you on a repeater.
Can I use Echolink, Allstar, or IRLP ?
You sure can ! The rules are the same, and nothing changes in the way you log your contacts. If a repeater has Echolink, Allstar, or IRLP, you can use it to make your contact. If you are connected to a linked repeater system, you may only claim points for the repeater you are directly talking to. The key is that the repeater must be transmitting your contact over RF. Please do not bridge a repeater to another repeater or conference; this is Benjamin’s Rule, after WY2K’s devious mind.
What’s the deal with DMR, DSTAR, and YSF ?
You can treat these as RF systems, accessing the repeaters directly over radio frequencies, or you can treat them as internet systems, using perhaps a local hotspot or similar to access the network. If the latter, the internet connectivity rule above applies : the repeater must be transmitting your QSO over RF for the contact to count.
Will each repeater have a club member monitoring ?
Perhaps ! This will come down to club strategy. Get on a repeater, ask to chat to someone, and see what happens. If you’re lucky, you’ll find someone who’s also participating in the Repeater Roundabout, and you can share your progress. If they aren’t, you can still chat about anything and everything, and the contact still counts.
Can I send logs in ADIF format ?
No, sorry. The spreadsheet is the only way to log your contacts. See the logging page for more information.