Guide to January 2026 Ham Radio Contests—Good Etiquette Edition

Welcome to OnAllBands’ first contesting post of 2026! We’re looking forward to another year of highlighting the very best in amateur radio. Glad you’ve chosen to join us for another fun-filled adventure sending radio signals at the speed of light—186,000 miles per second.

There’s a lot of excitement ahead, but we thought now would be a good time to reflect on how we can all make the amateur bands a welcome place for our fellow hams, whether trying to capture an ATNO, competing in a contest, getting on the local repeater, or making QSOs via amateur radio satellites. 

A good place to start is with the DX Code of Conduct, originally inspired by Randy Johnson, W6SJ, SK. W6SJ became a Silent Key in March 2017 but will forever be remembered for writing an article about DXing etiquette in the March 2010 issue of “QST.” Per the ARRL, positive feedback about the article led W6SJ and like-minded operators to develop the DX Code of Conduct:

• I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.
• I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.
• I will not trust the DX cluster and will be sure of the DX station’s call sign before calling.
• I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the DX frequency or in the QSX slot.
• I will wait for the DX station to end a contact before I call.
• I will always send my full call sign.
• I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.
• I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine.
• I will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine.
• I will not transmit when the DX station requests geographic areas other than mine. When the DX operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.
• I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.
• I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

Also, take a moment to read these OnAllBands articles on being the best operator you can be:

• FM Satellite Etiquette: Five Tips for Better Satellite Success
• A Look at Maintaining Proper Etiquette in FT8 Mode
• Ham Radio Contesting Etiquette for Contesters and Non-Contesters Alike
• Ham Radio Contesting 101: Top Ten “Rookie” Mistakes
• Repeater Etiquette: Best Practices, Do’s and Don’ts

***

Here are some of the amateur radio contests scheduled for the remainder of January—a great chance to have some fun while demonstrating to other operators the very best in on-air etiquette:

• North American QSO Party, CW, Jan. 10, 1800Z to Jan. 11, 0559Z. From the National Contest Journal: “The North American QSO Parties are favorites of beginners and seasoned operators alike. The NAQPs are low power only (no amplifiers allowed) which makes for a lot more breathing room on the bands. Small stations can generate very effective ‘runs’ in the NAQP contests. Multipliers count once per band, which makes for an exciting format, as multipliers can be ‘moved’ from band to band. The NAQPs allow stations from all parts of North America to be in the running for the top spots.”
  CW not your thing? The SSB portion of the contest runs Jan. 17-18, 1800Z to 0559Z. The North American Collegiate Championship, SSB, is scheduled to run simultaneously with the North American QSO Party. Read more about this annual event here.
• YB DX Contest, Jan. 10, 0000Z to 2359Z. This SSB contest is hosted by the YB Land (Indonesia) DX Club and is open to amateurs around the world.
• Antique Wireless Association (AWA) Linc Cundall Memorial CW Contest, Jan. 14-15 and 17-18, 2300Z to 2300Z. This event honors the memory of Linc Cundall, W2QY/W2LC (SK), one of three founders of the AWA back in 1952. From the AWA website: “This contest is designed to favor those using low power equipment constructed before 1950. As with other on-air events, you do not need to be an AWA member to participate.”
  Participants are encouraged to send in photos of the gear used during the event, as the website reads: “This is a great opportunity to get that World War II surplus gear on the air!” For more details on the AWA, check out the AWA website.
• Hungarian DX Contest, Jan. 17, 1200Z to Jan. 18, 1159Z. This SSB and CW event is open to licensed operators around the world. Find all the rules here.
• ARRL January VHF Contest, Jan. 17, 1900Z to Jan. 19, 0359Z. For amateurs in the U.S. and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz.
• CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW, Jan. 23, 2200Z to Jan. 25, 2200Z. For amateurs around the world to contact other amateurs in as many U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and countries as possible utilizing the 160-meter band.

You’ll find plenty of help for your 160M pursuits at DX Engineering, including 160M bandpass filters, DX Engineering 160M THUNDERBOLT® Antenna, Butternut 160M add-on kit, linear amplifiers, and more.

• Australia Day Contest, Jan. 25, 2200Z to Jan. 26, 1000Z. Hosted by the Wireless Institute of Australia, this event is held annually on Australia Day (January 26), the country’s official national day which marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and the raising of the Union Flag. Records of celebrations on Jan. 26 date back to 1808.
  Per the contest’s website, “Amateurs in VK will endeavor to contact other amateurs around the world. Some VK operators will be using the AX prefix to celebrate Australia day, as it’s wanted by many amateurs around the world. Scoring is distance based and calculated using 4-character grid squares.”

If you’re looking to boost your station’s capabilities, we recommend the Australian-made Monitor Sensors Power and SWR Meter—an innovative, compact, well-built, and powerful device that complements both high-powered stations and portable QRP setups. It features frequency coverage from 130 kHz to 30 MHz and a power range from 10mW to 2,000W. One customer noted, “Not only does it provide an excellent readout of power, but the Alarm contact is a great way to protect your amp from damage in the event of high SWR.”

• Winter Field Day, Jan. 24, 1600Z to Jan. 25, 2159Z. The first Winter Field Day was held the weekend of Jan. 13-14, 2007. Since then, thousands of participants have bundled up and schlepped their gear into the cold to practice portable emergency communications in winter environments. If you truly want to be prepared for the worst, you should too.