March Madness isn’t only reserved for NCAA hoopster fanatics. Amateur operators around the world will experience their own brand of contesting fever this month, which is filled with opportunities to put novice rigs to good use, practice some RTTY, work the Topband, and participate in the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest. Ready? Let the madness commence!
AWA John Rollins Memorial DX Contest, March 2, 2300Z to March 3, 2300Z and March 5, 2300Z to March 6, 2300Z. Sponsored by the Antique Wireless Association (AWA), this event was officially renamed in 2009 to honor John, W1FPZ (SK) for his contributions to the AWA over the years. It’s open to both AWA members and non-members. The objective: Contact the greatest number of participating stations using pre-1970 tube gear on 80, 40, and 20M. Modern gear is allowed, but extra points are awarded for using pre-1970s transmitters/receivers and for homebrew rigs using tubes that were available before 1970. Output power is limited to 100W for CW and 100W carrier level for AM. Get the complete rules here.
ARRL International DX, SSB, March 5, 0000Z to March 6, 2359Z.W/VE amateurs (anyone from the U.S. or Canada): Work as many DX stations in as many DXCC entities as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M bands. DX stations: Work as many W/VE stations in as many of the 48 contiguous states and provinces as possible. Per the ARRL, the mission of the contest is to “encourage W/VE stations to expand knowledge of DX propagation on the HF and MF bands, improve operating skills, and improve station capability by creating a competition in which DX stations may only contact W/VE stations.”
Novice Rig Roundup, March 5, 0000Z to March 13, 2359Z. The 8th Annual Novice Rig Roundup is a super-cool blast of nostalgia for hams who want to go on the air with the old-school rigs they used when they were Novices, or with the wish-list radios of their youth that they now own.
The Novice Rig Roundup (NRR) is the perfect opportunity to hop in the way-back machine, set the dial to your early ham shack, and enjoy leisurely and stress-free CW operating like you did as a teen, with all the “whoops,” “chirps,” and “drift” of days gone by. It’s a casual affair that’s all about having fun and claiming bragging rights and award certificates.
Find complete rules, suggested frequencies, loads of vintage rig photos, and how to receive your lifetime NRR membership number. Learn more at the Novice Rig Roundup Facebook page.
And check out this great article from OnAllBands blogger Anthony, K8ZT, on his first rig, a TenTec Argonaut 515.
YB DX RTTY Contest, March 12, 0000Z to 2359Z. All amateurs are welcome to participate in this 24-hour RTTY challenge sponsored by the YB Land (Indonesia) DX Club.
South America 10 Meter Contest, March 12,1200Z to March 13, 1200Z. The contest’s objective is for amateurs worldwide to exchange QSO information with as many stations as possible on the 10M band. Contacting South American stations from outside the continent will earn you double the points per QSO. From the contest’s website: “(This) competition encourages the amateur radio world to beam their antennas toward South America.” Find everything you need for effective 10M operation at DX Engineering, including antennas, amplifier modification kits, band pass filters, choke kits, tuners, and more.
9th TESLA Memorial HF CW Contest, March 12, 1800Z to March 13, 0559Z. Hosted by the Amateur Radio Union of Serbia, this annual event honors the legacy of Serbian-American electrical engineer and inventor, Nikola Tesla.
Stew Perry Topband Challenge, March 12, 1500Z to March 13, 1500Z. Hams can enter this annual 160 meter, CW-only contest as “single operator or multi-operator; high, low or QRP power. Low power is 100 watts or less output. QRP is 5 watts or less. High power is 1,500 watts output or whatever you can legally run in your country, whichever is less,” per the Stew Perry website. The challenge uniquely awards QSO point values based on distance between stations. Click here for complete rules.
EA PSK63 Contest, March 12, 1600Z to March 13, 1600Z. Open to all licensed amateur radio operators, this contest—organized by the Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles (URE, or Spanish Amateur Radio Union)—is all about using BPSK63 to make QSOs on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M bands. The maximum power allowed is 50 watts. Both single and multi-operator contesting categories are offered. Founded in 1949, the URE represents the interests of hams and shortwave listeners in Spain.
FOC QSO Party, March 26, 0000Z to 2359Z. This event is held twice a year by the First Class CW Operator’s Club. Open to amateur operators worldwide, it is held in memory of Bill Windle, G8VG (SK), past chairman of the FOC. Participating stations should call “CQ BW” from 015 to 040kHz on all bands, excluding the WARC bands. Read more contest details and information about the FOC here.
CQ WW WPX Contest, SSB, March 26, 0000Z to March 27, 2359Z. The objective of this 48-hour contest is for contestants to contact as many amateurs and different prefixes as possible.
Also check out these state QSO Parties:
- Idaho: March 12, 1900Z to March 13, 1900Z
- Oklahoma: March 12, 1500Z to March 13, 0200Z and March 13, 1500Z to 2100Z
- Wisconsin: March 13, 1800Z to March 14, 0100Z
- Virginia: March 19, 1400Z to March 20, 0400Z and March 20, 1200Z to 2400Z
