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Contest Update Issues

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The ARRL Contest Update
March 1, 2023
Editor: Paul Bourque, N1SFE
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In this Issue:

 

Upcoming Contests - Things to Do

ARRL International DX Contest - SSB

The ARRL International DX Contest - SSB, gets underway this weekend at 0000 UTC Saturday, March 4, and concludes at 2359 UTC Sunday, March 5. ARRL DX is a great contest to work some DX and to add to your DXCC totals.

The multioperator station accommodations that were introduced 2 years ago have been extended into the 2023 running of the event. This allows multioperator station participants to operate from their home stations in conjunction with the multi-op station. Home stations must be within a 100-kilometer (62-mile) radius of the multioperator station, and must be within the same DXCC entity, US state, or Canadian province.

For complete rules and more information, visit www.arrl.org/arrl-dx/.


Upcoming State QSO Parties

For those of you who enjoy state QSO parties, here are some upcoming events that might be of interest to you. You can also find more details in the Contests section.

March 11:

March 12:


North American Sprint - RTTY

The North American Sprint - RTTY takes place next weekend, starting at 0000 UTC on Sunday, March 12 (Saturday evening in North America), and concluding at 0359 UTC. Note that the start time has changed from previous years, returning to 0000 UTC. Full rules and contest details are available at https://ncjweb.com/north-american-sprint/


The year-long ARRL Volunteers On the Air event continues, recognizing ARRL volunteer's support and contributions. Get on the air and make contacts with as many ARRL volunteers or members as possible. There will be week-long activations of portable W1AW/# stations in all 50 states, and in several US possessions/territories. For a schedule of W1AW/# portable operations, see the W1AW Portable Activations Schedule. Be sure to upload your logs to LoTW and check your score online. Check out the full details at http://vota.arrl.org.

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Bulletins

CQ Contest Hall of Fame Nominations Sought

CQ World Wide Contest Director John Dorr, K1AR, is seeking nomination applications for the CQ Contest Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to amateur radio contesting (both in support of others and in personal operating achievements). In addition, candidates should be known for having made significant contributions to the hobby at large.

Please include the following information with your application:

  • Name of person being nominated.
  • Callsign if they're a licensed amateur. (If they have multiple callsigns, list the most recent.)
  • If your nominee is still living, please supply their current contact information as well as a description of their accomplishments/achievements, and why you feel he/she should be elected to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame.
  • Nominating club and contact information. (This is only for the purpose of contacting you in case of questions, and will not be published.)
  • The name of the nominating club, your contact name, mailing address, phone number, and email address.

Nominations will be accepted until March 19, 2023. Send your
responses to K1AR via email at: cqk1ar@gmail.com. The 2023 inductees will be announced during a ceremony at the Dayton Hamvention Contest Dinner on May 20, 2023.


2023 Contest University Course Outline Announced

Tim Duffy, K3LR, has announced that the 2023 Dayton Contest University course outline and professor biographies are posted at https://www.contestuniversity.com/. Contest University will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023, from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the Hope Hotel in Dayton, Ohio.

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Contest Summary

See the "Contests" section below for complete contest information.

March 2

March 3

March 4

March 5

March 6

March 7

March 8

March 9

March 10

March 11

March 12

March 13

March 14

March 15

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Results and Records

Ed Muns, W0YK, has announced that the raw scores for the 2022 CQ WPX RTTY Contest are available at https://cqwpxrtty.com/. He'd like to remind participants that the raw scores may differ from the score computed by their logging software.


Phillipp Springer, DK6SP, announced that the final scores of the third round of the 2022 YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) Contest have been released at ham-yota.com/contest. Log check reports and certificates are also available on the web site.

Conversation

With the ARRL International DX SSB Contest coming up this weekend, I'd like to remind participants to be mindful of band edges. If you're operating near the upper or lower edges of the band, or of your operating privileges, be aware that your signal's bandwidth may extend beyond what the frequency display on your radio is reading. For example, when operating lower sideband phone, if your radio dial reads 7.125 MHz, your signal extends outside of the phone privileges for US amateurs and into the CW portion of the 40-meter band.

In the quick pace and excitement of a contest, it's easy to forget where the upper and lower edges of the bands are and what your license class privileges are. It's always best to review and have a copy of the band plan handy. If using spotting assistance, be aware that some foreign amateurs have different frequency allocations and may be spotted working on frequencies that are not allowed for US amateurs. Be sure to always check that the spot you just clicked on is within your privileges.

The ARRL website has a handy, printable US Amateur Radio Allocations Chart for those who wish to have one for quick reference.

That's all for this time. Remember to send contesting-related stories, book reviews, tips, techniques, press releases, errata, schematics, club information, pictures, stories, blog links, and predictions to contest-update@arrl.org.

73, Paul, N1SFE

Contests

March 2, 2023 - March 15, 2023

An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral is available as a PDF. Check the sponsors' website for information on operating time restrictions and other instructions.

HF CONTESTS

Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest, Mar 2, 0000z to Mar 3, 0300z; CW; Bands: 40; Maximum 13 wpm, RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (Member No./power); Logs due: Mar 9.

CWops Test (CWT), Mar 2, 0300z to Mar 2, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 4.

CWops Test (CWT), Mar 2, 0700z to Mar 2, 0800z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 4.

NRAU 10m Activity Contest, Mar 2, 1800z to Mar 2, 2200z; CW, SSB, FM, Digital; Bands: 10; RS(T) + 6-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 16.

SKCC Sprint Europe, Mar 2, 2000z to Mar 2, 2200z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (SKCC No./"NONE"); Logs due: Mar 9.

NCCC RTTY Sprint, Mar 3, 0145z to Mar 3, 0215z; RTTY; Bands: (see rules); Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Mar 5.

QRP Fox Hunt, Mar 3, 0200z to Mar 3, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Mar 4.

NCCC Sprint Ladder, Mar 3, 0230z to Mar 3, 0300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Mar 5.

K1USN Slow Speed Test, Mar 3, 2000z to Mar 3, 2100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 5.

ARRL International DX Contest, SSB, Mar 4, 0000z to Mar 5, 2359z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; W/VE: RS + (state/province), non-W/VE: RS + power; Logs due: Mar 12.

Novice Rig Roundup, Mar 4, 0000z to Mar 12, 2359z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 15, 10, 2; Name + QTH + Optional (Rig, NRR number); Logs due: Apr 11.

Wake-Up! QRP Sprint, Mar 4, 0600z to Mar 4, 0800z; CW; Bands: 40, 20; RST + Serial No. + suffix of previous QSO ("QRP" for 1st QSO); Logs due: Mar 11.

UBA Spring Contest, CW, Mar 5, 0700z to Mar 5, 1100z; CW; Bands: 80; ON: RST + Serial No. + UBA Section, non-ON: RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 19.

NSARA Contest, Mar 5, 1200z to Mar 5, 2200z; CW, SSB, Digital; Bands: 80; Nova Scotia: RS(T) + county, non-NS: RS(T) + QSO No.; Logs due: Apr 4.

SARL Hamnet 40m Simulated Emerg Contest, Mar 5, 1200z to Mar 5, 1400z; SSB; Bands: 40; Class A: RS + Serial No. (starting with 201), Class B: RS + Serial No. (starting with 401), Class C: RS + Serial No. (starting with 601), Class D: RS + Serial No. (starting with 801),Non-participants: RS + Serial No. (starting with 001); Logs due: Mar 10.

Classic Exchange, CW, Mar 5, 1400z to Mar 7, 0800z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, 2; Name + RST + (state/province/country) + rcvr/xmtr manuf/model; Logs due: Apr 30.

WAB 3.5 MHz Phone, Mar 5, 1800z to Mar 5, 2200z; SSB; Bands: 80; British Isles: RS + serial no. + WAB square, Other: RS + serial no. + country; Logs due: Mar 15.

K1USN Slow Speed Test, Mar 6, 0000z to Mar 6, 0100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 8.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 6, 1300z to Mar 6, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 9.

OK1WC Memorial (MWC), Mar 6, 1630z to Mar 6, 1729z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 10.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 6, 1900z to Mar 6, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 9.

RSGB 80m Club Championship, Data, Mar 6, 2000z to Mar 6, 2130z; RTTY, PSK; Bands: 80; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 7.

Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, Mar 7, 0100z to Mar 7, 0159z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RS + age group (OM, YL, Youth YL or Youth); Logs due: Mar 8.

ARS Spartan Sprint, Mar 7, 0200z to Mar 7, 0400z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + (state/province/country) + Power; Logs due: Mar 9.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 7, 0300z to Mar 7, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 9.

AGCW YL-CW Party, Mar 7, 1900z to Mar 7, 2100z; CW; Bands: 80; YL: RST + Serial No. + "/YL/" + name, OM: RST + Serial No. + "/" + name; Logs due: Mar 21.

QRP Fox Hunt, Mar 8, 0200z to Mar 8, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Mar 9.

Phone Weekly Test, Mar 8, 0230z to Mar 8, 0300z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; NA: Name + (state/province/country), non-NA: Name; Logs due: Mar 10.

A1Club AWT, Mar 8, 1200z to Mar 8, 1300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RST + Name; Logs due: Mar 13.

CWops Test (CWT), Mar 8, 1300z to Mar 8, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 11.

Mini-Test 40, Mar 8, 1700z to Mar 8, 1759z; CW; Bands: 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 10.

Mini-Test 80, Mar 8, 1800z to Mar 8, 1859z; CW; Bands: 80; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 10.

CWops Test (CWT), Mar 8, 1900z to Mar 8, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 11.

CWops Test (CWT), Mar 9, 0300z to Mar 9, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 11.

CWops Test (CWT), Mar 9, 0700z to Mar 9, 0800z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 11.

EACW Meeting, Mar 9, 1900z to Mar 9, 2000z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; EACW Member: RST + Member No. + Nickname, EA non-Member: RST + Nickname + EA province, non-EA: RST + Nickname + DXCC prefix; Logs due: Mar 11.

NCCC RTTY Sprint, Mar 10, 0145z to Mar 10, 0215z; RTTY; Bands: (see rules); Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Mar 12.

QRP Fox Hunt, Mar 10, 0200z to Mar 10, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Mar 11.

NCCC Sprint Ladder, Mar 10, 0230z to Mar 10, 0300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Mar 12.

K1USN Slow Speed Test, Mar 10, 2000z to Mar 10, 2100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 12.

YB DX RTTY Contest, Mar 11, 0000z to Mar 11, 2359z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 18.

SARL Field Day Contest, Mar 11, 0800z to Mar 12, 1000z; CW, SSB, Digital; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RS(T) + Number of transmitters + Category (see rules) + Province (or "DX"); Logs due: Mar 17.

RSGB Commonwealth (BERU) Contest, Mar 11, 1000z to Mar 12, 1000z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 17.

SKCC Weekend Sprintathon,Mar 11, 1200z to Mar 12, 2359z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (SKCC No./"NONE"); Logs due: Mar 19.

EA PSK63 Contest, Mar 11, 1200z to Mar 12, 1200z; PSK63; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; EA: RSQ + province code, non-EA: RSQ + Serial no.; Logs due: Mar 27.

South America 10 Meter Contest, Mar 11, 1200z to Mar 12, 1200z; CW, SSB; Bands: 10; RS(T) + CQ zone; Logs due: Mar 19.

DIG QSO Party, SSB, Mar 11, 1200z to Mar 12, 1100z; SSB; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; DIG Member: RS + Member No., non-Member: RS; Logs due: May 31.

AGCW QRP Contest, Mar 11, 1400z to Mar 11, 2000z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + QSO No. + class(pwr) + (AGCW Member No./"NM" if not member); Logs due: Mar 25.

Stew Perry Topband Challenge, Mar 11, 1500z to Mar 12, 1500z; CW; Bands: 160; 4-Character grid square; Logs due: Mar 27.

Oklahoma QSO Party, Mar 11, 1500z to Mar 12, 2100z; CW, Phone, Digital (no FT8); Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; OK: RS(T) + County, non-OK: RS(T) + (state/province/country); Logs due: Apr 7.

TESLA Memorial HF CW Contest, Mar 11, 1800z to Mar 12, 0559z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No. + 4-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 17.

Idaho QSO Party, Mar 11, 1900z to Mar 12, 1900z; CW, Phone, Digital (no FT8); Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; ID: County, non-ID: Signal report + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 22.

North American Sprint, RTTY, Mar 12, 0000z to Mar 12, 0359z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20; [other station's call] + [your call] + [serial no.] + [your name] + [your state/DC/province/country]; Logs due: Mar 19.

FIRAC HF Contest, Mar 12, 0700z to Mar 12, 1700z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RS(T) + Serial No. + "F", Non-member: RS(T); Logs due: Mar 26.

Wisconsin QSO Party, Mar 12, 1800z to Mar 13, 0100z; CW, Phone, Digital (no FT4/8); Bands: All, except WARC; WI: county, non-WI: (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 26.

4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint, Mar 13, 0000z to Mar 13, 0200z; CW, SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RS(T) + (State/Province/Country) + Member No., Non-member: RS(T) + (State/Province/Country) + Power; Logs due: Mar 15.

K1USN Slow Speed Test, Mar 13, 0000z to Mar 13, 0100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Mar 15.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 13, 1300z to Mar 13, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 16.

OK1WC Memorial (MWC), Mar 13, 1630z to Mar 13, 1729z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 17.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 13, 1900z to Mar 13, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 16.

Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, Mar 14, 0100z to Mar 14, 0159z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RS + age group (OM, YL, Youth YL or Youth); Logs due: Mar 15.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Mar 14, 0300z to Mar 14, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Mar 16.

VHF+ CONTESTS

UBA Spring Contest, 2m, Mar 12, 0700z to Mar 12, 1100z; CW, Phone; Bands: 2; ON: RS(T) + Serial No. + UBA Section, non-ON: RS(T) + Serial No.; Logs due: Mar 26.

VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest, Mar 8, 1700z to Mar 8, 2100z; FT8; Bands: 432 MHz; 4-character grid square; Logs due: Mar 13.

See also: SKCC Sprint Europe, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, Classic Exchange, CW, SKCC Weekend Sprintathon

Log Due Dates

March 2

March 3

March 4

March 5

March 6

March 7

March 8

March 9

March 10

March 11

March 12

March 13

March 14

March 15

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Acknowledgements

ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's Contest Calendar.

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