CONTESTERS GO ONLINE FROM DAYTON

For those contesters heading to the Dayton Hamvention, there will be more than enough events to attend - but for those not able to get to the Miami Valley of Ohio this year, your computer can help you feel like you are part of the action. NEW

TOP RECORDS FALL IN 2012 WPX SSB

The rollercoaster that has been propagation in ham radio contesting was once again up and down in the 2012 CQ WPX SSB Contest, but that didn't stop another big turnout and maybe a new Single Operator record and a huge new top score in the Multi-Multi category. MORE

SUN REMAINS STORY FOR 2012 ARRL SSB

After fantastic worldwide conditions last fall for the CQ WW DX Contests, the sun has not been cooperating so far for contesters in 2012; that was true in the ARRL DX CW test, limiting the best six-band DX propagation to those stations in the Carribean and it might well mean the same kind of contest in the ARRL DX SSB. MORE

WILL SUN SHINE ON 2012 ARRL DX CW

Just as fast as sunspot numbers went up in the latter part of 2011, now they've gone down to lower levels in February, sparking questions about whether this solar cycle has peaked already. One thing is for sure - if the sun can perk back up, the ARRL DX CW Contest may bring a focus again on new records, as we saw last year. MORE

STRATEGY CHOICES IN NAQP CW TEST

The story is a familiar one now for the January running of the North American QSO Party, with plenty of active sunspots fueling the bands - but with more open bands also come more decisions on how best to maximize your score in this contest that counts multipliers on every band from 160 to 10 meters. MORE

2012 STARTS BIG WITH ARRL RTTY

After a 2010 contest that saw a number of individual country and W/VE section records set by RTTY contesters, much improved band conditions may spur even more action in this year's first big contest, the ARRL RTTY Roundup. MORE

HOPING FOR RECORD ARRL 10 TEST

After suffering through years of ARRL 10 Meter Contests where conditions sounded more like a somewhat dead 6 meter band, the 2011 version could turn out to be a record breaking affair, as contesters are hoping for what some predict will be "amazing" conditions this coming weekend. MORE

RECORDS FALL IN 2011 CQ WW CW

With high sunspot numbers for the first time in eight years, the 2011 CQ WW CW Contest lived up to the hype, as wide open high bands brought huge numbers of contacts on 10 meters, helping to boost scores around the world and likely re-writing a chunk of the CQ WW record book in the process. MORE

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2011 CQ WW CW

With sunspot numbers still high, radio-sport.net starts the preview of this year's CQ WW CW contest, which if the bands are anything like they were in CQ WW SSB, then 10 and 15 meters will have more than enough DX activity to keep everyone interested for the last weekend in November. MORE

STRATEGY CHOICES IN ARRL SS SSB

With the high bands active and sunspot numbers still high, the question is how will wide open bands on 10 and 15 meters impact this year's ARRL November Sweepstakes SSB Contest? Like other contests, it's been a number of years since more than a handful of operators went down 10 meters to make a few QSO's. NEW

OPEN BANDS SPUR HOPE FOR CQ WW CW

From the big contest multi-ops to the little guy hunting for a few new countries, the return of 10 meters in the 2011 CQ WW SSB Contest was a welcome change from years of sluggish high band conditions - and it left many hoping for a repeat later this month in the 2011 CQ WW CW Contest. NEW

ARRL SS CW LOOKS FOR ONE WINNER

With some of the best contest conditions in years and new low power category offerings this year, contesters kick off the ARRL Sweepstakes for 2011 with one thing certain - it will be difficult to repeat the "dead heat" that resulted in a tie last year between Pat Barkey N9RV and Mark Obermann AG9A. Also, don't forget there are new low power sections inside the Assisted and Multi-Op categories for the first time this year. MORE

HIGH BANDS WIDE OPEN IN CQ WW SSB

After years of slogging through difficult conditions on the high HF contest bands, the 2011 CQ WW SSB Contest produced especially big numbers on 10 meters in a weekend that thrilled contesters around the world. "Conditions were incredible," said one top American contester just minutes after the contest ended. MORE

ACTIVE SUN EXPECTED FOR CQ WW SSB

With what may be the best solar conditions for propagation since 2002, the CQ WW DX SSB Contest arrives the last weekend in October with high hopes for both a big turnout and stellar scores. "This could very well be the best CQWW season in nearly a decade," said one top contester. MORE

CQ WW STARTS WRTC QUALIFYING RUN

Not only is the CQ WW DX SSB Contest the biggest ham radio test of the year, but it's also the kick off of a very difficult one month stretch for hams around the world - and especially in the US and Canada - on the road to qualifying for the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship. MORE

SOAB TOP TENS FOLLOW ZONES 5 & 14

When you are sitting down trying to figure out who might win the 2011 CQ WW DX Contest, taking a look back at the Top Ten from recent years shows that two of the most populous areas in the world - the East Coast of North America and Western Europe - also find their way into the Top Ten most often. MORE

MULTIS FACE NEW CQ WW LOCKOUT RULE

The biggest new rule in this year's CQ WW DX Contests is aimed at multi-operators, trying to make sure that those stations aren't running too many signals on one band. In order to make sure that doesn't happen, CQ WW is now requiring a "lockout" device to make sure only one signal is transmitted. MORE

CQ WW ORGANIZERS URGE "FAIR PLAY"

Part of an ongoing public relations offensive on cheating, the organizers of the CQ World Wide DX Contest are again urging contesters around the world to follow their operating rules and embrace "fair play." "The results depend on all of us being honest," said the CQ WW Contest Director K3EST. MORE

CQ EYES POST-CONTEST LOG CHANGES

As part of the drive to insure "fair play" in ham radio contesting, top officials from the CQ World Wide Contest Committee are asking contesters to end the practice of using outside aid to alter their logs after the contest has ended. "Your contest result is a measure of your contesting skill," said one CQ WW CC member. MORE

TEAM W2RE EXPLAINS "HONEST" MISTAKE

The first American team to be publicly penalized with a "Yellow Card" in the CQ WW DX Contest argues their sanction was the result of an "honest mistake." Read the explanation from Team W2RE about how they ran afoul of the CQ WW rules in the 2010 CQ WW DX Contest. "Basically, we were NOT cheating," the team told radio-sport.net. MORE

MORE LOW POWER OPTIONS IN ARRL SS

As you start your planning for the 2011-2012 contest season, there are more offerings for low power contesters, as extra categories will now be available in this year's ARRL November Sweepstakes, with the Multi-Op and Unlimited (Assisted) divided into both High and Low Power competitions. MORE

ARRL DX RULE CHANGES STILL POSSIBLE

While a broad effort to overhaul the rules of the ARRL DX Contest has been delayed after a summer dispute over those proposals, the leader of the Contest Advisory Committee still intends to push ahead and present a reform plan to the ARRL in coming months. MORE

MORE PENALTIES IN CQ WW CW RESULTS

The offensive on ham radio contest cheating continues for the CQ Worldwide Contest Committee, as the results for the 2010 CQ WW CW test included two Red Cards and five Yellow Cards for rules violations, as three different stations in Europe were penalized in both the SSB and CW contests. Plus, the first Yellow Card has been handed out to a US station, as Team W2RE received a public rules rebuke. MORE

RUSSIAN DX AUDIO BRINGS MULTI DQs

Armed with audio evidence from this year's contest, organizers of the Russian DX Contest this week announced a series of DQ's in their 2011 test, and vowed to crack down even more in 2012. At the same time, the CQ WW Contest Committee is moving forward with a new rule designed to prevent multiple signals at the same time on one band from multi-ops for this year's CQ WW DX Contests. MORE

ANOTHER CQ WW CHEATING CRACKDOWN

The cheating crackdown started several years ago by the CQ World Wide Contest Committee showed no signs of easing up, as the newly-issued results of the 2010 CQ WW SSB Contest included three Red Card and two Yellow Card violations. Also, 54 different entries were moved into the Assisted category because of the use of outside assistance. MORE

24 HOURS OF IARU PRESENTS OPTIONS

It may only be a 24 hour contest, the but the IARU HF Contest continues to grow, offering contesters not only a shorter contest period, but also a variety of category options. The Low Power categories remain the most popular, while someone looking for a soft spot might want to look at QRP. If you want to have a good chance at victory, Zone 28 and Europe may be a popular location. MORE

EXPECTED HAM DIVIDE ON ARRL DX RULES

An in-depth ARRL review of possible changes to the rules for the ARRL DX Contest has brought the expected range of opinions from the ham radio contest community, though a strong majority of emails to radio-sport.net showed surprising support for the idea of changing to a new scoring concept, using a distance-based scoring system like one in the popular Stew Perry 160 Meter Contest. NEW

LONG LIVE THE CONTEST LOW BANDS?

Even as the sun has shown signs of life in the last six months, a new report from the U.S. National Solar Observatory raises the question of whether the next solar cycle might be even less active than many had been forecasting in recent years. In other words, it could bring on an extended period of solar inactivity - bad for the higher HF bands like 10 and 15 meters, but great news for the low bands on 80 and 160 meters. NEW

ARRL DX RULES CHANGES UNDER REVIEW

The ARRL Contest Advisory Committee is considering a series of major rules changes for the ARRL DX Contest, some of which have sparked strong email battles in recent days over how best to foster changes that will bring increased participation in the future. The skirmishes have mainly focused on a distance-based scoring system and limits on the hours a single operator could spend in the contest. MORE

2011 WPX CW TAKES CENTER STAGE

After tough conditions on the bands in 2010, organizers are hopeful that this weekend's CQ WPX CW contest will draw a big field, though sunspot numbers may not be as high as back in March for the SSB leg of this popular contest. NEW

CONTEST FOCUS ON HAMVENTION 2011

For thousands of amateur radio enthusiasts - and hundreds in the ham radio contest community - the prime destination next week is Dayton, Ohio, for the 2011 Dayton Hamvention, which runs from May 20-22. As always, the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Dayton is the focus for most of the in-person contest pileup action. MORE

DERBY WEEK BRINGS STATE QSO TRIPLE

This weekend starts the run for the "Triple Crown" in horse racing, with the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, just as ham radio contesters in the US have their own triple contest battle, with the New England, Indiana and 7th Call Area QSO parties. MORE

EXTRA SUNSPOTS SHINE ON FLORIDA QSO

The end of April is here, which means the Sunshine State moves to center stage with the 2011 edition of the Florida QSO Party, where the goal has become not "if" you can get a sweep of Florida's 67 counties, but how fast - except when it comes to SSB. MORE

STELLAR CONDITIONS FOR WPX SSB TEST

After years of post contest reviews that sounded similar themes of awful conditions on the HF high bands, contesters are hoping that things are now on the upswing after 48 hour contest with big openings on 10 and 15 meters, this time in the CQ WPX SSB test. "We finally got good conditions for a contest weekend!" said WPX Contest Director Randy Thompson K5ZD. MORE

WPX SSB BACK IN CHEATING CRACKDOWN

As the bands come alive this weekend for the CQ WPX SSB Contest, there's fresh evidence from the results of the 2010 WPX SSB of the ongoing crackdown by contest sponsors on cheating within the ham radio contest community. Jim Sullivan W7EJ is the defending WPX SSB champ in 2011, as he set a new Single Operator record last year from CN2R in Morocco, while Team DR1A set a new record for most prefixes. MORE

NO TIME TO WASTE AFTER RUSSIAN DX

This year's Russian DX Contest may not be remembered for enhanced HF band conditions, but rather for the fast turnaround that will be needed by top competitors to insure that they are eligible for awards in this 24 hour test, all an effort by organizers to get tough on ham radio contest cheating. MORE

CQ BERU IN 74th COMMONWEALTH TEST

After a good weekend of propagation for the ARRL DX SSB Contest, the big beneficiaries of that could be those participating in the Commonwealth Contest, as the familiar "CQ BERU" will be heard on the bands this weekend in the 74th edition of what's known as the "original DX contest." MORE

THERE'S NO METERS LIKE 10 METERS

While the 2011 ARRL CW Contest gave contesters a small taste of openings on 10 meters, last weekend's ARRL SSB test delivered for many, registering numbers not seen in a number of years on that band. "Simply amazing on Sunday," reported a number of US operators, most of whom hadn't run Europe on 10 meters in at least five years. MORE

CHEATING CHARGES CLOUD ARRL DX CW

Instead of talk about extra 10 meter propagation and better contest conditions, the week after the ARRL DX CW Contest turned into accusations about cheating - focused on one Russian operator - and allegedly intentional bad spots put out during the test by another contester. MORE

RD3A RIPS 18 YEAR OLD ARRL CW MARK

An 18 year old record seems to be out the window in the ARRL DX CW contest, as a trip to the Carribean for Russian contester Valery Komarov RD3A has given him the top claimed score in this year's test, and a huge edge over the SOAB HP record held since 1993 by Jeff Steinman ex-KR0Y, now N5TJ. MORE

BACK TO TOPBAND FOR CQ 160 SSB TEST

After a big weekend on all HF contest bands for the ARRL DX CW contest, this weekend brings a focus on 160 meters, with the 2011 running of the CQ 160 SSB Contest. The big question will be, what does the sun have in store for this Topband test? The signs from ARRL CW show that there could be a good bit of trans-Atlantic and Pacific DX. NEW

NEW CATEGORIES FOR ARRL DX CW 2011

As operators prepare for the 2011 version of the ARRL DX CW Contest this weekend, ham radio contesters will have some new category choices to make thanks to some changes by the American Radio Relay League, as the Single Operator Assisted and the Multi-Single categories now have a Low Power option as well. MORE

FCG TRIES FOR 'SOUTHERN DAYTON'

A new crackdown on cheating announced last week by the organizers of the Russian DX Contest was a hot topic of conversation as contesters from around the U.S. and the Carribean gathered in Orlando, Florida, all part of this past weekend's Orlando Hamcation. See the pictures and how organizers are trying to make the Florida Contest Group Super Suite into the 'southern Dayton.' MORE

RUSSIAN DX UNVEILS TOUGH NEW RULES

In yet another bid by a major contest to put the squeeze on possible cheating, organizers of the Russian DX Contest have unveiled plans that tighten the rules on log submissions for top scoring entries to just 36 hours and require the frequency of every contact to be in a log entry. MORE

RECORDS IN DANGER IN 2011 WPX RTTY

The fastest growing segment of the ham radio contest community continues to be RTTY contesting, and this coming weekend that will be very apparent on the bands, with the 2011 running of the CQ WPX RTTY Contest. The 2010 WPX RTTY shattered the record for submitted logs, as entries went up 16%. MORE

WRTC ACTION RETURNS IN NA SPRINT CW

If you have shied away from the some of the qualifying contests for the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championships because of time constraints, you may have no excuse this coming weekend, as the North American Sprint CW Contest enters the WRTC fray. For four hours of contesting, you could grab yourself 800 WRTC points. MORE

10 HOURS FOR 87 MINNESOTA COUNTIES

The Land O'Lakes grabs top billing on the state QSO party circuit this coming weekend, as the Minnesota QSO Party throws a 12-hour contest onto the bands, with a good group of mobiles and some new rules - and prizes that include food - to stir up extra activity. MORE

TOPBAND TAKES OFF WITH CQ 160 CW

It's time to head back to the Topband, as the biggest 160 meter contest of the year arrives this weekend, with the CQ 160 CW test. While it may not have the unbelievable conditions of two years ago, it's still a chance for expert and newcomer alike to work a host of DX from all corners of the world. MORE

HAMS IN TUNISIA HOPEFUL ON FUTURE

As the regime of Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali collapsed over the weekend, some of the many citizens of that nation watching up close were ham radio operators from the North African nation, wondering if the change in government might mean more opportunities for contesters and radio hobbyists in 3V. MORE

MORE WRTC ACTION IN NORTH AMERICA

Contesters in North America get another crack at a World Radiosport Team Championship qualifying event this weekend, as the SSB leg of the North American QSO Party is on the schedule for contesters. Last weekend's NAQP was the usual furious affair, which was spiced up by some openings on 10 meters. MORE

FAMOUS CONTEST NAMES IN COURT FIGHT

In a legal battle that involves some very familiar names for ham radio contesters, the amateur radio products company DX Engineering has accused two companies and the hams that run them of wrongly copying and selling a patented antenna product. MORE

WRTC QUALIFYING BACK WITH NAQP CW

Qualifying for the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship gets off to a fast start in the New Year, as the CW leg of the North American QSO Party comes this weekend, launching a busy schedule of WRTC qualifying in 2011. For hams in North America, NAQP CW is followed next weekend by NAQP SSB, both of which are worth 800 WRTC qualifying points. MORE

ARRL RTTY LOOKS FOR MORE RECORDS

If you search the record book for the ARRL RTTY Roundup, it doesn't take long to realize how much the sport of RTTY contesting has grown in recent years, as there are dozens of individual marks from just the last few years of that test. And as the RTTY Roundup arrives this weekend, there's no reason to think that contesters won't find a way to repeat that type of success in 2011. MORE

STILL NO SIMPLE ANSWER ON SUNSPOTS

As we move into 2011, the good news about 2010 was that there was more activity on the sun, which translated into more band openings and better propagation for ham radio contesters. The bad news is that experts continue to reduce their predictions for the strength of the next solar cycle. NEW

CQ WPX JOINS CQ WW WITH PUBLIC LOGS

With a recent survey showing overwhelming support for making contest logs public, the CQ WPX Contests will follow CQ WW in publishing the logs of all entrants on the internet, the second major contest to make that groundbreaking step. MORE

NAQP SCRAPS SINGLE OP RULES CHANGE

For the second time in a month, organizers of a ham radio contest have found themselves struggling to define operator assistance revolving around the CW Skimmer and other wide-band CW decoding technology, as a rules change for the 2011 North American QSO Party that would have allowed assistance for Single ops was shelved on Christmas Eve. MORE

OVER 30 NEW MULTS IN ARRL 10 METERS

Is your logging software up to date? You need to make sure, because the ARRL 10 Meter Contest returns for 2010 with some changes. More multipliers are being added, as the 32 states of Mexico will now become part of the lingo of this popular ham radio test. MORE

BANDS DELIVER FOR 2010 CQ WW CW

Despite solar conditions that had many worried about a lackluster weekend on the high bands, the 2010 CQ WW CW Contest was better than expected in terms of propagation, as defending Single Operator champ Valery Komarov RD3AF quickly staked his claim to a repeat of his 2009 CW victory, and a number of records fell in the US. MORE

VY2ZM LEADS SS SSB; W6YI TOPS MULTI

While operators on the East Coast of the United States and Canada tend to dominate the top places in major contests, that usually isn't the case with the ARRL November Sweepstakes contest. But in 2010, Jeff Briggs K1ZM turned that conventional wisdom on its ear with the top overall score in the SS SSB test. Also, the Multi-Op SS Double seems to be in the bag again for Team W6YI. MORE

CQ WW BATTLES OVER REMOTE SKIMMERS

A late rules clarification by the CQ WW Contest Committee on the use of the controversial Skimmer program has stirred the waters just before the start of this year's CQ WW CW Contest. "The CQ WW Contest Committee wants to make it clear about the use of Skimmer," wrote CQ WW Director Bob Cox K3EST. But it was anything but clear for many contesters. MORE

MORE WRTC POINTS UP IN CQ WW CW

As contesters around the world get ready for the 2010 CQ WW CW Contest this weekend, it also represents a second chance for competitors to pick up the maximum 1,000 qualifying points for the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship in New England. For most of the world, this is only the second qualifying event - the first being this year's CQ WW SSB - but in North America, it's already qualifier #4. MORE

TIGHTEN YOUR BELTS FOR CQ WW CW

The bands will jump with action this coming weekend as the CQ WW CW Contest arrives for 2010. After a record setting 2009, organizers are expecting another big turnout, with Valery Komarov RD3AF looking for a second straight SOAB HP win from EF8M in the Canary Islands. MORE

MORE LOW POWER ASSISTED IN CQ WW

The "new" Assisted categories in CQ WW have already attracted more interest, as contest organizers hope they have zeroed in on new ways to stimulate even more worldwide competition in the biggest amateur radio contests of the year. In CQ WW SSB, entries in Low Power Assisted are up more than 50% over 2009, and the scores are up even more. MORE

52 YEAR CQ WW SSB STREAK NOW OVER

It has been 52 years since the Single Operator World winner of the CQ WW SSB contest was from Europe, but it looks like that losing streak may have been broken this year by the effort of Jeff Steinman N5TJ from CR2X in the Azores. The last time the SOAB HP victor was from Europe was when F8PI won in 1958. MORE

N9RV LEADS SS CW; SS SSB UP NEXT

With three time defending champ Steve London N2IC on the sidelines, the leader in the ARRL November Sweepstakes is Pat Barkey N9RV, as he led a number of entries from Montana on the bands during SS CW weekend. Meanwhile, Team W6YI is leading in a bid to win a fourth straight Multi-Op CW title. MORE

NEW CONTEST RAISES WARC, SPOTTING

An already crowded contest calendar on the first weekend in May now has another big US contest, as a new group has unveiled plans to host a "Zeroland" QSO Party next year, though the announcement was accompanied by a bit of controversy over possible contest action on the WARC bands and the approved use of self-spotting. MORE

CQ WW RECORD HOLDER HAS BIG RETURN

It didn't matter that Jeff Steinman N5TJ had not done an all-out Single Op All-Band entry in seven years, as the all-time record holder in both CQ WW SSB & CW returned this year with a vengeance, posting a claimed score of over 15 million points, likely setting a new European record in the process from CR2X in the Azores. MORE

SS CW WIN STREAK ON LINE FOR N2IC

The 2010 ARRL Sweepstakes CW contest is all about winning streaks this year, as Steve London N2IC looks to win a fourth straight Single Operator High Power title in the "B" category, while Team W6YI takes aim at three consecutive Multi-Operator titles. MORE

NO RETREAT ON CQ WW CONTEST CHEATS

After a two year cheating crackdown that has won wide support in the worldwide contesting community, organizers of the CQ WW contest are making clear that their new penalty system is here to stay. "If you submit a very competitive log, you can count on it being checked in detail," said CQ WW Director Bob Cox K3EST. MORE

NO SOAB HP/LP REPEATS IN CQ WW SSB

The top two single operator prizes in the 2010 CQ WW SSB Contest are wide open affairs this year, as defending High Power champ HC8A/N6KT and Low Power champ P40A/KK9A won't be trying to repeat their victories in 2010, leaving the door open for other heavyweights. MORE

10 METERS SHOWING SIGNS OF LIFE

After a big 10 meter opening in the 2009 CQ WW SSB Contest that hit most of the globe except for North America, 10 meters is percolating again this year, bringing back memories of how that band used to churn out thousands and thousands of contest QSO's. MORE

COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR CQ WW SSB 2010

For many amateurs, the last weekend of October has been circled on the calendar in their own mind for months, as the CQ WW SSB Contest signifies the start of the main contest season around the world. It also means the start of an extensive preview of CQ WW SSB here on radio-sport.net MORE

2010 CQ WW SSB SURPRISE - N5TJ @CR2X

To some new contesters, the call of N5TJ does not conjure up many memories at all. But if you look through the CQ WW Contest top scores and see that Jeff Steinman owns the Single Operator records in both SSB and CW, you will understand why N5TJ's return to single operating contesting at CR2X this year will generate a lot of interest. MORE

YOUR CQ WW PREP WORK STARTS NOW

Just a few years ago, there wasn't much information to guide operators when it came to prep work for the CQ WW DX Contests, other than the scores in CQ Magazine and a few pointers from someone in your local contest club. How times have changed. MORE

YOUR GOAL: TRIPLE IA, IL & NY SWEEP

After balancing both ends of the United States last week with the Arizona and Pennslyvania QSO Parties, you can narrow your beam headings this time, with the New York QSO Party on one end, and QSO parties in both Illinois and Iowa. Also, check your 160 antennas with the Pre-Stew Perry test. MORE

RECORDS SHATTERED IN CQWW RTTY

The numbers just keep getting bigger and bigger in the CQ WW RTTY Contest, as the 2010 contest proved that with record-smashing performances all over the world. P49X toasted the World Single Operator mark set just last year at EF8M, while UT5UDX absolutely crushed the World Assisted mark as 5B/UT0U. MORE

START PLOTTING YOUR WRTC 2014 PLANS

If you are interested in qualifying for the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship, don't let the date fool you, as the qualifying schedule starts in just a few weeks, and for much of the world will end well over a year for before the actual WRTC contest, which is run during the 2014 IARU HF Championship. MORE

2014 WRTC QUALIFYING DETAILS NOW OUT

Organizers of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship have laid out the qualifying schedule for that competition, which will include a series of contests beginning in October with CQ WW SSB and ending in March of 2013 with the ARRL SSB Contest. Check the details and start planning your own path to WRTC 2014! MORE

THE GOAL: ARIZONA QSO & PAQP SWEEP

Organizers of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship have laid out the qualifying schedule for that competition, which will include a series of contests beginning in October with CQ WW SSB and ending in March of 2013 with the ARRL SSB Contest. Check the details and start planning your qualifying schedule! MORE

OCEANIA SSB STARTS CQ WW SSB PREP

With the calendar turning to October, time is already growing short when it comes to getting your antennas and strategy ready for the 2010 CQ WW SSB Contest. You could take a step down that road by checking out this weekend's Oceania DX SSB Contest. MORE

CALIFORNIA QSO GRABS SPOTLIGHT

If trying to sweep 254 counties was too much for you last week in the Texas QSO Party, then maybe the more manageable 58 counties in the Golden State will make it easier for you to focus on this weekend's California QSO Party. And with sunspot numbers creeping up, it could be another big weekend on the bands. MORE

MORE RECORDS LIKELY IN CQ WW RTTY

Last year saw more records fall in the CQ WW RTTY contest, and 2010 is expected to be no different, as hopes are up for better high band propagation. Check out the favorites in this year's contest and how many of the top records in the USA haven't changed in a number of years - including one from the last century. MORE

2014 WRTC QUALIFYING STARTS THIS YEAR

Just a few days after being awarded the rights to organize the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship in the United States, organizers led by K1DG and K5ZD announced that the first qualifying event would be next month, with the running of the 2010 CQ WW SSB & CW Contests. MORE

SALMON STARTS STATE QSO PARTY RUN

If you are looking to get your station in order for the upcoming contest season, or just knock off a few more counties in the United States, then the next five weeks are for you, with ten different state QSO parties on the schedule. This weekend also features QSO parties in Connecticut and South Carolina. MORE

2014 WRTC AWARDED TO UNITED STATES

For the third time, the United States will play host to the World Cup of ham radio contesting, as the World Radiosport Team Championship will return to the U.S. in 2014. The selection was announced by WRTC Sanctioning Committee chairman Tine Brajnik, as the US group, led by the K1DG and K5ZD won out over a group from Bulgaria. MORE

MORE DQ'S ISSUED IN CQ WW CW 2009

The cheating crackdown rolls on in the world's biggest ham radio contest, as the final results for the 2009 CQ WW CW Contest included three "Red Card" disqualifications, one "Yellow Card" warning, and the shift of 50 different entries into the Assisted category. Also, find out which operators received Red Cards in both the CQ WW SSB & CW tests. MORE

9 HOURS FOR 95 TENNESSEE COUNTIES

All 95 counties will be activated for the 2010 Tennessee QSO Party, giving you nine hours to try to put together a sweep of the Volunteer State. Bob Harder W0BH is the defending out of state Single Op champ, while Bob Edmondson N4VV was the 2009 Single Op High Power champ inside Tennessee. Helping make things more interesting will be at least a dozen mobiles on the roads as well. MORE

HI3TEJ OUT, UA9AM IN AS WORLD #1

After his entry in the 2009 CQ WW SSB Contest was reclassified from Low Power to Assisted, Teddy Jiminez HI3TEJ has dropped out of the lead in the radio-sport.net Single Operator World Standings, clearing the way for Yuri Kurinyi UA9AM to grab the top spot, with a narrow lead over Yuri Onipko VE3DZ. MORE

NAQP SSB TRIES TO AVOID SOLAR FLARE

As the August 2010 NAQP SSB Contest arrives this weekend, contesters in North America don't want to see a repeat of the start of the NAQP CW from earlier this month, as the sun decided to throw out a decent-sized solar flare just as that test was getting underway. It didn't ruin the contest, but it once again helped to hold down high band numbers. MORE

MULTIPLE DQ'S EXPECTED FOR CQ WW CW

After the CQ WW Contest Committee handed out 7 Red Cards and 4 Yellow Cards for the 2009 CQ WW DX SSB Contest, one member of that panel says that "multiple" disqualifications should again be expected when the final numbers of the 2009 CQ WW CW Contest are published in coming weeks by CQ Magazine. MORE

BIG SUPPORT FOR CQ WW CRACKDOWN

A second straight year of high profile disqualifications and rules warnings by the CQ WW Contest Committee is winning worldwide support in the ham radio contest community, as contesters say the get-tough approach is the right way to deal with cheating. "It should have started many years ago," read one email to radio-sport.net. MORE

7 RED CARDS IN CQ WW CRACKDOWN

The CQ WW Contest Committee has continued its crackdown on cheating, handing out seven Red Cards and 4 Yellow Cards in log checks on the 2009 CQ WW SSB Contest. The big DQ tossed out the top QRP score from KP4KE (DK8ZB); also a top low power entrant, HI3TEJ, was moved to the Assisted category along with almost thirty other competitors. NEW

ALL SMILES IN AFTERMATH OF 2010 WRTC

With high praise for Russian organizers of the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championship, a number of operators had equally favorable reviews for the Field Day setup that was used, as a way to ensure an even playing field for all 48 teams from around the world. NEW

RUSSIAN DUO WINS 2010 WRTC TITLE

In a very close finish, the Russian duo of RW1AC and RA1AIP won a narrow victory in the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championship, the first time a team from outside North America has ever won the top prize in the "World Cup" of the ham radio contest community. NEW

WRTC, HQ CONTROVERSY MARK 2010 IARU

After months of controversy about the judging of the 2009 IARU HF Championships, the time for argument is over, and the time for switching on the radio and contesting is here on the second weekend in July 2010. This year's contest features the running of the World Radiosport Team Championships in Russia - and there will be hams outside of the ARRL ready to judge your HQ entries as well. NEW

EUROPEAN GROUP TO JUDGE IARU HQ

A group of European ham radio associations have agreed to take on the job of adjudicating HQ category entries for the 2010 IARU HF Contest, moving to fill the void left after the ARRL announced earlier this month that it would no longer judge the HQ competition because of rules disputes involving the 2009 entry of DA0HQ from Germany. NEW

EFFORT UNDERWAY TO SAVE IARU HQ

With contesters still venting their frustrations over an ARRL move to scrap the HQ competition in the IARU HF Contest, a group of European hams has started looking for ways to forge a rules change that might be acceptable to the ARRL for the future. The group will evidently try to hold meetings on the plan at the Friedrichshafen convention in Germany later this month. MORE

ARRL SCRAPS IARU HQ COMPETITION

In a surprise move, the ARRL has announced that it will no longer judge the logs in the HQ category of the IARU HF Contest, saying the recent battle between Spanish and German amateurs over who won the 2009 HQ title had become a "distraction from the other issues facing Amateur Radio organizations today." MORE

EF8M, P49Y BID FOR WPX CW VICTORIES

While conditions weren't as good for the 2010 WPX CW Contest as the WPX SSB, the top scorers in the Single Op High Power and Low Power categories, EF8M & P49Y, could be on their way to victories - and for one - maybe a new World records. MORE

CQWW LOGS SHOW FEW OPERATE 48 HRS

A review of the 2009 CQ WW DX SSB logs now posted on the internet shows that while Single Operators can be on the air for 48 hours, the average time spent in the contest last year was much less, just over 12 hours per all-band entry. Take a look at the some of the details churned out by DL8MBS and DL6MHW. MORE

DARC REJECTS CHARGE OF LOG PADDING

While acknowledging that the "German amateur radio community was overly eager" in helping Team DA0HQ to a first place finish in the 2009 IARU Contest, officials of the Deustcher Amateur Radio Club have told the IARU and ARRL that no "log padding" was used for that victory. MORE

RECORD BOOK IN DANGER IN CW WPX CW

After watching big chunks of the CQ WPX SSB record book get re-written in this year's contest, it's not too big of a stretch to think that 2010 may bring the same kind of high scores for the CQ WPX CW Contest this weekend. MORE

URE ACCUSES DA0HQ OF LOG PADDING

The controversy over the 2009 IARU HQ victory of Team DA0HQ deepened in recent days, as the Spanish Radio Union URE publicly accused German hams of "serious irregularities", citing multiple examples of one ham using multiple calls to repeatedly work DA0HQ on all bands. URE says that not only is unethical, but violates ARRL Contest Rules as well. Read the documents and find out for yourself. MORE

W0BH TRIES FOR FIVE 7QP VICTORIES

While N4PN has dominated the out-of-state competition in the New England QSO Party for the last seven years, the last four on this same weekend have been victorious for Bob Harder W0BH, as he looks to make it five straight Single Operator wins in the 2010 7th Call Area QSO Party. MORE

RECORDS FALL IN ACTIVE WPX SSB 2010

With a more active sun spurring extra activity - even on 10 meters - the 2010 CQ WPX SSB Contest may have rewritten big chunks of the record book, with a second straight victory very likely for Jim Sullivan W7EJ, who may have also staked a claim to a new World SOAB HP record from CN2R in Morocco. MORE

GEORGIA & GAGARIN TOP CONTEST SKED

If you enjoy chasing counties in a state QSO Party, then in terms of pure numbers, the Peach State is for you this weekend, as the Georgia QSO Party starts a series of state contests in the USA. If you are in Europe, then the Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest may be your choice on the contest schedule on this second weekend of April. MORE

MORE ACTIVE SUN GREETS WPX SSB 2010

With band conditions slowly but surely improving, organizers are hoping for another record setting turnout for this year's CQ WPX SSB Contest, which in 2009 had an all time high of 4,087 logs submitted. "We are very excited about the future of the WPX Contest." MORE

MANY 160 VIOLATIONS FOUND IN REGION I

In the wake of public criticism of contesters by a top IARU official, a radio-sport.net review has found that hundreds of competitors in Europe, Africa and Northern Asia have violated the licensing rules of their country by operating on frequencies not allocated to them on the low end of the 160 meter band. MORE

RUSSIAN DX FOCUS OF BUSY WEEKEND

It's back to normal in 2010 for the Russian DX Contest, after three years in which it was a major qualifying contest for this year's World Radiosport Team Championships to be held outside Moscow. Not only can you chase Russian ops this weekend, but there are also three state QSO Parties in the US to choose from in Oklahoma, Virginia & North Dakota. MORE

ADMIRALS ADVENTURE IN ARRL DX SSB

It didn't matter that conditions in the 2010 ARRL DX SSB Contest weren't as good as two weeks earlier in the CW leg. It also didn't matter that one of the operators hadn't contested in years, as a pair of retired US Navy Admirals, K0DQ and N4OC, still found a winning Multi-Single formula at "Papa Forty Navy". MORE

IARU OFFICIAL REBUKES SSB CONTESTERS

In an unusually public criticism of contesters by a top IARU official, the President of IARU Region I blasted the conduct of some contesters in the recent 2010 CQ 160 SSB Contest, saying a number of stations from Europe and Africa were making contacts on frequencies not allocated to their countries, raising the specter of possible contest disqualifications. MORE

CQ BERU FOR 2010 COMMONWEALTH TEST

After a focus last weekend on Canada and the United States in the ARRL SSB test, this weekend CQ BERU will be the order, as the 2010 Commonwealth Contest arrives with its unique theme of contacts only between stations in the British Commonwealth and Territories. John Sluymer VE3EJ is the defending Single-Operator BERU champ. MORE

HIGH BANDS READY FOR 2010 ARRL SSB

Two weeks after an ARRL DX CW Contest that saw much more action on 15 meters than in recent years, the hope is that this weekend's ARRL DX SSB Contest will enjoy good propagation as well, as a Single Operator shootout seems to be brewing in the Carribean for this year's contest. MORE

AO8HQ V DA0HQ ON IARU 2009 RE-SCORE

The re-score of the 2009 IARU HF Contest has prompted an official protest, as the Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles has asked the ARRL to revisit its decision to add back certain "unique" contacts, which put DA0HQ of Germany in first place over AO8HQ. MORE

HIGH BANDS SHOW LIFE IN 2010 ARRL CW

It was a weekend that many contesters have been waiting several years for, as both high bands and low bands were active in the 2010 ARRL DX CW Contest, bringing smiles to many faces around the world. Among the early leaders are Team K3LR in Multi-Multi and Team P40L in Multi-Single, with a score that could earn them the DX M/S record. On the Single Op side, K3CR and ZF2AM are tops in SOAB HP. MORE

SECOND STRAIGHT RE-SCORE FOR IARU

For a second straight year, the ARRL has been forced to rescore the final numbers in the IARU HF Contest, again shuffling the Top Ten boxes of a number of categories, after the results had already been finalized and printed in the March edition QST Magazine. The culpirt this time was log checking software that tossed out any unique calls in a log entry. MORE

P49X AIMS AT REPEAT IN CQ WPX RTTY

After a record-setting event last year in which seventy percent of the worldwide records were broken, organizers of the CQ WPX RTTY Contest are hoping for another strong turnout in 2010, with the defending champ hoping that Aruba will again be a lucky charm, as Ed Muns W0YK/P49X tries for another major RTTY title. MORE

BIG JANUARY 2010 SWITCH FOR SUNSPOTS

A year ago, it was almost impossible to find a day with sunspots in January of 2009. Fast forward to January 2010, and it was almost impossible to find a day without sunspots, as a steady stream of action is now visible on the Sun. It gives hope to those ham radio contesters and DX'ers who have been waiting for years for 10 and 15 meters to finally return on a regular basis. MORE

N2IC WINS THIRD STRAIGHT SS CW TEST

The 2009 ARRL Sweepstakes CW Contest was a record setting event, as Steve London N2IC set a new high power mark while winning his third straight Single Operator High Power title, and Team W6YI took a third consecutive Multi-op win, breaking a 14 year old record in the process. Also, the ARRL reports a record number of logs were submitted for both the CW and SSB Sweepstakes events. MORE

CQ WW OBSERVERS FIND NO VIOLATIONS

Three observers sent by the CQ WW Contest Committee to check for cheating by top Single Operators in the 2009 CQ WW CW Contest found no rules violations in their checks three top stations in that test, the first use of contest monitors under new rules developed last year to address cheating concerns. MORE

CQ 160 CW: DREAMS OF A 2009 REPEAT

As the CQ 160 CW Contest returns for 2010, don't worry if you find yourself dreaming about last year, because it might be hard to imagine better conditions on Topband than the 2009 CQ 160 CW test, when the band lit up almost like it was 20 meters. Defending champ Valery Komarov RD3AF will be back this year as EF8M from the Canary Islands. MORE

CQ WW SAYS 'NO' TO SO/SOA CATEGORY

A day after a radio-sport.net story and hours after a stinging public rebuke by a six time CQ WW contest winner, the CQ WW Contest Committee announced it would not combine the Single Operator and Single Operator Assisted categories because of concerns over cheating. "We continue to totally support SO and SOA being separate," said CQ WW Director Bob Cox K3EST. MORE

2009 YASME AWARD TO radio-sport.net

The amateur radio based YASME foundation has honored the radio-sport.net website for its groundbreaking coverage of ham radio contesting by awarding this site's creator with a YASME Excellence Award. MORE