ARRL November Sweepstakes
Contest Objective: To support amateur self-training in radiocommunications, including improving amateur operating skills, conducting technical investigations, and intercommunicating with other amateurs. Stations in the United States and Canada (including territories and possessions) exchange information with as many other US and Canadian stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands.
Dates:
CW: First full weekend in November (November 2-4, 2024).
Phone: Third full weekend in November (November 16-18, 2024).
Contest Period: Begins 2100 UTC Saturday and runs through 0259 UTC Monday.
Click here for the complete ARRL November Sweepstakes rules (PDF)
Click here for information on the Affiliated Club Competion program
For contest information contact contests@arrl.org or (860) 594-0232
Operating Guidelines:
The current November Sweepstakes Information Package is available as a downloadable PDF below,
2023 ARRL November Sweepstakes Package
Contest Exchange- the required exchange consists of:
Serial Number: A consecutive contact number starting with 1.
Precedence:
- “Q” for Single Operator, QRP (5 watts or less)
- “A” for Single Operator, Low Power (more than 5 watts, but no greater than 100 watts)
- “B” for Single Operator, High Power (more than 100 watts, but no greater than legal limit)
- “U” for Any Single Operator Unlimited Power Category (High, Low, or QRP)
- “M” for Multioperator, High Power or Multioperator, Low Power
- “S” for School Club
Your Call Sign: The call sign must be included as part of the exchange.
Check: The last two digits of the year the operator or the station was first licensed. The same Check must be sent throughout the contest.
ARRL/RAC Section: Send and log the abbreviations in the ARRL Contest Multipliers List
The following is a typical Sweepstakes contact:
CQing Station: CQ Sweepstakes from W9JJ
Answering Station: W1AW
CQer: W1AW 123 A W9JJ 79 CT
Ans: 43 M W1AW 31 CT
CQer: Thanks, CQ Sweepstakes from W9JJ
As the answering station, it is not necessary to send the CQing station's call before the exchange unless you think there might be some confusion about what station you are responding to.
Operating Time
All stations may operate no more than 24 of the 30 hours. Scores will be calculated from contacts logged during the first 24 hours of operation.
This rule limits operating time (listening or transmitting) to 24 hours. Contacts logged after 24 hours of operation will not be counted toward the final score, but there is no penalty for including those contacts in a submitted log, and the station contacted is eligible to receive credit for the contact.
Off-times must consist of a minimum of 30 consecutive minutes without operating. Listening time counts as operating time.
Log Submission Deadline
Logs are due within SEVEN (7) days after the event is over. Logs may be submitted either online or via mail, but electronic Cabrillo-formatted logs are preferred. Clubs are encouraged to help members submit their log electronically. Electronic logs must be submitted via via our web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org/
Entries for the CW and Phone portions of the competition must be submitted separately and must be postmarked before their respective 7-day deadline.
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 or club name.
Online Log Submission - Cabrillo formatted logs must be uploaded via our web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org.
Submitting Paper Logs By Mail - Be sure to mail your completed Summary Sheet and Log Sheets (include a dupe sheet if over 500 QSOs) postmarked before the log submission deadlines.
Phone Sweepstakes Summary Sheet
Sweepstakes Paper Logging Form
Send completed Summary Sheets and logs postmarked before the submission deadline to:
ARRL - CW Sweepstakes Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
ARRL - SSB Sweepstakes Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
If submitting a paper log, it is strongly suggested you use a delivery method that offers a tracking number.
If you wish 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). You can then submit your Cabrillo log online via the web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org.
Certificates will be awarded in the top operator CW and Phone scores in each category in each ARRL/RAC Section and Division. Printable certificates will be downloadable from contests.arrl.org/certificates.php.
All Overall and Division winners will be awarded a plaque recognizing their efforts. Plaques are sponsored by individuals, groups or clubs, or by the principal awards sponsor, Icom America.For details on plaque sponsorship, contact the ARRL Contest Program at contests@arrl.org or 860-594-0232
Participation pins and Clean Sweep coffee mugs are available for purchase from the ARRL by qualifying stations.
Club Competition:
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:
Additional Information
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ARRL Section Map + Ontario Sections Info
Ontario Section map (Courtesy Radio Amateurs of Canada) (*not including April 1, 2020 changes)
Description of the VE3 RAC Sections (Courtesy Radio Amateurs of Canada) effective January 1, 2023:
Ontario North (ONN)
- All of Northwest Ontario, including Manitoulin Island, Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands, Killarney, the cities of Greater Sudbury and North Bay and Nipissing District.
Ontario East (ONE)
- Algonquin Park, Renfrew, Hastings, Prince Edward, Haliburton, Peterborough and Northhumberland Counties, and the cities and counties to the east.
Golden Horseshoe (GH) (formerly GTA)
- The City of Toronto and the Regions of Halton (including the City of Burlington), Peel, York, Durham, the City of Hamilton, and the Regional Municipality of Niagara.
Ontario South (ONS)
- Parry Sound District, the counties of Simcoe, Grey, Bruce, Dufferin, Wellington and the remainder of Southwestern Ontario.
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Clean Sweep Keepsake Coffee Mugs
Clean Sweep Mugs
Commemorate working your “clean sweep” by purchasing your November Sweepstakes mug. To earn your mug, work all ARRL/RAC sections during the CW or Phone November Sweepstakes.New for 2023:
Please note that the procedure for ordering mugs has changed. November Sweepstakes Mugs will be available for purchase at the ARRL Store, and not through the Contest Program as has been done in the past. Once product and pricing is available, mugs can be ordered by visiting the ARRL Store at home.arrl.org/action/Shop/Store.
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Sweepstakes Participation Pins
Participation Pins
Anyone who completes 100 contacts on CW or Phone during Sweepstakes is eligible to purchase an attractive Participation Pin. Each pin includes the year and mode and has become a popular tradition in the November Sweepstakes event.
New for 2023:
Please note that the procedure for ordering pins has changed. The Participation Pins will be available for purchase at the ARRL Store, and not through the Contest Program as has been done in the past. Once product and pricing is available, pins can be ordered by visiting the ARRL Store at home.arrl.org/action/Shop/Store.
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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 Soapobx pages:
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.