ALPE-ADRIA VHF contest is one of the traditional international competitions on the 144 MHz band, which are organized annually by the national amateur radio organizations of the countries of the Alpe-Adria region. The competition is intended for all amateur radio enthusiasts. VHF operations regardless of country, with the aim of supporting activity on the two-meter band, experimentation with technology, and establishing connections over longer distances.
V roku 2026 je povereným organizátorom slovinská rádioamatérska the ZRS (Zveza radioamaterjev Slovenije) organization, which will ensure the processing of the logs and the publication of the results. The conditions of the competition are based on the common rules of the countries associated in the Alpe-Adria group and the general rules apply to the evaluation IARU Region 1 pre VKV, UKV a SHF preteky.
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Date and time of the event
ALPE-ADRIA VHF Contest 2026 sa uskutoční v nedeľu prvého úplného augustového víkendu, teda 2. augusta 2026, v čase od 06:00 do 13:59 UTC. Ide o osemhodinové preteky, počas ktorých sa na pásme 144 MHz pravidelne stretávajú stovky staníc zo strednej Európy aj ďalších krajín.
Band and operating modes
Súťaž prebieha výlučne na pásme 2 m v rozsahu 144,025 až 144,399 MHz. Povolené sú iba dva druhy prevádzky – CW (A1) a SSB (J3E). Organizátori zároveň odporúčajú, aby QRP stanice volali CQ prednostne nad frekvenciou 144,350 MHz, zatiaľ čo výkonnejšie QRO stations below this limit. This recommendation helps reduce mutual interference and makes it easier to find weaker signals.
Competition categories
Four sections are announced for 2026. Section A is intended for fixed and portable stations operating with the maximum permitted power according to the license. Section B is reserved exclusively for CW operation regardless of the place of transmission. New from 2026 is section C, which brings together fixed and portable stations with a maximum power of 100 W at the transmitter output. Section D remains intended for portable QRP stations with a maximum power of 5 W, located at an altitude above 1000 m above sea level.
Section D has strict technical requirements. The entire workstation must consist of a portable device, a portable antenna and an independent power supply. The use of existing or pre-installed antennas or mains power is not permitted. The assembly of the workstation may not begin until 24 hours before the start of the competition.
Scoring and multipliers
The final score is based on the distance between the stations connected. One point is awarded for each kilometer, so connections over longer distances naturally have a higher value. The competition does not use separate multipliers, so the result is directly the sum of the points earned for individual connections by distance. This simple system motivates operators to search for distant stations and effectively use the propagation conditions on the 144 MHz band.
Sending logs
Logs must be sent in EDI format no later than eight days after the end of the competition, i.e. by the second Monday after the race. Radio amateurs from Austria, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia send logs to their national competition managers. Participants from other countries can use any of the organizers' e-mail addresses listed or upload the log via the Croatian VHF/UHF/SHF robot. The national managers will then hand over all received logs to the organizer no later than September 30th.
Evaluation and awards
Organizátor je povinný zverejniť výsledky do konca kalendárneho roka po predchádzajúcej koordinácii s národnými contest manažérmi. Prvé tri stanice v každej sekcii získajú plaketu, štvrté a piate miesto diploma. Ak je v niektorej sekcii menej ako desať účastníkov, udeľuje sa plaketa iba víťazovi.
The most successful young operator under 25 years of age is also awarded separately. Participation in this category must be indicated in the EDI log with the item PClub=YOUNG. In multi-operator stations, all operators must meet the age requirement.
Video z prostredia ALPE-ADRIA VHF Contest
The video captures the course of the competition from the participant's perspective, including site preparation, operation on the 144 MHz band, and the atmosphere during the competition.