This weekend the most entered ham radio contest is happening at the ¡°PEAK¡± of the current sunspot cycle. The CQ World Wide DX SSB contest is happening. This means the bands will be full with 45,000 plus amateurs from around the globe getting on for a 48 hour period starting at 8 pm local time on Friday evening running thru 7:59 pm local Sunday evening.
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During the 48 hour period it is possible to work DXCC contact 100 countries with a 100 watts and wire antennas.
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OK some tips for maximizing your enjoyment and working some great DX. It is a contest so the DX stations aren¡¯t looking for a long QSO.
They want your callsign and CQ zone (which in the case of NY is zone 5). Knowing what to say and when will maximize your fun.
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Typical QSO is something like this
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HQ9X: CQ contest Hotel Quebec 9 Xray
NJ1F: November Juliet one foxtrot
HQ9X November Juliet one foxtrot 59 7 (If the dx station has your call correct just answer with the exchange; unless the station doesn¡¯t have your complete and correct callsign.
NJ1F 59 5
HQ9X QRZ
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Couple of tips
Call with your complete callsign.
Avoid saying unnecessary words like ¡°PLEASE COPY¡±, ¡°Roger¡± or ¡°Thank You¡± and repeating the DX stations and your callsign. They know their call and will appreciate your quick exchange.
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So what band to be on tips
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Friday evening at the beginning of the contest well be on what ever band you can work stations. Don¡¯t give up because of the pileups ups. My rule of thumb is to call in a pileup no more than two times during the first 4 hours of the contest before turning the dial to the next station. Don¡¯t keep calling in a pileup when there is a easily worked station just a couple khz away!
Friday evening between 11 pm and 2 am the east coast W2 has an advantage to work stations in Europe at their sunrise on 40 thru 160 meters.
Saturday morning about one hour before local sunrise east coast W2 has a big advantage to work Europe to the east on the high bands 20 thru 10 meters, the pacific and west on 40 thru 160.
Saturday morning post sunrise thru afternoon check out 15 and 10 meters later 20 meters.
Saturday late afternoon look for pacific stations on 10, 15 and 20 meters with a big enhancement 1 hour plus or minus local sunset.
Saturday post sunset chances are 20 meters will be open and 40 thru 160. This is the time to work the Caribbean and European stations on 40 thru 160. ??
Sunday is a repeat of Saturday but the pileups might be smaller if the sun doesn¡¯t have a solar storm. (while a solar flare causes radio blackout after a couple of hours conditions are enhanced on the higher bands)
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While you don¡¯t have to send in a log to CQ, if you get on please make a couple of contacts with stations in the contest so the contest log checkers know that the station you work didn¡¯t just make a one off contact. You can also send in a ¡°check log¡± to CQ without entering the contest.
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The CQWW complete rules and details are available at
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If you need logging software N1MM is a FREE logging program that makes logging and scoring easy for CQWW and many other contests. It is available for download at
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Hope to hear you on the bands!
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73
Brian NJ1F
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