WCA - World Castles Award

http://www.wcagroup.org/ENG/intro.html

WCA - World Castles Award

The International Award program “World Castles Award - WCA” devoted to work on the air from castles, fortresses and other fortification works. It's founded on January, 14th, 2009 by group of Russian radiohams, members of RZ1CWC Radioclub under the aegis of the International Organization “Castles On The Air - COTA”. 

The program goal is consolidation of radiohams from different countries for activation and popularization of historical objects – castles, fortresses etc all over the world, learning and maintenance of the historical Heritage in our countries including monuments and architectural constructions relating to fortification.

World Castles Award program includes 11 diplomas, 1 award plate and E-Awards series for QSOs/SWLs with radiostations working from world castles, fortresses etc all over the world. 

At present time World Castles Award program cooperates and keeps up a friendly relations with such well-known national castles' and fortresses' award programs as:

- “Belgium Castles Award” (BCA), Belgium 

- “Castles and Palaces of Belarus Award” (CPBA), Belarus 

- “Castles and Stately Homes On The Air” (CASHOTA), England 

- “Castles and Stately Homes On The Air - Ireland” (CASHOTA-EI), Ireland 

- “Castles and Stately Homes On The Air - Northern Ireland” (CASHOTA-NI), Northern Ireland 

- “Castles On The Air - Croatia” (COTA-9A), Croatia 

- “Castles On The Air - Netherland” (COTA-NL), The Netherlands 

- “Castles On The Air - Russia” (COTA-RU), Russia

- “Castles On The Air - Kazakhstan” (COTA-UN), Kazakhstan 

- “Castles On The Air - Latvia” (COTA-YL), Latvia 

- “Castles On The Air Team - Germany” (COTA-DL), Germany 

- “Czech Castles Award” (CCA), Czech Republic 

- “Diploma Castillos de Catalunya” (DCC), Spain 

- “Diploma Castillos de Espana” (DCE), Spain

- “Diploma Castillos de Espana 1.0” (DCE 1.0), Spain

- “Diploma dei Castelli d’Italia” (DCI), Italy 

- “Diploma dos Castelos e Fortalezas de Portugal " (DCFP), Portugal 

- “Diploma Monumentos Historicos Portugueses” (DMHP), Portugal 

- “Diplome des Chateaux de la Suisse-Romande” (DCSR), Switzerland 

- “Diplome des Forts et Chateaux de France” (DFCF), France 

- “Hungarian Castle Series” (HCS), Hungary

- “Imperios do Divino Espirito Santo” (IDES), Azores islands, Portugal 

- “Le Diplome des Chateaux Suisse” (DCS-SSD), Switzerland 

- “Slovakia Castles Award” (SCA), Slovakia 

- “Slovenia World Castles Award” (S5 WCA), Slovenia 

- “Romanian Historical Objectives” (RHO), Romania 

- “Ukrainian Castles and Fortress Awards” (UCFA), Ukraine 

- “Zamki w Polsce” ( ZWP), Poland 

Monuments and architectural constructions relating to fortification from countries of Asia, Europe and the South America are present in lists of Historical objects for World Castles Award program.

For the first time the diploma relating to fortification has appeared more than 10 years ago. Now this theme becomes more and more popular. Even more often we hear on the air amateur radio stations working from fortresses. Diplomas, clubs, web-sites of fortresses radiohams-activators are created.

In April, 2009 the official site of World Castles Award program was created. The main goal of them are:

- Information support and announcement of forthcoming expeditions; 

- Selection of radio amateur diplomas, references relating to theme of fortification; 

- Publication of articles and photoreports about expeditions.

We invite to cooperation the radio amateur organizations, radioclubs, radiohams of all countries to accept active participation, express an interest to historical places within the limits of our hobby. To learn history, to receive good unforgettable impression of work on the air from world fortresses!

Welcome!

de RZ1CWC team.

73 & 11! from Castles and Fortresses in the World! 

WCA - World Castles Award. Rules

1. International Program “World Castles Award” (WCA) has been instituted by group of the Russian radiohams, members of Radioclub RZ1CWC, founders of "Castles On The Air-Russia” (COTA-Russia) award program.

2. The Purpose of the program is joining of efforts of radiohams in different countries for activation and popularization historical objects relating to fortification (fortresses, castles, forts e.t.c) and attract attention to historical and architectural heritage as well as visiting extant historical monuments all over the world .

3. Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defense in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs. 

The term is derived from the Latin fortis ("strong") and facere ("to make").Fortification is usually divided into two branches, namely permanent fortification and field fortification. Permanent fortifications are erected at leisure, with all the resources that a state can supply of constructive and mechanical skill, and are built of enduring materials. Field fortifications are extemporized by troops in the field, perhaps assisted by such local labor and tools as may be procurable and with materials that do not require much preparation, such as earth, brushwood and light timber, or sandbags.4. Contacts with objects of permanent fortification such as castles, fortresses, forts, fortified areas (including their parts like gate, walls, towers etc) having obviously expressed signs of preservation or anew restored are valid for WCA.Contacts with anew restored objects of field fortification such as stockaded towns, fortified ancient settlement etc are valid too.5. World Castles Award Program (WCA) includes following diplomas:WCA 50 - for QSOs with 50 any objects in the world;WCA 100 - for QSOs with 100 any objects in the world;WCA 200 - for QSOs with 200 any objects in the world;WCA 300 - for QSOs with 300 any objects in the world;WCA 400 - for QSOs with 400 any objects in the world;WCA 500 - for QSOs with 500 any objects in the world;WCA 600 - for QSOs with 600 any objects in the world;WCA 700 - for QSOs with 700 any objects in the world;WCA 800 - for QSOs with 800 any objects in the world;WCA 900 - for QSOs with 900 any objects in the world.The Award certificate “World Castles Activator Award - WCAA” is issued for work on the air form historical objects (activation) such as castles, fortresses, forts etc.

WCA HONOUR ROLL PLATE - for QSOs with 1000 any objects in the world.

E-Awards:WCA - Hunter - for QSOs for each 500 objects in the world beginning with 1500.6. For WCA 50 – WCA 900 need to have QSOs with not less than 3 countries from any continents.For WCA HONOUR ROLL PLATE need to have QSOs with not less than 10 countries from 3 continents.For WCA-Hunter there are no limitations by number of countries and continents.7. Object activation has to take place on a distance no more than 1000 meters (1km) from the object.It is permissible to activate two and more objects if they are located on a distance no more than 1000 meters (1km) from each other.* The exception from basic rules about distance from historical object are the criteria which were established earlier by some national award programs (DFCF, DCI, ...etc)It is not necessary to notify WCA Committee about object activation.. WCA Committee can require necessary data (photos, videos etc) if some activation gives rise to doubt.8. For WCA activators any activated object is valid for all awards of WCA series (WCA-50, WCA-100 etc) on conditions that made not less than 50 QSO. In this case in application for the award need to mark activated objects.

9. Recommended frequencies for work on the air during expeditions on fortresses and castles. 

CW : 3.531; 7.031; 10.121; 14.031; 18.081; 21.031; 24.911; 28.031

SSB : 3.731; 7.131; 14.251; 18.131; 21.251; 24.951; 28.551

10. On the base of S50CLX Cerkno Linux DX Cluster http://s50clx.infrax.si was created WCA cluster to inform about expeditions on fortresses and castles.

11. WCA Committee have made a decision to institute greeting code during working from fortification objects.

Code "11" ("Two towers") means "best wishes form castles and fortresses of the world". Thanks a lot to Sergey Beresnev UR7UT (WCAG # 002) for idea.

12. The new system of WCA identification numbers is constituted since November, 1st, 2009. 

All objects (castles, fortresses, forts etc.) are identified by an alphanumeric designation. Letters indicates the country according to prefixes, for example: DL - (Germany), I - (Italy), LY - (Lithuania) etc., and next digits indicates the serial number of object. For example: DL-00001, I-00002, LY-00003 etcOficial WCA - LIST (Excel ~ 6 Mb) is distributed by countries.WCA-List is not final and will be constantly updated.* It is permissible not to transmit superfluous zero during QSO to simplify transmission and receiving of identification numbers.** Correspondence between identification numbers of national award programs (BCA, CASHOTA, CASHOTA-EI, CASHOTA-NI, CCA, COTA-9A, COTA-DL, COTA-NL, COTA-RU, COTA-UN, COTA-YL, CPBA, DCE, DCE 1.0, DCFP, DCI, DCS, DFCF, DMHP, HCS, IDES, RHO, S5-WCA, SCA, UCFA, ZWP) and WCA identification numbers is in the table WCA - LIST (Excel ~ 6 Mb).13. Repeated QSOs are not valid. The object is valid only once regardless of bands and any kind of mode.14. The same award rules are for SWL.15. QSOs/SWLs are valid since January 1st. 1995 on any bands (including WARC) by any kind of modes.16. Application for diploma is based on the received QSL cards according to Application WCA form and must be signed by two radio hams. QSL-card must have identification number according to WCA-List. WCA Committee recommends to use WCA Aplication form DATABASE (EXCEL) download to register and apply for awards

QSL-card having object name or identification number according to national castles and fortresses award programs are valid for the diploma.

No QSLs, only certified application is required. The award manager can require QSL for check.17. Since 1st of September 2010 begun to work WCA E-LOG which allows to check up data about made QSOs without QSL validation for all awards of WCA series and make application for awards online. Author and manager - Jiri Suchy OK 5 NN. 18. The award can be issued for separate MODE (optionally).19. The application should sent to award manager. By e-mail: rn1cw@rambler.ru or award@wcagroup.org Or by post: Andrey A. Petushkov, RN1CWP.O.Box 340/5, Sosnovyj Bor,Leningrad oblast, 188540Russia 20. - Since January, 1st, 2011 the order an issue of the  “World Castles” Award (WCA) and “Castles On The Air – Russia” Award (COTA-RU) will change. Awards will be issue by two means:- in electronic form in JPG (free of charge);- in print form.The fee of WCA and COTA-RU in print form will be:- For Russia 200 Roubles, for the CIS countries - 7 EURO, 7 USD, 7 IRC.- For the others - 10 EURO, 10 USD, 10 IRC.- Fee of HONOUR ROLL please ask Award Manager at the moment of application21. Award certificate “World Castles Activator Award - WCAA” and WCA - Hunter are free of charge. You can obtain it in electronic form - JPG file completely ready for printing in A4 format (297x240) will send by e-mail.

73 & 11! from Castles and Fortresses in the World! 

http://www.wcagroup.org/ENG/intro.html