"MARCONI: GENIUS AND BRAINWAVE" Award

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”MARCONI: GENIUS AND BRAINWAVE” is an international, worldwide award organized by A.R.I. Fidenza, a Radio Club affiliated to A.R.I., Associazione Radioamatori Italiani (Italian Amateur Radio League) with the sponsorship and the historical consultancy and supervision of  Guglielmo Marconi Foundation and Marconi Museum The main objective of the award is to commemorate and honor some of the most important events and steps in the life of the great Italian scientist, spreading their knowledge as much as possible both at national level as well as internationally. The award period lasts the whole year 2020: every month of the year is dedicated to one specific event, and is associated to a different special callsign.

MONTH	SPECIAL CALL	EVENT
JANUARY	II4BRN	Guglielmo Marconi birth in Bologna (1874)
FEBRUARY	II4MLB	First broadcasting transmission: sopran Nellie Melba’s concert (1920)
MARCH	II4MCY	Foundation of first “Marconi Company” (1897)
APRIL	II4FTX	First transatlantic radio signal transmission (1901)
MAY	II4TEA	First radio message between United States and Great Britain (1903)
JUNE	II4REP	“Republic” ship’s rescue (1909)
JULY	II4NBL	Nobel Prize (1909)
AUGUST	II4CLT	Inauguration of the Coltano’s radio station (1911)
SEPTEMBER	II4PTN	First patent request submission (1896)
OCTOBER	II4LGH	Radio – driven lighting in Sidney (1930)
NOVEMBER	II4RVT	Inauguration of first Vatican broadcasting station (1931)
DECEMBER	II4MDY	Marconi day at World’s Fair in Chicago (1933)

Click on callsigns for Award statistics informations

GENERAL RULES AMATEUR RADIO AWARD "MARCONI: GENIUS AND BRAINWAVE" 2020 edition The award period lasts the whole year 2020: every month of the year is dedicated to one specific event, and is associated to a different special callsign, as listed in table. OBJECTIVE  To make as many QSO as possible with the "special commemorative stations” listed in Table 1. “JOLLY” STATION In addition to the monthly special callsign listed in Table 1, during the whole year 2020 the “Jolly station” IQ4FE will be also randomly active on the air. The contacts with this station will allow to recover up to a maximum of two not contacted monthly callsigns, according to the following rule: To recover 1 monthly special callsign: at least 6 QSOs with IQ4FE during the year are required; To recover 2 monthly special callsigns: at least 12 QSOs with IQ4FE during the year are required; PERIOD OF OPERATION From 00.01 UTC of January 1 st, 2020 to 23.59 UTC of December 31st, 2020 PARTICIPANTS  The award is worldwide, open to all Radioamateurs in the world BANDS 1.8, 3.5, 5, 7, 10, 14, 18, 21, 24, 28, 50, 144 e 430 MHz: 160, 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10, 6, 2 e 0,7 meters EMISSION MODES CW, SSB and all admitted digital modes, e.g. : RTTY, FT8, JT65, JT9, PSK. RS(T) EXCHANGE  RS(T) report only. LIMITATIONS AND DUPE QSOs  Each commemorative station can be contacted by the same station (callsign) only one time per day on the same band and using the same emission mode. Any additional contact with the same station on the same day, on the same band and using the same emission mode will be considered as a DUPE QSO, and its score will be set to zero points. PARTICIPATION CATEGORIES 3 QTH categories and 2 Power categories are established. QTH CATEGORIES: Italian Stations European, NOT italian stations Extra european stations POWER CATEGORIES QRP stations, with output power ≤ 5 W NOT QRP stations, with output power > 5 W within the legal power limits allowed in the relevant country SINGLE QSO SCORE To each of the 6 possible category combinations, the score assigned to each valid (not dupe) QSO is defined according to the rule resumed in the following table:   SCORE MONTHLY TOTAL SCORE For each participating station, the total monthly score PM will be calculated as follows: PM = S•N where S is the overall monthly score, that is, the sum of the scores of all QSOs performed in the relevant month, and N is the total number of QSOs performed in that month. The multiplying factor N is introduced with the aim to encourage participation and assiduity on the air, “rewarding” the most perseverant stations being equal the total number of QSOs made with the monthly activating stations, according to the score assignment rule by category (A, B, C, see below). Indeed, the rwarding factor N has a quadratic impact on the monthly score connected with the number of QSOs : a station having contacted a the same number of activating stations than another station, but performing a double number of QSOs, would obtain a fourfold total score.   OVERALL ANNUAL SCORE For each participating station, the overall annual score PT will be calculated as the sum of all 12 monthly scores PM obtained over the whole year. LOG ONLINE MANAGEMENT AND SCORE CHECK The final ranking is available here: You can also check your presence in the log via the links in the table below.   MONTH SPECIAL CALL JANUARY II4BRN FEBRUARY II4MLB MARCH II4MCY APRIL II4FTX MAY II4TEA JUNE II4REP JULY II4NBL AUGUST II4CLT SEPTEMBER II4PTN OCTOBER II4LGH NOVEMBER II4RVT DECEMBER II4MDY   SCORE RANKING CATHEGORIES Three ranking categories are defined, as follows: Category C: Stations having reached a minimum score of 500 points, contacting at least 4 out of 12 A.R.I. Fidenza commemorative stations, each of them on at least 3 frequency bands; Category B: Stations having reached a minimum score of 1000 points, contacting at least 8 out of 12 A.R.I. Fidenza commemorative stations, each of them on at least 3 frequency bands; Category A: Stations having reached a minimum score of 2000 points, contacting all 12 A.R.I. Fidenza commemorative stations, each of them on at least 3 frequency bands. The special “participation category” P is also established, for which a “participation certificate” is foreseen, which will be assigned to all participant stations having collected at least 120 QSOs with the A.R.I. Fidenza commemorating stations and/or with the “Jolly station” IQ4FE, regardless of the score obtained according to the scoring rule by category A, B and C. AWARD FORMAT For each of the three score categories, the relevant award is available here:   as PDF file, as soon as the requested score for the concerned award category has been reached. INFO AND REFERENCE WEBSITE The official reference website for any info related to this award is : www.arifidenza.it. JUDGING RESPONSIBILITY The A.R.I. Fidenza Award Committee is responsible for any evaluation or decision on aspects related to the award, including any judgement about compliance with (or infringement of) the rules stated in this document during the activity On Air and any related litigation. All participants are expected to follow a respectful behavior, according to the general fair play principles and “HAM spirit”. In case of any documented evidence of violation of the rules stated in this document, as well as in case of unfair, unsportsmanlike behavior, the A.R.I. Fidenza Award Committee is empowered to take adequate disciplinary actions, including score cut back or disqualification. The decisions taken by the A.R.I. Fidenza Award Committee will be irrevocable and unappellable.  ------------ QSL MANAGER : IQ4FE  -  QSL via Bureau or direct For direct QSL, please NO IRC, NO STAMPS ! For Italy : SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope); For Europe : 2 US $ + SAE (Self Addressed Envelope); For Pacific Area : 4 US $ + SAE; For other countries : 3 US $ + SAE; For any insufficient money contribution, the QSL will be sent via bureau.