 February 28, 2024 Editor: Paul Bourque, N1SFE | |
In this Issue:
Upcoming Contests - Things to Do ARRL International DX SSB Contest The ARRL International DX SSB Contest, gets underway this weekend at 0000 UTC on Saturday, March 2, and concludes at 2359 UTC on Sunday, March 3. This is a great contest to work some DX and to add to your DXCC totals. The contest exchange for stations in the U.S. (with the exception of Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions) and Canada is a signal report and your state or Canadian province. This differs from contests like ARRL November Sweepstakes, and operating events like Field Day, where the sent exchange is your ARRL or Radio Amateurs of Canada Section abbreviation. Please refer to the appropriate ARRL contest multiplier lists below: The exchange for DX stations located outside of the lower 48 states and Canada is a signal report and transmitter power output. For complete rules and more information, visit www.arrl.org/arrl-dx/. Upcoming State QSO Parties For those of you who enjoy state QSO parties, here are some upcoming events that might be of interest to you. More details can also be found in the Contests section. March 9: March 10: North American RTTYSprint The North American RTTY Sprint takes place next weekend, starting at 0000 UTC on Sunday, March 10 (Saturday evening in North America), and concluding at 0359 UTC. Full rules and contest details are available at https://ncjweb.com/north-american-sprint/. Round One of the YOTA Contest Contest Summary See the "Contests" section below for complete contest information. February 29 March 1 March 2 March 3 March 4 March 5 March 6
March 7 March 8 March 9
March 10 March 11
March 12 March 13
Results and Records February North American CW Sprint Preliminary Results The preliminary results for the February, 2024 North American CW Sprint are available at https://ncjweb.com/north-american-sprint/. The organizers report that there was a nice bump in activity this year, with lots of active multipliers, resulting in some great scores. The full results will be available in a couple of weeks. - Thanks to Ward Silver, N0AX. 2023 FT Roundup Results The 2023 FT Roundup results have been posted to https://www.rttycontesting.com/ft-roundup/2023-results/. - Thanks to Don Hill, AA5AU and Ed Muns, W0YK. 2024 CQ WPX RTTY Raw Scores CQ WPX RTTY Contest Director Ed Muns, W0YK, has announced that the raw scores for the 2024 CQ WPX RTTY contest are now available at https://cqwpxrtty.com/raw.htm. Participants are reminded that the scores are computed prior to any score deductions in the log checking process. Conversation With the ARRL International DX SSB Contest coming up this weekend, I'd like to remind participants to be mindful of band edges. If you're operating near the upper or lower edges of the band, or of your operating privileges, be aware that your signal's bandwidth may extend beyond what the frequency display on your radio is reading. For example, when operating lower sideband phone, if your radio dial reads 7.125 MHz, your signal extends outside of the phone privileges for US amateurs and into the CW portion of the 40-meter band. The ARRL website has a handy, printable US Amateur Radio Allocations Chart for those who wish to have one for quick reference. That's all for this time. Remember to send contesting-related stories, book reviews, tips, techniques, press releases, errata, schematics, club information, pictures, stories, blog links, and predictions to [email protected]. Contests February 29, 2024 - March 13, 2024 An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral is available as a PDF. Check the sponsors' website for information on operating time restrictions and other instructions. HF CONTESTS CWops Test (CWT), Feb 29, 0300z to Feb 29, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 2. CWops Test (CWT), Feb 29, 0700z to Feb 29, 0800z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 2. NCCC FT4 Sprint, Mar 1, 0100z to Mar 1, 0130z; FT4; Bands: (see rules); 4-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 3. Weekly RTTY Test, Mar 1, 0145z to Mar 1, 0215z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 3. QRP Fox Hunt, Mar 1, 0200z to Mar 1, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Mar 2. NCCC Sprint Ladder, Mar 1, 0230z to Mar 1, 0300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Mar 3. K1USN Slow Speed Test, Mar 1, 2000z to Mar 1, 2100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 3. ARRL International DX Contest, SSB, Mar 2, 0000z to Mar 3, 2359z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; W/VE: RS + (state/province), non-W/VE: RS + power; Logs due: Mar 10. Novice Rig Roundup, Mar 2, 0000z to Mar 10, 2359z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 15, 10, 2; Name + QTH + Optional (Rig, NRR number); Logs due: Apr 9. Wake-Up! QRP Sprint, Mar 2, 0600z to Mar 2, 0800z; CW; Bands: 40, 20; RST + Serial No. + suffix of previous QSO ("QRP" for 1st QSO); Logs due: Mar 9. UBA Spring Contest, CW, Mar 3, 0700z to Mar 3, 1100z; CW; Bands: 80; ON: RST + Serial No. + UBA Section, non-ON: RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 17. NSARA Contest, Mar 3, 1200z to Mar 3, 2200z; CW, SSB, Digital; Bands: 80; Nova Scotia: RS(T) + county, non-NS: RS(T) + QSO No.; Logs due: Apr 2. SARL Hamnet 40m Simulated Emergency Contest, Mar 3, 1200z to Mar 3, 1400z; SSB; Bands: 40; Class A: RS + Serial No. (starting with 201), Class B: RS + Serial No. (starting with 401), Class C: RS + Serial No. (starting with 601), Class D: RS + Serial No. (starting with 801), Non-participants: RS + Serial No. (starting with 001); Logs due: Mar 8. WAB 3.5 MHz Phone, Mar 3, 1800z to Mar 3, 2200z; SSB; Bands: 80; British Isles: RS + serial no. + WAB square, Other: RS + serial no. + country; Logs due: Mar 13. K1USN Slow Speed Test, Mar 4, 0000z to Mar 4, 0100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 6. ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 4, 1300z to Mar 4, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 7. OK1WC Memorial (MWC), Mar 4, 1630z to Mar 4, 1729z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 8. ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 4, 1900z to Mar 4, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 7. RSGB 80m Club Championship, Data, Mar 4, 2000z to Mar 4, 2130z; RTTY, PSK; Bands: 80; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 5. Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, Mar 5, 0100z to Mar 5, 0159z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RS + age group (OM, YL, Youth YL or Youth); Logs due: Mar 6. ARS Spartan Sprint, Mar 5, 0200z to Mar 5, 0400z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + (state/province/country) + Power; Logs due: Mar 7. ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 5, 0300z to Mar 5, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 7. AGCW YL-CW Party, Mar 5, 1900z to Mar 5, 2100z; CW; Bands: 80; YL: RST + Serial No. + "/YL/" + name, OM: RST + Serial No. + "/" + name; Logs due: Mar 19. QRP Fox Hunt, Mar 6, 0200z to Mar 6, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Mar 7. Phone Weekly Test, Mar 6, 0230z to Mar 6, 0300z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; NA: Name + (state/province/country), non-NA: Name; Logs due: Mar 8. A1Club AWT, Mar 6, 1200z to Mar 6, 1300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RST + Name; Logs due: Mar 11. CWops Test (CWT), Mar 6, 1300z to Mar 6, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 9. Mini-Test 40, Mar 6, 1700z to Mar 6, 1759z; CW; Bands: 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 8. Mini-Test 80, Mar 6, 1800z to Mar 6, 1859z; CW; Bands: 80; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 8. CWops Test (CWT), Mar 6, 1900z to Mar 6, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 9. UKEICC 80m Contest, Mar 6, 2000z to Mar 6, 2100z; SSB; Bands: 80; 6-Character grid square; Logs due: Mar 6. Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest, Mar 7, 0000z to Mar 8, 0300z; CW; Bands: 40; Maximum 13 wpm, RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (Member No./power); Logs due: Mar 14. CWops Test (CWT), Mar 7, 0300z to Mar 7, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 9. CWops Test (CWT), Mar 7, 0700z to Mar 7, 0800z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 9. NRAU 10m Activity Contest, Mar 7, 1800z to Mar 7, 2200z; CW, SSB, FM, Digital; Bands: 10; RS(T) + 6-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 21. SKCC Sprint Europe, Mar 7, 2000z to Mar 7, 2200z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (SKCC No./"NONE"); Logs due: Mar 14. NCCC FT4 Sprint, Mar 8, 0100z to Mar 8, 0130z; FT4; Bands: (see rules); 4-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 10. Weekly RTTY Test, Mar 8, 0145z to Mar 8, 0215z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 10. QRP Fox Hunt, Mar 8, 0200z to Mar 8, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Mar 9. NCCC Sprint, Mar 8, 0230z to Mar 8, 0300z; CW; Bands: (see rules); Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Mar 10. K1USN Slow Speed Test, Mar 8, 2000z to Mar 8, 2100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 10. YB DX RTTY Contest, Mar 9, 0000z to Mar 9, 2359z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 16. SARL Field Day Contest, Mar 9, 0800z to Mar 10, 1000z; CW, SSB, Digital; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RS(T) + Number of transmitters + Category (see rules) + Province (or "DX"); Logs due: Mar 15. RSGB Commonwealth (BERU) Contest, Mar 9, 1000z to Mar 10, 1000z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 15. SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, Mar 9, 1200z to Mar 10, 2359z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (SKCC No./"NONE"); Logs due: Mar 17. EA PSK63 Contest, Mar 9, 1200z to Mar 10, 1200z; PSK63; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; EA: RSQ + province code, non-EA: RSQ + Serial no.; Logs due: Mar 25. South America 10 Meter Contest, Mar 9, 1200z to Mar 10, 1200z; CW, SSB; Bands: 10; RS(T) + CQ zone; Logs due: Mar 17. DIG QSO Party, SSB, Mar 9, 1200z to Mar 10, 1100z; SSB; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; DIG Member: RS + Member No., non-Member: RS; Logs due: May 31. AGCW QRP Contest, Mar 9, 1400z to Mar 9, 2000z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + QSO No. + class(pwr) + (AGCW Member No./"NM" if not member); Logs due: Mar 23. Stew Perry Topband Challenge, Mar 9, 1500z to Mar 10, 1500z; CW; Bands: 160; 4-Character grid square; Logs due: Mar 25. Oklahoma QSO Party, Mar 9, 1500z to Mar 10, 2100z; CW, Phone, Digital (no FT8); Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; OK: RS(T) + County, non-OK: RS(T) + (state/province/country); Logs due: Apr 6. TESLA Memorial HF CW Contest, Mar 9, 1800z to Mar 10, 0559z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No. + 4-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 15. Idaho QSO Party, Mar 9, 1900z to Mar 10, 1900z; CW, Phone, Digital (no FT8); Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; ID: County, non-ID: (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 20. North American Sprint, RTTY, Mar 10, 0000z to Mar 10, 0359z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20; [other station's call] + [your call] + [serial no.] + [your name] + [your state/DC/province/country]; Logs due: Mar 17. FIRAC HF Contest, Mar 10, 0700z to Mar 10, 1700z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RS(T) + Serial No. + "F", Non-member: RS(T); Logs due: Mar 24. YOTA Contest, Mar 10, 1000z to Mar 10, 2159z; CW, SSB; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Single Op: RS(T) + age (on Jan 1 of year of contest), Multi-Op: RS(T) + average age of ops (on Jan 1 of year of contest); Logs due: Mar 15. Wisconsin QSO Party, Mar 10, 1800z to Mar 11, 0100z; CW, Phone, Digital (no FT4/8); Bands: All, except WARC; WI: county, non-WI: (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 24. 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint, Mar 11, 0000z to Mar 11, 0200z; CW, SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RS(T) + (State/Province/Country) + Member No., Non-member: RS(T) + (State/Province/Country) + Power; Logs due: Mar 13. K1USN Slow Speed Test, Mar 11, 0000z to Mar 11, 0100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 13. ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 11, 1300z to Mar 11, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 14. OK1WC Memorial (MWC), Mar 11, 1630z to Mar 11, 1729z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 15. ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 11, 1900z to Mar 11, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 14. Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, Mar 12, 0100z to Mar 12, 0159z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RS + age group (OM, YL, Youth YL or Youth); Logs due: Mar 13. ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 12, 0300z to Mar 12, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 14. QRP Fox Hunt, Mar 13, 0200z to Mar 13, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Mar 14. Phone Weekly Test, Mar 13, 0230z to Mar 13, 0300z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; NA: Name + (state/province/country), non-NA: Name; Logs due: Mar 15. A1Club AWT, Mar 13, 1200z to Mar 13, 1300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RST + Name; Logs due: Mar 18. CWops Test (CWT), Mar 13, 1300z to Mar 13, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 16. Mini-Test 40, Mar 13, 1700z to Mar 13, 1759z; CW; Bands: 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 15. Mini-Test 80, Mar 13, 1800z to Mar 13, 1859z; CW; Bands: 80; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 15. CWops Test (CWT), Mar 13, 1900z to Mar 13, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 16. RSGB 80m Club Championship, CW, Mar 13, 2000z to Mar 13, 2130z; CW; Bands: 80; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 14. AWA John Rollins Memorial DX Contest, Mar 13, 2300z to Mar 17, 2300z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20; RST + Eqpt Type + Eqpt Year; Logs due: Apr 1. VHF+ CONTESTS VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest, Mar 6, 1700z to Mar 6, 2100z; FT8; Bands: 144 MHz; 4-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 11. SARL VHF/UHF FM Contest, Mar 9, 0800z to Mar 10, 1000z; SSB; Bands: 50 MHz, 144 MHz, 432 MHz; RS(T) + 6-character grid locator; Logs due: Mar 15. UBA Spring Contest, 2m, Mar 10, 0700z to Mar 10, 1100z; CW, Phone; Bands: 2; ON: RS(T) + Serial No. + UBA Section, non-ON: RS(T) + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 24. VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest, Mar 13, 1700z to Mar 13, 2100z; FT8; Bands: 432 MHz; 4-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 18. See also: SKCC Sprint Europe, SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, Oklahoma QSO Party, Wisconsin QSO Party, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest Log Due Dates February 29 March 1
March 2 March 3
March 4 March 5 March 6
March 7 March 8
March 9 March 10
March 11 March 12 March 13
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The first round of the
