Istra Contest Conference Honor Plaque

Recognizing Excellence in Ham Radio Contesting

Launched in August 2024 • Presented Annually in October

About the Award

The Istra Contest Conference is pleased to announce the establishment of a prestigious award to recognize outstanding individuals and clubs or teams that have made significant contributions to the amateur radio society in the field of ham radio contesting.

This esteemed award, launched in August 2024, will be presented annually to the deserving winners at the Istra Contest Conference in October, acknowledging their exceptional achievements and dedication to the field.

Key Dates
August 2024

Award Launched

October 2025

First Award Ceremony

Annual Event

Presented each October

2024 Award Winners

Lifetime Achievement Award

Tine Brainik - S50A
Tine Brajnik - S50A

Tine has been active in amateur radio since 1963 and has made exceptional contributions to contesting over his 61-year career. He has participated in WRTC six times as a competitor and was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 1995. Tine has also held numerous leadership positions in amateur radio organizations, including founding the YU DX Club and Slovenia Contest Club.

His dedication to the hobby and mentorship of younger operators makes him a deserving recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Recent Contributions Award

Team C - S50C
Team C - S50C

Team C (Radio Klub Domažale and their best friends) has demonstrated exceptional performance in contesting over the past decade. They have achieved remarkable results in various competitions including VHF, CQ160m, and CQWW DX contests from multiple locations including Slovenia, Corsica (as TK0C), and D4C.

Their technical expertise, excellent organization, and willingness to share knowledge with the community have led to multiple European wins and their first CQ WW DX World win in 2023, making them deserving recipients of the Recent Contributions Award.

Award Categories

Recent Contributions

This category acknowledges recent contributions to the field of contesting, where achievements from the past year will be evaluated, although not limited to only the previous year's accomplishments.

Nominees can be individuals, clubs, or teams who have made significant recent impacts in ham radio contesting.

Lifetime Achievement

This category recognizes individuals for their lifetime achievements and dedication to the field of contesting.

The Lifetime Achievement Award can only be awarded once to individual candidates, honoring their enduring contributions to the amateur radio contesting community.

Evaluation Criteria

Primary Evaluation Areas
  • Promotion of amateur radio competitions (not limited only to HF competitions)
  • Popularization of contesting among young people and other newcomers to the hobby
  • Results achieved in amateur radio competitions
  • Contributions to organizations and gatherings related to contesting
Additional Considerations
  • Development of open-source and non-commercial technology (hardware and software)
  • Social media promotion of amateur radio contesting
  • Work on publishing amateur radio magazines, bulletins, and internet portals
  • Contributions to forums and other community platforms
ICC Award Criteria (PDF)

Nomination Process

Who Can Nominate
  • Clubs
  • Contest teams
  • DX clubs
  • National and local associations
  • A group of at least four (4) operators

Formal associations verify the application according to their own internal organization rules. If the proposer is an informal group, the application must contain group members' signatures.

Nomination Requirements

The nomination must contain:

  • Information about the group or association that submitted the nomination
  • Name of the person or group being nominated
  • A brief written description including:
    • Brief biography of the individual
    • List of activities that have contributed to the contest community
    • Explanations and links to websites, media releases, or professional articles

Nominations are submitted via email to:
award@istracontestconference.com

Award Committee

Committee Members

Paolo, IK3QAR
Sven, DJ4MX
Edin, E74A
Slobodan, YT9A
Vesselin, LZ5VK
Goran, S55OO
Csaba, HA3LN

New committee members from 2025.

Tine, S50A
Ivo, S57AL

Supervision Board

Davor, 9A1UN
Mirko, 9A6KX
Emir, E77DX

Note: Any member of the supervision team or committee is not eligible for a personal reward.