9A DX Contest, also known by a longer name Croatian DX Contest, is one of the traditional European shortwave competitions that has built a very good reputation internationally in recent years. The organizer is Croatian Amateur Radio Association (HRS) and the goal of the competition is clear: to improve the operating level of Croatian radio amateurs, support young operators, and attract the widest possible foreign competition. The result is an open worldwide contest, where a simple rule applies - everyone can work with everyone.
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Date and Basic Rules
9A DX Contest sa konáannually during the third full weekend in December, from Saturday 14:00 UTC to Sunday 13:59 UTC.
In the year 2025 the competition will take place on December 20 and 21, exactly at the time when conditions on the low bands are often very interesting and long winter nights favor DX connections.
The competition takes place on HF bands 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters, and in modes CW and SSB.. It is a matter of course to adhere to IARU band plan, which is especially important on congested bands like 40 m and 20 m.
Categories - a wide selection for everyone
Jednou z veľkých výhFrom 9A DX Contestu je veľmi pFrom robné rozdelenie kategórií. Organizátori rozlišujúCroatian stations (9A)aforeign stations (DX), where the structure of categories is very similar for both groups.
Croatian stations (9A)
From Single Operator All Bands Mixed High Power (A01) up to Multi Operator Single Transmitter (A10), including separate categories for CW, SSB, QRP, single-band and dual-band operation.
foreign stations (DX)
The same logic applies to international participants - categories B01 to B10 mirror the distribution of Croatian stations.
Overlay category YOUTH
An interesting and very commendable element is YOUTH overlay for operators up to 26 years old. This is not a separate operational category, but an 'overlay' - young operators are evaluated within their main category, but are also assessed separately. This significantly motivates young radio amateurs to engage in serious competitive operations.
News: Single Operator Two Bands
Veľkým lákadlom 9A DX Contestu jecategory Single Operator Two Bands, which is relatively unique in international competitions. The operator chooses two bands, from which the result is counted.
For European and Croatian stations it is mandatory for at least one of the chosen bands to be 160, 80 or 40 m. The goal is clear - to support activity on low bands during the night when there could otherwise be long 'silent' periods without calling stations. For stations from other continents, the choice of bands is more flexible.
Contest code (Exchange)
The exchange is simple, but thematically well designed:
Foreign stations send RS(T) + ITU zone
Croatian stations (9A) send RS(T) + district abbreviation
This system allows collecting interesting multipliers and also increases the attractiveness of working with 9A stations.
Scoring - motivation for DX and night hours
The scoring system is set up very thoughtfully and motivates working with distant stations as well as activity during the night.
Examples of scoring:
For 9A stations have connections outside of Europe on low bands worth up to 10 points
For DX stations have connections with 9A stations on 160/80/40 m as well 10 points
Connections on the same continent have a lower point value
Night bonus is particularly interesting:
All QSO conducted between 23:00 UTC on Saturday and 04:59 UTC on Sunday have bonus +2 points for each connection. This significantly supports activity on the 160 and 80 m bands, where excellent DX propagation occurs in December.
Multipliers and final score
DX stations collect ITU zonesaCroatian districts
9A stations collect ITU zonesaDXCC/WAE countries
The resulting score is calculated traditionally:
sum of QSO points × sum of all multipliers.
Logs, checking and fair play
9A DX Contest prijímaexclusively electronic logs in the format Cabrillo, which are uploaded via the contest robot on the website hamradio.hr/hfrobot.
The requirement for is important the exact frequency of each QSO – logs without CAT frequency data cannot win.
Interestingly, there is a strict rule for winners:
Stations that want to be declared winners of the category, must submit the log within 1 hour after the competition ends.
Log checks are conducted using software and manually. Errors such as NIL or bust are penalized –30 points, which can significantly shuffle the ranking.
Technique, cluster and remote operation
The use of DX clusters, RBN and CW skimmers is permitted.
Self-spotting is allowed only on SSB, not on CW (due to RBN). Promotion via social media is also allowed, but without exchanging data necessary for QSO.
Remote operation is allowed if all devices are located in one physical location.The use of remote WebSDR receivers is prohibited.
Awards and organization
All participants can download after evaluation electronic diploma. Winners of the main categories will receive plaques, others printed diplomasThe competition is managed by 9A HF Committee under the leadership of Mirka Jurmana, 9A6KX.
Conclusion
9A DX Contest je moderný, dobre premyslený a férový pretek, ktorý kombinuje tradičné hodnoty rádioamatérskej súťaže s inovatívnymi prvkami, ako je Two Bands kategória či výrazná podpora mladých operátorov. Ak hľadáte decembrový Contest s dobrou atmosférou, silnou DX účasťou a šancou otestovať svoje schopnosti na nízkych pásmach,9A DX Contest By vo vašom kalendári určite nemal chýbaťFull conditions for https://www.hamradio.hr/9a-dx-Contest/
See you on the band – 73!