CQ WPX Contest
The CQ WPX Contest is an annual, worldwide competition of radio amateurs on shortwave . The competition is advertised by CQ Amateur Radio magazine . The competition takes place in the form of voice connections with the single-sideband (SSB) on the last weekend of March and for Morse - Telegraphy last weekend of the month of May. The competition lasts 48 hours. It begins at 00:00 UTC and ends at 23:59 the following day.
There are two categories: the single OPs (one-man stations) and the multi-OPs (multi-man stations). The single OPs may work a maximum of 36 hours in the specified 48 hours and the rest breaks must be at least 60 minutes. Multi-operating units are operated continuously, i.e. 48 hours. The amateur radio bands broadcast in shortwave in the frequency ranges at 1.8 MHz , 3.5 MHz, 7 MHz, 14 MHz, 21 MHz and 28 MHz. This corresponds to the wavelengths of 160 m, 80 m, 40 m, 20 m, 15 m and 10 m. In the radio link only RS-, or the RST Rapport be ( R eadability / intelligibility, S trength / strength of the radio signal T one / tone of Telegrafieverbindung) and the number of contacts made replaced.
The aim of the competition is to contact as many radio amateurs and regions as possible. The final result (score) is calculated from the multiplication of the number of connections worked and the prefixes of the callsigns worked. For example, the callsign HB9NE has the prefix HB9, which is used as the identifier of the Swiss radio stations.