EH3ST · 12–23/09/2026 UTC · RadioClub del Tarragonès – EA3RCY

I Commemorative Tarragona Santa Tecla Festival Award

TARRAGONÈS RADIO CLUB

September 12–23, 2026
Special Event Callsign: EH3ST

I COMMEMORATIVE AWARD “SANTA TECLA FESTIVAL 2026 – EH3ST”

Official Rules – v1.0

1. Purpose of the Event

On the occasion of the Santa Tecla Festival in Tarragona, the Tarragonès Radio Club (EA3RCY) organizes the I Santa Tecla Festival Commemorative Award (EH3ST), an international on-air event open to licensed amateur radio operators and SWLs worldwide.

The aim of the award is to promote amateur radio, encourage cultural exchange, showcase the Santa Tecla Festival—recognized as a Heritage Festival of National Interest in Tarragona—and highlight its cultural heritage, especially its traditional Seguici Popular, the central feature of the celebrations.

Participation implies full acceptance of these rules.

2. Event Period

The event will run from 0000 UTC on September 12, 2026 until 2359 UTC on September 23, 2026 (Santa Tecla Day).
Activations will take place at different times depending on operator availability.

3. Special Event Station and Operators

Special event callsign: EH3ST.
Operated exclusively by authorized members and collaborators of the Tarragonès Radio Club.
All operators will use the same callsign.
The organization will coordinate bands, modes and operating schedules internally to ensure proper operation and avoid duplicate activations. Each operator may only be active on one band/mode combination at a time.
The list of authorized operators is published on the official website eh3st.ea3rcy.org.

4. Authorized Bands and Modes

Bands:
• HF: 160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 m
• VHF: 2 m band
• Satellite / QO-100
The organization may suspend operation on any band due to technical or propagation conditions.

Modes:
• SSB
• CW
• Digital (FT8 / FT4)
• FM
• DMR
• Satellite / QO-100

All QSOs must comply with IARU band plans and current regulations. Use of DX Cluster, RBN and equivalent spotting systems is permitted.

DMR operation: Valid DMR QSOs must be made exclusively via BrandMeister TG21443 (Tarragona Provincial), either through repeaters or hotspots.

Satellite/QO-100: All satellite QSOs count toward the Satellite category regardless of mode.

5. Scoring System

To earn the award, participants must score 60 points, symbolizing the approximately sixty elements making up the adult and children's Seguici Popular of the Santa Tecla Festival.
Each point symbolically represents one element of the procession.

QSO points:
Digital (FT8/FT4): 3
SSB: 6
CW: 8
VHF FM: 10
DMR: 15
Satellite/QO-100: 60

Once the award has been earned and downloaded after the event, participants may continue making QSOs to improve their ranking.

6. Valid QSOs

Contacts with EH3ST count once per day, band and mode.
Valid: different days, different bands, different modes.
Duplicates on the same day/band/mode do not count.
Official logs are final. All QSOs will receive electronic QSLs via LoTW, eQSL and QRZ.com.

7. Award Categories

General Mixed, SSB, CW, Digital (FT8/FT4), DMR, VHF FM and Satellite/QO-100. Participants compete simultaneously in the overall ranking and every category in which they have valid QSOs.

8. Special Awards

Worldwide Honorary Tecler: highest overall score.
EA Honorary Tecler: highest-ranked Spanish station.
RCY-EA Honorary Tecler: highest-ranked Tarragonès Radio Club member.
RCY Local Honorary Tecler: club member with the highest number of valid VHF FM QSOs.

9. SWL Participation

SWLs may participate under the same conditions. Logs must include date, UTC time, band, mode, station heard, correspondent callsign (if possible) and sufficient details to verify reception. Send to info@ea3rcy.org. Duplicates do not count.

10. Log Handling and Validation

Official log management will be carried out through HamAward.Cloud. Operators will upload logs in real time. Participants must not submit logs. The platform will display accumulated score, confirmed QSOs and rankings. Delayed uploads may occur in case of technical issues.

11. QSLs

All QSOs will be confirmed via LoTW, QRZ Logbook and eQSL. No paper QSL cards will be issued.

12. Exclusions

The following are not valid: QSOs via analog repeaters; QSOs relayed through intermediary stations; QSOs via VoIP platforms (EchoLink or similar), except DMR via the BrandMeister network using TG21443.

13. Award Download

From September 24, 2026 onward, certificates may be downloaded in PDF format from HamAward.Cloud. No printed certificates will be issued.

14. Rules and Conduct

IARU rules and current regulations apply. The organization may invalidate irregular QSOs.

15. Data Protection

Personal data will be used exclusively for award management. Only callsign, country/DXCC, score, ranking and awards obtained will be published. Data will only be shared with HamAward.Cloud, LoTW, QRZ Logbook and eQSL.

16. Contact

Tarragonès Radio Club – EA3RCY
Email: info@ea3rcy.org
Official website: https://eh3st.ea3rcy.org

17. Final Provisions

Participation implies full acceptance of these rules. The organizing committee may introduce organizational changes without altering the essential principles. Any unforeseen matter will be resolved fairly and in accordance with good amateur radio practice. All decisions of the organization are final.

18. Acknowledgements

The Tarragonès Radio Club thanks:
• Tarragona City Council
• HamAward.Cloud
• Participating operators
• Award designers
• Participating radio amateurs and SWLs

73 and we hope to work you on the bands during the Santa Tecla Festival!