TOP SLOTS OPEN IN 2009 CQ WW CW

There will be fresh faces in the winner's circle this year for the 2009 running of the CQ WW DX CW Contest, as the defending champs in the Single Operator High Power, Low Power and QRP categories won't be making a repeat effort, along with the 2008 Multi-Two category. Join radio-sport.net as we kick off our CQ WW CW coverage this week! NEW

W7WA TRIES FOR SWEEPS SSB REPEAT

This weekend brings one more tuneup for contesters in the US and Canada before CQ WW CW, as the ARRL November Sweepstakes SSB test grabs the bands in North America. Dan Handa W7WA is the defending champ in this very popular 30 hour contest, which is also a test of an operator's ability to avoid log mistakes. MORE

MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT WRTC TEAMS

45 teams are now complete for the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championships in Russia, as the team leaders who qualified for next year's contest have selected their teammates. One of those picks was RA3CO, who had his log rejected in the 2008 CQ WW SSB Contest, after the government of Colombia found that he had operated illegally in that country. MORE

N6KT CLAIMS 9th CQ WW SSB VICTORY

Already the most prolific single operator in the history of the CQ WW SSB Contest, Rich Smith N6KT is on his way to a second straight win in 2009, a record ninth overall, as he claimed just over 16 million points from HC8A in the Galapagos Islands. That gives Smith an almost insurmountable lead over his closest pursuers, 8P5A (W2SC), CR2X (OH2UA) and 4O3A (ES5TV). MORE

N2IC AIMS AT 3 STRAIGHT SS CW WINS

After watching KE3Q (at WP3R) dominate for eight straight years, now it's the turn of Steven London N2IC to see if he can extend his own two year winning streak in the 2009 running of the ARRL's November Sweepstakes CW contest. But hot on his tail will be a number of top ops, just waiting to pounce if N2IC stumbles. MORE

N6KT FAVORED IN 2009 CQ WW SSB TEST

It has been 26 years since Rich Smith N6KT nabbed his first CQ WW SSB victory, a feat that he has achieved eight times, most recently in 2008. And again in 2009, Smith is the man to beat, as he looks for a record ninth SSB win from HC8A in the Galapagos Islands. A number of big time operators will be laying in wait to challenge for this year's SOAB HP title. MORE

CQ WW CHIEF SENDS INSPECTION NOTICES

Following through on a major rules change for the 2009 CQ WW DX Contests, the head of the CQ WW Contest Committee has sent emails to certain contesters requesting the right to have an official observer visit their stations during the 48 hour contest period of this year's CQ WW CW test. The email names at least four operators: CT1BOH, YT1AD, W2SC and RD3AF. MORE

EAST COAST BATTLE EXPECTED IN CQWW

After two straight USA Single Operator High Power victories, Randy Thompson K5ZD will not be going for three in a row in 2009, making the 2009 CQ WW SSB Contest in the US a likely shootout of top stations in New England and along the East Coast. Thompson instead will host W1UE, as W1UE, K1DG, K1LZ, NN3W, K3CR and others battle for top SOAB HP honors in the US. MORE

OH2UA BIDS FOR EUROPE CQ WW REPEAT

Sporting a new call sign of CR2X in the Azores, Toni Linden OH2UA will try to post the best CQ WW SSB score in Europe for the fourth straight year, with designs on another sweep of the SSB & CW titles. Among those trying to stop him will be Tonno Vahk ES5TV, who will head from his home in Estonia to the QTH of 4O3A in Montenegro for this contest. MORE

BUILDING A BETTER CQ WW STATION

As the 2009 CQ WW DX SSB Contest arrives, it seems safe to say that if your antenna system and shack are about the same as a year ago at this time, then others might well have been gaining on you in the race for ham radio contest supremacy. Check out some photos from top operations in the US & Europe. MORE

CQ WW SSB: HIGH BANDS STILL DOWN

For the third straight year, the CQ WW SSB Contest arrives with propagation depressed on the HF bands, which will again force contesters to scramble for QSO's and multipliers, all courtesy of a still quiet Sun. It means another contest where you can expect crowded conditions on 20 and 40 meters and good low band conditions. MORE

CQ WW SSB ARRIVES WITH MORE RULES

After several months of public controversy over the judging of the 2008 CQ WW DX Contests, the 2009 CQ WW SSB test arrives with some re-formulated rules from the CQ WW Contest Committee, one of which could lead to an in-person, on site visit from an official observer during the 48 hour contest period to check for cheating. MORE

MORE DQ RULES FOR 2009 CQ WW TESTS

With less than two weeks until the 2009 CQ WW SSB Contest, the disqualification rules for the CQ Worldwide Contests has been revised, making it into a process that involves "Yellow" and "Red" cards for contesting rule violations, akin to the rules for misconduct in international football. Check out the new language and tell radio-sport.net what you think of the changes. MORE

CONTROVERSY OVER SOME WRTC PICKS

After going through 76 entries from around the world, the organizers of the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championships announced on Sunday the 44 winners of team leader positions for what is essentially the World Cup of ham radio contesting. Left out of those selections was one leader from Europe and a top finisher from Asia as well, even though they submitted their applications. MORE

TEAM LEADER ENTRIES IN FOR 2010 WRTC

The entries are now in for team leader positions in qualifying for the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championships in Russia, as 76 contesters from around the world submitted paperwork in an effort to claim 44 spots in next year's world championships of ham radio contesting. In some cases, the biggest news was made by those who did not submit an entry, even though they would have qualified. MORE

CQ WW RTTY GRABS WORLD SPOTLIGHT

After a 20 percent increase in logs from 2007 to 2008, the sky is the limit for the 2009 CQ WW RTTY Contest, which kicks off this year's CQ WW contests. The defending champ is Ed Muns W0YK, who won in 2008 from Aruba as P49X. Again this year, very low solar activity means that the high bands could be weak again, making this a battle on 20 and 40 meters. MORE

NO SIGNS FROM CQ WW ON PRIVATE DQs

With fresh evidence in the CQ WW DX contests of possible "private" disqualifications being handed out by the CQ WW Contest Committee, there are voices in the ham radio contest community urging a halt to that practice, calling for more public declarations of DQ decisions. "Naming and shaming is the only way to deal with premeditated and calculated cheaters," said one ham. MORE

DQ FOR EF8M, TOP CQ WW CW SCORE

In a record setting year for public DQ's in the CQ WW DX Contests, a Russian contester who had the top CW single operator claimed score was disqualified, as the CQ WW Contest Committee continued its crackdown on cheating in the 2008 DX contests. Check out why CQ tossed out RD3AF's score from EF8M, but okayed YT1AD's winning effort from 3V8BB. MORE

TOP CQ WW CW M/S SCORE DISAPPEARS

The final numbers from the 2008 CQ WW CW contest do not include any mention of the top world claimed score in the Multi-Single category, as a radio-sport.net review of the latest results from CQ Magazine show that Team 4L0A's score simply "disappeared" from the final 2008 CQ WW CW results. Also missing, several top 40 meter scores that were evidently "privately" DQ'd. MORE

CQ WW CHIEF FIRES BACK ON CHEATS

With the CQ WW Contest Committee under fire over its handling of possible cheaters in 2008, Contest Director Bob Cox K3EST fired back this past week, arguing the committee has done its best to ferret out those who are breaking the rules in CQ WW DX. Also on the sidebar, check out the story on how the ARRL re-scored the 2008 IARU Contest, which led to a different single op winner in one high power category. MORE

CQ WW EXPANDS IN-TEST CHECK RULE

With no public comment from the CQ WW Contest Committee, a controversial new rule dealing with third party contest visits for the 2009 CQ WW DX Contests was quietly changed and drastically expanded in recent days. The move softens the new rule and also reduces the penalties originally associated with it, but also shifts the emphasis from specific stations to all possible high contest scorers. MORE

CQ WW GIVES CHEATS ONE YEAR BAN

Grappling with how best to deal in the future with high profile disqualifications in the 2008 CQ WW DX Contests, the CQ WW Contest Committee has decided to toughen the punishments for all of those who are DQ'd, by broadening the penalties into other tests run by CQ Magazine. All of that comes as contesters await the results of the 2008 CQ WW CW test, which is also expected to include at least one high profile DQ. MORE

MORE CQ WW RULE ON IN TEST CHECKS

After a series of high profile disqualifications in the 2008 CQ WW DX Contests, a new rule being instituted for the 2009 CQ WW DX tests would require certain operators who are under scrutiny for possible rules violations to have a third party visit during the contest, a sweeping change designed to crack down on cheating. MORE

MORE DQ'S LIKELY IN 2008 CQ WW CW

With the ham radio contest community still digesting the blockbuster disqualifications of five multi op teams from the 2008 CQ WW DX SSB Contest, radio-sport.net has been told that the 2008 CQ WW DX CW results will also include major DQ news, which is expected to determine the Single Op winner of that contest. MORE

FIVE DQ'S IN 2008 CQ WW DX SSB TEST

In one of the most sweeping series of DQ decisions ever issued for a CQ WW DX contest, five multi-ops were disqualified from the 2008 CQ WW DX SSB Contest according to published results released last week. The DQ's included D4C, E7DX, 9A1P, 9A7A and UU7J, all for violations of the 10 minute band change rule in Multi-Single. MORE

RECORDS FALL IN 2009 CQ WPX CW TEST

Despite a year that has so far seen historically low levels of sunspot activity and continued depressed conditions on 10 and 15 meters, the CQ WPX CW contest record books could get a significant update after this year's final scores are tallied. As of now, the Single Op leader is Valery Komarov RD3AF, who might just set a World record from his operation at EF8M. MORE

CQ WW DQ's HK3RA/RA3CO SSB ENTRY

With the Colombian government formally stating that no license or authorization for operation was ever issued to Russian contester Dimitri Kryukov RA3CO, the CQ WW Contest Committee has rejected his Top Ten effort in last year's CQ WW SSB contest, labeling the HK3RA operation "illegal." MORE

CONTESTERS QRX FOR FUN IN DAYTON

Gone were the sometimes bitter debates of a year ago about the controversial CW Skimmer program, as in 2009, the attitude was much more relaxed as contesters and ham radio operators from the entire world gathered for the Dayton Hamvention. Get a quick review of some of the fun from radio-sport.net! MORE

PVRC TO START CONTESTING WEBINARS

Looking to use the internet to further publicize the ham radio contest hobby, leaders of the Potomac Valley Radio Club in the US have decided to embark on a series of web conferences geared towards contesting. Among the early offerings, "Choosing Your First Tower," "Introduction to RTTY Contesting," and more. MORE

HI3TEJ STAYS RADIO-SPORT WORLD #1

A series of new contest results haven't changed the leader in the radio-sport.net World Single Operator Standings, as Teddy Jiminez HI3TEJ remains World #1. But some familiar calls are moving up in the standings like KK9A and K1ZM.

Check out the latest standings and see if you've made it into the Single Operator World 100! MORE

W2SC WITH NARROW WPX SSB LEAD

After three straight single operator wins in the CQ WPX SSB contest, Tom Georgens W2SC wasn't fighting just his competitors in the 2009 test, as he was hit with a "power outage" during the first night at his 8P5A contest station in Barbados, but he's still in first place overall. The Carribean wasn't the only place with power troubles, as bad storms smacked much of the US during the contest, resulting in unusually high static levels that kept scores down for many from 2008. UPDATED

MORE RECORDS FALL IN 2009 CQ 160 SSB

Conditions were not as great for the 2009 CQ 160 SSB test as they had been for CQ 160 CW, but that didn't stop records from being broken in the US and Europe. Paul Newberry N4PN led the charge from the USA, easily breaking his two year old Single Op High Power record from W8JI, but just behind is Jerry Rosalius WB9Z. Over in Europe, the big scores started with Team E7DX in Multi-op. Check the scores and the CQ 160 SSB stories. MORE

WORLD RECORDS FALL IN CQ WPX RTTY

Conditions at the start weren't very good for the 2009 CQ WPX RTTY Contest, but with more and more stations on the air, new records were likely set in at least three world categories. Current SOHP record holder Ed Muns W0YK/P49X shattered his one year old mark with over 11 million points. Also likely broken, the World low power and World Multi-Single records. MORE

RD3AF, GM3POI LEAD 2009 CQ 160 CW

As the scores continue to trickle in from last month's CQ 160 CW Contest, the records keep falling, as now the European single op mark may fall to Clive Penna GM3POI, who went over 2 million points for the contest. He trails only Valery Komarov RD3AF, who ran EA8AH to 2.21 million. In the US, new records seem likely for Multi-op, Single Op High Power, Low Power and QRP! MORE