While contesters the world over await the SSB portion of the CQ World Wide DX Contest at the end of the month, don’t forget that there’s plenty to do on the air leading up to this mega-event.

Sis-Boom-Bah

With college football frenzy in the air, we’d like to give a special shout out to collegiate competitors this October who will be more concerned with hamming than pigskins…gray lines than goal lines…station grounding than intentional grounding. All of us at OnAllBands wish the best of luck to the students, faculty, and alumni who will be participating in the Collegiate QSO Party October 5, 0000Z to October 6, 2359Z.

From the contest website, “The Collegiate QSO Party is an operating event focused on amateur radio clubs at colleges and universities around the world. Each Fall, the Collegiate QSO Party provides an opportunity for clubs to demonstrate amateur radio to new members, engage with alumni, and promote activity throughout college and university communities.”

This year’s roster of competitors who will be trying to mitigate interference (a 15-yard penalty in the gridiron world, but even a bigger annoyance in radiosport!) includes teams from Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, University of Florida, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Oregon State University, Michigan State University, Virginia Tech, St. Louis University, University of Cincinnati, Irvine Valley College, and others.

“This event is open to all radio amateurs,” per the event’s website. “Points can be earned by individuals, clubs, and collegiate stations. The Collegiate QSO Party encourages alumni to connect with their alma mater and students to network with other schools. New hams are welcome and stations are encouraged to be accommodating to new radio amateurs.”

A Halloween Reminder: Beware of the Wouff-Hong!

In this season of ghosts, goblins, and things that go kerchunk in the night, it behooves contesters everywhere to be wary of the most sinister, medieval —and, frankly, hilarious—of all ham radio legends. Of course we could only be referring to the dreaded Wouff-Hong—a device imagined (with tongue firmly in cheek) by Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, to remind amateurs that shoddy operating that runs afoul of accepted etiquette should not be tolerated.

While the first article about the Wouff-Hong, penned by The Old Man himself, appeared 100 years ago, its relevance today in light of DQRMers and other ne’er-do-wells hasn’t waned.

Read more about the Wouff-Hong in this OnAllBands article and about the sharp-pointed, Harry Potteresque-named Rettysnitch (another tool for enforcing decency on the air) in the article, “The Five Types of Operators You Don’t Want to Be.”

For information on the kind of bad actors for which the Wouff-Hong and Rettysnitch were devised, read “Deliberate QRM (DQRM): What is it and What Can be Done About it.”

Finally, enjoy some spooky yarns about spectral transmissions in “DX Files: Tales of the Radio Paranormal” by Mark, K8MSH.

Halloween Operating Event

If you’re looking for something to do on Halloween that doesn’t involve dressing in blue tights and a cape, the Anoka County Radio Club of Anoka, Minnesota, is hosting a Halloween Special Event Station, W0YFZ, October 31, 1400Z-2000Z, 14.250 7.250 7.056 ft8.

Anoka—a northern suburb of the Twin Cities—“is believed to be the first city in the United States to put on a Halloween celebration to divert its youngsters from Halloween pranks,” according to anokahalloween.com. Today, its 17,000 residents proudly call their hometown “The Halloween Capital of the World^®.”

The town’s first Halloween celebration was in 1920. The good-natured merriment lives on today with parades and other activities, including the special event station: “Anoka residents can watch their grandchildren or great-grandchildren continue the tradition they started so many years ago,” per the website.

***

Sufficiently scared? Make October the month you shake off your “mic fright,” get on the air, and make some QSOs. Here are a few contests to put on your calendar:

• Oceania DX Contest, Phone: October 5, 0600Z to October 6, 0600Z. The CW portion of the contest runs from October 12, 0600Z to October 13, 0600Z. The contest promotes HF contacts to and from stations in the Oceania region as well as contacts between stations in Oceania. Find complete rules here.
  
  The Oceania DX Contest website offers these words of encouragement to get on the air: “This is the 79th running of the Oceania DX Contest, and with the solar conditions the way they are, we are expecting some big things from all of our contestants this year! Solar conditions are the best they have been in more than a decade, so your opportunity to make contact with stations in Oceania has never been better! We look forward to seeing you all on the air on both weekends and expect many stations from Oceania to be calling CQ Contest looking for your calls!”

• QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party: October 12, 0000Z to 2359Z. The QRP Amateur Radio Club International kicks off autumn in their usual manner—by doing more with less! This club for low-power enthusiasts worldwide sponsors various contests and events that promote QRP operating and related activities, such as building minimalist radios, portable ops, and antenna experimentation. Like much of the club’s activities, its Fall QSO Party (HF CW only) is a test of ingenuity and skill, as operators make QSOs using anywhere from 55 mW or less to 5W.

• Stew Perry Topband Challenge: October 19, 1500Z to October 20, 1500Z. Here’s a popular event 160M fans won’t want to miss. Point value of QSOs depends on the distance between the two stations. Participants are given one point plus another point for each 500km of distance. Points are also multiplied for lower power categories—for both the sending and receiving station. Looking to boost your top band capabilities? Read this article on the effectiveness of the DX Engineering 160M THUNDERBOLT Vertical Antenna.

• ARRL’s EME—50 to 1296 MHz: October 19, 0000Z to October 20, 2359Z. Work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth path on designated frequencies. This portion of the ARRL EME event continues on November 16-17.

• ARRL School Club Roundup: October 21, 1300Z to October 25, 2359Z. This bi-annual event is designed to foster contacts with and among school radio clubs. Participants can exchange QSO information with any amateur radio station, so non-school clubs and individuals are encouraged to participate as well. All amateur bands except 60, 30, 17, and 12 meters are permitted.

• CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB: October 26, 0000Z to October 27, 2359Z. This is why they call this time of year Contesting Season! The CQ Worldwide DX Contest is the largest amateur radio contest in the world with over 35,000 participants. The challenge is to make as many contacts with as many DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible, while competing against the world’s elite contesters. Not into SSB? The CW portion of the contest is November 23-24.

Also check out these State QSO Parties:

• California: October 5, 1600Z to October 6, 2200Z
• Nevada: October 12, 0300Z to October 13, 2100Z
• Arizona: October 12, 1500Z to October 13, 0500Z
• Pennsylvania: October 12, 1600Z to October 13, 0400Z, and October 13, 1300Z to 2200Z
• South Dakota: October 12, 1800Z to October 13, 1800Z
• New York: October 19, 1400Z to October 20, 0200Z
• Illinois: October 20, 1700Z to October 21, 0100Z

***

Ready to upgrade your station for better contesting results? Visit DXEngineering.com for everything you could possibly need to boost your scores:

• Antennas
• Transceivers
• Amplifiers
• Headsets
• Microphones
• DX Engineering Footswitches
• Keys and Paddles
• Coaxial Cable Assemblies
• Receive Antennas

The post Guide to October 2024 Ham Radio Contests appeared first on OnAllBands.

Don't know why I didn't write about this when it happened.

August 9th, the daily Sunspot Number (SSN) was 382. That seemed enormously high. I couldn't remember a single time when the SSN was that high. So, I did some digging.

I downloaded all the SSN data, converted into an Excel spreadsheet and did some analysis. The SSN hasn't been that high since 1991. That's 33 years ago!

The SSN has only been this high a total of ten times in my lifetime (since February 1961) -- Five in 1979, Twice in 1989, and Three times in 1991. 

Of course, none of this compares with Cycle 19, where daily SSN values were well over 500 for many days. But those values all happened 1956-1959, well before I was born.

Cycle 25 is shaping up to be much better than Cycle 24, which was really lousy, and possibly better than Cycle 23.  The smoothed SSN has already exceeded the maximum value for Cycle 24, and it is far from over. 

We've already seen a huge change in the bands in the last couple of years. 20m is open 24 hours, and 15m much of that time. 12 and 10m is open every day. I'm hoping we might see some 6m F2 openings. Enjoy it while you can. We should have two more years of these conditions before the cycle starts back down.

Feeling left out? It’s a fact that most contests take place on the HF bands, but even as a Technician you can participate.

For starters, you only need your Technician license and a VHF and/or UHF FM handi-talkie—two things you already have. An HF transceiver covering 80-6 meters will give you even more opportunities

Contesting on the VHF/UHF Bands

The problem with the VHF bands is that they are often underutilized. But you can be sure someone will be on the air during a VHF contest weekend. Events like these increase activity and bring people out of the woodwork. A VHF contest is more like a friendly reunion of VHF enthusiasts—some you’ll know, others you’ll get to know.

If you only have FM gear, you will be at somewhat of a disadvantage. But you may still be able to work a bunch of stations. Hams have actually won their state in the ARRL VHF/UHF contest FM category with an HT and a good antenna. There are many more operators, with basic setups, that have fun and use the experience to become better operators.

In 2016, the ARRL contests allowed the use of the 2M FM calling frequency, 146.52 MHz. Note that the CQ Worldwide VHF Contest prohibits the use of 146.52 MHz. If the calling frequency gets busy, move off to any of the other standard simplex frequencies. The FM calling frequencies for the other VHF/UHF bands are 52.525 MHz and 446.000 MHz.

Perhaps you have one of those HF rigs that also does VHF, such as the ICOM IC-705, IC-706, Yaesu FT-818, FT-857, FT-991A, or FT-100D (otherwise known as a “shack in the box”). Most of the operation will be on 6 meters and 2 meters (mostly on the SSB portion of the band), with less activity on higher bands. Standard SSB calling frequencies are 50.125 MHz and 144.200 MHz.

In recent years, FT8 has been used extensively during VHF contests, mostly on 6 meters. This requires a bit more setup and configuration than operating voice, but the weak signal performance of FT8 is worth the effort. If you have experience with FT8, you should try it out on the 6M band during a contest. You may also encounter some FT4 activity as well.

Worldwide DX is not very common. But with good conditions, stations hundreds of miles away can be worked via tropospheric ducting, E-skip, and perhaps even meteor scatter. But weird things do happen. During 6-meter openings, multiple-hop sporadic E propagation has produced contact distances of up to 6,200 miles. Witnessing such an event is fascinating and mind-boggling, not to mention the adrenaline rush.

Get in the car and drive to increase your effective range. A rover is a mobile station that travels during a contest to activate locations, usually grid squares, during a contest. Rover stations are common in VHF contests, and often involve setups that can activate multiple bands from high places. Remember that VHF/UHF are usually line-of-sight modes, so you’ll want to go for high elevations with the fewest obstacles between you and your intended contacts. Mobile stations must indicate each location they are operating from on their log sheets.

Whether you’re roving or at home, most SSB/CW/Digi operation on VHF uses horizontal antenna polarization. A Yagi or dipole antenna with radiating elements parallel to the ground produces a horizontally polarized signal.

Technician Privileges on the HF Bands

Many hams forget that Technicians have HF privileges on CW. As the solar cycle reaches its peak, you’re likely to find more and more opportunities for nationwide and DX contacts on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters. There’s a lot of activity on those bands, especially during domestic contests like the ARRL November Sweepstakes or the North American QSO Party.

Not a CW fan? You can operate SSB on 28.300-28.500, and other modes like digital, on this large chunk of ham real estate. With the peak of the solar cycle just ahead, this is an excellent time to explore the band. It’s primarily active from daytime to dusk.

Another way to participate is to be one of the operators in a multi-operator setup. As long as one of the operators with a General Class or Extra Class license acts as the control operator, you can operate in those portions of the bands where you don’t have privileges. Field Day can also allow you to try the HF bands. One local club uses State QSO Parties several times a year as an on-the-air practice at its club station. 

These events are open to U.S. amateurs of all license classes and are a great way for Technician Class hams to compete in contests.

Contests

Here’s a small sampling of contests available on bands which Techs have privileges.

VHF/UHF Events for Technicians

VHF/UHF contests are often held during the summer and fall when propagation is best, but you’ll find some during other seasons as well.

• EOTA (Everyone On The Air) is sponsored by the Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Amateur Radio Club. Held in September (it’s over for this year), EOTA is a local mini-version of POTA (Parks On The Air). Bands and modes—FM: 2M, 70cm, 6M; SSB: 6M and 10M. Look for local clubs that are sponsoring similar Tech-friendly events in your area.
• ARRL September VHF Contest is held the second full weekend in September. All amateur frequencies and modes above 50 MHz may be used.
• The ARRL January VHF Contest is held the third or fourth full weekend in January, as announced (January 18-20, 2025), for U.S. and Canadian stations.
• The CQ World Wide VHF Contest is held the third weekend of July. It promotes VHF activity on the 6- and 2-meter bands, and participants come from many countries around the world.
• Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, held in March, is a ham radio contest primarily designed to give 2-meter operators a chance to compete on an even basis and have fun doing it.
• Central States VHF Society Spring Sprints are held in April and May. They’re band-specific with separate days/times for 50 MHz, 144 MHz, 222 MHz, 432 MHz, and Microwave.

HF Events for Technicians

HF contests, especially QSO parties, are a good training ground for general operation and Field Day. Remember, you have privileges on the following:

• 80, 40, 15 meters – CW only
• 6 meters – SSB/CW/Digital/AM/FM
• 10 meters – SSB/CW/Digital/RTTY

• North American QSO Parties are favorites of beginners and seasoned operators alike. The NAQPs are low-power only (100W or less), giving everyone less interference on the bands. CW is the second full weekend of January and the first full weekend of August.  SSB is the third full weekend of January and the third full weekend of August.
• ARRL November Sweepstakes involvesstations in the United States and Canada (including territories and possessions) exchanging information with as many other U.S. and Canadian stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M bands.
  • CW: First full weekend in November (November 2-4, 2024)
  • Phone: Third full weekend in November (November 16-18, 2024)
• State/Province QSO Parties can be a good way for new participants to get involved in the hobby. They can also be a break from the longer, more intense major contests. WA7BNM provides a comprehensive list with dates, times, and information links.
• ARRL 10-Meter Contest: With the contest going, you should hear lots of stations from late morning until about sundown. CW and Phone are the second full weekend of December (December 14-15, 2024).
• ARRL Field Day is the most popular on-the-air event held annually in the U.S. and Canada. On the last full weekend in June, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups, or friends to operate remotely. Is it a contest, PR event, or emergency exercise? You can make a case for all three.

It Isn’t All About Winning

It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s about getting involved. You may never win the top place in a contest, but you’ll enjoy the competition, the camaraderie, and the experience you’ll gain as an amateur radio operator. Give it a try. A reference, ARRL’s Amateur Radio Contesting for Beginners, can help you on your way.

The post Ham Radio Contesting for Techs? Yes, You Can! appeared first on OnAllBands.

Mark your calendars!

THE 2024 MAINE QSO PARTY IS SEPTEMBER 28-29!

Contest Period: 1200 UTC Saturday September 28, 2024 to 1200 UTC Sunday September 29, 2024.

Bands and Modes: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10, CW, and phone (SSB, FM, AM).

Exchange: Stations in Maine send signal report and county. Stations outside of Maine, but within either the United States or Canada, send signal report and state/province. DX stations send signal report and “DX.”

Click here for more details and complete rules.

See you on the bands!

73,

Tim Watson, KB1HNZ

President

Mark your calendars!

THE 2024 MAINE QSO PARTY IS SEPTEMBER 28-29!

Contest Period: 1200 UTC Saturday September 28, 2024 to 1200 UTC Sunday September 29, 2024.

Bands and Modes: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10, CW, and phone (SSB, FM, AM).

Exchange: Stations in Maine send signal report and county. Stations outside of Maine, but within either the United States or Canada, send signal report and state/province. DX stations send signal report and “DX.”

Click here for more details and complete rules.

See you on the bands!

73,

Tim Watson, KB1HNZ

President

The monthly running of the Straight Key Century Club’s Weekend Sprintathon (WES) contest was this weekend. I needed two more activations at Marsh Creek State Park for a POTA “Repeat Offender” award, so I headed out both Saturday and Sunday for POTA/WWFF activations and to make a few WES contacts.

We had some outstanding weather here in southeastern Pennsylvania, so I knew Marsh Creek (US-1380, KFF-1380) was going to be pretty busy. Given that, I headed out early on Saturday morning. I found a parking spot in the boat launch area, but the parking lot was filling up fast. 

My trusty Penntek TR-35 was the perfect rig for this weekend. The TR-35’s separate straight key and paddle inputs let me instantly switch between the two without having to make configuration changes in the radio. I also went with my usual 12-foot whip and homebrew loading coil. 

The 40M band was alive and well, so I spent most of my time there. I alternated between calling “CQ POTA” with the paddles and searching and pouncing SKCC WES stations with my little MS2 straight key. In about an hour of operating, I logged 26 contacts. Among those were three park-to-park QSOs and six SKCC WES QSOs. 

As great as the weather was on Saturday, it was even better on Sunday. I wanted to attend my grandson’s hockey game, so I went out even earlier this time and kept it even shorter. Even though I got an earlier start than the day before, the parking lot was even more crowded this time around. 

Once again, 40M was in excellent shape, and I ended up staying there for the duration. I logged 19 contacts in about 45 minutes, with three park-to-park and three more WES contacts. Then it was time to head home to take care of a few things before going to the soccer game.

In the end, I didn’t set any records in the WES contest, but I got in the two activations needed for my Repeat Offender award. 

72, Craig WB3GCK

In 1985, I built a home-brew decoder and experimented with RTTY, but I never got it to work. I've since decided that I didn't know how to tune RTTY properly. Things changed in 2005 when I downloaded CocoaModem made my first RTTY contacts. 

Since I was involved in contesting, I naturally turned to RTTY contesting. Today, it is unusual to hear RTTY signals on the bands except during contests. Thirty or more years ago, RTTY was commonly heard on 80 and 20m. 

Characteristics

Principles

For effective RTTY contest communication, several principles apply. 

• Brevity - every character sent must have a purpose. There should be no wasted characters.
• Duplication - every important element should be sent twice. This contradicts the brevity principle. Because RTTY prints incorrect characters, sending important elements twice helps ensure correct reception.
• Scrolling - each message starts a new line, but ends with a space. This technique keeps lines from wrapping, and avoids the end of message being confused by garbage characters when the signal drops. 
• Shifts - avoid needless shifts. Any sequence involving the unprinted FIGURES or LETTERS characters takes longer to send. 

Messages

S & P

{TX}{ENTERLF}{MYCALL} {MYCALL} {RX}

or

{TX}{ENTERLF}* * {RX}

(For N1MM, the asterisk and {MYCALL} macros are the same)

Notice the message starts with {TX}, performs a carriage return / line feed with {ENTERLF}, sends the call twice, ends with a space and then {RX} to go back to receive. Sending the call twice helps to ensure the recipient receives it correctly.

If you are lucky enough to get a response, you'll have to send the exchange. The exchange will vary by contest, but it could be a message like this:

{TX}{ENTERLF}! 599 GA GA DE {MYCALL} {RX}

This is what I send in the RTTY Roundup. First is the recipient's call (!). Then 599 -- don't use 5NN, because that actually takes longer to send in RTTY -- and send it only once, because it isn't important. Then the exchange is sent twice, followed by the prosign DE and my call, followed by a space. 

N1MM's authors recommend you use the ! character rather than the {CALL} macro. The reason is that {CALL} isn't subject to correction -- it sends the contents of the Call field at the start of the message. The ! character will send the Call field as it is being corrected in real time. As a practical matter, most RTTY contest contacts involve pointing and clicking on callsigns, so there's less typing, and therefore fewer corrections involved.

A couple of things here. Notice I did not use the {EXCH} macro above. When there are multiple elements to the exchange, I put the repetitions together. So, I tend put the exchange information into the macro directly. For example, here's an S & P exchange for CQWW RTTY:

{TX}{ENTERLF}! 599 GA GA 5 5 DE {MYCALL} {RX}

GA for Georgia, and 5 for zone 5. For NAQP RTTY, it would be:

{TX}{ENTERLF}! 599 BILL BILL GA GA DE {MYCALL} {RX}

Some might balk at the use of the DE prosign, particularly for exchanges that involve a state or section, since DE might be confused with Delaware. However, I think this prosign is useful, as it establishes the callsign is of the answering station, and not the CQing station.

CQing

{TX}{ENTERLF}CQ RU {MYCALL} {MYCALL} CQ {RX}

Note that the important information -- the callsign -- is repeated. The other curious thing is the "CQ" at the end. This indicates I finished a CQ message. This is important because one cannot tell when potential callers tune in to your signal. If they do so during the first callsign, the can't tell if you are calling or answering a CQ. Putting "CQ" at the end establishes you are calling CQ. And it is shorter than "QRZ?".

Naturally, one indicates the contest in the CQ message. Here it is "RU" for Round Up. Use whatever is appropriate for the contest, or simply "TEST".

When someone answers your call, you send an exchange message:

{TX}{ENTERLF}! 599 GA GA ! {RX}

Note that the exchange is sent twice, and if there were more than one element to the exchange, I'd send those twice as well:

{TX}{ENTERLF}! 599 BILL BILL GA GA ! {RX}

Another item to notice is there is no {MYCALL} macro in this message. Instead, the caller's callsign (!) is sent twice, once at the beginning and once at the end. There are two reasons for this. First, it follows the principle of sending important information twice. It could be the caller's callsign printed incorrectly to me, or perhaps it will print incorrectly when I send the message back. If I only send the callsign once, the caller might or might not correct it if is wrong, or they may correct it if it printed incorrectly to them. 

Unnecessary corrections are a waste of time, but necessary corrections are desired. 

Second, it may be that during the response with the exchange, other stations may also be calling. This, creates a good chance that the initial callsign in the response will print incorrectly. If you don't send the callsign again at the end, it could be unclear who you responded to. 

Once you've received the exchange from the caller, one sends an acknowledgement:

{TX}{ENTERLF}! TU DE {MYCALL} CQ {RX}

Short and simple. Two features here. One is the DE prosign, to indicate this is the transmitting station's call, and ending with "CQ" to invite new callers.

Turnaround

{TX}{ENTERLF}! TU {LOGTHENGRAB}NOW..{ENTERLF}{F5} 599 GA GA {F5} {RX}

This message omits {MYCALL}, and uses the {LOGTHENGRAB} macro to first log, then grab the callsign off the automatic decode stack, then it follows with the normal exchange. If you use Single Operator Call Stacking, you can use {LOGTHENPOP} instead. See the N1MM manual.

Note that instead of using the exclamation point (!), we use the {F5} macro. Both the exclamation point and the {CALL} macro won't be updated by the {LOGTHENGRAB} macro, but {F5} will.

Short

{TX}{ENTERLF}! 599 BILL GA DE {MYCALL} {RX} -- short S & P exchange

{TX}{ENTERLF}! 599 BILL GA {RX} -- short exchange for S & P or CQing

{TX}{ENTERLF}599 BILL BILL GA GA {RX} -- repeat of just the exchange 

{TX}{ENTERLF}CQ RU {MYCALL} CQ {RX} -- short CQ

{TX}{ENTERLF}TU DE {MYCALL} CQ {RX} -- short acknowledgement

All these should be used when you have solid copy, want to get back to other callers quickly, or you are fairly certain the other operator already has your exchange information from a previous contact.

Tips

Practical Messages 

{TX}{ENTERLF}AGN AGN {RX}

Or perhaps you need a fill of one element:

{TX}{ENTERLF}STATE? STATE? {RX}

{TX}{ENTERLF}NR? NR? {RX}

{TX}{ENTERLF}NAME? NAME? {RX} 

 Before you open up with a CQ on a frequency,  this is good one:

{TX}{ENTERLF}QRL? DE {MYCALL} {RX}

 Maybe if you are not sure someone is calling you:

{TX}{ENTERLF}QRZ DE {MYCALL} {MYCALL} {RX}

Or the short version:

{TX}{ENTERLF}QRZ DE {MYCALL} {RX}

Every once and a while, directed call is useful, especially when two stations are calling CQ on top of each other:

{TX}{ENTERLF}! DE {MYCALL} {MYCALL} {RX} 

Conclusion

There’s a lot to do on the air in September, 2024!

It’s a great month to sharpen your skills for some of the upcoming major events on the amateur radio calendar. We’ve listed a few highlights below, including the ARRL EME and VHF contests, a premier RTTY event, a couple of excellent park activation opportunities, and a bevy of State QSO Parties that let you operate from your home, as a fixed portable station, or as a “rover” operating from multiple counties in your vehicle.

Here’s a rundown of September’s QSO Parties (note: Tennessee’s party ran prior to this posting):

• Texas: September 21, 1400Z to September 22, 0200Z, and September 22, 1400Z to 2000Z
• Iowa: September 21, 1400Z to September 22, 0200Z
• New Jersey: September 21, 1400Z to September 22, 0159Z
• New Hampshire: September 21, 1600Z to September 22, 0400Z and September 22, 1200Z to 2200Z
• Washington State Salmon Run: September 21, 1600Z to September 22, 0700Z, and September 22, 1600Z to 2400Z (find more details on the Salmon Run official website)
• Maine: September 28, 1200Z to September 29, 1200Z

Read more about State QSO Parties in these excellent OnAllBands articles:

• Ward, N0AX: State QSO Parties—Great HF Practice
• Sean, KX9X: State QSO Parties—Low-Pressure Contesting

You’ll find everything you need at DXEngineering.com to get maximum fun out of State QSO Parties, including transceivers, antennas, CW keys and paddles, and more.

Check Out These Other September 2024 Events:

NRAU (Nordic Radio Amateur Union) 10M Activity Contest: September 5, 1700Z to 1800Z (CW); 1800Z to 1900Z (SSB); 1900Z to 2000Z (FM); and 2000Z to 2100Z (Digital). Here’s a great chance to take advantage of 10M openings compliments of Solar Cycle 25. Looking for gear to maximize your 10M capabilities? Click to read about some of these 10M antenna upgrades available at DXEngineering.com. 

Ohio State Parks on the Air: September 7, 1400 UTC to 2200 UTC (10 am to 6 pm Eastern Time). With DX Engineering proudly rooted in the Buckeye State, this annual event is near and dear to our ham radio hearts. Tom, KB8UUZ, DX Engineering technical writer, is a member of the contest committee for this 17^th edition of this outdoor operating event that highlights Ohio’s beauty and diversity.

If you’ve never activated a park, here’s an OnAllBands POTA article on what you’ll need for successful portable operations, including these suggested items:

• Yaesu FT-891 HF/50 MHz All Mode Mobile Transceiver
• Heil Proset 3 Headphones 
• SOTABeams Band Hopper Portable Dipole Antenna

Also, don’t miss the flora, fauna, frequencies, and fun of Wisconsin Parks on the Air, September 21, 1600Z to 2300Z (11 am to 6 pm local/CDT), sponsored by the Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club, W9ZL.

IARU Region 1 Field Day, SSB: September 7, 1300Z to September 8, 1259Z. This annual event presents an excellent opportunity for clubs to test their low-power portable operating capabilities; experiment with design, construction, and deployment of antennas; and use alternate means of power.

All Asian DX Contest, Phone: September 7, 0000Z to September 8, 2400Z. Sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League, this annual event is for both Asian and non-Asian stations making SSB QSOs on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.

WAE DX Contest, SSB: September 14, 0000Z to September 15, 2359Z. The German Amateur Radio Club (DARC) invites amateur operators worldwide to participate in this Worked All Europe contest. The RTTY portion of the contest is scheduled for November 9-10. Read complete rules here.

ARRL September VHF Contest: September 14, 1800Z to September 16, 0300Z. Amateurs in the U.S. and Canada will be trying to work stations in as many 2 degree x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the U.S. and Canada may only work stations in the U.S. and Canada. All legal modes are permitted, including CW, SSB, FT8, MSK144, FM-Only, PSK31, FSK441, and JT65.

QRP Afield: September 21, 1500Z to 2100Z: Hosted by the QRP Club of New England, this low-power event rewards operators based on power levels and location (e.g., 10 points per contact for QRP operation from a field or mobile location).

ARRL EME Contest: September 21, 0000Z to September 22, 2359Z. The object of this annual event is to work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth path on any authorized amateur frequency above 50 MHz. Effective in 2024, the contest exchange is now a station’s four-digit Maidenhead grid square locator. September 21-22 is designated for 2.3 GHz and up. October 19-20 and November 16-17 are for 50 to 1296 MHz.

ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest: September 21, 0900Z to September 23, 0759Z. North American amateurs will attempt to contact as many stations in as many different locations as possible in North America on bands from 10 GHz (3-centimeter) through Light. Amateurs are encouraged to operate from more than one location during this event. Contesters may enter in either “10 GHz Only” or “10 GHz and Up” categories.

For those interested in 10 GHz operation, you’ll find the Icom IC-905 VHF/UHF/SHF All Mode Base/Portable Transceiver at DXEngineering.com. The rig boasts operating capability up to 10 GHz with the optional CX-10G Transverter (sold separately).

CQ World Wide DX Contest, RTTY, September 28, 0000Z to September 29, 2359Z. This annual event attracts more than 15,000 RTTY enthusiasts from around the world.

4th Annual Masonic Lodges on the Air, September 28, 1400Z to 2200Z. “The idea for the Masonic Lodges on the Air Contest grew out of the realization that many Freemasons have a love for Amateur Radio,” the event’s official website reads. The idea is to see how many Masonic Lodges you can contact in a day on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters SSB. You do not need to be a Mason to participate, but organizers ask that you get permission from your local lodge to contest from their property.

AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party: September 28, 2000Z to September 29, 2400Z. Sponsored by the Antique Wireless Association, this event is designed to “promote and encourage the use of amplitude modulation on the amateur radio bands” and to “enjoy the friendly atmosphere and pleasant audio quality of AM communication,” per the AWA website. Participants will try to make contacts using the amplitude modulation mode on 160, 75, 40, 20, and 10 meters. From its website, the vision of the AWA is to “preserve and share the history of technology used to communicate and entertain from the first telegram to today’s wireless text messaging.”

The post Guide to September 2024 Ham Radio Contests appeared first on OnAllBands.

I have been emailed details of a new RTTY contest which will run for the first time this year on Friday 4th October 2024. It’s scheduled for the first Friday of October each year going forward. It’s called the URC DX RTTY Contest and the rules are pretty standard in that everyone works everyone. The […]

DX Engineering Becomes 2026 WRTC Sponsor

With the 2024 Paris Olympics past the halfway point, OnAllBands thought it would be appropriate to give a shout out to what’s been dubbed the Olympics of Amateur Radio—the quadrennial World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC).

The next WRTC—a test of supreme operating skill, strategy, endurance, and teamwork—is scheduled for 2026 in the United Kingdom, following up the 2023 Italy competition which was delayed a year due to the pandemic.

In July 2026, 50 elite two-operator teams from around the world will compete from comparable stations set up in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire counties during the 24-hour IARU 2026 Contest. To qualify for WRTC 2026, teams must rank highly in a series of amateur radio contests held between October 2023 and March 2025.

Beyond the competitive nature of the high-profile competition, the event—like the traditional Winter and Summer Olympics—is meant to stand as a model of global cooperation. It also serves as an ideal opportunity for young amateurs to grab the torch lit by their predecessors.

“WRTC is a means to demonstrate international goodwill and friendship in the true ham spirit. It also allows youth operators to demonstrate their skills within this highly competitive event. WRTC UK 2026 will focus not only on providing a fair and enjoyable event for those who qualify either as a competitor or referee but will also provide engagement to spectators all over the world.”

The WRTC UK Website

DX Engineering and the WRTC

DX Engineering has a strong connection with the WRTC. OnAllBands blogger and member of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame Ward Silver, N0AX, was a founder of the WRTC, which had its inaugural competition in Seattle in 1990. Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO and member of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame, competed in five WRTCs (San Francisco 1996, Finland 2002, Brazil 2006, Russia 2010, and Germany 2018). Scott Jones, DX Engineering sales manager, competed in the San Francisco WRTC. Jeff Steinman, N5TJ, three-time WRTC champion (San Francisco, Slovenia 2000, and Finland), is a member of the DX Engineering sales/technical support team. (Note: Just a few more good reasons to get your amateur radio gear—and the best advice anywhere for upgrading your stations—from the folks at DX Engineering.)

WRTC 2026 chairman Mark Haynes, M0DXR, and the event’s director of hospitality Georgina Haynes, M6YGL (husband and wife), stopped by DX Engineering headquarters last year to present their roadmap for a memorable event, which will require untold hours of volunteer work and intelligent planning to handle the thousands of details while creating a level playing field for the 100 competitors.

To support this important gathering on the ham radio calendar, DX Engineering has signed on as a silver sponsor of WRTC 2026. Other sponsors include Icom, Mastrant Antenna Guying, OM Power Amplifiers, and Vibroplex.

Watch Tim, K3LR, interview Mark, M0DXR, and Georgina, M6YGL, at the DX Engineering Showroom in Tallmadge, Ohio.

“WRTC UK 2026 is a complex and challenging project to plan and execute,” the contest website noted. “This is a fantastic opportunity for domestic and international hams to get involved with one of the most exciting projects that our hobby has to offer. We are so fortunate to be holding this event in the UK and this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you or your club can help as a volunteer, please get in touch.”

Visit the WRTC UK 2026 website for up-to-date information and details on how you can get involved.

The post The Paris Olympics Has Us Thinking Ahead to the Ham Radio Olympics in 2026 appeared first on OnAllBands.

While not including any of the heavy hitters on the ham radio calendar, August is one of our favorite months at OnAllBands because it showcases the great diversity of amateur operating—everything from bouncing signals off the ionized trails produced by meteors to making two-way QSOs via the moon (both pursuits open to even Technician license holders).

You’ll also find ARRL’s Super High Frequency challenge and RTTY Rookie Roundup, along with State QSO Parties and another island chaser/activator opportunity for those who didn’t get their fill during July’s RSGB IOTA contest. Enjoy!

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NRAU (Nordic Radio Amateur Union) 10M Activity Contest: August 1, 1800Z to 1900Z (CW); 1900Z to 2000Z (SSB); 2000Z to 2100Z (FM); and 2100Z to 2200Z (Digital). Here’s a great chance to take advantage of 10M openings compliments of Solar Cycle 25. Looking for gear to enhance your 10M capabilities? Click to read about some antenna upgrades available at DXEngineering.com. 

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European HF Championship: August 3, 1200Z to 2359Z. This contest organized by the Slovenia Contest Club offers three additional categories added in 2023: Single-Op-Unlimited, Single-Op QRP, and One-Band (160M-6M). Access the latest rules here.

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ARRL 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest: August 3, 1800Z to August 4, 1800Z. Work as many stations as possible on the 222 MHz through 241 GHz bands using any allowable mode. A station in a specific grid locator may be contacted from the same location only once on each band, regardless of mode.

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MMMonVHF/DUBUS 144 MHz Meteorscatter Sprint Contest: August 10, 2200Z to August 12, 2159Z. MMMonVHF, in cooperation with the magazines DUBUS and Funk-Telegramm, invites you to take part in the 2024 edition of the “144 MHz Meteorscatter Sprint Contest.” Per the contest website, the Perseid meteor shower will be active until August 24. Its maximum is estimated to occur on Monday, August 12, between 1300 UTC and 1600 UTC. The contest site also notes that on August 12 around 0900 UTC, Earth will pass an old dust trail. Five more old trails, four of which are more than 1,300 years old, will be passed between 0400 UTC and 1100 UTC.

Called one of the “best shooting star displays of the year” by Space.com, the Perseid meteor shower is the result of the Earth passing through ice and rock left behind by the comet Swift Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the Sun and had its closest approach to the Sun in 1992. It won’t return until 2125.

From the NASA website, “When comets come around the sun, the dust they emit gradually spreads into a dusty trail around their orbits. Every year the Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.”

This is a great chance to take a crack at one of the coolest aspects of the hobby. Better yet, it’s an activity that’s open to Technician license holders. For other ideas on getting the most from punching your ticket, check out this article by OnAllBands blogger Sean Kutzko, KX9X, on 15 Things to Do with a Technician License.

Here’s another way to get involved in the excitement. Founded in 1988, the International Meteor Organization is a collection of meteor observers from around the world who ensure “the comprehensive study of meteor showers and their relation to comets and interplanetary dust,” per the group’s website. Check out how to become a member.

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YB Bekasi Merdeka Contest: August 10, 1200Z to August 11, 1159Z. This SSB-only, single-operator 80/40/10M contest commemorates the anniversary of Indonesian independence from Japan (August 17, 1945). The event is sponsored by the Indonesian Amateur Radio Organization.

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Kentucky State Parks on the Air: August 10, 1400Z to 2200Z. The Murray State University Amateur Radio Club (MSUARC) is sponsoring its annual Kentucky State Parks on the Air event. Activators will have an opportunity to operate from the Bluegrass State’s 50 parks and nine national sites, while chasers can make CW, SSB, and Digital QSOs with hams enjoying the diversity of the state’s outdoor areas.

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Keymen’s Club of Japan Contest: August 17, 1200Z to August 18, 1200Z. Formed in 1976, the Keymen’s Club of Japan is devoted to promoting CW operation on the amateur bands. Find club history and contest rules at the KCJ website.

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SARTG WW RTTY Contest: August 17, 0000Z to 0800Z and 1600Z to 2400Z; August 18, 0800Z to 1600Z. This annual RTTY-only event is sponsored by the Scandinavian Amateur Radio Teleprinter Group.

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ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest: August 17, 0900 to August 19, 0759. If you’re a fan of operating on the Super High Frequency (microwave) spectrum, this is your chance to shine. North American amateurs will attempt to contact as many stations in as many different locations as possible in North America on bands from 10 GHz (3-centimeter) through Light. Amateurs are encouraged to operate from more than one location during this event. Contesters may enter in either “10 GHz only” or “10 GHz and Up” categories. The second weekend of the contest will be September 21-22.

For those interested in 10 GHz operation, you’ll find the Icom IC-905 VHF/UHF/SHF All Mode Base/Portable Transceiver at DXEngineering.com. The rig boasts operating capability up to 10 GHz with the optional CX-10G Transverter (sold separately).

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North American QSO Party, SSB: August 17, 1800Z to August 18, 0559Z. All amateur licensees are eligible to work as many North American stations as possible during the 12-hour contest period. The CW portion of the contest runs August 3, 1800Z to August 4, 0559Z.

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ARRL Rookie Roundup, RTTY: August 18, 1800Z to 2359Z. From the ARRL, the Rookie Roundups “encourage newly-licensed operators (“Rookies”) in North America (including territories and possessions) to operate on the HF bands and experience competitive Amateur Radio operating. Experienced operators (“Non-Rookies”) are strongly encouraged to participate and help new operators—either on the air or in person.”

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ARRL EME Contest: August 24, 0000Z to August 25, 2359Z. The object of this annual event is to work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth path on any authorized amateur frequency above 50 MHz. August 24-25 and September 21-22 are designated for 2.3 GHz and up. October 19-20 and November 16-17 are for 50 to 1296 MHz.

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ALARA Contest: August 24, 0600 to August 25, 0559Z. The Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association will be hosting the 44^th ALARA Contest, an SSB/CW event in which YLs may contact anyone while OMs may only contact YLs on all HF bands except 160M and WARC bands. Formed in 1975, ALARA boasts a membership of more than 200 operators, with many members sponsoring operators overseas. ALARA’s mission is to “encourage women’s interest in and active participation in amateur radio.”

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The U.S. Islands QSO Party: August 24, 1200Z to August 25, 0300Z. Previously known as the W/VE Islands QSO Party, the U.S. Islands QSO Party “promotes verifiable amateur radio contacts with stations located on islands in the United States and its Territories and Protectorates.” This 15-hour SSB/CW/Digital event offers two classes (QRP, 5 watts or less) or QRO (greater than 5 watts), and several categories: Island Fixed, Island Rover, and Non-Island.

Now in its 30^th year, the U.S. Islands Awards Program centers around activating and chasing U.S. river, lake, and shore islands. Thinking about activating an island? Here’s a state-by-state U.S. island directory.

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Also check out these state QSO parties:

• Maryland-DC: August 10, 1400Z to August 11, 0400Z
• Hawaii: August 24, 0400Z to August 26, 0400Z
• Ohio: August 24, 1600Z to August 25, 0400Z
• Kansas: August 24, 1400Z to August 25, 0200Z; August 25, 1400Z to 2000Z
• Colorado: August 31, 1300Z to September 1, 0400Z

The post August 2024 Guide to Ham Radio Contests appeared first on OnAllBands.

Yesterday was the annual Flight of the Bumblebees (FOBB) QRP contest, a four-hour sprint sponsored by The Adventure Radio Society. It’s been a couple of years since I last took part, so I was glad to get out for a couple of hours this afternoon. Prior to the contest, I signed up to be a bumblebee station and was assigned bumblebee number 82. 

I operated from a picnic area in nearby Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761). There were several picnics in progress, so I headed to an area well away from them. I found a nice shady spot under the trees, where I set up my table and chair. Except for having to swat the occasional bug, it was a comfortable spot.

My rig was an Elecraft KX3, running 5 watts. I dusted off my trusty homebrew 19-foot vertical and put it to use for this event.

In general, the bands weren’t all that great. Most of the signals I heard were weak, and there was considerable fading on the bands. A few contacts were a real struggle. 

The FOBB activity was surprisingly brisk when I first started, but slowed dramatically as the contest wore on. In about two hours and a half hours of operating, I ended up with 22 contest QSOs. Fourteen of those were with fellow bumblebees. Before I shut down, I came across a POTA station and had a quick park-to-park contact outside of the contest.

Although I was in a POTA entity, I didn’t spot myself or call “CQ POTA.” However, my FOBB contacts were more than enough to complete an activation.

Given the conditions, I did better than I expected. Thanks to those stations that hung in there to pull me out of the noise.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Well the RAC Canada Day Contest is over for another year.

As with all the RAC Contests I set certain goals for my self and for this one was no different.

The goals were as follows:

HAVE FUN- This is a must. I am a casual operator and not a “dyed in the wool” contester. The main thing is to have fun and keep it friendly… This was not an issue and I had a blast working across Canada.

TRY AND WORK CANADA COAST TO COAST TO COAST-

Well almost… I had contacts in:VE1, VE2, VE3, VE4, VE5, VE6, VE7, VE8, VE9 and VO1. East Coast to the West Coast and the North West Territory.

Unfortunately this time VO2,VY0, VY1 and VY2 escaped me.

HAVE A SCORE IN THE TOP 50% OF MY CATAGORY. Needless to say that this time its not going to happen. I made contacts on 15m, 20m and 40m and they were good contacts…. I just needed more of them.

After about 9 hours of radio stretching it out over a 24 hour period it was all over. One of the lowest scores I will not be submitting but it was still fun.

Onwards and upwards so…. Happy 4th of July to my American Friends…. I’ve already gotten 7 of the 13 Colonies station in the log and I started chasing them today.

Check out their website for more information.

.

Then it looks like its back to “Playing Pota” again ….

73bob