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ARRL Digital Contest

About

Contest Objective: Amateurs worldwide contact and exchange QSO information with other amateurs using any digital mode (excluding RTTY) that supports the 4-digit Grid Square exchange — attended operation only -- on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10 and 6 meter bands (Technicians are limited per FCC Rules to the 10 and 6 meter bands). Any station may work any other station. Stations may only be worked once per band, regardless of mode. Automated operation is not permitted -- each claimed contact must include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. 

Dates: First full weekend of June (June 7-8, 2025).

Contest Period: Begins 1800 UTC Saturday, ends 2359 UTC Sunday,

Contest rules are now maintained as a single downloadable document.

Click Here for the complete ARRL International Digital Contest rules (PDF)

For contest information contact contests@arrl.org or (860) 594-0232


Log Submission Deadline

Logs are due within SEVEN (7) days after the event is over. Logs may only be submitted online (Cabrillo format) via our web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org/

Logs that have been submitted electronically are listed on the Logs Received page. Click the contest name to see a list of submitted logs sorted by call sign and club name.

Online Log Submission - Cabrillo formatted logs must be uploaded via our web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org. Logs muist be submitted in Cabrillo format via the web app.  No paper logs will be accepted.

To convert your log into a Cabrillo formatted log for electronic submission, visit www.b4h.net/cabforms/ and select the event of interest. You can input your log data which will be converted to a Cabrillo formatted log for you (it will generate a log and return it to you), and then you can in turn submit your Cabrillo log online via the web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org/.


Awards:

Certificates will be awarded to: top QRP and Low Power Single Operator scorers; and top QRP and Low Power Multi-single scorers in each ARRL/RAC Section and DXCC country (other than W/VE). Printable certificates will be downloadable from contests.arrl.org/certificates.php.

Plaques, if sponsored, will be awarded to the top scoring QRP and Low Power entrant in each category overall, each ARRL Division, Canada and DXCC country (other than W/VE). Unsponsored plaques may be purchased from the ARRL. For details on plaque sponsorship, contact the ARRL Contest Program at contests@arrl.org or (860) 594-0232.


Club Competition:

  1. There are ten ARRL-sponsored contests that are designated as Affiliated Club Competitions (ACC) for ARRL and RAC affiliated clubs:

    - RTTY Roundup
    - January VHF Contest
    - International DX Contest
    - International Digital Contest
    - June VHF Contest
    - 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest
    - September VHF Contest
    - November Sweepstakes
    - 160-Meter Contest
    - 10-Meter Contest

    For full club competition rules, please see the link below:

    Affilliated Club Competition Rules

 

Additional Information

  • Off Time Requirements

    Single Operator stations may operate up to 24 hours out of the 30-hour contest period. Multioperator stations may operate the entire 30 hours.  See "Internation Digital Contest" rules in the complete rules document.

    Following the first QSO, up to 6 hours of off-time may be taken in one or two breaks before the final QSO is logged.  Each off-time must be at least 60 minutes (1 hour) long.  The log checking software will count the 2 longest breaks in your log and use those as the 2 off-times.  Additional breaks, and breaks shorter than 60 minutes are ignored. The time before your first QSO and the time after your last QSO don't count as these two off-times. 

    The log checking process will check your QSOs and calculate your score over the first 24 hours of operating time. You are encouraged to continue operating if you like - there won't be any penalty for doing so and those QSOs will count for the other operators. Don't delete any QSOs after the 24-hour limit so the other stations get credit for your contact.

    The intent of the "two break" rule is to add another element of strategy to the contest. By limiting off-time to no more than two blocks, you can't take a bunch of short breaks. You have to decide based on local propagation, need for sleep, etc.  For Single Operator entrants, only 24 hours of the 30 hours count towards your score. 
     
    These examples satisfy the rules:
    - start at 1800 Sat and operate 24 hours straight
    - start an hour late at 1900, take 2 two-hour breaks, end at 2300 one hour early
    - start at 1800, operate 12 hours, sleep 5.5 hours, finish at 2330 one half-hour early
    If you take several 60-minute off-times, even if they total 6 hours or more, only the first two will be counted toward the 6 hours of required off-time.

  • FT4 and FT8 recommended subbands (as of June 2022)

     

    FT-4 Recommended Sub-bands

    (Technician licensees are limited (per FCC Rules) to using only the 10 and 6 meter subbands {see below in bold}):

    1.836-1.840 (users are encouraged to avoiding WSPR operations on 1.840)
    3.580-3.590
    7.080-7.090
    14.080-14.090
    21.080-21.090
    28.080-28.090
    50.330 to 50.340


    When choosing your operating frequency, set the radio dial at the bottom of the sub-band and QSO with stations on audio frequencies within the radio passband, typically 2.5-4 kHz wide. If a sub-band becomes crowded, move the radio dial frequency up in 2 kHz increments, as needed. (For example: 7.080, 7.082, 7.084, 7.086 and 7.088)

     

    FT-8 Recommended Sub-bands

    (Technician licensees are limited (per FCC Rules) to using only the 10 and 6 meter subbands {see below in bold}):

    1.840-1.844 (users are encouraged to avoiding WSPR operations on 1.840)
    3.590-3.600 (No Digital above 3600)
    7.090-7.100
    14.090-14.100
    21.090-21.100
    28.090-28.100
    50.340 to 50.350


    When choosing your operating frequency, set the radio dial at the bottom of the sub-band and QSO with stations on audio frequencies within the radio passband typically 2.5-4 kHz wide. If a sub-band becomes crowded, move the radio dial frequency up in 2 kHz increments, as needed. (For example: 7,090, 7.092, 7.094, 7.096 and 7.098)

  • Feedback

     

    Tell us how you did! Send us feedback and photos!  Tell us what fun you had, and how you did, what challenges you faced, via our contest Soapbox page.  

    Send us your photos!   Please, send us your high-resolution photos – especially youth!  Kids (and us adults wanting to regain our youth!)  We love to see activity photos – Kids and adults having fun, operating, setting up antennas!  For higher resolution, please send your photos as 500kb to 3mb in size. ARRL is always looking for youth activity photos for Write-Ups, Strays and Upfront in QST!

    Please be sure to send a Photo Release for each person shown when submitting youth photos - found at www.arrl.org/photo-video-release-form.

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