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Rules

The QcPOTA (Quebec Park on The Air) event is supported by Fédération des clubs radioamateurs du Québec.

1. Duration

  1. The QcPOTA event will run from 00:00 UTC april 1, 2021 until 23:59 UTC December 31, 2021.

2. Goals

  1. To Promote Quebec's parks to the world.
  2. To promote Amateur Radio portable operation creating activity on the air from as many of the officially-listed parks of Quebec.  Also we need people from their home QTH to chase these activations.

3. Eligibility

  1. The QcPOTA event is open to all licensed Amateur Radio operators world-wide.

4. Administration

  1. The Quebec Parks on the Air 2021 Program will be administered only through this web site and by e-mail.
  2. No paper, photo logs or QSLs will be allowed for award credit.

5. QcPOTA parks, QSOs, Bands and Modes

  1. The complete list of QcPOTA parks and their alphanumeric identifiers is available here.
  2. Parks eligible for the QcPOTA event are based on the officially recognized Sépaq’s parks and Wildlife reserves and regional parks. There were 231 Parks. Parks not on this list are ineligible for QcPOTA credit.
  3. QSOs (simplex contacts) made on all Amateur Radio bands and modes are permitted, see band plans for Canada.  Cross-band QSOs, QSOs made through remote stations, repeaters, digipeaters, Echolink, or IRLP will not count. A specific exemption is granted for QSOs made through the recognized Amateur Radio satellites, through the International Space Station and EME.
  4. You may work any parks once on each mode (3), on each band for QcPOTA credit. There will be no tracking of QSOs by band or mode.

6. Exchange

  1. The exchange is RST plus the Quebec parks identifier (e.g. “QC001”).  See Parks Lookup for a complete list of accepted park identifiers.
    Example 1: Excellent phone contact from National Park d’Aiguebelle: –  59 QC001
    Example 2: Readable Weak CW contact from Parc National du Bic: –  469 QC003
  2. RST may be omitted for Satellite contacts. Log files sent by email in ADIF format will be accepted without RST when the <sat_name> tag is present.

7. Valid Activations of parks

For an operation from a park be valid, the following criteria must be met:

  1. The Activator and all components of the Activator’s Amateur Radio station must be physically present on the property of the claimed park, or if it’s impossible like Marine Park, within 100 yards / meters from the water's edge .  Activations from parking lots, visitor’s centres and other property of the specific park are acceptable. Operations from public sidewalks are not permitted.
  2. The Activator must make a minimum of ten (10) QSOs during their activation.
  3. Activator should email their log as soon as possible.
  4. All logs to be submitted no later than January 31, 2022.
  5. You must be in another UTC day before an operation in the same park is considered a separate activation. Example of a UTC day in summer: from 8 p.m. on June 1st to 7:59 p.m. on June 2nd.
  6. In the event an Activator fails to make the required 10 QSOs for a valid activation, any QSOs made will still count for the Chaser stations that worked the Activator.
  7. No remote stations in parks are eligible.
  8. No home fixed-stations that happen to be within parks are considered Activators, they may only be Chasers. Portable and mobile operations are permitted as Activators. A specific exemption is granted for QSOs made from permanent club Amateur Radio stations set up in a Park.
    Example 1: ************************************.
  9. If one location provides for activation of more than one park it is permitted – submit proof.
    Example 1: Geoparc mondial UNESCO de Percé and National Parc de L’Ile-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, but QSO made on the Island.
  10. Overlapping parks in 2 Provinces can be activated only in Quebec.
  11. During an activation, multiple call signs may be used with the same equipment and antennas provided that: (a) each call sign makes its own contacts, (b) separate logs are maintained and submitted for each call sign. Two or more separate activations using separate equipment and antennas may be in the same park at the same time.
  12. No Repeater for contacts is permitted. Repeater or third party solicitation for contacts is permitted. DX cluster spots and web page listings of activations is permitted.
  13. Contacts in various modes to be conducted in “gentleman’s agreement” accepted portions of the band.
  14. Each time the date is changed (UTC or Zulu time), a new activation attempt is launched.

8. Certificates

  1. Four awards certificates will be available.  You’ll find more details here.
  2. All awards will be electronic for self-printing.

9. Accreditation Criteria

  1. While it is unlikely RAQI will ask for documentation, RAQI reserves the right to ask for verification of any claimed operation from a park at any time. Activators of parks should secure as much documentation as possible to verify the operation did indeed take place at the claimed park on the claimed date. This documentation can include, but is not limited to:
    • A photo of the Activator in front of the park’s main sign or distinguishing landmark.
    • Image of GPS latitude/longitude coordinates.
    • Park receipt.

10. Miscellaneous

  1. All entrance fees to parks are the responsibility of the Activator.
  2. Activators must present themselves to park officials and explain their activities, if available, as some sites may not be staffed.  Printable Introduction to Staff letters are available on the QcPOTA web site.
  3. All contacts for a Chaser award must be made using call signs issued to the same station licensee.
  4. All QSOs for the Chaser Award must be made from Canada, the United States, or from your home DXCC entity.
  5. QSOs (activator) made with a club call sign count for the club and for the operator, QSOs (chaser) made with a club call sign count for the club only.
  6. The use of remote stations is permitted for Chasers only, the remote station must be in its country. Activators are not permitted to use remote stations.
  7. Exemplary conduct is expected of all Amateur Radio operators participating in the QcPOTA event.
  8. Actions that may lead to disqualification include, but are not limited to:
    1. The submission of forged or altered confirmations.
    2. The presentation of forged or altered documents in support of an Activation.
    3. Participation in activities that create an unfavorable impression of Amateur Radio with parks authorities. Such activities include malicious attempts to cause disruption to or negatively affect the accreditation of an Activation, or disregard of parks or Industry Canada regulations (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada).
    4. Not submitting activation logs by email in a timely manner. The deadline is January 31, 2022.
  9. All Activators are reminded that they are ambassadors of Amateur Radio to parks staff and to the general public, and should do everything possible to present Amateur Radio in a positive light when operating within a park. Parks Staff have the right to enforce rules at parks as they see fit and all parks staff must be afforded all possible cooperation, courtesy and respect.
  10. Operations from roads within parks may be conducted as a mobile station while traveling on the road, or from rest areas and scenic lookouts directly attached to the route. Parking on the shoulder of the road itself to conduct an activation is dangerous and should be avoided.
  11. Each QcPOTA participant, by applying, or submitting documentation, stipulates to :
    1. Observing all pertinent governmental regulations for Amateur Radio in Canada.
    2. Observing all parks rules.
    3. Being bound by the QcPOTA rules.
    4. Being bound by the decisions of the Awards Committee.

11. Waiver of Liability

  1. Participants in the QcPOTA event do so at their own risk. Participants activating any parks agree to: take all necessary safety precautions, follow all rules and regulations of parks and instructions from parks staff; choose an operating site wisely; avoid interactions with wildlife; and not to disturb other guests.
  2. La Fédération des clubs radioamateurs du Québec (RAQI) and parks assume no liability for any Amateur Radio operator participating in the Quebec Parks on the Air 2021 (QcPOTA) event and participants agree to assume all risk and liability for damage to personal property and injury to persons that may result from such operation, and La Fédération des clubs radioamateurs du Québec (RAQI) cannot be held responsible.

12. Results

  1. Results can be viewed on the Leader board page of the QcPOTA web site.
  2. Results will be published in “RAQI bulletin” magazine published after the January 31st, 2022 log submission close date. The results will also be published on the RAQI website at: http://www.raqi.ca/.
  3. All entries (electronic only) must be submitted using the instruction to send your log of this web site no later than January 31, 2022.
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