For more than six decades, the Christmas holidays have been an integral part of VHF competition. Christmas race, which organizes radio club OK1KHK from Hradec Králové, is one of the oldest and most popular competitions on the 2 meter band. Its history goes back to the year 1959 and also in the year 2025 will offer radio amateurs an ideal opportunity to spend December 26 actively with the radio.
You will read in the article
Date and time schedule
The Christmas race is traditionally held December 26 and is divided into two stages:
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1st stage: 08:00 - 11:00 UTC
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2nd stage: 12:00 - 15:00 UTC
This format allows operators to take advantage of different spreading conditions throughout the day while also providing space for a break between stages.
Band, traffic and categories
It competes exclusively in the band 145 MHz (2 m).
The operating modes are:
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CW
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SSB
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FM
The competition categories are designed so that individuals and teams can find a place:
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SINGLE – one operator
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MULTI – more operators
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CHECK – control diaries (without assessment)
Note:
In the year 2022 band designation has been modified according to current recommendations IARU. The original designation of 144 MHz was replaced by the current one 145 MHz.
Competition conditions
For the vintage 2025 they pay General conditions of VKV competitions, released Czech radio club, effective from 1/5/2021. At the same time, the organizer also makes available older versions of the rules (from 2019 and older), which will be especially appreciated by long-term participants.
Reception of competition diaries
It is ready for the Christmas Race 2025 log receiving robot, which will be active from:
26/12/2025 from 08:00 UTC
Logs are submitted in the standard format EDI, while the organizers offer several tools for their creation.
Programs for keeping diaries
🔹 Atalanta Locator
Author: OK1DUO
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Originally for DOS, today also usable on modern systems using an emulator
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Supported: DOS, Windows 95/98, Win 7/8/10 (via DosBox)
Available:
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Atalanta Locator v12.29
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Emulator DosBox
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Instructions for installation and use
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Quick help and detailed manual
🔹 VUSC4WIN
Author: OK1DIX
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Designed for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10
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A proven tool for VKV competitions
Available:
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Complete Czech manual
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Installation packages
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Features overview and screenshots
🔹 Penguin
Author: OK1ZIA
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Multi-platform journal for Both Linux and Windows
It offers:
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Complete description of the program
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Download page
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Screenshots
🔹 HamRacer
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Modern competition diary (English interface)
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Also suitable for VKV races
Available:
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The official website of the project
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A more detailed presentation on the portal CQ.sk
🔹 MOONlog – online súťažný denník
Author: OK2VBZ
A very practical solution without installation:
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creating, editing and correcting the diary directly in the browser
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export to formats EDI, ADIF a Cabrillo
🔹 Online EDI Generator
Author: OK2PIN
The ideal solution for:
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transcript paper diaries to EDI format
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quick control and export of data
Why participate in the Christmas race?
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long tradition and excellent participation of stations
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ideal plant for both beginners and experienced VHF operators
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festive atmosphere and friendly competition
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the possibility to compare equipment, antennas and operator skills
Conclusion
Christmas race 2025 is proof that even after more than 65 years, the VKV competition can reach new generations of radio amateurs. If you have 2 m equipment, an antenna and the will to spend December 26 on the radio, you should definitely not miss this race. More on https://vanocnizavod.nagano.cz
📡 They will hear on 145 MHz!