ARRL DX Contest: A Guide for DX and W/VE Stations
The ARRL DX Contest, officially the ARRL International DX Contest, has a simple and unusual structure. Stations in the United States and Canada, known as W/VE, work only stations outside W/VE, and everybody else works only W/VE. The result is a weekend in which the whole world points its antennas at North America, and North America points back. For a DX station in Europe or Asia, it is one of the best chances of the year to work many US states and Canadian provinces on several bands. For a W/VE station, it is a weekend of pileups from every continent.
The contest has a CW weekend and a separate Phone weekend. This guide explains the rules as published by the ARRL, what each side sends, how multipliers work, which category to choose, and how to plan bands and time for a better score. The rules change from time to time, so always check the current ARRL International DX Contest rules before the event.
When the ARRL DX Contest Runs
According to the ARRL rules, the CW contest runs on the third full weekend of February and the Phone contest on the first full weekend of March. Each contest period begins at 0000 UTC on Saturday and runs through 2359 UTC on Sunday, a full 48 hours. The exact dates for each year appear on the ARRL DX contest page and in the ARRL contest calendar.
The two modes are separate contests. Contacts count only on CW during the CW weekend and only on Phone during the Phone weekend, and you submit a separate log for each. Many stations enter both; others specialise in the mode they enjoy.
The rules allow six bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters. The WARC bands are not used, as in most major contests. Late February and early March fall in the northern winter, so the low bands are usually in good shape while the higher bands depend heavily on the solar cycle.
Who Works Whom
The key rule is the one that defines the contest. W/VE stations may only contact DX stations, and DX stations may only contact W/VE stations. A European station working another European station, or a US station working another US station, gets no credit at all.
There are a few special cases written into the rules. Hawaii (KH6), Alaska (KL7), St. Paul Island (CY9) and Sable Island (CY0) participate as DX stations, even though they are part of the United States or Canada. Each station can be worked once per band. The rules also require call signs to indicate the DXCC entity of operation, so a station operating away from home must sign accordingly.
For DX stations, this structure means your entire contest depends on propagation to North America. If you are in Europe, you will spend the weekend chasing openings that move from east coast to west coast and back. If you are in Asia or Oceania, your best windows may be short and band-specific. For W/VE stations, the opposite is true: the world comes to you, and the challenge is managing rate and catching the rarer multipliers.
The Exchange
The exchange is short and different for each side:
- W/VE stations send a signal report and their state or province, using the abbreviations in the ARRL Contest Multipliers List.
- DX stations send a signal report and their power, as a number or an abbreviation.
A typical CW contact from a DX station’s point of view sounds like this: the W/VE station calls CQ, you send your call, and the W/VE station replies with your call, a 599 report and the state abbreviation. You respond with 599 and your power. Many DX stations send “KW” for a kilowatt, “100” or abbreviated forms using cut numbers. The rules accept power as a number or an abbreviation, so a short, consistent power report is fine as long as it is clear.
On Phone, the same exchange applies: “five nine Connecticut” from the W/VE side, “five nine one hundred” or “five nine K W” from the DX side. Practise saying your exchange the same way every time; it speeds up every contact and reduces repeats.
Scoring and Multipliers
Scoring is straightforward. Each valid contact counts three QSO points. The total QSO points are multiplied by the total number of multipliers, and multipliers count once per band.
What counts as a multiplier depends on which side you are on:
- W/VE stations count DXCC entities, excluding the USA and Canada. Hawaii and Alaska count as DXCC entities.
- DX stations count US states, the District of Columbia, and Canadian provinces and territories, plus Labrador (LB). The rules note that VO1 and VO2 are counted separately by tradition, although officially they are one province.
Because multipliers count per band, the same state or entity worked on six bands gives six multipliers. That is why moving multipliers between bands is a big part of strategy. A DX station that has worked a rare state on 20 meters will want it on 40, 80 and 160 as well, and so will thousands of other DX stations.
Finding the rare states as a DX station
From Europe, the heavily populated east coast states are usually easy. The sparsely populated states in the west and the mountain regions, and some Canadian provinces and territories, are harder. A DX cluster is valuable here even if you enter a category that does not allow spotting assistance, because you can still learn which stations are active before the contest and at which times their signals typically reach you. For a deeper look at reading and filtering spots, see our guide to DX cluster spotting and filtering.
Categories and the Limited Antennas Overlay
The ARRL DX Contest offers the usual range of categories:
- Single Operator, all band or single band, with no spotting assistance.
- Single Operator Unlimited, all band or single band, where spotting assistance is allowed.
- Multioperator: Single Transmitter, Two Transmitter and Multi-Transmitter, all band only.
Power sub-categories are QRP (5 watts PEP output or less), Low Power (100 watts PEP output or less) and High Power (1500 watts PEP output, or your national limit if lower). Multioperator Single Transmitter stations are limited to ten band changes per clock hour, and Two Transmitter stations to six band changes per clock hour per transmitter.
There is also a Limited Antennas Overlay for single operator entrants, which recognises stations using simple antennas. The rules describe it as using single-element antennas such as a single vertical, an end-fed wire or a single dipole no higher than 50 feet above ground at its highest point. If your station is a wire in the garden, the overlay lets you compare yourself with similar stations instead of big antenna farms. The full definitions are in the rules; our overview of contest categories helps if you are unsure which class fits your setup.
Band Planning for DX Stations
For a DX station, the contest is really a series of propagation windows to North America. Planning around them makes a big difference.
| Band | Typical role for a European DX station | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 160 m | Night-time multipliers, mostly east coast and central states | Darkness path over the Atlantic; quiet receive antenna helps |
| 80 m | Evening and night runs or S&P, good multiplier band | Opening timing shifts across the US through the night |
| 40 m | Long openings around darkness, high rate if conditions allow | Strong European QRM and broadcast interference in some areas |
| 20 m | Main daytime band towards North America | Opening to the west coast is usually shorter |
| 15 m and 10 m | Excellent when the solar flux is high, rate can be huge | Can be marginal near solar minimum; check conditions on the day |
The table describes typical patterns rather than guaranteed times. Propagation depends on the solar cycle, geomagnetic conditions and your location. Before the contest, use propagation tools or simply listen to the bands at the same times on earlier days.
Run or search and pounce?
A DX station with a good signal can often run very well on the higher bands, because thousands of W/VE stations are tuning for multipliers. Smaller DX stations usually do better with search and pounce, especially early in the contest when every W/VE station is calling CQ. The balance between the two is discussed in our article on run versus search and pounce.
Strategy for W/VE Stations
From the W/VE side the contest is about rate and multipliers. Europe usually provides the bulk of the contacts on the high bands during the morning, while Asia and Oceania offer valuable multipliers in shorter windows. The low bands at night can yield both. Key points:
- Run when the band is open to Europe. The sheer number of European stations makes this the main source of QSO points for many W/VE stations.
- Hunt multipliers in the quiet hours. When the rate drops, tune for Africa, South America, Asia and Oceania, and move known multipliers to other bands.
- Do not forget 160 and 80 meters. Per-band multipliers make the low bands worth more than their QSO count suggests.
Logging and Submitting Your Log
Any modern contest logger supports the ARRL DX Contest and handles the exchange, dupe checking and multipliers. Configure it to show which multipliers you still need on each band; that one view drives most decisions in the second half of the contest.
The ARRL rules say logs are due seven days after the event is over, at 2359 UTC, uploaded through the ARRL contest log submission web app. Electronic Cabrillo logs are the preferred method, and paper logs are still accepted by mail. CW and Phone entries are submitted separately. If you are new to the log checking process, our guide to Cabrillo logs and the UBN process explains what happens after you submit.
Online certificates are available for top scorers by category in each DXCC entity and ARRL/RAC section, and sponsored plaques exist for the overall and continental leaders. Results also show you exactly how your score compares with similar stations nearby, which is the most useful benchmark for next year.
The Bottom Line
The ARRL DX Contest turns the world into two teams: W/VE on one side, everybody else on the other. DX stations send a report and power and chase US states, DC and Canadian provinces on six bands; W/VE stations send a report and state or province and chase DXCC entities. Every contact is worth three points, and multipliers count per band, so moving multipliers between bands is the heart of the strategy. Check the current rules, plan around your propagation windows to North America, and submit your Cabrillo log within seven days. Whether you run a big station or a single wire under the Limited Antennas Overlay, it is one of the most rewarding weekends of the contest year. For a broader look at the other big DX events, see our CQ WW DX Contest guide, and the ARRL contest calendar lists upcoming dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the ARRL DX Contest held?
According to the ARRL rules, the CW contest runs on the third full weekend of February and the Phone contest on the first full weekend of March, each from 0000 UTC Saturday to 2359 UTC Sunday.
Can European stations work each other in the ARRL DX Contest?
No. DX stations may only contact W/VE stations in the United States and Canada, and W/VE stations may only contact DX stations. Contacts between two DX stations give no contest credit.
What exchange does a DX station send?
A DX station sends a signal report and its power, as a number or an abbreviation. W/VE stations send a signal report and their state or province.
How are multipliers counted?
Multipliers count once per band. W/VE stations count DXCC entities other than the USA and Canada; DX stations count US states, the District of Columbia, and Canadian provinces and territories plus Labrador.
Do Alaska and Hawaii count as W/VE stations?
No. The rules say Hawaii (KH6), Alaska (KL7), St. Paul Island (CY9) and Sable Island (CY0) participate as DX stations, and Hawaii and Alaska count as DXCC entity multipliers for W/VE stations.
What is the Limited Antennas Overlay?
It is an overlay for single operator entrants who use simple single-element antennas, such as one vertical, one end-fed wire or one dipole no higher than 50 feet at its highest point. Check the current rules for the exact definition.
When is the log deadline?
Logs are due seven days after the contest ends, at 2359 UTC. Cabrillo logs are uploaded through the ARRL contest log submission web app, and CW and Phone entries are submitted separately.