From Newsgroup: rec.radio.amateur.dx

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December 3, 2025
Editor: Bart Jahnke, W9JJ [ http://contest-update@arrl.org ]

ARRL Home Page
https://www.arrl.org/

Contest Calendar
https://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar

iCom
[https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/amateur/]


In this Issue:
â-¢Upcoming Contests - Things to Do
â-¢Contest Summary
â-¢Word to the Wise
â-¢Club Focus
â-¢Sights and Sounds
â-¢Results and Records
â-¢Operating Tip
â-¢Technical Topics and Discussion
â-¢Conversation
â-¢Contests
â-¢Log Due Dates

Upcoming Contests - Things to Do

It is the lowest of the HF contest bands, and it is the highest of the HF contest bands â-" the ARRL 160- and ARRL 10-Meter contests are coming up on December 5 and December 13.


For the ARRL 160-Meter contest [ https://www.arrl.org/160-meter?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] , it's a CW-only, 42-hour event beginning at 2200 UTC on Friday, December
5, ending on 1559 UTC Sunday, December 7. You should definitely check the
rules on the website â-" the multiplier list will be the same as in 2024,
which means Canadian stations located in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut send TER (Territories) as their section. US and Canadian amateurs contact everyone; the rest of the world only work US/Canadian hams.
Contesters in non-contiguous and overseas US territories (like Alaska, KH0-9 including KH6, KP1-5) can work US and VE stations as well as DX stations.

Your logging program probably has this dialed in, but make sure you have the latest version of your logging program.


For the ARRL 10-Meter contest [ https://www.arrl.org/10-meter?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] , phone, SSB, or the combination may be used.

Enjoy the potentially good 10-meter conditions before the sun spot cycle puts the higher bands to sleep again! The contest period is the usual 48 hours,
0000 UTC Saturday, December 13, through 2359 UTC Sunday, December 14. It can
be easy to get on 10 meters, even in constrained locations â-" a vertical
with a ground plane can be very effective in this contest, especially if it's above roof level. Everyone works everyone in this one.

There are some class overlays for those using "Limited" single element antennas, the rules provide the details.

Multipliers are "US states (plus the District of Columbia), Canadian
provinces and territories, Mexican states, DXCC entities, and ITU regions.

Each multiplier counts once on phone and once on CW."

[https://surgestop.com/coaxial-arrestors/index.html]


Contest Summary

See the "Contests" section below for complete contest information.

December 4
â-¢QRP ARCI Topband Sprint [ http://qrparci.org/contest/topband-sprint ] â-¢Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest [ https://qrpcontest.com/pigwalk40/ ] â-¢CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]
â-¢NRAU 10m Activity Contest [ https://nrau.net/nrau-contests-in-general/ ] â-¢SKCC Sprint Europe [ https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/skse/
]


December 5
â-¢NCCC FT4 Sprint [ https://www.ncccsprint.com/ft4ns.html ]
â-¢Weekly RTTY Test [ https://radiosport.world/wrt.html ]
â-¢QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
â-¢NCCC Sprint [ https://ncccsprint.com/rules.html ]
â-¢K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ]
â-¢ARRL 160-Meter Contest [ http://www.arrl.org/160-meter?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
]


December 6
â-¢Kalbar Contest [ https://kalbarcontest.com/rule/ ]
â-¢Wake-Up! QRP Sprint [ http://qrp.ru/contest/wakeup/333-wakeup-eng ]
â-¢PRO CW Contest [ https://proradiocontestclub.com/PCC Rules.html ]
â-¢INORC Contest [
https://www.inorc.it/wp/2025/09/23/contest-inorc-2025-it-en/ ]

â-¢FT Challenge [ http://www.rttycontesting.com/ft-challenge ]

December 8
â-¢K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ]
â-¢ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] â-¢OK1WC Memorial (MWC) [ https://memorial-ok1wc.cz/index.php?page=rules2l ] â-¢ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ]

December 9
â-¢Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest [ https://wwsac.com/rules.html ] â-¢ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] â-¢DARC CW-Training Contest [ https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/cwa/darc-cw-training-rules/ ]


December 10
â-¢NAQCC CW Sprint [ http://naqcc.info/sprint_rules.html ]
â-¢QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
â-¢Phone Weekly Test [ http://www.perluma.com/Phone_Fray_Contest_Rules.pdf ] â-¢A1Club AWT [ https://a1club.org/contest/awt/ ]
â-¢CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]
â-¢VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest [ http://www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/ ] â-¢Mini-Test 40 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ]
â-¢Mini-Test 80 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ]
â-¢CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]

December 11
â-¢CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]

December 12
â-¢NCCC FT4 Sprint [ https://www.ncccsprint.com/ft4ns.html ]
â-¢Weekly RTTY Test [ https://radiosport.world/wrt.html ]
â-¢QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
â-¢NCCC Sprint [ https://ncccsprint.com/rules.html ]
â-¢K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ]

December 13
â-¢ARRL 10-Meter Contest [ http://www.arrl.org/10-meter?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
]

â-¢PODXS 070 Club Triple Play Low Band Sprint [ http://www.podxs070.com/o7o-club-sponsored-contests/triple-play-low-band-sprint ]

â-¢TRC Digi Contest [ https://trcdx.org/rules-trc-digi/ ]
â-¢SKCC Weekend Sprintathon [ https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekend_sprintathon/ ]

â-¢ARI 40/80 Contest [ http://www.ari.it/en/contest-hf/contest-4080.html ] â-¢International Naval Contest [ https://www.marinefreunde.com/eng/inc.html ]

December 14
â-¢QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Sprint [ http://qrparci.org/contest/holiday-spirit-sprint ]


December 15
â-¢K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ]
â-¢4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint [ http://www.4sqrp.com/SSS/sss_rules.pdf ]

â-¢ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] â-¢OK1WC Memorial (MWC) [ https://memorial-ok1wc.cz/index.php?page=rules2l ] â-¢ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ]

December 16
â-¢Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest [ https://wwsac.com/rules.html ] â-¢ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ]

December 17
â-¢NAQCC CW Sprint [ http://naqcc.info/sprint_rules.html ]
â-¢QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
â-¢Phone Weekly Test [ http://www.perluma.com/Phone_Fray_Contest_Rules.pdf ] â-¢A1Club AWT [ https://a1club.org/contest/awt/ ]
â-¢CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]
â-¢VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest [ http://www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/ ] â-¢Mini-Test 40 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ]
â-¢Mini-Test 80 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ]
â-¢CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]

RigSelect Radio Switch SO2R Controller
[https://rigselect.com/]


Word to the Wise

Fill

A part or whole contest exchange that is sent again at the request of a receiving station when it was not copied the first time.


Club Focus

Next year, 2026, is the ARRL Year of the Club [ https://www.arrl.org/year-of-the-club?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] . Recognizing that radio clubs have traditionally been the backbone of the hobby, there will an emphasis on club growth and club activities.

Contest club members: if you're club is doing a contest activity you find fun or program you think is especially helpful, and think other clubs could
benefit from, send the details to rate-sheet@arrl.org [ mailto:rate-sheet@arrl.org ] . You might find it in this spot in a future Contest Update issue.

Contest club newsletter editors: put rate-sheet@arrl.org [ mailto:rate-sheet@arrl.org ] on your club newsletter email distribution list, or send a link to where your club newsletters are located on the web.


In the November 2025 PVRC newsletter [ https://www.pvrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025_11.pdf ] , Doug Hart, AA3S, PVRC President, notes that "beginning in 2026 the NOAA predictions [ https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/predicted-sunspot-number-and-radio-flux ] for sunspots are down in every month-to-month period for years." He points
out that radio fun can still continue:

â-¢160, 630, and 2200 meter signals can benefit a lot from less D-layer absorption especially in the winter (do you need more DX entities for your
160m DXCC?)

â-¢Predictions are not what actually happens every day, there will be many pleasant surprises for HF propagation, be ready to pounce!

â-¢6 meters can be "magic" at any point in a cycle
â-¢Better antennas, max legal power and weak-signal modes (e.g. FT-8) can contribute to more HF operating success and fun (probably more activity on
the FT-8 sub bands can be expected, could get crowded!)

â-¢Speaking of weak-signal modes, have you tried EME? Several PVRCers have
been successful with this

â-¢Reacquaint with your local VHF/UHF repeaters â-" that can be very
important When All Else Fails(R)

â-¢The glass is always half full, give it some thought and you'll come up
with more ideas to keep engaged, what a great hobby we have!


See PVRC.org [ http://pvrc.org/ ] for useful radio resources and how to
contact the club and its members.


Sights and Sounds

Randy Thompson, K5ZD, interviews George Fremin, K5TR, in the YouTube video entitled "Why ARRL Sweepstakes Still Matters After 90+ Years: George K5TR [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6ljgkZmypE ] ." One aspect that George highlights is how the multiplier structure and exchange make it possible for stations located nearly anywhere in the US to do well in this contest, regardless of where we are in the sun spot cycle.


The venerable Amperex 3-500zg is now available from Penta Laboratories.
Here's an unboxing video [ https://youtu.be/SFOnkbEvC9s?si=a5PjmLFvJyUuo1GT&t=417 ] on YouTube. The Amp Repair Guy compares other brand tubes with the Penta/Amperex, noting the construction and dimensional differences, and how it might affect its use in your amplifiers. Here's another comparing four different 3-500z tubes [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYi0NE9S1lM&t=304s ] .


Results and Records

Results for the 2025 CQ WW VHF Contest [ https://cqww-vhf.com/results/ ] have been published.

According to the results article, in this first year of separate weekends for digital and analog modes, over 500 entries were submitted for each weekend.

Doug Grant, K1DG, who is the contest's plaque manager [ https://cqww-vhf.com/plaques/ ] , notes that there are "many opportunities
for plaque sponsorship" available. Doug asks that you contact him directly [ mailto:dougk1dg@gmail.com ] if you're interested.


Comments posted to 3830scores.org about the recent ARRL SSB Sweepstakes
Contest [ https://www.3830scores.com/currecscores.php?arg=Rv7nxizV77YeDU ] noted that the high bands were generally good, but the low bands suffered.

QRN and QSB were prevalent on 80, 40, and even 20 meters. Amateurs located in the higher latitudes experienced some auroral effects.

A number of operators experimented with the text-to-speech features in N1MM Logger. Dennis Egan, W1UE: "Digital voicing actually made a phone contest fun again!" KV3T turned his 12-year-old daughter loose on the radio, and she was responsible for half of their team's contacts!


Art, K3KU/VE4VTR, a member of the PVRC [ https://www.pvrc.org/ ] (Potomac Valley Radio Club), noted in a post to CQ-Contest [ http://lists.contesting.com/pipermail/cq-contest/2025-November/132334.html ] that the RAC Canada Day and Winter Contests "are a lot of fun. The format and broad spectrum of entry classes give casual ops a reason to put in a few
hours, and give 'serious' competitors a real challenge." He notes that the contests are primarily run by VE5SF and VE5CPU, "themselves well known in the contest world." Art received a plaque for Top Scoring Single Operator Foreign Entry in the 2025 RAC Canada Day Contest.

As he attempted to reach out to the plaque's sponsor, Alan Goodacre, VE3HX,
he found out that Alan had become "a Silent Key just two weeks before Canada Day." Art continues: "I am surprisingly saddened by the loss of a fellow I never met, a ham with whom I never had a QSO.

Reading his obituary [ https://colefuneralservices.com/tribute/details/9765/Alan-Goodacre/obituary.html
] , he seems like the kind of person we all should emulate.

I'll certainly have him in mind when I participate in future RAC contests."

Operating Tip

Is this frequency in use?

Choosing an operating frequency in a busy contest can be a challenge. Here
are some, but not all, things to think about when you come across what you think is a good frequency to start your run:

â-¢Do other modes use this frequency? For example, if you're in an HF RTTY Contest, choosing a frequency that ends in .074, like 14.074, 21.074, 28.074, may not be good because of ongoing FT-mode contacts.

â-¢Are you on/near an NCDXF Beacon [ https://www.ncdxf.org/beacon/ ]
frequency? Amateurs use these beacons to understand what bands are open and
to where. There are automated receivers also listening to these frequencies
to collect real-time data on band conditions.

â-¢Is the HF frequency being used for weather emergency or relief operations
in another part of the world? You may not be able to hear traffic from those locations, but if you have good antennas and high power, they may be able to hear you. There doesn't seem to be a central location where these are posted, though the ARRL and other websites often note them as they are activated.

â-¢Does the contest sponsor have any rules about that frequency? Some
contests, such as the Worked All Europe (WAE) [ https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/wae-dx-contest/en/wae-rules ]
, have rules that limit the contest to frequencies in particular bands.


If you found an empty frequency but it shows in your logging program's
bandmap as occupied (if you're in the assisted class, of course), consider if that station is there, but you just can't hear them. You could try calling CQ â-" it could be that the station moved, but it could be that the other
station is working a station on the other VFO.


And, there's also the ARRL "Considerate Operator's Frequency Guide [ https://www.arrl.org/files/file/conop.pdf?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] ."


Technical Topics and Discussion

According to Ron Rossi, KK1L, posting in the N1MM Logger+ email group, it can be easy to get a dynamic microphone element working with your PC's microphone input with a small additional circuit [ https://groups.io/g/N1MMLoggerPlus/message/97090 ] . According to his post, which uses a transistor and a handful of other parts, the preamp he describes is from G4NKO, who modified it from GM3SEK. When you are recording sound
macros for your contest logging program, you can use the radio microphone, so everything sounds the same, whether it's pre-recorded messages or "fills."


Here's one I missed from a few years ago: QRP Labs [ https://qrp-labs.com/ ] has a five-watt CW transceiver kit [ https://qrp-labs.com/qcxp ] that is very popular.

They've literally sold thousands, which has spurred a lot of experimenting, tinkering, and on the air activity.

In 2019, Guido, PE1NNZ, found a way to use it for SSB [ https://www.pe1nnz.nl.eu.org/2019/01/qcx-ssb-ssb-with-your-qcx-transceiver.html ] , too. His project, on Github, is called uSDX [ https://github.com/threeme3/usdx ] , and initially used the QCX kit [ https://github.com/threeme3/usdx/tree/4fc60f5c8d74ba7364cf891e008b920ab5e5c82d ] as its base. Subsequent versions of his project work a on a variety of
simple hardware designs.



Finding parts for out-of-production gear can sometimes be a challenge, especially if modules or parts are not obtainable from the OEM. Dynolab [ https://dynolab.com/ ] makes a replacement for the LDPA3 amplifier module for your K3 or K3s that also claims to meet the "ARRL Clean Signal Initiative" goals by incorporating a "smart" power supply right on the amplifier module
to operate the LDMOS transistors at a higher voltage. Full-power output is claimed down to a rig supply voltage of 11.0v.


Conversation

What's (not) Going to Kill Contesting, This Time: AI Text-to-Speech

When I wrote about AI, the "generative kind," almost 2 years ago for the Contest Update, it was still pretty amazing and not a little unsettling that
a computer could understand written-in-English queries and sometimes
interpret and return results that were relevant. Today, with the
unprecedented focus on AI and AI companies, associated AI technologies are being used everywhere. They are even showing up in your contest logging program!


Over the last couple of months, N1MM Logger+ has added the ability to "voice" arbitrary text when used in SSB mode, by incorporating the functionality of Piper, an open-source text-to-speech (TTS) engine [ https://github.com/OHF-Voice/piper1-gpl ] . This means that instead of having to have WAV files for all of the numbers, all of the letters, and various phrases used in a QSO, a text string (e.g "W7XXX 59 Washington, Whiskey
Alpha") is generated by the logger, then interpreted and voiced as if a human said it.

There are different human voices (models) that can be used by default, some male, some female, using US or UK English intonations.

Additional voices can be used by putting them in an appropriate directory on the computer.

The human Amateur operator is still responsible for entering the callsign and pressing the correct keys (mostly Enter) to progress and log contacts.


Like any new feature, this functionality has gone through some rapid changes, including the refinement of the N1MM Logger+ macros used for TTS [ https://n1mmwp.hamdocs.com/setup/audio-setup-window/#tts-macros ] . John Bednar, K3CT has also developed and provided instructions [ https://groups.io/g/N1MMLoggerPlus/message/95644 ] to train a stock AI voice
so it sounds like your voice with just a few of your own voice samples.

Operators have used it in a number of contests already â-" you can find many observations in the N1MM Logger+ group [ https://groups.io/g/N1MMLoggerPlus ]
.


I used it in September for Washington state's Salmon Run Contest to run a frequency.

In general, it worked just fine, it made a few 10's of contacts. The voice
was humanesque, and the exchange standard, e.g. "W7XXX 59 in Thurston County, Tango Hotel United." Not much different than using .WAV files, or the
recorded voice keyer on the K3. But after holding the frequency for a while, there were some Amateurs that noticed something? Maybe that the voice
messages and replies, though unique to each callsign, were too uniform? While calling CQ, a few times there were replies as if the caller was trying to
talk to an Amazon Echo device â-" some callers were asking the "radio"
whether it was an AI, for example.

Another caller was trying to give it commands.
It was definitely unexpected.

Now that we can have a computer generate voice messages on the fly with an operator's voice, should we [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3j9muCo4o0 ] ?

Here are some benefits:
â-¢During long contests, or DXpeditions, an operator's voice can be
preserved.

â-¢Some operators may have physical challenges with speech â-" this puts them back in the game.

â-¢New operators can sometimes be mic-shy, especially when asked to run. Not using the mic may help.

â-¢Phone contests can be unappealing to non-Amateurs in the same household.
TTS can eliminate nearly all of the local utterances.

â-¢A good text-to-speech file included by default with the logging program could be the example that helps train new operators on what an optimal QSO exchange should be. The words "Please Copy" will not be in this example file.

â-¢This capability may be able to achieve more efficient QSOs for an operator using a non-native language.


Here are some uses that are more controversial:
â-¢Let's face it â-" YL voices stand out more in a pileup than just another
OM. Now any OM can have a YL voice in a phone contest, just by installing
N1MM Logger+ and doing some configuration.

â-¢It's possible to train a model on a voice of an SK, or continue to use an op's voice long after the op is gone.


Will best practices or rules evolve about how and when to use text to speech
in a contest?


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 [ mailto:contest-update@arrl.org ] .


73, Brian, N9ADG

Contests

December 4, 2025 - December 17, 2025

An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral [ http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] is available as a PDF. Check the sponsors' website for information on operating time restrictions and other instructions.


HF CONTESTS

QRP ARCI Topband Sprint [ http://qrparci.org/contest/topband-sprint ] , Dec
4, 0000z to Dec 4, 0300z; CW; Bands: 160; ARCI: RST +
(state/province/country) + ARCI No., non-ARCI: RST + (state/province/country)
+ power out; Logs due: Dec 16.


Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest [ https://qrpcontest.com/pigwalk40/ ] , Dec 4, 0000z to Dec 5, 0300z; CW; Bands: 40; Maximum 13 wpm, RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (Member No./power); Logs due: Dec 11.


CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ] , Dec 4, 0300z to Dec 4, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 6.


CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ] , Dec 4, 0700z to Dec 4, 0800z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 6.

[ https://nrau.net/nrau-contests-in-general/ ]
NRAU 10m Activity Contest [ https://nrau.net/nrau-contests-in-general/ ] ,
Dec 4, 1800z to Dec 4, 2200z; CW, SSB, FM, Digital; Bands: 10; RS(T) + 6-character grid square; Logs due: Dec 18.


SKCC Sprint Europe [ https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/skse/ ] , Dec 4, 2000z to Dec 4, 2200z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (SKCC No./"NONE"); Logs due: Dec 11.


NCCC FT4 Sprint [ https://www.ncccsprint.com/ft4ns.html ] , Dec 5, 0100z to
Dec 5, 0130z; FT4; Bands: (see rules); 4-character grid square; Logs due: Dec 7.


Weekly RTTY Test [ https://radiosport.world/wrt.html ] , Dec 5, 0145z to Dec
5, 0215z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 7.


QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ] , Dec 5, 0200z to Dec 5, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name + power output; Logs due: Dec 6.


NCCC Sprint [ https://ncccsprint.com/rules.html ] , Dec 5, 0230z to Dec 5, 0300z; CW; Bands: (see rules); Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Dec 7.


K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ] , Dec 5, 2000z to Dec 5, 2100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 7.

[ http://www.arrl.org/160-meter?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
]

ARRL 160-Meter Contest [ http://www.arrl.org/160-meter?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] , Dec 5, 2200z to Dec 7, 1600z; CW; Bands: 160; W/VE: RST + ARRL/RAC
Section, DX: RST; Logs due: Dec 14.


Kalbar Contest [ https://kalbarcontest.com/rule/ ] , Dec 6, 0000z to Dec 7, 2359z; SSB; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RS + Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 14.


Wake-Up! QRP Sprint [ http://qrp.ru/contest/wakeup/333-wakeup-eng ] , Dec 6, 0600z to Dec 6, 0800z; CW; Bands: 40, 20; RST + Serial No. + suffix of
previous QSO ("QRP" for 1st QSO); Logs due: Dec 13.


PRO CW Contest [ https://proradiocontestclub.com/PCC Rules.html ] , Dec 6, 1200z to Dec 7, 1159z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; CW Club Member: RST + Serial No. + "/M", non-Members: RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 13.


INORC Contest [ https://www.inorc.it/wp/2025/09/23/contest-inorc-2025-it-en/
] , Dec 6, 1400z to Dec 7, 1359z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15; Naval: RST +
Club + Member No., Independent: RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Jan 2.


FT Challenge [ http://www.rttycontesting.com/ft-challenge ] , Dec 6, 1800z to Dec 7, 2359z; FT8/FT4; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; signal report + 4-character grid square; Logs due: Dec 14.


K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ] , Dec 8, 0000z to Dec 8, 0100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 10.


ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] , Dec 8, 1300z to Dec 8, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Dec 11.

[ https://memorial-ok1wc.cz/index.php?page=rules2l ]
OK1WC Memorial (MWC) [ https://memorial-ok1wc.cz/index.php?page=rules2l ] ,
Dec 8, 1630z to Dec 8, 1729z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 12.


ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] , Dec 8, 1900z to Dec 8, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Dec 11.

[ https://wwsac.com/rules.html ]
Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest [ https://wwsac.com/rules.html ] , Dec 9, 0100z to Dec 9, 0159z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RS + age group (OM, YL, Youth YL or Youth); Logs due: Dec 10.

[ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ]
ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] , Dec 9, 0300z to Dec 9, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + QSO No.; Logs due: Dec 11.


DARC CW-Training Contest [ https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/cwa/darc-cw-training-rules/ ]
, Dec 9, 1800z to Dec 9, 1859z; CW; Bands: 80; DE: RST + DOK/NM, non-DE: RST
+ Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 16.


NAQCC CW Sprint [ http://naqcc.info/sprint_rules.html ] , Dec 10, 0130z to
Dec 10, 0330z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20; RST + (state/province/country) + (NAQCC No./power); Logs due: Dec 13.


QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ] , Dec 10, 0200z
to Dec 10, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name +
power output; Logs due: Dec 11.


Phone Weekly Test [ http://www.perluma.com/Phone_Fray_Contest_Rules.pdf ] ,
Dec 10, 0230z to Dec 10, 0300z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; NA: Name + (state/province/country), non-NA: Name; Logs due: Dec 12.

[ https://a1club.org/contest/awt/ ]
A1Club AWT [ https://a1club.org/contest/awt/ ] , Dec 10, 1145z to Dec 10, 1300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RST + Name; Logs due: Dec 15.

[ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]
CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ] , Dec 10, 1300z to Dec
10, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member
No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 13.


Mini-Test 40 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ] , Dec 10, 1700z to Dec 10, 1759z; CW; Bands: 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 12.


Mini-Test 80 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ] , Dec 10, 1800z to Dec 10, 1859z; CW; Bands: 80; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 12.


CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ] , Dec 10, 1900z to Dec
10, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member
No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 13.


CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ] , Dec 11, 0300z to Dec
11, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member
No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 13.


CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ] , Dec 11, 0700z to Dec
11, 0800z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member
No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 13.


NCCC FT4 Sprint [ https://www.ncccsprint.com/ft4ns.html ] , Dec 12, 0100z to Dec 12, 0130z; FT4; Bands: (see rules); 4-character grid square; Logs due:
Dec 14.


Weekly RTTY Test [ https://radiosport.world/wrt.html ] , Dec 12, 0145z to Dec 12, 0215z; RTTY; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 14.

[ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ] , Dec 12, 0200z
to Dec 12, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name +
power output; Logs due: Dec 13.


NCCC Sprint [ https://ncccsprint.com/rules.html ] , Dec 12, 0230z to Dec 12, 0300z; CW; Bands: (see rules); Serial No. + Name + QTH; Logs due: Dec 14.


K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ] , Dec 12, 2000z to
Dec 12, 2100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 14.


ARRL 10-Meter Contest [ http://www.arrl.org/10-meter?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] , Dec 13, 0000z to Dec 14, 2359z; CW, Phone; Bands: 10; W/VE: RST + State/Province, XE: RST + State, DX: RST + Serial No., MM: RST + ITU Region; Logs due: Dec 21.

[ http://www.podxs070.com/o7o-club-sponsored-contests/triple-play-low-band-sprint ]

PODXS 070 Club Triple Play Low Band Sprint [ http://www.podxs070.com/o7o-club-sponsored-contests/triple-play-low-band-sprint ] , Dec 13, 0000z to Dec 15, 2359z; PSK31; Bands: 160, 80, 40; RST + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 22.


TRC Digi Contest [ https://trcdx.org/rules-trc-digi/ ] , Dec 13, 0600z to Dec 14, 1800z; RTTY; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; TRC Members: RST + Serial
No. + "TRC", non-TRC Members: RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 21.


SKCC Weekend Sprintathon [ https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekend_sprintathon/ ] , Dec
13, 1200z to Dec 14, 2359z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RST + (state/province/country) + Name + (SKCC No./"NONE"); Logs due: Dec 21.


ARI 40/80 Contest [ http://www.ari.it/en/contest-hf/contest-4080.html ] , Dec 13, 1300z to Dec 14, 1359z; Phone, CW, Digital; Bands: 80, 40; RS(T) +
2-letter province car code; Logs due: Dec 19.


International Naval Contest [ https://www.marinefreunde.com/eng/inc.html ] , Dec 13, 1600z to Dec 14, 1559z; CW, SSB; Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Naval
Club Member: RS(T) + Club + Member No., non-Naval Club Member: RS(T) + Serial No.; Logs due: Jan 31.

[ http://qrparci.org/contest/holiday-spirit-sprint ]
QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Sprint [ http://qrparci.org/contest/holiday-spirit-sprint ] , Dec 14, 2000z to Dec 14, 2300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; RST + (state/province/country) + (ARCI number/power); Logs due: Dec 23.


K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ] , Dec 15, 0000z to
Dec 15, 0100z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Maximum 20 wpm, Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 17.


4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint [ http://www.4sqrp.com/SSS/sss_rules.pdf ] , Dec 15, 0100z to Dec 15, 0300z;
CW, SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RS(T) + (State/Province/Country) + Member No., Non-member: RS(T) + (State/Province/Country) + Power; Logs due: Dec 17.

[ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ]
ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] , Dec 15, 1300z to Dec 15, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name +
QSO No.; Logs due: Dec 18.


OK1WC Memorial (MWC) [ https://memorial-ok1wc.cz/index.php?page=rules2l ] ,
Dec 15, 1630z to Dec 15, 1729z; CW; Bands: 80, 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs
due: Dec 19.


ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] , Dec 15, 1900z to Dec 15, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name +
QSO No.; Logs due: Dec 18.


Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest [ https://wwsac.com/rules.html ] , Dec
16, 0100z to Dec 16, 0159z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6; RS + age group (OM, YL, Youth YL or Youth); Logs due: Dec 17.


ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ] , Dec 16, 0300z to Dec 16, 0400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Name +
QSO No.; Logs due: Dec 18.


NAQCC CW Sprint [ http://naqcc.info/sprint_rules.html ] , Dec 17, 0130z to
Dec 17, 0330z; CW; Bands: 80, 40, 20; RST + (state/province/country) + (NAQCC No./power); Logs due: Dec 20.


QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ] , Dec 17, 0200z
to Dec 17, 0330z; CW; Bands: 20; RST + (state/province/country) + name +
power output; Logs due: Dec 18.


Phone Weekly Test [ http://www.perluma.com/Phone_Fray_Contest_Rules.pdf ] ,
Dec 17, 0230z to Dec 17, 0300z; SSB; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15; NA: Name + (state/province/country), non-NA: Name; Logs due: Dec 19.


A1Club AWT [ https://a1club.org/contest/awt/ ] , Dec 17, 1145z to Dec 17, 1300z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: RST + Name; Logs due: Dec 22.


CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ] , Dec 17, 1300z to Dec
17, 1400z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member
No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 20.


Mini-Test 40 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ] , Dec 17, 1700z to Dec 17, 1759z; CW; Bands: 40; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 19.


Mini-Test 80 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ] , Dec 17, 1800z to Dec 17, 1859z; CW; Bands: 80; RST + Serial No.; Logs due: Dec 19.


CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ] , Dec 17, 1900z to Dec
17, 2000z; CW; Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10; Member: Name + Member
No./"CWA", non-Member: Name + (state/province/country); Logs due: Dec 20.


VHF+ CONTESTS

VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest [ http://www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/ ] ,
Dec 10, 1700z to Dec 10, 2100z; FT8/4; Bands: 432 MHz; 4-character grid
square; Logs due: Dec 15.


VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest [ http://www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/ ] ,
Dec 17, 1700z to Dec 17, 2100z; FT8/4; Bands: 1.2G; 4-character grid square; Logs due: Dec 22.


Log Due Dates

December 4, 2025 - December 17, 2025

December 4
â-¢ARS Spartan Sprint [ http://ars-qrp.com/Spartan_Sprint/Spartan_Sprint.html
]

â-¢QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
â-¢ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ]

December 5
â-¢Mini-Test 40 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ]
â-¢Mini-Test 80 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ]
â-¢Phone Weekly Test [ http://www.perluma.com/Phone_Fray_Contest_Rules.pdf ] â-¢OK1WC Memorial (MWC) [ https://memorial-ok1wc.cz/index.php?page=rules2l ] â-¢CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW [ https://www.cqww.com/rules.htm ]

December 6
â-¢QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
â-¢CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]

December 7
â-¢NCCC Sprint [ https://www.ncccsprint.com/ft4ns.html ]
â-¢NCCC FT4 Sprint [ https://www.ncccsprint.com/ft4ns.html ]
â-¢Weekly RTTY Test [ https://radiosport.world/wrt.html ]
â-¢K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ]

December 8
â-¢LZ DX Contest [ http://lzdx.bfra.org/rulesen.html ]
â-¢A1Club AWT [ https://a1club.org/contest/awt/ ]
â-¢VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest [ http://www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/ ]

December 9
â-¢AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party [ https://antiquewireless.org/homepage/bk-qso-party-details/ ]

â-¢JIDX Phone Contest [ http://www.jidx.org/jidxrule-e.html ]
â-¢ARRL EME Contest [ https://www.arrl.org/eme-contest?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
]


December 10
â-¢Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest [ https://wwsac.com/rules.html ] â-¢K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ]

December 11
â-¢SKCC Sprint Europe [ https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/skse/
]

â-¢Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest [ https://qrpcontest.com/pigwalk40/ ]
â-¢QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
â-¢ICWC Medium Speed Test [ https://internationalcwcouncil.org/mst-contest/ ]

December 12
â-¢Mini-Test 40 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ]
â-¢Mini-Test 80 [ http://minitest.narod.ru/ ]
â-¢Phone Weekly Test [ http://www.perluma.com/Phone_Fray_Contest_Rules.pdf ] â-¢OK1WC Memorial (MWC) [ https://memorial-ok1wc.cz/index.php?page=rules2l ]

December 13
â-¢Wake-Up! QRP Sprint [ http://qrp.ru/contest/wakeup/333-wakeup-eng ]
â-¢QRP Fox Hunt [ http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/winter_rules.htm ]
â-¢CWops Test (CWT) [ https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/ ]
â-¢PRO CW Contest [ https://proradiocontestclub.com/PCC Rules.html ]
â-¢NAQCC CW Sprint [ http://naqcc.info/sprint_rules.html ]

December 14
â-¢NCCC Sprint [ https://ncccsprint.com/rules.html ]
â-¢NCCC FT4 Sprint [ https://www.ncccsprint.com/ft4ns.html ]
â-¢Weekly RTTY Test [ https://radiosport.world/wrt.html ]
â-¢ARRL 160-Meter Contest [ http://www.arrl.org/160-meter?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
]

â-¢FT Challenge [ http://www.rttycontesting.com/ft-challenge ]
â-¢K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ]
â-¢Kalbar Contest [ https://kalbarcontest.com/rule/ ]

December 15
â-¢A1Club AWT [ https://a1club.org/contest/awt/ ]
â-¢VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest [ http://www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/ ]

December 16
â-¢QRP ARCI Topband Sprint [ http://qrparci.org/contest/topband-sprint ] â-¢DARC CW-Training Contest [ https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/cwa/darc-cw-training-rules/ ]


December 17
â-¢4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint [ http://www.4sqrp.com/SSS/sss_rules.pdf ]

â-¢Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest [ https://wwsac.com/rules.html ] â-¢K1USN Slow Speed Test [ http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html ]

[http://tinyurl.com/arrl-holiday-gift-guide-2025]


ARRL's 2025 Holiday Gift Guide [ http://tinyurl.com/arrl-holiday-gift-guide-2025 ] is now available, featuring amateur radio equipment and station accessories from well-known businesses.
The guide also includes a special offer from ARRL. 'Tis the Season! Browse
and shop at tinyurl.com/arrl-holiday-gift-guide-2025 [ http://tinyurl.com/arrl-holiday-gift-guide-2025 ] .


ARRL Information

Click here [ mailto:ads@arrl.org ] to advertise in this newsletter, space subject to availability.

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Acknowledgements

ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's Contest Calendar [ http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal ] .


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