::.  RULES FISTS Straight Key Week FISTS CW CLUB New Rules - Now open to Non-Members (from 2002) FISTS CW Club invites all licensed radio amateurs and short-wave listeners to take part in its yearly Straight Key Week. This is a leisurely, relaxed, event and QSOs need not necessarily be of the "rubber stamp" variety if participants wish to chat and exchange more than the basic information required by the rules.

MORE INFO Text-only page FISTS HQ Web Site

Dates:

The SKW runs from: Sunday 5th September till Saturday 11th September 2004

Times:

From 0001 UTC on the Sunday to 2359 UTC on the following Saturday Details available from the contest manager shown below.

Frequencies:

Any licensed amateur frequency, except WARC bands.

Mode:

CW, using straight key only.

Exchanges:

RST / Name / QTH / FISTS Nr (Non-Members, send NM) / Day Number. Note: Sunday is Day 1, Monday Day 2, and so on up to Saturday Day 7. This allows duplication of working the same station on different days. All entrants must have used a straight Key for all their QSO’s, but the worked station does not have to use a straight key.

Classes:

A: Transmitting (including non-FISTS members) B: Short-wave listeners (including non-FISTS members)

QSO Scoring:

3 points for a Club Station 2 points for a Fist Member 1 point for a Non Member

Best Fist of the Year:

Entrants are invited to submit with their logs one vote for the station which they feel had the Best Fist of all stations worked (or participating stations heard and logged by SWLs). This station does not have to be a member of FISTS. The operator receiving the most votes will be declared "Best Fist of the Year", provided he/she has also submitted a log for the SKW, and has not been declared "Best Fist of the Year" in a previous SKW. If the station receiving the most votes is disqualified for either of these reasons the qualifying station receiving the next highest number of votes will be declared "Best Fist". If there are equal top votes the person scoring most points in the contest will be declared the winner.

Awards:

In the SKW, the "Best Fist of the Year" will be awarded a prize of a Morse key and a certificate. The first three runners-up in the voting for "Best Fist of the Year" in the SKW will be awarded certificates. The three highest scoring operators will receive certificates. The three SWL entrants with the highest number of points SKW will receive certificates. Recipients of any award or certificate in this event are not required to be members of FISTS.

Entries:

Logs to include: Date; Call worked or heard; Name; QTH; QRG; RST; Time; FISTS number (if not a member = NM); Day number; Points; and, one vote for "Best Fist" as described earlier. SWLs may log one or both participants in a participating QSO, provided they have not logged either of them in a previous QSO on the same day. The name and call sign of the entrant (or name of the SWL) should be printed clearly at the top of all log sheets. The name and address of the entrant should be printed at the end of the log together with his/her FISTS membership number, if applicable. Entries to be received by: Send the logs to: FISTS Contest Manager R. P. Kimpton, M5AGL 15 A Buckden Road, Brampton HUNTINGDON, Cambridgeshire PE28 4PR ENGLAND Or e-mail: E-mail: bobm5agl@btopenworld.com not later than the 25th September 2004.

Results:

Results will be published in Key Note, newsletter of FISTS CW Club, and radio related magazines. Non-members may obtain the results by sending an SAE to the Contest Manager, as above.

Date of info: February 22, 2002 Update: July 6, 2004	Source: Keith Farthing, MØCLO - FISTS Contest Manager Source: Mark Brendish, MØCMQ - FISTS 7701 New FISTS Contest Manager: M5AGL