February 12, 2025

Editor: Paul Bourque, N1SFE

In this Issue:

• Upcoming Contests – Things to Do
• Bulletins
• Contest Summary
• Sights and Sounds
• Results and Records
• Technical Topics and Discussions
• Contests
• Log Due Dates

The ARRL International DX Contest – CW is this weekend, starting at 0000 UTC on Saturday, February 15, and concluding at 2359 UTC on Sunday, February 16. This contest is a great opportunity for US and Canadian amateurs to make DX contacts and boost their DXCC totals.

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

Upcoming State QSO Parties

Two state QSO parties are happening next weekend. The South Carolina QSO Party begins at 1500 UTC on Saturday, February 22 and concludes at 0159 UTC on Sunday, February 23. The North Carolina QSO Party begins at 1500 UTC on Sunday, February 23, and concludes at 0100 UTC on Monday, February 24. Both events count toward the State QSO Party Challenge. For more details, visit the individual event web pages above, and stateqsoparty.com.

North American QSO Party – RTTY

The North American QSO Party – RTTY also runs next weekend, starting at 1800 UTC Saturday, February 22, and concluding at 0559 UTC on Sunday, February 23. The exchange for North American stations is their name and station location (state, province, or country, while all other stations use only their name. This event runs concurrently with the 2025 North American Collegiate Championship, which is sponsored by the Society of Midwest Contesters.

CQ 160-Meter Contest – SSB

The CQ 160-Meter Contest – SSB, begins at 2200 UTC on Friday, February 21, and concludes at 2200 UTC on Sunday, February 23. Stations located in the US and Canada send a signal report and their state or Canadian province; stations located outside of the US and Canada send a signal report and their CQ zone. Complete rules are available at cq160.com/rules.

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 (in support of others and 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:

• The name of person being nominated.
• Their call sign 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 they should be elected to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame.
• The name of the nominating club, your contact name, mailing address, phone number, and email address (this is only for the purpose of contacting you in case of questions and will not be published.)

Nominations will be accepted until March 1, 2025. Send your responses to K1AR via email at cqk1ar@gmail.com. The 2025 inductees will be announced during a ceremony at the Dayton Hamvention Contest Dinner on May 17, 2025.

February 13

• YLRL YL-OM Contest
• CWops Test (CWT)

February 14

• PODXS 070 Club Valentine Sprint
• NCCC FT4 Sprint
• Weekly RTTY Test
• QRP Fox Hunt
• NCCC Sprint Ladder
• K1USN Slow Speed Test

February 15

• ARRL International DX Contest, CW
• Russian PSK WW Contest
• Feld Hell Sprint

February 16

• FISTS Sunday Sprint
• Run for the Bacon QRP Contest

February 17

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

February 18

• Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest
• ICWC Medium Speed Test

February 19

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

February 20

• Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest
• CWops Test (CWT)
• NTC QSO Party

February 21

• NCCC FT4 Sprint
• Weekly RTTY Test
• QRP Fox Hunt
• NCCC Sprint Ladder
• K1USN Slow Speed Test
• CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB

February 22

• REF Contest, SSB
• UBA DX Contest, CW
• South Carolina QSO Party
• North American QSO Party, RTTY
• NA Collegiate Championship, RTTY

February 23

• World Wide Patagonia DX Contest
• High Speed Club CW Contest
• North Carolina QSO Party

February 24

• K1USN Slow Speed Test
• QCX Challenge
• ICWC Medium Speed Test
• OK1WC Memorial (MWC)
• QCX Challenge
• ICWC Medium Speed Test
• RSGB FT4 Contest

February 25

• Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest
• QCX Challenge
• ICWC Medium Speed Test

February 26

• SKCC Sprint
• QRP Fox Hunt
• Phone Weekly Test
• A1Club AWT
• CWops Test (CWT)
• Mini-Test 40
• Mini-Test 80
• UKEICC 80m Contest

The final scores and results article for 2024 CQ World Wide SSB contest are now available at cqww.com/results.

– Thanks to CQ World Wide Contest Director John Dorr, K1AR

2024 ARRL September VHF Contest Results

The results for the 2024 ARRL September VHF Contest are available at contests.arrl.org/sepvhf. The full results article by Jim Wilson, K5ND, line scores, and log-checking reports are available on the website. Click on Articles/Line Scores on the left side of the page to view results. Downloadable certificates are available by clicking on Certificates at the top of the page.

2024 Ohio QSO Party Results

The results of the 2024 Ohio QSO Party (OQP) are now live on their web site, www.ohqp.org. The organizers would like to thank all who participated, and hope you’ll participate again in the 2025 OQP on August 23.

– Thanks to OQP Chairman Jim Stahl, K8MR

Nick Langan, W2NJL, shared his experience of an FM broadcast band E-skip opening late in the evening on January 14 in an article titled “Radio Magic on a Cold Winter’s Night” on the Radio World website. E-skip is more common in the summer months, and the openings during the rest of the year are rarer and much shorter-lived. Broadcast band skip is of interest to the amateur community, as it is often an indication of it occurring on the nearby amateur bands as well.

You can read the article at www.radioworld.com/global/radio-magic-on-a-cold-winters-night.

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

YLRL YL-OM Contest, Feb 13, 0000z to Feb 14, 2359z; CW/Digital, SSB; Bands: All, except WARC; QSO No. + RS(T) + (section/province/country); Logs due: Mar 17.

CWops Test (CWT), Feb 13, 0300z to Feb 13, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./”CWA”, non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Feb 15.

CWops Test (CWT), Feb 13, 0700z to Feb 13, 0800z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./”CWA”, non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Feb 15.

PODXS 070 Club Valentine Sprint, Feb 14, 0000z to Feb 14, 2359z; PSK31; Bands: 160, 80, 40; Name + (OM/YL) + (state/province/country); Logs due: Feb 21.

NCCC FT4 Sprint, Feb 14, 0100z to Feb 14, 0130z; FT4; Bands: (see rules); 4-character grid square; Logs due: Feb 16.

Weekly RTTY Test, Feb 14, 0145z to Feb 14, 0215z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Feb 16.

QRP Fox Hunt, Feb 14, 0200z to Feb 14, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Feb 15.

K1USN Slow Speed Test, Feb 14, 2000z to Feb 14, 2100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Feb 16.

ARRL International DX Contest, CW, Feb 15, 0000z to Feb 16, 2359z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; W/VE: RST + (state/province), non-W/VE: RST + power; Logs due: Feb 23.

Russian PSK WW Contest, Feb 15, 1200z to Feb 16, 1159z; BPSK31, BPSK63, BPSK125; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RU: RST + 2-letter oblast, non-RU: RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Feb 21.

Feld Hell Sprint, Feb 15, 1900z to Feb 15, 2059z; Feld Hell; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; (see rules); Logs due: Feb 19.

FISTS Sunday Sprint, Feb 16, 0000z to Feb 16, 2359z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; FISTS: RST + (state/province/country) + first name + FISTS No., non-FISTS: RST + (state/province/country) + first name + “0”; Logs due: Feb 23.

Run for the Bacon QRP Contest, Feb 16, 2300z to Feb 17, 0100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + (state/province/country) + (Member No./power); Logs due: Feb 22.

K1USN Slow Speed Test, Feb 17, 0000z to Feb 17, 0100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Feb 19.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Feb 17, 1300z to Feb 17, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Feb 20.

OK1WC Memorial (MWC), Feb 17, 1630z to Feb 17, 1729z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Feb 21.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Feb 17, 1900z to Feb 17, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Feb 20.

Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, Feb 18, 0100z to Feb 18, 0159z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RS + age group (OM, YL, Youth YL or Youth); Logs due: Feb 19.

ICWC Medium Speed Test, Feb 18, 0300z to Feb 18, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Feb 20.

QRP Fox Hunt, Feb 19, 0200z to Feb 19, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Feb 20.

Phone Weekly Test, Feb 19, 0230z to Feb 19, 0300z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; NA: Name + (state/province/country), non-NA: Name; Logs due: Feb 21.

A1Club AWT, Feb 19, 1145z to Feb 19, 1300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RST + Name; Logs due: Feb 24.