CQWW SSB 2026: Two Weeks to Go. Are You Ready?

With just two weeks remaining before the CQ World Wide DX Contest SSB, scheduled for October 24–25, it’s time to start thinking seriously about the biggest contest weekend of the autumn season. For many of us, CQWW is much more than another date on the contest calendar. It’s the weekend we’ve been waiting for, the opportunity to test our stations, challenge ourselves and, hopefully, improve on last year’s score.
Anyone who has participated in a major contest knows that things rarely go exactly as planned. Propagation can surprise us, equipment can develop problems at the worst possible moment, and that apparently insignificant connector we forgot to check can suddenly become the most important component in the entire station.
That’s why the final two weeks are so important. Not because we need to make dramatic changes, but because this is the time to make sure everything works as it should.


First, Make Sure Your Station Works

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No, Your Neighbour Is Not Talking to Aliens. A simple guide to understanding DX Contesting


If you have a radio amateur living next door, sooner or later you may have asked yourself a few questions. Why does he have so many antennas? Why does one of them occasionally rotate? Why is the light in his radio room still on at three o’clock in the morning? And, above all, who on earth is he talking to?
Relax. He is probably not communicating with aliens, intercepting secret military transmissions, or trying to contact a ship lost somewhere in the Atlantic. He is most likely taking part in a DX Contest. “Most likely” being the important part, because DX Contesting can sometimes look rather strange to anyone watching from outside.


So, what exactly is a DX Contest?

Imagine a worldwide competition in which thousands of people try to contact as many other radio stations as possible, spread across the entire planet. They do this using radios, antennas, headphones, computers and, quite often, an impressive amount of coffee.
That, in very simple terms, is a DX Contest. In amateur radio language, DX usually means long-distance radio communication. So if your neighbour suddenly shouts “Japan!”, it does not necessarily mean he has just booked a holiday. He has probably just contacted a Japanese amateur radio station.
And no, the contact itself does not happen through the Internet, WhatsApp or a mobile phone. It happens directly by radio. A signal leaves the antenna, travels upward, interacts with the ionosphere and, under the right conditions, returns to Earth hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away.
In other words, your neighbour sends radio waves towards the sky and hopes the upper atmosphere is in a cooperative mood. Surprisingly, it often is.
That is how an amateur radio station in Europe can contact North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Oceania or a tiny island somewhere in the Pacific, without the Internet being part of the actual radio path.

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SMR CW 2026: More Logs, Strong International Participation and 242,000 QSOs

Almost before we had time to realize it, the EA RTTY Contest had come to an end, and the Su Majestad el Rey CW Contest (SMR CW) was already upon us.

As every year, this is an exciting and eagerly awaited moment for everyone who enjoys Morse code. It is also an opportunity to once again meet fellow operators whom we may not have heard for some time, get back into the rhythm of the key, and enjoy the gradual arrival of new operators joining the contesting community.

The 2026 edition continues to show the international appeal of SMR CW. A total of 1,255 logs were received, which is 103 more than in the 2025 edition. Of these, 174 logs came from EA stations, while 1,081 were submitted by DX stations.

1,255 Logs Submitted

A total of 1,255 logs were received by the contest committee, 103 more than in the 2025 edition.

Of these submissions:

  • 174 were from Spanish (EA) stations
  • 1,081 were from DX stations

The official statistics report 3,401 participants and a total of 242,257 QSOs, with 6.39% of contacts subsequently cancelled during the checking process.

These figures underline the international character of the contest, with the large majority of submitted logs coming from stations outside Spain.

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W2PV – Jim Lawson and the Birth of the Modern Contest Superstation

When engineering, antennas and contesting became one integrated system

In the history of contesting, some stations are remembered for their records, others for the sheer size of their antenna farms, and still others for the operators who gathered around them.

W2PV, the station of Dr. James L. “Jim” Lawson, belongs to a rather special category.

Its importance cannot be measured simply by the size of its antennas or by the scores it achieved. Lawson approached the construction and operation of his station with a strongly engineering-oriented philosophy in which antennas, propagation, radios, amplifiers, filters, switching, operators and information were all parts of one integrated contest system.

Many concepts that we now take for granted at a major Multi-Multi station were already clearly visible at W2PV more than four decades ago.

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How to Approach a 48-Hour DX Contest: Sleep, Multipliers and SO2R Strategy

A 48-hour DX contest is not simply a long sequence of contacts. It is a competition built around decisions: when to call CQ, when to change bands, how long to chase a multiplier, when to rest and how to remain accurate during the second night.

Antennas, power and station design create opportunities, but the final score also depends on how efficiently those resources are used throughout the weekend.

This article begins with the traditional single-operator, one-radio station and then examines how the strategy changes when the same operator uses two radios in an SO2R configuration.

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NEW EUDXCC CONTEST STATION TOOL – RF STUB LAB

We have added a new technical tool to the EUDXCC website: RF Stub Lab, a practical calculator for designing coaxial stubs for HF contest stations.

Coaxial stubs can be extremely useful in multi-radio and multi-transmitter environments, where strong RF from one station may enter another receiver even when band-pass filters are already installed.

With the new tool you can calculate stub dimensions for all amateur HF bands from 160 to 10 metres, selecting:

  • operating frequency
  • open or shorted stub configuration
  • coaxial cable / velocity factor
  • electrical and physical length

The tool also includes practical guidance for high-power installations and for tuning the final stub with a VNA or antenna analyzer.

It is especially useful for contest stations using configurations such as:

Radio → BPF → Amplifier → Stub / Antenna System

The page is available in both English and Italian.

Take a look here:
https://eudxcc.altervista.org/contest-station-tools/

If you operate a multi-radio contest station, this could be a useful addition to your RF isolation strategy.

CQ WW RTTY DX Contest 2026: September Dates and Two Rules to Check

The CQ WW RTTY DX Contest returns on 26–27 September 2026, from 00:00 UTC Saturday to 23:59 UTC Sunday. With stations around the world active on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres, it is one of the highlights of the autumn DX contest season. Official contest calendar

Operators should check the 2026 rules before the weekend. Logs are due by 23:59 UTC on 29 September, just 48 hours after the contest ends. A late log may appear in the results, but it will not be eligible for an award.

The rules also explicitly prohibit autonomous operation. A human operator must initiate frequency changes, calls to other stations and the logging of each QSO. Software remains central to RTTY contesting, but those operating decisions must stay with the operator.

For anyone more familiar with CQ WW SSB or CW, the RTTY scoring has a feature worth remembering: alongside countries and CQ zones, continental US states and Canadian call areas count as multipliers. The exchange is an RST report and CQ zone; stations in the continental USA and Canada also send their state or call-area abbreviation.

There is still time to check the station setup, confirm the logging software is configured for CQ WW RTTY, and decide which bands offer the best opportunities for DX and multipliers. Then, after the final QSO, leave enough time to review and upload the Cabrillo log before Tuesday’s deadline.

Good luck to everyone taking part. We look forward to hearing your stories from the weekend!

73,
EUDXCC – European DX Contest Club

Remote Switch Controller: From a Personal Station to a Multi-Multi Setup, All Antennas Under One Control System

A conversation with Fabio Schettino, I4UFH, creator and manufacturer of the RSC system

A few days ago, I had a long and very interesting conversation with Fabio Schettino, I4UFH, the creator and manufacturer of the Remote Switch Controller system, better known simply as RSC.

Fabio Schettino is a fascinating figure in the world of amateur radio contesting. With more than 45 years in the hobby, he has continually pushed the boundaries of competitive operating—from masterminding major Multi-Multi operations at IG9A on the island of Lampedusa to contributing to record-setting performances from the renowned D4C contest station in Cape Verde.

He is not only a top-tier contester but also a skilled technical innovator. Over the years, Fabio has developed log-analysis software and SO2R switching devices that have helped raise operating standards and improve station efficiency for contesters around the world.

His international contesting record includes second place worldwide in 1995, operating as IG9R in the Single Operator Single Band 20 Metres category, followed by first place worldwide the following year as IG9/I4UFH in the Single Operator Single Band 80 Metres category.

Fabio’s career is also closely connected with the World Radiosport Team Championship, or WRTC, where he has served in several roles over the years: competitor, referee, organiser and member of the Judging Committee for WRTC 2022 in Italy. His long involvement with WRTC further confirms his standing within the international contesting community and his deep understanding of both high-level operating and competition integrity.

This combination of practical contesting experience and technical expertise is essential to understanding the philosophy behind RSC. It is not merely an antenna switch that can be operated remotely. It is a complete control system designed by someone who understands the real requirements of a contest station: sharing antennas between different radios, managing increasingly complex RF paths and performing fast, safe and clearly controlled band changes.

During our conversation, Fabio explained how the idea originated, how it gradually developed and how the system can be implemented step by step: starting with a simple remote switch controlled from a computer, progressing through dedicated panels and interfaces, and eventually reaching a Dashboard or smartphone application capable of performing the same operations from a different position.

The underlying principle is simple: the operator should concentrate on the radio, the pile-up and the contact, while the system takes care of relays, signal paths, cables and switching sequences.

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2026 ARRL International DX Phone Contest Results

High Bands Still Rule as Italy and Europe Deliver Strong Performances

The final results of the 2026 ARRL International DX Phone Contest are now available, providing an interesting snapshot of international SSB contesting near what ARRL describes as one of the last editions to benefit from the exceptionally favorable high-band propagation of the current solar cycle.

The contest was held on March 7–8, 2026, with thousands of stations from around the world once again filling the HF bands in the traditional confrontation between W/VE stations and the rest of the DX world. The next edition is scheduled for March 6–7, 2027.

And while the absolute participation figures show a clear decline compared with the previous two editions, the competition at the top remained extremely intense.

3,822 logs and more than 1.24 million QSOs

ARRL received 3,822 logs for the 2026 Phone contest, compared with:

YearLogs received
20263,822
20254,646
20245,193
20234,844
20223,976
20213,737

This represents a drop of approximately 17.7% compared with 2025 and more than 26% compared with 2024.

Nevertheless, activity remained substantial: the submitted logs contained no fewer than 1,246,268 contacts. ARRL also notes that several operators reported declining rates during parts of the weekend and fewer W/VE stations available for DX competitors to work.

The fall in submitted logs is therefore one of the most significant statistical elements of the 2026 edition and will be worth watching closely in 2027.

10 and 15 metres dominate the contest

Propagation was still strongly influenced by the favorable phase of the solar cycle.

According to the official ARRL analysis, approximately 60% of all contacts were made on 15 and 10 metres. Active thunderstorms during the weekend negatively affected the lower bands, particularly 40 metres.

This explains many of the remarkable scores produced from the Caribbean, Central America, South America and southern Europe.

ARRL already anticipates a different scenario for 2027: as solar conditions gradually decline, the balance could begin shifting back toward 40, 80 and even 160 metres.

For serious contest stations, this is an important point. The exceptionally productive 10- and 15-metre openings seen during the peak years of Solar Cycle 25 cannot be assumed to continue indefinitely.

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From Paper to Computer: The Origins of Contest Logging

1977: When Electronic Logging Was Still Science Fiction

To understand just how profoundly computers transformed contesting, we need to go back to the second half of the 1970s.

In a contest station of that era, there were no band maps, CAT control, DX clusters, or callsign databases. On the operator’s desk were the transceiver, keyer, clock, paper log, and, above all, the dupe sheets used to check whether a station had already been worked on the same band.

During a pile-up, checking a callsign, updating the dupe sheet, and filling in the log at the same time could become one of the most demanding parts of operating a contest.

Yet, as early as 1977, someone had already realized that a computer could eliminate a significant part of this work.

One of the best-documented early experiments is the one described by Ron, VE3VN. During the first IARU Radiosport Contest in 1977, at the University of Manitoba club station using the special callsign VC9UM, a contest logging program was developed to run on a PDP-11.

The system essentially performed two tasks: it logged QSOs and automatically checked for duplicates.

The operator entered a callsign and the computer checked whether it was already in the log. In the event of a duplicate, it could even indicate when the previous contact had taken place.

This was not, however, a commercial contest logger or a program distributed among the amateur radio community. It was an experimental system developed for a specific purpose, using a minicomputer accessed by the station through a terminal.

The radio itself remained independent: there was no frequency control, automatic CW, or CAT interface.

But the fundamental concept had been established: the contest log could become a database managed in real time.

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