The Repeater Roundabout will begin on November 23rd, 2024 at 00:00, and end on November 24th, 2024 at 23:59, Pacific time.
Repeaters
Only these 186 participating repeaters from 70 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. Please ensure you leave some space for others to user the repeater; some of these are used for emergency communications, and we don’t want to interfere with that.
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, 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.
- 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 you are running 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 December 1st 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 !
- 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 band activity. Then, if you hit 30 repeaters in either the 2m or 70cm bands, you get double points for all those contacts on that band. 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 ?
- Not this year. To keep things simple, we are going FM-only.
- 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.