"Old Timers" should also take note of this event. Consider opening your station up to a rookie (or two) and become an elmer. Remember, the more operators are on the air, the more fun the 'Roundup will be for everyone.

Be sure to read the rules before the event. It is also helpful to be familiar with the logging and submission processes ahead of time. You're in the right place; browse this page for information and tips on operating the Rookie Roundup. We hope to hear you on the air!

NEW RULES - MORE ROOKIES!

• You can be a Rookie if you were first licensed in 2024, 2023, 2022 or 2021 - send the year you were first licensed in the exchange.

• If you were licensed before 2021 you can also be a Rookie if you made your first Amateur Radio contact during 2024, 2023, 2022 or 2021 or if you haven't made any contest contacts on the contest mode (SSB, CW, or RTTY) before the Rookie Roundup contest, send the current year in your exchange - either of these reasons qualify you as a Rookie for just one year.

• Rookies will attempt to make as many contacts as possible during this 6-hour event. Rookies work everyone - and non-Rookies work only Rookies.

This is a great way to try out contesting in an event designed for newcomers.  Hope to work you then! To pre-register teams or submit your score after the event, go here

For historical please visit  Rookie Roundup page hosted by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM. 

April - SSB, August - RTTY, December - CW.
 

All participants are limited to no more than 100 watts PEP output.

All score summaries (no logs are required or accepted) must be submitted within 72 hours of the end of the event.

No late submissions will be accepted.

All official entries must report their score using Rookie Roundup Score Summary Form.

Submit your score

- Entrants agree to be bound by the provisions and intent of ARRL contest rules.
- Entrants agree to be bound by the regulations of their national licensing authority.
- Entrants agree to be bound by the decisions of the ARRL Awards Committee.
- Log contents used to determine final score and awards will be available to the public.
- All entries become the property of the ARRL.

Electronic certificates will be emailed to the top five scoring Rookies in each US call area, Canadian province, Mexican call area and DX.  No national winners will be recognized. A commemorative participation certificate will be available for download to every Rookie operator submitting a score. Non-rookies submitting a check log will be recognized by call in the final results.

1.      Mission and Objective

1.1. Mission: To encourage newly-licensed operators (“Rookies”) in North America (including territories and possessions) to operate on the HF bands and experience competitive Amateur Radio operating. Experienced operators (“Non-Rookies”) are strongly encouraged to participate and help new operators – either on the air or in person.

1.2. Objective: Rookies exchange information with as many other stations as possible on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter HF bands.  Rookie entrants are encouraged to read “HF Contesting – Good Practices, Interpretations and Suggestions.”

2.   Time Period, Modes, Frequencies and Power:

2.1. Time period: The Sunday of the third full weekend of  April, August and December from 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC.

2.2. Modes: April = SSB, August = RTTY, December = CW.

2.3. Frequencies: Contest activity will most likely be found in and around these frequency ranges:
      2.3.1. Phone: 3.840-3.860, 7.215-7.235, 14.240-14.260, 21.315-21.335, and 28.390-28.410 MHz
      2.3.2. CW: 3.545-3.555, 7.045-7.055, 14,045-14.055, 21.045-21.055, and 28.045-28.055 MHz.
      2.3.3. RTTY: 3.580-3.585, 7.080-7.085, 14.080-14.085, 21.080-21.085, and 28.080-28.085 MHz

2.4. Power: All categories are limited to 100 watts transmitter power output.

3.   Entry Categories:

3.1. Single-Operator, Rookie

3.1.1. Rookie entries are limited to operators who have either:
3.1.1.1. Made no contacts at all or have made their first amateur radio contact during the current or preceding three calendar years.
3.1.1.2. Have not made any contacts on the contest mode (SSB, CW, or RTTY) before the contest. Operators may only enter in this category only one time and must send the current year in their exchange.

3.1.2. The use of information from a spotting network (“spotting assistance”) is permitted. Spotting yourself on a spotting network (“self-spotting”) or asking others to spot you is not allowed. See “HF Contesting – Good Practices, Interpretations and Suggestions” for clarification. (See 1.2 above)

3.1.3. Rookie stations may contact Rookie or non-Rookie stations. (Also see 3.4)

3.1.4. Rookie stations are encouraged to identify themselves as a Rookie station by calling “CQ RR” on CW or RTTY and “CQ Rookie Roundup” on SSB. 

3.2. Multioperator, Rookie

3.2.1. Any number of Rookie operators may participate as a multioperator entry from a single station. (Also see 6.6)

3.2.2. Multioperator stations may transmit only one signal at a time using a single transmitter during the contest.

3.2.4. Multioperator stations are not eligible to participate in team entries. 

3.3. Team

3.3.1. Team entries may be submitted containing up to five (5) different single-operator entries.  The single-operator entries will be listed separately in the results.  A single-operator entry may be a member of only one team.

3.3.2. Team entries must be registered with the ARRL Contest Branch prior to the contest using the on-line form on the Rookie Roundup web page (www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup). See the Rookie Roundup web page for registration deadlines.

3.4 Non-Rookie

There is no Non-Rookie entry category but experienced operators are encouraged to participate and report their contact totals using the online score reporting form on the Rookie Roundup web page (www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup). Non-Rookies may call CQ but may only work Rookie stations in the contest. Non-Rookie stations should call “CQ Rookie” on SSB and “CQ R” on RTTY or CW.

4.   Exchange: Call sign of station worked, your call sign, your first name, two-digit number of the year first licensed (“check”) and state, Canadian province, Mexican call area, or “DX”.

Examples:
NØAX from KB1QAW, Carol, 08, Connecticut
KX9X DE VE7XYZ DAVE 07 BC
KD2ABC DE XE1KK RAMON 96 XE1
KG6PQR from JH4NMT Toshi 75 DX

4.1. Rookies must have a check from the current year or any of the preceding three calendar years.  For example, in the 2023 Rookie Roundup events, Rookies must have a check of 23, 22, 21 or 20.

5.   Scoring:

5.1. Points: 2 points for completed QSO between Rookie stations, 1 point for a completed QSO between a Rookie and a Non-Rookie station.  Contacts between Non-Rookie stations are not valid contacts in this event.

5.2. Multipliers:

5.2.1. Each US state and the District of Columbia (51 total) – use US postal codes as abbreviations. Be careful – many states have similar spellings and abbreviations! i.e. Missouri is MO, Minnesota is MN, Michigan is MI, Mississippi is MS, Maine is ME, Massachusetts is MA, etc.See the complete list of abbreviations at the end of these rules.

5.2.2. Canadian Provinces (13 total) : See the complete list of abbreviations at the end of these rules.5.2.3. Mexican call areas (5 total): XE1, XE2, XE3, XF1, and XF4

5.2.4. One generic DX multiplier, which includes contacts with US possessions (such as Puerto Rico KP4 and Guam KH2) and all other entities not listed in 5.2.1, 5.2.2 or 5.2.3.

5.2.5. The total number of possible multipliers is 70.

6. Miscellaneous:

6.1. Stations may be worked once per band. Multiplier credit is only given once, regardless of band.

6.2. Cross-band and cross-mode QSOs are not permitted. i.e. – Both stations must be on the same band and using the same mode.

6.3. During any single contest, entrants must make all QSOs from the same
state, province, call area, or DX entity. i.e. - Your exchange must contain
the same location information for all contacts.

6.4. QSOs made through repeaters or digipeaters are not permitted.

6.5. QSOs with aeronautical mobile stations do not count.

6.6. Non-rookie operators are encouraged to assist Rookie operators in person with
operating technique and instruction, including acting as the control operator to allow Technician class licensees to transmit with General or Extra class privileges.  Non-rookie operators may not, however, make any transmissions from the station or log any contacts.

7. Awards: Electronic certificates will be available for download by the top five scoring stations in each US call area, Canadian province, Mexican call area and DX stations.  No national winners will be recognized. A commemorative participation certificate will be available for download to every Rookie operator submitting a score.

8. Submission: All scores must be submitted via the Rookie Roundup online score report form within 72 hours of the contest’s conclusion.

9. Other information.

9.1. All contest queries should be directed to contests@arrl.org or by telephone to 860-594-0232.

APPENDIX

US State Postal Abbreviations [txt]

Canadian Provinces

For Rookie Roundup results, visit  contests.arrl.org

Tell us what fun you had, and how you did, via our contest Soapbox pages:

Rookie Roundup SSB

Rookie Roundup RTTY

Rookie Roundup CW

Please send us your high-resolution photos!  – especially Youth!  Kids (and us adults wanting to regain our youth) love to see activity photos – Kids having fun, operating, setting up antennas!  For higher resolution, please send your photos at 500kb to 3mb. 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 http://www.arrl.org/child-picture-release-form] ***

US State Postal Abbreviations [txt]

Canadian Provinces

• Rookie Roundup Log Sheet [PDF]
  
• Rookie Roundup Score Summary Sheet [PDF]

Up to Five Single-Operator Rookie entrants may submit their scores as a Team. Teams must be registered in advance. Multioperator entrants are not allowed to participate as a member of a Team. Non-rookies are not permitted to be on a team.

Team registration will be available beginning one week before each Rookie Roundup and wiil be closed 15 minutes before the event starts.
 

Register Your Team

A Rookie is defined by when they received their first license, regardless of country.

• If you were licensed before 2021 you can also be a Rookie if you made your first Amateur Radio contact during 2024, 2023, 2022 or 2021 or if you haven't made any contacts on the contest mode (SSB, CW, or RTTY) before the Rookie Roundup contest, send the the last 2 digits of the current year in your exchange - either of these reasons qualify you as a Rookie for just one year.

While we welcome participation by all hams, only those licenced in the current calendar year or the previous three calendar years (or who have never entered a SSB / CW / RTTY Contest) may officially enter as a Rookie. Your participation to work Rookies on the air or assist a Rookie's operation is one of the main points of the event, so please get on the air and work some Rookies!

If you were licensed before 2021 you can also be a Rookie if you made your first Amateur Radio contact during 2024, 2023,  2022, or 2021 or if you haven't made any contest contacts on the contest mode (SSB, CW, or RTTY) before the Rookie Roundup contest, send the last 2 digits of the current year in your exchange - either of these reasons qualify you as a Rookie for just one year.

Non-Rookies using a club call that was issued less than three years ago and entering as a Rookie is against the spirit of the Rookie Roundup.  A Rookie is defined by when the operator received a license, not when a particular call sign was issued.

The easiest thing you can do to help a Rookie is to get on the air and work Rookies. However, helping your club get Rookies on the air is also very helpful. Your non-Rookie club members can open their shacks and allow a Rookie to operate, provide in-the-shack coaching to a Rookie, or act as control operator to allow a Technician class licensee to operate in the General or Extra portion of the band (depending on your own license class). Information on being a control operator is found in FCC Part 97.105.

If you act as control operator for a Rookie, be sure to observe the Third-Party Traffic regulations; It is not legal for unlicensed (or under-licensed) third parties to communicate on the air with amateurs or with other unlicensed third parties at amateur stations without a third-party traffic agreement in place. In general, most European countries do not have third-party traffic agreements with the US, but many South American and some African and Caribbean nations do.  Information on third-party traffic regulations may be found here.

Yes. You can have several Single Operator entries, or host several Rookies as a Multioperator entry.