Date/Time: 1800Z October 20 until 0200Z October 21, 2002

Bands: 160 through 2 meters, excluding 30, 17, and 12 meters.

Special band activity times: 10 meters 2000Z; 15 meters 2100Z; 20 meters 2200Z. Purpose is to encourage IL ops to get on the higher bands.

Exchange: IL stations give RST and county; others give RST and state, province, or country.

Scoring: Count 1 point per phone QSO, 2 points per CW QSO. No repeater QSOs. Stations may be worked once per band and mode, and once per band/mode/county for IL mobile stations. Each vehicle is considered one station and must use only one call. Contacts with/by stations at the border of 2 counties count as 2 counties and 2 QSOs; the border of 3 (or 4) counties count as 3 (or 4) counties and 3 (or 4) QSOs. IL stations multiply points by the sum of states, IL counties, VE provinces, and a maximum of 5 DXCC countries (W/K and VE included). Count additional DX as points but not multipliers. Non-IL stations multiply points by number of IL counties worked. All stations may earn one extra multiplier for every eight QSOs made with the same IL county. However, IL 2/3/4 county border stations may count only 1 QSO (not 2/3/4) per contact toward this extra multipler. All stations may operate only one transmitter at a time.

Awards: Plaques will be awarded to the highest-scoring IL fixed station, IL mobile station, and out-of-state station. A traveling plaque sponsored by the Western Illinois Amateur Radio Club will be given for top IL Club score. Certificates will be awarded to the top 10 IL fixed stations, the top 5 IL mobile stations, the top IL county line portable station, the top QRP score, and the highest score (reporting at least 10 IL contacts) in each state, province, and country. Any out-of-state operator who makes at least 200 IL QSOs or works at least 75 IL counties will receive a food item such as honey from an Illinois farm, courtesy of N9JF.

Logs: Entrants must submit a log containing UTC, the call of the station worked, RST, state or province, IL county, band and mode. Circle new multipliers as worked. IL mobiles must indicate county changes in the log. Any station with over 100 QSOs must submit a dupe sheet. (Mobile entries send dupe sheet only for counties from which you make 100 or more contacts.) A summary sheet must also be submitted with every log. Entries must be postmarked by Monday, November 18, 2002. Mail your entry to: RAMS, c/o John Matz, KB9II, 7079 West Ave., Hanover Park, IL 60103. Rules, summary sheet, and results are available at http://my.core.com/~jematz/rams.html  You are invited to join the ILQSO email reflector at http://mailman.qth.net .

Entries may be disqualified if the rules of the Illinois QSO Party are not followed. The decision of the Illinois QSO Party Committee shall be final. Enclose a business-size SASE with your entry to receive a copy of the contest results.