The first ARRL contest of 2025 is about to begin. The ARRL RTTY Roundup is this weekend. The event begins at 1800 UTC on Saturday, January 4, and concludes at 2359 UTC on Sunday, January 5. Operation is allowed using the RTTY mode on the 80-, 40-, 20-, 15-, and 10-meter bands. “RTTY Roundup is a great opportunity to explore this unique digital mode,” said ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE.

It is not hard to get started in the mode. “If you’re set up to run digital modes, you’re halfway there,” said Bourque. For information on getting started with RTTY, a great resource to check out is rttycontesting.com.

RTTY traces its origins back to the beginning of landline teleprinter operations in 1849, but RTTY contesting has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. In the 2024 RTTY Roundup, there were 1,953 logs submitted — 160 more than in 2023.

Find more information about the contest, awards, and rules at www.arrl.org/rtty-roundup. Log submissions are due within 7 days of the contest.