Championship Medals FAQ
Q: Is the SMC Lifetime Achievement Award a separate program from the Championship Medals
Award Program?
A: Yes, separate programs. However, both programs have the same eligible contests and time
periods. The Lifetime Achievement Award is based on total QSO’s, while the Championship
Medals program is based on a points system.
Q: How are the number of points required for each medal determined?
A: The level required for a gold medal (20 points) was selected based on the ability of a station
with only wires/vertical antennas to achieve a gold medal with an exceptional effort. In general,
a member starting from scratch and earning bronze medals will achieve the Lifetime Achievement
Award (LAA) in 4-5 years. A member earning silver medals will achieve LAA in 2-3 years, and
a member earning gold medals will achieve the LAA in 1-2 years.
Q: Will there be a cost for the medals?
A: In order to encourage participation, the first year of the program (2023-2024), there will be no
charge for the medals. The SMC board will evaluate charging for medals after the first year.
Q: Can I donate toward the Championship Medals Program to help offset the cost of the medals?
A: Starting with 2024 dues, there will be an online option specific to the Championship Medals
Program that can be selected to donate to the program.
Q: I operate a lot of QRP and make fewer contacts. Is there some consideration for QRP
operation?
A: In the effort to maintain simplicity in the program, there are no separate award QSO levels
based on power. The program is also designed to maximize scores for the SMC.
Q: It may be difficult to reach the QSO levels required in the VHF contests, especially the January
VHF contest. Why are so many QSO’s required (100 QSO’s for 1 point, 250 QSO’s for 2 points)?
A: The VHF contest levels were set at half that of HF contests. Based on results from the January
2023 ARRL VHF contest, several SMC members exceeded 250 contacts with reasonable efforts
without exceptional VHF conditions.
Q: If I am a SMC member and travel to operate a contest from the Caribbean or other location
outside the SMC circle, does my operation county toward the Championship Leader Board and
Leaderboard programs?
A: Yes, following the guest operator and multi-operator guidelines of the programs.
Q: Will medal winners be recognized at the SMC Fest?
A: Yes. Each medal winner will be recognized at the SMC Fest. The presenter will announce
each winner and then the winner will be handed their medal (with ribbon) at their table.
Q: Will the Leaderboard Top 10 be recognized at SMC Fest?
A: During the awards ceremony, the Top 10 in each category will be included and announced as
part of the PowerPoint presentation. Certificates for the Leaderboards are PDF and distributed by
email.
Q: Do mobile and rover operations count toward the Championship Medals program and the
Leaderboards?
A: Yes
Q: Do I have to submit to both 3830.com and send in my log for points credit?
A: Yes. Points totals will be based on the number of contacts submitted on 3830.com, but a log
must also be summited to the sponsor to get credit in the awards program, with the SMC listed as
your club (with the exceptions for the NAQP contests, the state QSO parties, and if you are outside
the ARRL or CQ circles for a designated contest)
Q: I run SO2R using dipoles and a single tribander with a triplexer with a single feedline. Am I
still eligible for the Tribander/Wires Leaderboard category?
A: Yes. Note that the Championship Medals program and Leaderboards are based on a points
system, so the maximum number of points that can be achieved in any given contest are two (2)
Q: If I am in the Unlimited Antennas Leaderboard Category, how can I be competitive with the
really big stations?
A: The Leaderboard is intended to spur friendly competition between SMC members within an
antenna-limited category. Note that a maximum of two (2) points can be earned in any given
contest, so the key to being on the top of the leaderboard is radio-activity in as many contests as
possible (including VHF contests).
Q: I operate contests from home and remotely. What Leaderboard category should I declare?
A: You should declare the Leaderboard category matching the station you use for the majority of
your contests. For example, if you do most of your contests from a remote location, you should
declare the category that matches the antennas at the remote location. If you operate almost all
contests from your home location and only a few from a remote station, you should declare your
leaderboard category to match the antennas of your home station.
Q: I split my time between my home station in Illinois/Indiana/Wisconsin/Missouri/Iowa and
my station down south in Florida or Arizona. I am I still eligible for the Championship Medals
program? What Leaderboard Category should I declare?
A: You are eligible for the Championship Medals program so long as you are a full member of
the SMC, regardless of location. Your operations at multiple locations are eligible for the award,
so long as you contribute your scores to the SMC per the guidelines and exceptions. You should
declare the leaderboard category that matches the station with the best antennas from your multiple
locations.
Have a question that isn’t answered in the rules or these FAQs? Ask on the club’s general reflector.
