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| CQ World Wide DX Contest | |
|---|---|
| Name | CQ World Wide DX Contest |
| Genre | Amateur radio contest |
| Frequency | 160–10 meters, HF bands |
| Organiser | CQ Amateur Radio magazine |
| First | 1948 |
CQ World Wide DX Contest
The CQ World Wide DX Contest is an international amateur radio competition held annually that attracts operators from United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, and Australia alongside participants from Brazil, India, Russia, and South Africa. It is administered by CQ Amateur Radio and coordinated with national societies such as the American Radio Relay League, Radio Society of Great Britain, Japan Amateur Radio League, and Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club to foster global HF operating skill among licensed amateurs like those in ARRL DX Contest, IARU HF Championship, and European HF Championship. The event routinely overlaps calendar weekends and draws attention from contesters who also compete in events like the CQ WPX Contest, ARRL International DX Contest, and North American QSO Party.
The contest is a test of proficiency in exchanging contact information, logging, and station setup used by operators across regions including North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania with rules referencing international call sign allocation lists maintained by organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union and national regulators like the Federal Communications Commission and Ofcom. Entrants utilize modes familiar to enthusiasts of single-sideband and Morse code operations and compare results via electronic log systems compatible with formats from groups like Contest Club Ontario and REF Contest Club. The competition emphasizes DXing traditions established alongside historic events like the Transatlantic Tests and the emergence of transcontinental radiotelegraphy exemplified by stations such as KDKA and GB3HF.
Founded in 1948, the contest grew in scope through decades marked by milestones involving organizations such as CQ Amateur Radio, the ARRL, and national societies like Radio Amateurs of Canada and Japan Amateur Radio League. Early postwar activity mirrored international initiatives including the International Amateur Radio Union formation and paralleled technological advances from firms like Collins Radio Company and Motorola. The contest timeline intersects with developments in propagation research from institutions like Stanford University and MIT and with propagation prediction tools influenced by studies at NASA and NOAA. Major changes in contest procedure were influenced by trends associated with digital modes championed by communities around PSK31 and FT8 as well as by logging software from groups like N1MM Logger and WriteLog.
Rules are published by CQ Amateur Radio and specify operating periods on HF bands between 160 and 10 meters with categories inspired by events such as the ARRL DX Contest and scoring principles similar to the IARU HF Championship. Exchange requirements reference call sign conventions overseen by the International Telecommunication Union and national authorities such as the Federal Communications Commission and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan). Operators must follow bandplans endorsed by bodies like the Radio Society of Great Britain and use logging formats compatible with the ADIF standard and match submission practices advocated by continental clubs like European DX Foundation and Contest University.
Entrants choose classes such as single-operator, multi-operator, and rover modeled after classifications used in contests run by ARRL and CQ Magazine; subclasses include high power and low power mirroring distinctions applied by IARU events. Geographic entries align with DXCC entities recognized by ARRL's DXCC program and island designations cataloged by organizations such as the Islands On The Air program and coordinated with callsign allocations from administrations like Australian Communications and Media Authority. Special event stations and club entries reflect practice seen with groups such as the Potomac Valley Radio Club and Frankford Radio Club.
Scoring combines contacts and multipliers referencing DXCC entities and CQ zones, concepts related to awards like the DXCC Challenge and inspired by zone systems used in competitions such as the CQ WPX Contest. Awards and plaques are issued by CQ Magazine and sponsored by clubs including Valley Radio Club and regional organizations like Radio Amateurs of Canada; top scorers receive recognition comparable to honors from the ARRL National Contest Journal and listings in publications like QST and CQ Amateur Radio. Log checking and adjudication use tools developed by software teams behind Cabrillo and automated adjudication systems promoted by contest aggregators like DX Magazine.
Participation records show entries from thousands of operators across DXCC entities such as United States, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, and New Zealand, with notable high-score records held by stations and operators associated with clubs like the YCCC and RAC. Legendary contesters and station callsigns appearing in record lists are often affiliated with contest teams such as Team Africa and international efforts comparable to The Daily DX reporting. Propagation events linked to solar cycles studied at NASA and NOAA influence high-score years and historic runs parallel to achievements documented in archives at CQ Amateur Radio and Contest University proceedings.
Organization is led by CQ Amateur Radio with logistical cooperation from national societies like the American Radio Relay League, the Radio Society of Great Britain, and regional clubs such as the Frankford Radio Club and Potomac Valley Radio Club. Sponsorships and prizes have been supported by manufacturers and vendors including Elecraft, Icom Incorporated, Yaesu, and Kenwood as well as by advocacy groups such as the International Amateur Radio Union. Coordination with regulatory authorities including the Federal Communications Commission and spectrum monitoring groups like ARRL Monitoring System helps ensure compliance and fair play.
Category:Amateur radio contests