For contesting enthusiasts, there’s a lot to be excited about for the remainder of November, including the CW portion of the CQ Worldwide DX Contest and the ARRL November Sweepstakes, SSB.
But before we get into fall contesting fun, DX Engineering and OnAllBands would like to express our deepest sympathy for all those affected by the recent hurricanes.
To our friends and fellow hams still recovering from the tragic results of Helene and Milton, please know that you have the unwavering support of the ham radio community. For those hams who spent countless hours on the air helping victims relay messages to loved ones in the wake of these disasters, you have our deepest respect and admiration. We’ll be highlighting the diligent efforts of some of these operators in the days ahead, so stay tuned.
Also, all of us at OnAllBands would like to extend our most heartfelt appreciation to the scores of operators who selflessly volunteer their time and passion to organize the multitude of amateur radio events that keep the bands active and ham radio vibrant throughout the year.
Now let the November excitement begin!
- 10-10 International Fall Contest, Digital: November 9, 0001Z to November 10, 2359Z. This QSO party 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.
- Antique Wireless Association (AWA) Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party: November 9, 2300Z to November 11, 0300Z, and November 16, 2300Z to November 18, 0300Z. 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!”
Also check out the Homebrew and Oldtime Equipment Party (November 17, 1300Z to 1500Z on 40M and 1500Z to 1700Z on 80M). - 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint: November 11, 0100Z to 0300Z. This two-hour SSB/CW event runs the second Sunday of every month. Participation is limited to 4SQRP members, but QSOs with non-members count for one point as long as they are also running QRP power. The 4 States QRP Group (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas) is devoted to low-power amateur radio building and operation. Visit their website for many more details.
Looking to get started with low-power operating? Check out QRP Basics—3rd Edition from the Radio Society of Great Britain. - ARRL November Sweepstakes, SSB: November 16, 2100Z to November 18, 0300Z. The objective is 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 CW portion of the Sweepstakes ended November 4.)
Never participated in this annual event? Read blogger Sean Kutzko, KX9X’s article, “Why ARRL Sweepstakes is the Best Contest of All,” and find out what makes it different (the lengthy exchange, for one thing), and why you need to get in on the fun. - ARRL’s EME—50 to 1296 MHz: November 16, 0000Z to November 17, 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 23, 0000Z to November 24, 2359Z. The CW and SSB (already held in October) CQ WW is the largest amateur radio competition in the world, boasting 35,000 participants attempting to make as many contacts with as many different DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible.
Special Event of the Month: Sir Winston Churchill’s Sesquicentennial Birthday
Hams with a knack for history may be interested in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Winston Churchill on November 30, 0001Z-2359Z, special event station W3C, frequency 14328 kHz (+or- QRM). The operator will be KE2EH, a member of the Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society who will be on the air from northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society is based in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. Read more about the special event station here.
While the British statesman and UK prime minister (1940–45) was not a ham, Churchill (November 30, 1874–January 24, 1965) did oversee one of the most secretive groups of amateur radio enthusiasts in the world during World War II—they may have even helped turn the tide of it.
Known as the “Voluntary Interceptors,” 1,500 hams, some of whom were recruited when they were just 16, worked to intercept and decode thousands of messages broadcasted by the Nazis and their allies. They worked under MI8, a division of the British Military Intelligence Department, and their messages were sent directly to allied commanders and Churchill.
At the height of the operation, the group received around 10,000 message sheets a day. Despite their importance, many of them worked with equipment they had set up at their residences. It gave a whole new definition to “working from home.”
Due to the nature of their work, they even carried documents explaining what they were doing if their neighbors decided to report them for being spies.
