"MARCONI - PATENTED BY" AWARD 2025

International Amateur Radio Award

”MARCONI - PATENTED BY”   is an international amateur radio award organized by the A.R.I. Radio Club of Fidenza (ITALY), with the patronage and historical supervision of "Guglielmo Marconi Foundation". This event aims to celebrate Guglielmo Marconi not only as a brilliant scientist and innovator, but also as a businessman, through the memory of some of his most significant patents. Indeed, the entrepreneurial activity allowed Marconi to maintain full control over the development and the technological applications of his inventions, ensuring the needed funding and the facilities necessary to continue in developing and improving the results of his experiments, aimed at perfecting each developed system: a virtuous circle, also well demonstrated by his non stop registration activity of a large number of patents, from 1897 to 1926. As summarized by Dr. Barbara Valotti (Guglielmo Marconi Foundation), curator of the initiative for the historical aspects: “..It is necessary to highlight the unique and extraordinary elements that made a twenty-year-old Italian with a "clear and sure" vision invent wireless communication and develop it in an international context by interacting perfectly on three fronts, the scientific, the technological and the entrepreneurial one, becoming first the pioneer and then the symbol of radio communications.". (Barbara Valotti, "Marconi, il ragazzo del wireless"). The award dedicates each month of 2025 to a specific patent registered by Guglielmo Marconi; the special amateur radio callsign derives from the acronym of the patent's theme.

Note: Marconian special calls with the prefix IY4 are active only on specific days and exclusively by transmitting from Guglielmo Marconi Foundation (Bologna, ITALY).

Click on the callsigns in the table to check your presence at LOG and award statistics

International Annual Marconi Award 2025 "MARCONI - PATENTED BY" Award Rules OBJECTIVE To perform as many QSOs as possible with the special commemorative stations listed above. “JOLLY” STATION In addition to the listed monthly special callsigns, during the whole year 2024 the “Jolly station” IQ4FE will be also on air. The contacts with this station will allow to recover up to a maximum of two not contacted monthly callsigns, according to the following rule: - To recover 1 monthly special callsign: at least 3 QSOs with IQ4FE during the year are required; - To recover 2 monthly special callsigns: at least 6 QSOs with IQ4FE during the year are required. SPECIAL CALLSIGNS WITH "IY” PREFIX During the whole year, some A.R.I. Fidenza special call signs with prefix IY will be also randomly active on the air. Prior to their activation these special call signs will be timely announced on the official website www.arifidenza.it and, at the end of the award, they will account for getting a special award certificate, according to the rule specified in this document. PERIOD OF OPERATION From 00.01 UTC of January 1 st, 2025 to 23.59 UTC of December 31st, 2025 PARTICIPANTS The award is worldwide, open to all licensed Radio Amateurs all over the world. SWLs can compete to obtain the participation award. EMISSION MODES CW, SSB and all admitted digital modes, e.g.: RTTY, FT8, JT65, JT9, PSK BANDS 1) HF (WARC bands included): 1.8, 3.5, 5, 7, 10, 14, 18, 21, 24, 28, 50 MHz 2) VHF (144 MHz) 3) UHF (430 MHz) 4) Satellite band OSCAR 100, using all emission modes permitted for this band and in compliance with the relevant Band Plan. Digital OSCAR 100 admitted modes include both narrow band modes and broad band DATV over trasponder. REPORTS Only the RS(T) report is required. LIMITATIONS AND DUPE QSOs Each commemorative station, as well as the “Jolly station” IQ4FE, can be contacted by the same station (callsign) only one time per day on the same band and using the same emission mode. Any additional contact with the same station on the same day, on the same band and using the same emission mode will be considered as a DUPE QSO, and its score will be set to zero points. SINGLE QSO SCORE Each valid (e.g. not dupe) QSO accounts for: - 1 point for NON QRP stations (emission power > 5 W) - 2 points for QRP stations (emission power ≤ 5 W) FINAL ANNUAL SCORE The final score is the sum of all QSO scores obtained during the year. LOG No log is required to be sent by the participating stations. The logs of the special commemorative stations will be published monthly on the official website www.arifidenza.it . As a general rule, each monthly log will be uploaded within the 10th of the following month. SWL SWLs interested in receiving the participation award must send their electronic log, only in ADIF format, by 31 January 2026 to the address marconiaward<at>arifidenza.it. SWL paper logs, as well as electronic logs in a format different from adif, will not be accepted. PARTICIPATION CATEGORIES AND AWARD’s RANKING There is only one participation category: ranking is assigned according to the absolute obtained score. AWARD CERTIFICATES - There are three different award’s certificates: 1) Participation Certificate: will be awarded to every station having contacted at least one time each of the twelwe award’s monthly special callsigns; 2) Exclusive Certificate: will be awarded to every station having contacted at least one time each of the twelwe award’s monthly special callsigns and all special A.R.I Fidenza IY call signs activated during the year 2025; 3) Special Certificate (Gold, Silver, Bronze): will be awarded to the first, second and third best scored participants respectively, based on the overall annual score. AVAILABILITY OF AWARD'S CERTIFICATE The award certificates will be made available for viewing and download in PDF format on the website www.arifidenza.it starting from January 2026. OFFICIAL REFERENCE WEBSITE The official reference website for any info related to this award is: www.arifidenza.it Reference email for further informations: marconiaward<at>arifidenza.it JUDGING RESPONSIBILITY The A.R.I. Fidenza Award Committee is responsible for any evaluation or decision on aspects related to the award, including any judgement about compliance with (or infringement of) the rules stated in this document during the activity On Air and any related litigation. All participants are expected to follow a respectful behavior, according to the general fair play principles and “HAM Spirit”. In case of any documented evidence of violation of the rules stated in this document, as well as in case of unfair, unsportsmanlike behavior, the A.R.I. Fidenza Award Committee is empowered to take adequate disciplinary actions, including score cut back or disqualification. The decisions taken by the A.R.I. Fidenza Award Committee will be irrevocable and unappellable. ------------ QSL Manager : IQ4FE - QSL via bureau or direct For Direct QSL: please no IRC - no stamps ! For Italy : SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) For Europe : 2 US $ + SAE (Self Addressed Envelope) For Pacific Area : 4$ + SAE Others countries : 3$ + SAE For any insufficient money contribution, the QSL will be sent via bureau. LOTW QSL service IS ALSO ACTIVE As a general rule, each monthly log will be uploaded within the 10th of the following month.