A perennial favorite with many operators, the ARRL 10 Meter Contest is again poised to make a splash on the highest of the HF bands. Conditions on 10 already look much better than they were in 2012, according to early predictions. In fact, the recent CQ World Wide contests provided many operators with outstanding rates on 10, where the band was busy almost from end to end!

The 10 meter band, of course, is special in that it features Technician class phone privileges from 28.300 to 28.500. As such, many operators new to contesting – and new to HF operating – will be able to take part in the contest and even be competitive. This is a tremendous opportunity for veteran operators to serve as Elmers to the contesters of tomorrow.

The 2012 running of the 10 Meter Contest saw an increase in multioperator stations. A few teams were comprised entirely of new operators – a trend indicative of the continued popularity of HF in many communities. If you have a station capable of 10 meter operation, consider opening your shack door to those without such capabilities. Hosting a multioperator effort can be a very rewarding experience.

NG3K’s very useful Announced DX Operations page shows many operations from rare entities planned during the contest, with a few dedicated specifically to the contest. This should mean plenty of chances to fill some 10 meter band slots, or even work a “new one!”

The 2013 ARRL 10 Meter Contest runs from 0000 UTC Saturday, December 14 to 2359 UTC Sunday, December 15. Logs should be e-mailed to 10meter@arrl.org or postmarked by 0000 UTC Wednesday, January 14, 2014. Paper logs should be mailed to: ARRL 10 Meter Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Soapbox stories and photos can be uploaded on the Soapbox page.