CQ World-Wide WPX SSB contest 2026: Komplexný sprievodca a úplné pravidlá

The amateur radio calendar is full of events, but only a few have such global reach and dynamics as CQ World-Wide WPX Contest. Pre rok 2026 sa očakáva, že SSB časť tohto preteku opäť prepíše historické tabuľky v počte nahlásených denníkov. Tento pretek nie je len o nadväzovaní spojení; je to strategická hra s prefixmi, kde každý unikátny začiatok volacej značky môže znamenať rozdiel medzi priemerným výsledkom a pódiovým umiestnením.

The WPX Phenomenon and the Strategic Importance of Prefixes

Na rozdiel od pretekov typu CQ WW DX, kde sú násobičmi krajiny DXCC and CQ zones, WPX focuses on prefixes. This approach dramatically changes operators' behavior on the bands. While in other contests it may be difficult to find a new multiplier after some time, in WPX the potential is almost inexhaustible. Every year, thousands of special callsigns appear on the occasion of anniversaries, expeditions, or national holidays, making each contact a potential unique multiplier.

In 2026, the contest will take place at a time when the 25th solar cycle should still be in an active phase, although probably past its peak. This promises excellent conditions on the upper bands (10m, 15m, and 20m), which is crucial for SSB operation. The propagation on 28 MHz could be a decisive factor for stations in Central Europe trying to achieve high score gains through transcontinental contacts.

Station Preparation and Tactical Considerations

Technical readiness is essential for a professional outcome in 2026. In SSB operation, signal purity and speech compression efficiency are critical factors.

It is strategically recommended to focus on the 40m and 80m bands at night, where points for connections between continents are doubled. In Central European conditions, the 40m band during WPX is a 'battlefield' that requires high-quality receivers with high resistance to cross-modulation.

For the Single Operator categories, the proper scheduling of 36 hours of operating time is crucial. The 12 hours of mandatory rest is not just a rule, but also a strategic tool. Experienced operators plan these breaks during periods of weakest propagation towards areas with high density of radio amateurs (typically early afternoon towards the USA on the lower bands or deep night if no band is open).

Pravidlá 2026 CQ World-Wide WPX contest

Below we provide a complete and accurate translation of the official rules for the upcoming 2026 edition, based on the official documentation..

I. Goal

The goal is for radio amateurs around the world to make as many connections as possible with the largest number of radio amateurs and prefixes during the contest period..

II. Date of the event

• SSB: March 28 – 29, 2026

• CW: May 30 – 31, 2026

• Začiatok: 00:00 UTC on Saturday. Koniec: 23:59 UTC v nedeľu.

Doba prevádzky je 48 hodín. Stations in the Single Operator category (individual) may operate for 36 out of 48 hours – the rest period must last at least 60 minutes, during which no connections are logged.. Multi-operator (viac operátorov) stanice môžu pracovať celých 48 hodín.

III. Bands

Only the bands 1.8, 3.5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 MHz may be used.. Dôrazne sa odporúča dodržiavať stanovené plány pásiem.

IV. Contest code (Exchange)

Súťažný kód pozostáva z reportu RS(T) a poradového čísla spojenia, ktoré začína číslom 001 pre prvé spojenie. Note: Participants in the Multi-Two, Multi-Unlimited, and Multi-Distributed categories use separate sequences of serial numbers on each band..

V. Scoring

A. Celkové skóre: Výsledné skóre je súčinom celkového počtu bodov za spojenia (QSO points) and the number of different prefixes obtained..

B. Points for connections (QSO Points): A connection may be made with each station on each band once for points.:

1. Connections between stations on different continents are worth three (3) points on the 28, 21, and 14 MHz bands and six (6) points on the 7, 3.5, and 1.8 MHz bands..

2. Spojenia medzi stanicami na rovnakom kontinente, ale v rôznych krajinách, majú hodnotu jedného (1) bodu na pásmach 28, 21 a 14 MHz a dvoch (2) bodov na pásmach 7, 3,5 a 1,8 MHz. Exception: Only for North American stations - connections between stations within the borders of North America are worth two (2) points in the bands 28, 21, and 14 MHz and four (4) points in the bands 7, 3.5, and 1.8 MHz.

3. Connections between stations in the same country are worth 1 point regardless of the band.

C. Násobiče za prefixy: Násobičom je počet platných nadviazaných prefixov. Each prefix is counted only once regardless of the band or the number of connections with the same prefix.

1. Prefix je kombinácia písmen a číslic, ktorá tvorí prvú časť rádioamatérskej značky. Príklady: N8, W8, WD8, HG1, HG19, KC2, OE2, OE25, LY1000 atď.. Any difference in numbering, letters, or their order is counted as a separate prefix.

2. In the case of operation from another area (portable), the prefix becomes the identifier of that area. Tento prefix musí byť autorizovaný v danej krajine alebo oblasti. Identifikátorom bez čísla bude za druhé písmeno priradená nula (0), čím vznikne prefix. Príklad: PA/N8BJQ sa stane PA0. Všetky značky bez čísiel budú mať nulu (0) za prvými dvoma písmenami. Príklad: XEFTJW sa započíta ako XE0. Identifikátory triedy licencie ako /M, /MM, /A, /E, /J, /P nepočítajú sa ako prefixy.

3. Podporuje sa účasť špeciálnych staníc s unikátnymi prefixmi. These prefixes must be issued or authorized by the licensing authority of the country of operation.

VI. Competition Categories

The use of tools for searching connections (QSO alerting assistance) is allowed in all categories except for the Single Operator Classic Overlay category.

A. Single Operator categories: One person performs all functions related to operation and logkeeping. Neexistuje žiadny limit pre zmeny pásma. V každom okamihu je povolený iba jeden vysielaný signál.

1. Single Operator High Power: The total output power must not exceed 1500 watts.

2. Single Operator Low Power: The total output power must not exceed 100 watts.

3. Single Operator QRP: The total output power must not exceed 5 watts.

B. Supplementary categories (Single Operator Overlay): A participant in the Single Operator category who meets the requirements may also enter one of the categories listed below by adding a CATEGORY-OVERLAY line to the header Cabrillo denníka. Tieto kategórie sa vyhodnocujú samostatne pre High a Low Power.

1. tribander/Single Element (TB-WIRES): The participant may use only one tribander (of any type, with one feedline) for the 10, 15, and 20 meter bands and single element antennas on the 40, 80, and 160 meter bands. Samostatné prijímacie antény nie sú povolené.

2. Rookie (Nováčik): The operator must hold an amateur radio license for no more than three (3) years as of the date of the contest. Dátum prvého vydania licencie musí byť uvedený v poli SOAPBOX.

3. Classic Operator (Klasik): The participant may use only one radio and may operate a maximum of 24 out of 48 hours. Ak denník vykazuje viac ako 24 hodín, do skóre sa započíta iba prvých 24 hodín. Používanie akýchkoľvek pomôcok na vyhľadávanie spojení (DX cluster a pod.) je zakázané. Príjem počas vysielania je tiež zakázaný.

4. Youth (Mládež): The operator was 25 years old or younger at the start of the contest. Dátum narodenia uveďte v poli SOAPBOX.

C. Multi-Operator categories: Multiple individuals may contribute to the final score. Výber kategórie závisí od počtu vysielaných signálov alebo lokalít.

1. Single-Transmitter (MULTI-ONE): Povolený iba jeden vysielaný signál v danom čase. A maximum of ten (10) band changes per hour (00 to 59 minutes). Používa sa jedna sekvencia poradových čísiel.

   • High Power: Max 1500 watts.

   • Low Power: Max 100 watts.

2. Two-Transmitter (MULTI-TWO): Maximálne dva vysielané signály v danom čase na dvoch rôznych pásmach. S každou stanicou je možné nadviazať spojenie raz na každom pásme. Denník musí uvádzať, ktorý vysielač nadviazal ktoré spojenie. Každý vysielač môže vykonať maximálne osem (8) zmien pásma za hodinu. Separate sequences of serial numbers are used for each band. Výkon max 1500 wattov na signál.

3. Multi-Transmitter (MULTI-UNLIMITED): A maximum of six transmitted signals, one per band, simultaneously. Samostatné sekvencie čísiel pre každé pásmo. Výkon max 1500 wattov na signál.

4. Multi-Transmitter Distributed (MULTI-DISTRIBUTED): A maximum of six transmitted signals, one per band, from stations in different locations. Všetky zariadenia musia byť v rovnakej DXCC entite a CQ zóne. Výkon max 1500 wattov na signál.

D. checklog: Denník odoslaný na kontrolu bez nároku na vyhodnotenie skóre.

VII. Prizes

A log for a single band is eligible to win a prize only for that band.

• Plakety: Udeľujú sa za špičkové výkony v rôznych kategóriách. Only one plaque will be awarded for one contest entry.

• Diplomy: Electronic diplomas will be available for download for anyone who submits the log on time.

VIII. Club competition

Club score is the sum of scores from logs submitted by its members.

• USA kluby: Participation is limited to members living within 250 miles of the club center.

• DX kluby: Participation is limited to members in the DXCC country where the club is located, OR within 400 km from the club center.

• National organizations (e.g., JARL, REF, DARC, SZR) are not eligible for club competition.

• For the club to be included in the results, at least four logs from its members must be received.

IX. Definitions of terms

• Lokalita stanice (Station location): The area on which all transmitters, receivers and antennas are located. Všetky musia byť v okruhu s priemerom 500 metrov.

• Pomôcky na vyhľadávanie spojení (QSO alerting assistance): Any technology that provides identification of a callsign or multiplier, including DX clusters, CW decoders, Skimmers, etc.:.

X. General rules for all participants

1. Each participant must respect the limits of his category.

2. A different call sign must be used for each post.

3. Do not exceed the power limits of the selected category on any band.

4. "Self-spotting" or requesting spotting is not allowed.

5. Remote operation is allowed if all transmitters, receivers and antennas are in one location.

6. External receivers outside the station location are not allowed.

7. Only one signal per band at a time.

8. Alternating calling (CQ) on two or more frequencies on one band is not allowed.

9. All operations (debugging, connection establishment, logging) must be initiated by a human operator. Autonómne systémy alebo roboty sú zakázané.

10. For stations from ITU region 1: transmission above 7200 kHz during the SSB race is not allowed. Taktiež vysielanie pod 1810 kHz je zakázané.

XI. Instructions for logs

Electronic submission of the diary is mandatory for all participants.

1. The log must contain: date and time in UTC, frequency (or band), correspondent tag, code sent and received.

2. The standard is the CABRILLO format.

3. The only method of submission is web upload to www.cqwpx.com/logcheck.

XII. Log submission deadline

All entries must be submitted WITHIN 48 HOURS after the contest ends:

• SSB denníky: no later than March 31, 2026, 23:59 UTC.

• CW denníky: no later than June 2, 2026, 23:59 UTC.

XIII. Evaluation and disciplinary measures

The CQ WPX Contest Committee is responsible for reviewing and judging contest entries.

• Nešportové správanie: includes confirming connections via the internet, phone, social media during the contest, broadcasting outside of licenses, rewriting times in the log, etc..

• Kontrola denníkov: Call sign errors or signs not found in the second diary lead to a penalty of twice the point value of the given connection.

XIV. Declaration

By submitting the log, the participant confirms that he has read and understood the rules, operated in accordance with the laws and rules, and accepts the committee's decisions as final.

In conclusion: Why participate in 2026?

CQWW WPX SSB contest je otvorený pretek. Vďaka systému prefixov má aj malá stanica s jednoduchou anténou šancu stať sa žiadaným násobičom pre „big guns“ z celého sveta. Pre slovenských operátorov je to ideálna príležitosť otestovať svoje schopnosti pred nadchádzajúcou sezónou, vyskúšať techniku a zažiť atmosféru preplnených pásiem, ktoré ožívajú každú poslednú marcovú sobotu.

Don't forget the critical 48-hour deadline for journal submission. In the era of modern technology, the emphasis is on speed and transparency, which elevates this race to the level of top e-sports with a radio amateur soul. See you on the bands, friends!

Dovidenia v marci 2026 pri honbe za prefixmi. If you have any questions about the interpretation of the rules, please do not hesitate to contact the competition director at director@cqwpx.com.