Award of Swiss Castles (DCS-SSD), Award of Ticino Castles (DCTI), 
Award of Insubria Castles (DCIN)

 1)     Award of Swiss Castles (DCS-SSD), Award of Ticino Castles (DCTI),  Award of Insubria Castles (DCIN)  are created and released by GSRC-SSFG, the Swiss Castles Amateur Radio Group, to OM and SWL to make Swiss castles, their potentialities, amenities,  historical and architectural features known in the european history contest. To qualify for the Award the candidates must have activated or connected, or listened to if SWL, Swiss Castles quantity according to each Award.

2)   Bands and Operating Modes:  Are accepted QSO with Stations operating from Swiss Castles on all authorized bands and modes. For mixed modes operations will  be required the bigger quantity according to the following points 5), 6), and 7).

3)       Validity : Are accepted QSO with Stations operating from Swiss Castles belonging to the DCS-SSD List, dated not before the 1st Official Activation on Nov. 19th, 2005 or not before the Reference Number Releasing.

4)   Award Issuing: They are released to any XYL, OM and SWL that is able to send to the Award Manager the following documents:

• Dated and signed form  by wich the Candidate declares that the Laws and Rules in force on his Country and the Rules of the Award have been observed
• Log of the QSOs in the form of digital data files according to the following order: progressive number, reference number,correspondent callsign, date, GMT time, op. mode, band, reports; log files must be in .txt, .dbf, .xls or adif format.
• Sending of QSLs is not necessary; the Award Manager  will check by means of the Activators logs; in case of doubt he will ask for QSLs or other informations, according to his unquestionable judgement.
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5)   Swiss Castles Award, DCS-SSD :  It is released to anyone that has activated, connected, or listened to if SWL, the following quantities of Listed Swiss Castles:

• Stations from Switzerland : 20 Castles, or 18 if QRP only, located in at least 4 Cantons.
• Europeans Stations: 15 Castles, 13 if QRP only,  located in at least 3 Cantons.
• Extra-europeans Stations: 10 Castles, 8 if QRP only,  located in at least 2 Cantons.

In any case at least one of the Castles should be located in the Ticino Canton.

6)       Award of the Ticino Castles, DCTI : It is released to anyone that has activated, connected, or listened to if SWL, the following quantities of Listed Ticino Castles: at least 10 if Stations operating from Switzerland ; 7 for European Stations, and 5 for extra-european Stations. These quantities are reduced to 8, 5, and 3 Ticino Castles for QRP only operating stations.

7)   Award of the Insubria Castles, DCIN :  It is released to anyone that has activated, connected, or listened to if SWL, the following quantities of Insubria Castles : 2 Castles for each of the 3 Italian Provincies located in the Regio Insubrica (CO, VA, VB), and moreover for the Ticino Canton: 4 Castles, or 3 Castles if QRP only, for Stations operating from Switzerland or Europe; 2 Castles for all the other stations. For the 3 italian provincies castles all the QSO made according to the DCI Award Rules, but not before the 1st official activation date according to point 3) above.

8)  Award usage: Members can use this titlke on their QSL and in the correspondence. They are allowed neither to reproduce, except for theyr own disposal, nor modify the content of the obtained Aeard, or/and spread it without the Award Manager authorization.

9)  Awards: They are in the form of a printable .pdf file, coloured, personalized if required as follows , and sent by email with the request form. It will be in the form of  a personalized printed small paper, 297 x 210 mm (A4) in the other cases or by request.  In this case it is required to send a contribution of 3 SFr or 4 €  even as stamps, or 6 IRC for covering the costs. On  request the Award will contain the qualification of  Actrivator , Hunter ,  or SWL ,  mode  and class  of  operation  ; all  the activities  must  follow  the  suggestion  given  by  points 2)  3)  5)  6)  7) .

10)  Endorsments : For the DCS-SSD the Edorsment consists of colour sticker with the symbol of the Canton , and will be issued at activating, connecting, or listening to if SWL, at least 2 Castles of the required Swiss Canton. For the DCTI and the DCIN Awards no endorsments are issued.  A SASE or SAE+ IRC and the documents proving the right to the Endorsment, will be enclosed with the Endorsment Request Form according to the previous point 4)
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11)   Rules, Forms, Reference Lists: They are shown and downloadable on the official website of the DCS-SSD. They will be periodically updated. On these pages the released Awards will be also listed, classified by type, with callsign, modes, categories, and op name. This may be withdrawn by  request.  There is neither progressive classification nor Award release number; they will be issued in alphabetical order only. Contributions: Anyone having unformations about Castles or other eligible Objects not yet referenced, can send his documents to the Award Managers, and if possible send a self made photo of the probable reference, abstract of maps, short historical report, name and/or toponyms if known. The same documents are necessary for releasing new references; see point 14) 15)
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12)   Activators: The activation is accepted only if the operator follows the suggestions givven below:

• The station (aereal, radio sets, power supply, etc) will be located within a maximum of 500 metres from the Castle
• The Castle must be included in the Official Reference List valid for the DCS-SSD, or for the DCS-SSD and DCI Lists if valid for the DCIN Award.
• The activation of Castles not yet included in the Official List is not allowed, even if the Reference has been required but not yet released.
• As Activators may want to take part in the Hunter Category too, theyr operations will count as connected Reference.
• At least 50 two-way QSO phone, 47 on QRP phone, or 40 in all the other modes must be done.
• The quantities for mixed mode operations will be the biggest of the above quantities.
• A maximum of one reference for each day of operation is allowed.
• To validate the activation, the Activator is obliged to send the Award Manager , as in point 4), within 15 days from the end of operations, the following:  digital logs, self-made clear digital photographic documentation proving the activation, the self made photographic documentation of the reference only without aerials or operators, if not already on the sitepages; the Validation Form, completely filled in, and other permissions obtained, if any.The Operators living near References are required to send Logs for the first 200 QSO, after that Logs will be send when the Operator believes it useful, or upon Management request for updating .For the case explained in points 9) and 10) send the required refunds.
• The operators living near the reference will have to enclose an abstract of the country’s topographical map showing the distance between their residence or station location and the Reference.
• The sending of the form and documents could come by normal mail or by email, but in form of digital files only.
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13)    Valid Castles:   Only the Castles,  mentioned in the Officila List, are valid. New References may be issued by Award Management, motu proprio or on request, see point 12) . Neither temporary references, nor by telephone request will be released for any reason.

14)  References: The Castle will receive, if approved, a reference made up of:

• Award Acronym - Canton Abbreviation  Progressive Number; i.e., DCS-TI001 .
• New References may be released by the Award Management , see point 12)
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15)    Castle Definition : Castle, Rock, Tower, Bastion, wall surrounded hamlet or cittadel, fortress, fort, fortified door (maximum one for each village) fortified buildings or residences, Landfogti’s houses, and any building related to the fortified architecture created for military or defensive reasons before but not after 1930

16) Rules Understanding : The Rules are updated  by the Award Manager everytime it will be necessary, and thereafter published on the Official Websitepage; Version number explain the date of updating, piblioshing, and validity. The Rules are completed to every effect by instructions, provisions, notes of application and of integration, to be published separately,  deduced by questions and problems meet by the Users, wich are invited to submit their questions to the Management.  In case of doubtful understanding of the Rules, the original text will be the correct and valid reference.

17)   Acceptation : All types of candidates to the Awards have read and accepted under implicit agreement this rules, and they will respect the instructions during their operations, beside the rules, the laws and codes of the country where the operations take place. Among them the Ham Radio Operator Code, written in 6 points by Paul M. Segal and commented by Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW.

18)  Award Managers :    
·         Luciano Lucini, HB9FBI, POBox 215, CH-6760 CARI’ luciano.lucini@bluewin.ch  Award Manager.
·         Augusto Battistoni, HB9TZA, CH-6946 Ponte Capriasca hb9tza@uska.ch  Award Technical Manager

List of Castles: http://castles.ham-radio.ch/Doc_Intro/References/DCS-HB_list.htm

HOME PAGE: http://castles.ham-radio.ch/intro.htm