Set aside your CW key, and shake those dits and dahs out of your ears. It’s time to get your voice in trim or to program your digital voice keyer. The SSB weekend of the ARRL International DX Contest is Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8 (UTC), and in this major event on the radiosport calendar, the DX will be looking for stations in the US and Canada. There are entry categories for single ops and for multioperator teams as well as a choice of power levels in each category, from QRP to full legal limit. In other words, there’s a place for Big Guns, Little Pistols, and everyone in between. Excitement and enthusiasm levels will be high, and it’s a terrific opportunity to boost DXCC totals too.

Not only that, but the ARRL International DX Contest events offer great opportunities to expand your knowledge of MF and HF propagation and to tweak your contesting skills. The basic objective is simple: W/VE amateurs work as many DX stations in as many DXCC entities as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands. Participating DX stations work as many stations as possible on the 48 contiguous US states and Canadian provinces. US and Canadian stations send a signal report and their state or province abbreviation. DX stations send a signal report and their output power.

The action gets under way March 8 at 0000 UTC (Friday, March 7, in US time zones) and continues for the next 48 hours until March 9 at 2359 UTC. By the way, if you’re planning to do this one without any digital voice assistance, keep those lozenges and maybe some hot tea and honey handy. A couple of 2014 participants complained afterward of hoarse throats.

Complete rules and forms are on the ARRL website. E-mail electronic logs (Cabrillo format). Mail paper logs to ARRL DX CW Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Logs must be received or postmarked no later than 2359 UTC on Tuesday, April 8, 2015.