T H E A W A R D R U L E S 9h3jr+9h1pi v. 02.03.2018
1) Award of Swiss Castles (DCS-SSD), Award of Insubria Castles (DCIN) are created and released by GSRC-SSFG, a Swiss Amateur Radio Group of Castles, to YL, OM and SWL to make Swiss castles, their potentialities, amenities, historical and architectural features known in the european history contest.
2) Awards Obtaining To qualify for the Award the candidates must have activated or connected, or listened to if SWL, Swiss Castles quantity according to each Award.
3) Bands and Operating Modes: Are accepted QSO with Stations operating on all authorized bands and modes.
4) Validity : Are accepted QSO with Stations operating from Swiss Castles belonging to the DCS-SSD List.
5) Award Issuing: They are released to any YL, OM and SWL that is able to send to the Award Manager the following documents:
- Dated and signed application by wich the Candidate declares that the Laws and Rules in force on his Country have been observed
- Log of the QSOs in the form of digital data, containing: the reference, the name of the connected station, date, UTC time, mode, band, reports. The logs must be in ADIF format.
- Sending of QSLs is not necessary; the Award Manager will check by means of the Activators logs; in case of doubt he will ask for QSLs or other informations, according to his unquestionable judgement.
6) Swiss Castles Award, DCS-SSD, Hunter: It is released to anyone that has connected, or listened to if SWL, at least 10 Listed Swiss Castles.
Swiss Castles Award, DCS-SSD, Activator: It is released to anyone that has activated at least 5 Listed Swiss Castles.
7) Award of the Insubria Castles, DCIN, Hunter: It is released to anyone that has connected, or listened to if SWL, 1 Castles for each of the 3 Italian Provincies located in the Regio Insubrica (CO, VA, VB), and 4 Castles for the Ticino Canton.
Award of the Insubria Castles, DCIN, Activator: It is released to anyone that has activated 2 Castles of the 3 Italian Provincies located in the Regio Insubrica (CO, VA, VB), and 2 Castles located in the Ticino Canton.
8) Award usage: Members can use this title on their QSL and in the correspondence. They are allowed neither to reproduce, except for their own disposal, nor modify the content of the obtained Award, or/and spread it without the Award Manager authorization.
9) Awards: They are in the form of a printable .pdf file, coloured, personalized, sent by email. It will be in the form of a personalized printed small paper, 297 x 210 mm (A4) by request. In this case it is required to send a contribution of 6 SFr or 4 € even as stamps, or 6 IRC, for covering the costs. The amounts can be paid with PayPal at: luciano.lucini@email.it
10) Honour Roll DCS-SSD: It is granted to all those who have connected, or heard if SWL, 100 DCS-SSD castles from all 26 cantons of the Confederation. For the Activators, 50 castles from 13 cantons will be required. It consists of a personalized mug with the applicant's first name, surname and call. The cost is 25 FrSv or € 15, or 20 US $, to which must be added any shipping costs, payable with PayPal at: luciano.lucini@email.it.
11) Rules, Forms, Reference Lists: They are shown and downloadable on the official website of the DCS-SSD , http://ssfg-gsrc.ch . They will be periodically updated. On these pages the released Awards will be also listed, classified by type, with callsign, modes, categories, and op name. This may be withdrawn by request.
12) Contributions: Anyone with information related to Castelli or other unlisted, and 'asked to send news to the managers, and if possible document the probable reference with their photos, extracts from maps and brief historical information, naming or local toponyms, if any. This same documentation is necessary for the request for the assignment of new references.
13) Activators: The activation is accepted only if the operator follows the suggestions given below:
- The station (aereal, radio sets, power supply, etc) will be located within a maximum of 1000 metres from the Castle.
- The Castles must be included in the Official Reference List valid for the DCS-SSD, or for the DCS-SSD and DCI Lists if valid for the DCIN Award.
- As Activators may want to take part in the Hunter Category too, their operations will count as connected Reference.
- At least 50 two-way QSO must be done. A maximum of one reference for each day of operation is allowed, with a maximum of 2 references for each day of activity. Any exceptions must be previously agreed with the management.
- To validate the activation, the Activator is obliged to send by email to the Award Manager within 30 days from the end of operations, the following: digital logs, clear digital photographic documentation, also of the Reference if not already on the sitepages; the .kmz files with the location of the reference and the radio station. For the resident OMs, the sending of the logs is required for the first 50 QSOs..
- The operators living near the reference will have to enclose an abstract of the country’s topographical map showing the distance between their residence or station location and the Reference.
14) References: The Castle will receive, if approved, a reference made up of: Award Acronym - Canton Abbreviation - Progressive 3 Number; i.e., DCS-TI001 .
15) Castle Definition : Castle, Rock, Tower, Bastion, wall surrounded hamlet or cittadel, fortress, fort, fortified door (maximum one for each village) fortified buildings or residences, Landfogti’s houses, and any building related to the fortified architecture created for military or defensive reasons before but not after 1945.
16) Acceptation: All candidates to the Awards have read and accepted under implicit agreement this rules, and they will respect these instructions during their operations, beside the rules, the laws and codes of the country where the operations take place. It is recommended that the rules contained in the IARU Reg. 1: Ethics and operating procedures for the amateur radio. Contestations or doubtful cases will be decided by the Managers, whose decision is final.
17) Award Managers: Any contact with the management, as far as the DCS-SSD diploma or activations are concerned, must be sent via email to the official address, staff@ssfg-gsrc.ch.
Management is made up of:
• Luciano Lucini, HB9FBI, P.O.Box 215, CH-6760 CARI’; luciano.lucini@bluewin.ch ;
• Claudio Galbusera, HB9EFJ, Vicolo Asilo 1, CH-6600 MURALTO; hb9efj@ticino.com .