Upcoming Contests!

One more Q!


There are many great contests throughout the year! This list is a tiny subset, but these are some of the more significant upcoming contests that our membership gravitates towards participating in. Definitely plan on operating the bold, first tier contests as part of our Northeast Maryland Amateur Radio Contest Society team! The bold italic are the best of the best!


DateContestModeClub Competition EligibleRanking*
2025202520252025
Jan 4, 2025ARRL RTTY RoundupRTTYYes!First Tier
Jan 11, 2025North American QSO PartyCW5 SO stations maxSecond Tier*
Jan 18, 2025ARRL January VHFMixedYes!Second Tier
Jan 18, 2025North American QSO PartySSB5 SO stations maxSecond Tier*
Jan 18, 2025POTA Parks WeekendMixedNA
Jan 24, 2025CQ WW 160-Meter CWCWYes!Second Tier
Jan 25, 2025Winter Field DayMixedFirst Tier
Feb 1, 2025EU-DXMixedSecond Tier
Feb 8, 2025CQ WPX RTTYRTTYYes!First Tier
Feb 10, 2025School Club RUMixedThird Tier
Feb 15, 2025ARRL DX CWCWYes!First Tier!
Feb 21, 2025CQ WW 160-Meter SSBSSBYes!Second Tier
Feb 22, 2025North American QSO PartyRTTY5 SO stations maxSecond Tier
Mar 1, 2025ARRL DX SSBSSBYes!First Tier!
Mar 8, 2025Stew Perry Topband ChallengeCWThird Tier
Mar 29, 2025CQ WPX SSBSSBYes!First Tier
Apr 19, 2025POTA Parks WeekendMixedNA
Apr 13, 2025ARRL Rookie RoundupSSBThird Tier
May 24, 2025CQ WPX CWCWYes!First Tier
Jun 7, 2025ARRL Int Digital DXDIGSecond Tier
Jun 14, 2025ARRL June VHFMixedYes!Second Tier*
Jun 21, 2025Stew Perry Topband ChallengeCWThird Tier
Jun 28, 2025ARRL Field DayMixedFirst Tier
Jul 5, 2025CQ WW VHF SSB/CWSSB/CWYes!Second Tier
Jul 12, 2025IARU HF World ChampionshipMixedSecond Tier*
Jul 19, 2025North American QSO PartyRTTY5 SO stations maxSecond Tier
Jul 19, 2025CQ WW VHF DIGDIGYes!Second Tier
Jul 19, 2025POTA Parks WeekendMixedNA
Jul 26, 2025RSGB IOTAMixedThird Tier
Aug 2, 2025North American QSO PartyCW5 SO stations maxSecond Tier*
Aug 9, 2025Maryland QSO PartyMixedThird Tier
Aug 9, 2025Worked All Europe CWCWThird Tier
Aug 16, 2025North American QSO PartySSB5 SO stations maxSecond Tier*
Aug 17, 2025ARRL Rookie RoundupRTTYThird Tier
Aug 30, 2025World Wide Digi DX ContestFT 4/8 Third Tier
Sep 13, 2025Worked All Europe SSBSSBThird Tier
Sep 13, 2025ARRL September VHFMixedYes!Second Tier
Sep 27, 2025CQ Worldwide DX RTTYRTTYYes!First Tier
Oct 11, 2025PA QSO PartyMixedThird Tier
Oct 18, 2025Stew Perry Topband ChallengeCWThird Tier
Oct 18, 2025POTA Parks WeekendMixedNA
Oct 20, 2025School Club RUMixedThird Tier
Oct 25, 2025CQ Worldwide DX SSBSSBYes!First Tier!
Nov 1, 2025ARRL Sweepstakes CWCWYes!First Tier
Nov 8, 2025Worked All Europe RTTYRTTYThird Tier
Nov 15, 2025ARRL Sweepstakes SSBSSBYes!First Tier
Nov 29, 2025CQ Worldwide DX CWCWYes!First Tier!
Dec 5, 2025ARRL 160-Meter CWCWYes!First Tier
Dec 6, 2025FT Roundup ContestFT 4/8Third Tier
Dec 13, 2025ARRL 10-Meter ContestMixedYes!First Tier
Dec 21, 2025ARRL Rookie RoundupCWThird Tier
Dec 27, 2025Stew Perry Topband ChallengeCWThird Tier
Dec 27, 2025RAC Winter ContestMixedThird Tier
2026202620262026

First Tier Contests - Definitely Plan on These!

The contests in the first tier are all BIG and with the exception of the two Field Day events, contest club eligible. CQ World Wide DX, ARRL DX, CQ WPX and ARRL Field Day are the biggest of them all. It would be great to see our Northeast Maryland Amateur Radio Contest Society put in a good, solid showing in all of the Tier 1 contests!


Second Tier Contests - These are Good Too!

These are also good contests that are all club contest eligible. The Second Tier* are particularly close to First Tier. The North American QSO Party (NAQP) contests are fun because all categories are limited to 100 watts and you can run multi-two with friends at one location if you like. We almost put the NAQP contests in the first tier, but we didn't want to make the first tier list too long. We will compete as a club in these contests on case by case basis too if there is enough interest.

The IARU HF World Championship could also easily be in the First Tier category. Falling in summer, it doesn't have quite the participation as the biggest tests, but it is close and could go either way.

These contests are in the second tier, either because they are on 160M only, VHF only or don't quite have the same level of participation as the first tier.


Third Tier Contests - More Fun!

These aren't club contest eligible, but you'll likely want to participate if you can! Maryland and PA QSO party contests are bold because club competition or not, we sure don't want to miss those!

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