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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.