January 1, 2025

Editor: Paul Bourque, N1SFE

In this Issue:

• Upcoming Contests – Things to Do
• Bulletins
• Contest Summary
• News, Press Releases, and Special Interest
• Results and Records
• Contests
• Log Due Dates
• ARRL Information
• Acknowledgements

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. For new RTTY operators, if you’re set up to run digital modes, you’re halfway there! For information on getting started with RTTY, a great resource to check out is rttycontesting.com.

The Weekly RTTY Test on Thursday evening is a great opportunity to test your station’s RTTY setup before the event. Alternatively, you can test your receive configuration by copying the ARRL digital transmissions that occur twice per evening (US time) each weeknight.

North American QSO Party – CW

The North American QSO Party (NAQP) – CW begins at 1800 UTC on Saturday, January 11, and concludes at 0559 UTC on Sunday January 12. The NAQP is a low-power only event, which makes for a lot more breathing room on the bands. Participants can enter in single operator or multi-operator categories. The NAQP SSB will be held a week later on January 18 – 19.

In 2021 when the second “wave of 10” operators began working to complete their 222 MHz Worked All States (WAS) awards, Joel Harrison, W5ZN, Charlie Betz, N0AKC, and Al Ward, W5LUA, authored a paper that was first presented at the 2022 Central States VHF Society Conference. The paper may be of interest to operators now pursuing WAS on 222 MHz. The paper documents the history of the 220 MHz band, the first ten operators to achieve WAS, and the efforts of the second group.

You may view the paper on Joel’s website at https://w5zn.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-Quest-for-222-WAS-21-APR-2022.pdf.

– Thanks to Joel Harrison, W5ZN

January 2

• Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest
• CWops Test (CWT)
• NRAU 10m Activity Contest
• SKCC Sprint Europe

January 3

• NCCC FT4 Sprint
• Weekly RTTY Test
• QRP Fox Hunt
• NCCC Sprint
• K1USN Slow Speed Test

January 4

• PODXS 070 Club PSKFest
• Marconi Club ARI Loano QSO Party Day
• WW PMC Contest
• RSGB AFS Contest, CW
• ARRL RTTY Roundup
• ARRL Kids Day
• EUCW 160m Contest

January 6

• K1USN Slow Speed Test
• ICWC Medium Speed Test
• OK1WC Memorial (MWC)

January 7

• ARS Spartan Sprint
• Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest
• ICWC Medium Speed Test

January 8

• QRP Fox Hunt
• Phone Weekly Test
• A1Club AWT
• CWops Test (CWT)
• VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest
• Mini-Test 40
• Mini-Test 80

January 9

• CWops Test (CWT)

January 10

• NCCC FT4 Sprint
• Weekly RTTY Test
• QRP Fox Hunt
• NCCC Sprint
• K1USN Slow Speed Test

January 11

• YB DX Contest
• SKCC Weekend Sprintathon
• UBA PSK63 Prefix Contest
• North American QSO Party, CW

January 12

• NRAU-Baltic Contest, SSB
• NRAU-Baltic Contest, CW
• DARC 10-Meter Contest
• RSGB AFS Contest, Data

January 13

• K1USN Slow Speed Test
• 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint
• ICWC Medium Speed Test
• OK1WC Memorial (MWC)

January 14

• Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest
• ICWC Medium Speed Test
• DARC RTTY Sprint

January 15

• QRP Fox Hunt
• Phone Weekly Test
• A1Club AWT
• CWops Test (CWT)
• VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest
• Mini-Test 40
• Mini-Test 80
• AWA Linc Cundall Memorial CW Contest

Registration is now open for the 2025 Dayton Contest University (“CTU Dayton”) which will be held Thursday May 15, 2025 at the Hope Hotel in Dayton, Ohio.

2025 will be the 16th year for CTU Dayton. Videos and PDF presentations from past CTUs are available on the CTU web site at www.contestuniversity.com.

The 2025 CTU Dayton course outline and professor biographies will be posted once they all have been confirmed. Check the CTU website for updates as they become available.

– Thanks to Tim Duffy, K3LR

Raw scores for the ARRL 10-Meter Contest are now available at https://contests.arrl.org/rawscores.php?cn=10m. Log checking will begin shortly, and once completed, the final results including line scores and the expanded results article by Andrew Goss, AA5JF will be available online.

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

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

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

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

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

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

NCCC FT4 Sprint, Jan 3, 0100z to Jan 3, 0130z; FT4; Bands: (see rules); 4-character grid square; Logs due: Jan 5.

Weekly RTTY Test, Jan 3, 0145z to Jan 3, 0215z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Jan 5.

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

NCCC Sprint, Jan 3, 0230z to Jan 3, 0300z; CW; Bands: (see rules); Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Jan 5.

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

PODXS 070 Club PSKFest, Jan 4, 0000z to Jan 4, 2359z; PSK31; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + (state/province/country); Logs due: Jan 11.

Marconi Club ARI Loano QSO Party Day, Jan 4, 0700z to Jan 4, 2100z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20; Marconi Club Member: RST + “MC” + Member No., non-Members: RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Jan 12.

WW PMC Contest, Jan 4, 1200z to Jan 5, 1200z; CW, SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; PMC: RS(T) + PMC abbreviation, World: RS(T) + CQ Zone; Logs due: Jan 12.

RSGB AFS Contest, CW, Jan 4, 1300z to Jan 4, 1700z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Jan 5.

ARRL RTTY Roundup, Jan 4, 1800z to Jan 5, 2359z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; W/VE: RST + (state/province), non-W/VE: RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Jan 12.

ARRL Kids Day, Jan 4, 1800z to Jan 4, 2359z; SSB; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10, 2m repeaters; name + age + QTH + favorite color; Logs due: Feb 4.

EUCW 160m Contest, Jan 4, 2000z to Jan 5, 0700z; CW; Bands: 160; Affiliated Club Member: RST + name + club + membership no., Other: RST + name + “NM”; Logs due: Jan 13.

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

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

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

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

ARS Spartan Sprint, Jan 7, 0100z to Jan 7, 0300z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + (state/province/country) + Power; Logs due: Jan 9.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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