In the log this week
* Contest Spotlight: CQ World Wide SSB This Weekend
* MVARC Breakfast Tomorrow 10/25/2025
* MVARC POTA Activation Planned Tomorrow 10/25/2025
* MVARC Nets on the Air
* What’s happening with DX?
* Solar Activity Update
* Upcoming Contests
* Interesting Online Radio Content
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Contest Spotlight: CQ World Wide SSB This Weekend
This weekend brings one of the most popular contests of the entire year: CQ World Wide SSB. The contest usually has over 35,000 contestants that get on the air the last weekends of October for SSB and November for CW. The event starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday October 25 (so 8 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Friday) and ends at 2359 UTC on Sunday (or 7:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday). The goal is to make as many contacts with different DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible. The opportunities for working DX in this contest cannot be overstated. In contests like this, some folks have managed to get a DXCC in a single weekend. Even working more casually, getting 50 or more countries isn’t unlikely. Even if you’re not planning on submitting a contest entry, working the stations is a great way to get some incredible DX in your log, and the QSOs count for them too, even if you don’t submit a log. Of course, submitting one is encouraged and helps their software do proper log checking, so if you can, join in the fun. There are operators around the globe with powerful stations waiting for your call.
The contest is limited to the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands and the exchange is a signal report along with your CQ zone. For East Coast folks that would be “59 05” -- so quite a simple exchange and no serial numbers to worry about. QSO points are 3 points for contacts on different continents, 2 points for North American contacts in different countries, 1 point for contacts on the same continent but different countries (outside North America), and 0 points for contacts in the same countries (but you do get CQ Zone and Country multipliers for those QSOs). The score is the total number of QSO Points multiplied by the sum of zone and country multipliers.
There are several categories you can enter at various power levels. For Single Operators there is the classic Single Operator category where no spotting assistance is permitted and the Single Operator Assisted category where you can use QSO spotting networks. Power levels are High Power (over 100 Watts), Low Power (Over 5 Watts up to 100 Watts), and QRP (5 Watts or less). Entries may also be Single Band or All-Band. In addition to the main categories there are overlays like “Classic Operator” which specifies no spotting assistance and operating for up to 24 of the 48 hours, Rookie for ops licensed within the last 3 years, and Youth where the op is 25 years of age or under.
For Multi-Operator categories (All-Band Only) there is Multi-Single where only one transmitted signal on one band is permitted during any 10 minute period with power levels either High or Low. Multi-two has a maximum of 2 signals on 2 different bands. Multi-Multi allows all 6 bands to be activated simultaneously with one signal per band at any time. And Multi-Distributed has a maximum of 6 transmitted signals with one per band at a given time from stations in different locations (but the same DXCC entity and CQ Zone).
There is also a club competition where you can add a club you’re a member of and within a 250 mile radius circle from the center of the club area for additional awards. Participants get certificates automatically from the site and plaques will be awarded for top performance in categories. Logs must be submitted in Cabrillo format within 5 days of the end of the contest (2359 UTC October 31, 2025). Full rules can be found at https://cqww.com/rules.htm.
This is always an exciting contest, and I encourage you to get on the air and work the world this weekend. Good luck!
MVARC Breakfast Tomorrow 10/25/2025
Tomorrow, Saturday, October 25, 2025, is the date of our next monthly breakfast. As usual we will meet up at 8 AM in the IHOP at 7694 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia for great conversation, camaraderie, and breakfast too. We have been having a great turn out in the last few months and there is always room for you to join in the fun. We hope to see you there.
MVARC POTA Activation Planned Tomorrow 10/25/2025
Tomorrow, Saturday October 25, 2025 the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club is planning another club activation as K4US for Parks on the Air. We plan to meet at Belle Haven Park near the North end of the parking lot to activate together starting around 10 AM. We are hoping that the park will be open as it has been periodically closed during the federal government shutdown. The park was open on Thursday evening, so we’re hoping that it remains so for Saturday. The plan is to start in the morning and continue until at least Noon with a 100 Watt HF setup. Conditions have been fantastic of late, and with the CQ World Wide DX contest we’re likely to be able to work a whole lot of DX. We’ll have control operators on hand so no matter what kind of license you have (or even if you don’t have a license) you can get on the air and have some fun with us in the park. We hope to see you there!
MVARC Nets on the Air
* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]
* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]
* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]
* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]
What’s Happening with DX
There will be a lots of DX on the bands this week due in large part to this weekend’s CQ WW SSB Contest. Stations on the air include Antigua (V62B), Martinique (FM/VE3LA, TO2M), Rhodes (SX5P), Peru (OA4O), Saint Kitts and Nevis Islands (V47T), Belize (V31VP), Aruba (P44W, P40W), Hawaii (KH7M), Montserrat (VP2MPN), Gambia (C5Y), Lakshadweep Islands (VU7T), Cape Verde (D4D), Barbados (8P5A), Saint Barthelemy (TO4K), Saint Vincent (J8K), San Andres (5K0UA), British Virgin Islands (VP2VRX), Galapagos Islands (HD8R), Somalia (6O3T), Canary Islands (EF8R), Rodrigues Island (3B9KW, 3B9/M0CFW), Angola (D2A), Saba Island (PJ6A, PJ6Y), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FW5K), Bonaire (PJ4K), Tanzania (5H3MB), Madagascar (5R8IC), Burkina Faso (XT2AW), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), Colombia (HK3JCL), Mali (TZ4AM), Solomon Islands (H44MS), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).
A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/
Solar Activity Update
As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 130 and the estimated sunspot number was 117 with 8 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels and the Kp index reached 2 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 501 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be low with geomagnetic activity quiet levels today and Sunday and at quiet to unsettled levels on Saturday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 10% today and at 1 % on Saturday and Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are unlikely in the near term with a predicted probability of 15% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.
Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.
Upcoming Contests
On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the CQ World Wide DX Contest on SSB as well as the 902 MHz and Up Fall Sprint and the Classic Exchange on CW. The calendar is relatively quiet otherwise as CQ World Wide will be this weekend’s big event. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.
The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php
Interesting Online Radio Content
Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW discusses recent solar conditions and her forecast -
Kevin W1DED talks to the contest crew about CQ WW SSB -
Kevin W1DED talks to the European Contest Crew about CQ WW SSB -
Mike K8MRD takes a look at Messi and Paoloni Airborne 5 coax -
Brian KC9USB takes a look at his favorite radio accessories at Harbor Freight -
George VK2AOE talks about upcoming homebrew projects he has planned -
Mark KD7DTS, Ara N6ARA, and Tim N7KOM talk SOTA, memes, and fun on Sofas on the Air -
Hayden VK7HH builds a flower pot antenna for 2 meters -
Matt M0DQW looks at the MX-S3 SDR TR Switch -
Walt K4OGO experiments with co-phased antennas -
Red NJ7V reviews the KM4CFT Iambic Paddles -
Geochron announces and demonstrates the new Atlas Pro -
That’s it for this week.
Best 73,
Ed
N2EC
