November is the season to give thanks for some of the year’s best Ham Radio contesting opportunities. Here are a few highlights:
- ARRL November Sweepstakes, CW (November 7-9) 2100Z to 0300Z. For stations in the U.S. and Canada to exchange QSO information with as many other U.S. and Canadian stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands. The ARRL provided this update for the 2020 contest:
“There are now a total of 84 ARRL/RAC sections, as RAC has separated Prince Edward Island (PE) from the Maritime (MAR) Section. Make sure your contest logging software and “country” (CTY) files have been updated so that those abbreviations are recognized and credited properly. Visit contests.arrl.org/contestmultipliers.php for a complete list of contest multipliers and their abbreviations.”
- Antique Wireless Association (AWA) Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party (November 7-8, 14-15) 2300Z to 2300Z. Started in 1991, this is an annual CW event in which operators use an original transmitter they own or one they have built based on “the designs, techniques, and tubes that were available in 1929 and earlier,” according to the AWA website. The goal is to contact as many other 1929 stations as possible. You do not need to be an AWA member to participate. Bruce Kelley, W2ICE, who championed the contest in its seminal years, was an AWA co-founder.
“Since early designed gear is used, it is a wonderful blend of whooping, chirping, buzzing, clicking, drifting, swishing, swaying, warbling, and other interesting signals,” the AWA website reads. “This is what ham radio sounded like in 1929, and it’s 1929 again on the ham bands!”
- (November 14-15) 0001Z to 2359Z. This QSO party (one of nine held by the organization annually) is open to new and prospective members of Ten-Ten International Net, Inc., which was formed in 1962 as the Ten-Ten Net of Southern California to promote activity and good operating practices on the 10 meter band. Over the years the group has expanded internationally, with more than 75,000 10-10 numbers issued worldwide. Here is a list of affiliated chapters. From the Ten-Ten website:
“In order to keep the interest up on the 10 meter band, the idea of collecting ‘10-10 numbers’ as an incentive in keeping the 10 meter band occupied was developed. The ultimate benefit is to keep the 10 meter band for Amateur Radio. Personally, each member enjoys the camaraderie of kindred spirits, whether the activity is informal rag-chewing or numbers chasing or a more formal 10-10 QSO party.”
- ARRL November Sweepstakes, SSB (November 21-23) 2100Z to 0300Z. See November Sweepstakes, CW, above.
- ARRL’s EME—50 to 1296 MHz (November 28-29) 0000Z to 2359Z. Work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth path on any authorized amateur frequency above 50 MHz.
- CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW (November 28-29) 0000Z to 2400Z. The CW and SSB (held in October) CQ WW is the largest Amateur Radio competition in the world, boasting 35,000 participants working to make as many contacts with as many different DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible.
