Upcoming Contests!

One more Q!


There are many great contests throughout the year! This list is a tiny subset, but these are some of the more significant upcoming contests that our membership gravitates towards participating in. Definitely plan on operating the bold, first tier contests as part of our Northeast Maryland Amateur Radio Contest Society team! The bold italic are the best of the best!


DateContestModeClub Competition EligibleRanking*
2024202420242024
Jan 6, 2024ARRL RTTY RoundupRTTYYes!First Tier
Jan 13, 2024North American QSO PartyCW5 SO stations maxSecond Tier*
Jan 20, 2024ARRL January VHFMixedYes!Second Tier
Jan 20, 2024North American QSO PartySSB5 SO stations maxSecond Tier*
Jan 20, 2024POTA Parks WeekendMixedNA
Jan 26, 2024CQ WW 160-Meter CWCWYes!Second Tier
Jan 27, 2024Winter Field DayMixedFirst Tier
Feb 3, 2024EU-DXMixedSecond Tier
Feb 10, 2024CQ WPX RTTYRTTYYes!First Tier
Feb 12, 2024School Club RUMixedThird Tier
Feb 17, 2024ARRL DX CWCWYes!First Tier!
Feb 23, 2024CQ WW 160-Meter SSBSSBYes!Second Tier
Feb 24, 2024North American QSO PartyRTTY5 SO stations maxSecond Tier
Mar 2, 2024ARRL DX SSBSSBYes!First Tier!
Mar 9, 2024Stew Perry Topband ChallengeCWThird Tier
Mar 30, 2024CQ WPX SSBSSBYes!First Tier
Apr 20, 2024POTA Parks WeekendMixedNA
Apr 21, 2024ARRL Rookie RoundupSSBThird Tier
May 25, 2024CQ WPX CWCWYes!First Tier
Jun 1, 2024ARRL Int Digital DXDIGSecond Tier
Jun 8, 2024ARRL June VHFMixedYes!Second Tier*
Jun 15, 2024Stew Perry Topband ChallengeCWThird Tier
Jun 22, 2024ARRL Field DayMixedFirst Tier
Jul 13, 2024IARU HF World ChampionshipMixedSecond Tier*
Jul 20, 2024North American QSO PartyRTTY5 SO stations maxSecond Tier
Jul 20, 2024CQ WW VHFMixedYes!Second Tier
Jul 20, 2024POTA Parks WeekendMixedNA
Jul 27, 2024RSGB IOTAMixedThird Tier
Aug 3, 2024North American QSO PartyCW5 SO stations maxSecond Tier*
Aug 10, 2024Maryland QSO PartyMixedThird Tier
Aug 10, 2024Worked All Europe CWCWThird Tier
Aug 17, 2024North American QSO PartySSB5 SO stations maxSecond Tier*
Aug 18, 2024ARRL Rookie RoundupRTTYThird Tier
Aug 24, 2024World Wide Digi DX ContestFT 4/8 Third Tier
Sep 14, 2024Worked All Europe SSBSSBThird Tier
Sep 14, 2024ARRL September VHFMixedYes!Second Tier
Sep 28, 2024CQ Worldwide DX RTTYRTTYYes!First Tier
Oct 12, 2024PA QSO PartyMixedThird Tier
Oct 19, 2024Stew Perry Topband ChallengeCWThird Tier
Oct 19, 2024POTA Parks WeekendMixedNA
Oct 21, 2024School Club RUMixedThird Tier
Oct 26, 2024CQ Worldwide DX SSBSSBYes!First Tier!
Nov 2, 2024ARRL Sweepstakes CWCWYes!First Tier
Nov 9, 2024Worked All Europe RTTYRTTYThird Tier
Nov 16, 2024ARRL Sweepstakes SSBSSBYes!First Tier
Nov 23, 2024CQ Worldwide DX CWCWYes!First Tier!
Dec 6, 2024ARRL 160-Meter CWCWYes!First Tier
Dec 7, 2024FT Roundup ContestFT 4/8Third Tier
Dec 14, 2024ARRL 10-Meter ContestMixedYes!First Tier
Dec 22, 2024ARRL Rookie RoundupCWThird Tier
Dec 28, 2024Stew Perry Topband ChallengeCWThird Tier
Dec 28, 2024RAC Winter ContestMixedThird Tier
2025202520252025

First Tier Contests - Definitely Plan on These!

The contests in the first tier are all BIG and with the exception of the two Field Day events, contest club eligible. CQ World Wide DX, ARRL DX, CQ WPX and ARRL Field Day are the biggest of them all. It would be great to see our Northeast Maryland Amateur Radio Contest Society put in a good, solid showing in all of the Tier 1 contests!


Second Tier Contests - These are Good Too!

These are also good contests that are all club contest eligible. The Second Tier* are particularly close to First Tier. The North American QSO Party (NAQP) contests are fun because all categories are limited to 100 watts and you can run multi-two with friends at one location if you like. We almost put the NAQP contests in the first tier, but we didn't want to make the first tier list too long. We will compete as a club in these contests on case by case basis too if there is enough interest.

The IARU HF World Championship could also easily be in the First Tier category. Falling in summer, it doesn't have quite the participation as the biggest tests, but it is close and could go either way.

These contests are in the second tier, either because they are on 160M only, VHF only or don't quite have the same level of participation as the first tier.


Third Tier Contests - More Fun!

These aren't club contest eligible, but you'll likely want to participate if you can! Maryland and PA QSO party contests are bold because club competition or not, we sure don't want to miss those!

Copyright 2003-2024