CQ World Wide RTTY DX contest 2026 will take place on September 26-27. Okrem domácich staníc a etablovaných contestových QTH this weekend always brings several DX stations that are located directly or in close proximity to the date in interesting locations – whether they are multipliers entity, vzácne IOTA or geographically distant CQ zones. This year it applies doubly.
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J48S – Samos Island (EU-049), Greece
V51WH and V55Y – Namibia
Gunter, DK2WH is active from Namibia from August 25 to October 10 under two callsigns. V51WH is his everyday operational callsign; he operates SSB, FT8, RTTY, and CW on bands from 160 to 6 meters. V55Y is a contest callsign - shorter, easier to transmit in RTTY, optimized for quick pile-ups during contests. Namibia belongs to CQ zone 38, continent AF. For European stations, it is an intercontinental QSO (3 points) and Namibia is a separate DXCC entity, making V55Y a multiplier on every band where a connection can be made. QSL via home call,direct or bureau.
VP9I – Bermuda (NA-005)
The team Al K7AR, Ron WJ7R, and Lee N7NU will be active from Bermuda (IOTA NA-005) from September 23 to 29. During the CQ WW RTTY Contest on September 26-27, they will use the contest call sign VP9I. Bermuda is located in CQ zone 5, continent NA – for European stations, this is an intercontinental QSO (3 points), and Bermuda is also a separate DXCC entity. The connection VP9 on multiple bands thus generates multiple band multipliers. QSL VP9I via LoTW, Club Log's OQRS, or direct through WW3S.
N7NU/VP9 – Bermuda (NA-005)
The same group of operators that runs VP9I will also be active outside of the contest under the individual call sign N7NU/VP9. Outside of the contest weekend, they operate FT8 and other modes on various bands. QSL N7NU/VP9 via Club Log's OQRS, LoTW, or via home call. For stations that work VP9I in the contest and want to have Bermuda confirmed outside of the contests, this is a good opportunity before or after the contest weekend.
The multiplier value of these stations
From the perspective of calculating scores in CQ WW RTTY, all four mentioned entities are interesting on three levels: as a new CQ zone, as a new DXCC country, and – in the case of contact with American stations – as a W/VE QTH. Specifically:
| Call sign | DXCC entity | CQ zone | Points for QSO (from EU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| J48S | Greece (SV) | 20 | 2 (same continent) |
| V51WH / V55Y | Namibia | 38 | 3 (intercontinental) |
| VP9I / N7NU/VP9 | Bermuda | 5 | 3 (intercontinental) |
Each of these entities also generates a band multiplier for the DXCC country and for the CQ zone on each band where the connection is logged. Duplicates are not allowed on the same band; each band is evaluated separately.
Other interesting stations around the contest date
In close proximity to the contest date, other active DX stations may interest collectors of DXCC entities or IOTA groups:
KH0/JR1FKR – Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands (OC-086), September 25-28: SSB, FT8, and RTTY on bands 40, 20, 17, 15, 10, and 6 meters. QSL via LoTW or home call. CQ zone 27, DXCC KH0.
8Q7JH – Maldives (AS-013), September 20 to October 10: CW, SSB, and FT8 on bands 20, 15, and 10 meters. Gunter DL3JH is active holiday style. QSL via home call, direct, or bureau. CQ zone 26.
5W0AF – Samoa (OC-097), September 21 to October 12: Jacek SP5EAQ is active SSB on bands 80 to 10 meters. QSL via LoTW and SP7DQR’s OQRS. Samoa, CQ zone 32 – rare entity for European stations.
Conclusion
CQ WW RTTY 2026 offers, in addition to regular contest stations, several valuable DX connections with intercontinental multipliers. J48S in Samoa will compete directly, V55Y from Namibia and VP9I from Bermuda represent intercontinental multipliers with three-point QSO.