Lithuanian HF Championship: The Autumn 80 m Contest Explained

Every September, Lithuanian radio amateurs get a chance to compete for something unusual in the world of contesting: a national championship title. The Lithuanian HF championship is held on the last Sunday of September, on the 80 meter band, in three one-hour rounds, and its winners are awarded the title of champion of the Republic of Lithuania for that year. The event has a long history: the 2026 edition was announced as the 62nd. It is short, it is friendly, and it is built so that families, schools, clubs and cities can all take part. This article summarizes the rules and the 2026 announcement published in Lithuanian on the website of the Lithuanian Amateur Radio Society, LRMD, as of 27 October 2026, and explains them in English for foreign readers and for anyone who wants to try the contest in 2027.

Origins and Organizers

The announcement on the LRMD website was signed by the board of the Lithuanian Radio Sports Federation, LRSF, and the board of LRMD, and the full rules and results are published on the LRSF website. The text states the aim of the contest: to find the strongest Lithuanian shortwave radio sportspeople and to raise their skill. It then asks everyone to take part in an active way, and to encourage friends, relatives, neighbors and colleagues to switch on receivers on the 80 meter band and make at least ten contacts in each round. This tone is typical of the event: it is a national day of activity as much as a competition for the best.

The contest is held traditionally on the last Sunday of the month. In 2026 that was 27 September, from 0800 to 1059 local time, which was 0500 to 0759 UTC because Lithuania was still on summer time. By the same rule, the next edition falls on Sunday 26 September 2027. The announcement for 2026 also listed extra prizes: all participants whose logs contained at least 30 confirmed contacts received a special commemorative medal, sponsored by LRMD, and the club that won the club ranking received a cash prize, also sponsored by LRMD.

Frequencies, Modes and Rounds

The contest uses the 80 meter band: 3510 to 3600 kHz for CW and 3600 to 3700 kHz for SSB. Participants are Lithuanian shortwave amateurs, teams and observers. The three-hour event is divided into three rounds, each one hour long: 0800 to 0859, 0900 to 0959 and 1000 to 1059 local time. In each round, you may make one CW contact and one SSB contact with the same correspondent. That is a simple rule, and it has a clear effect on the strategy: you can work each station up to six times in the full contest, once per mode in each round.

The band is well suited to the task. In September at that time of the morning, 80 meters gives strong signals within a few hundred kilometers, which in a country the size of Lithuania means almost everyone. The noise level is lower than in summer, and with a modest wire antenna you will hear most of the participants. For practical advice on antennas and noise for the band, read our 80 meter band guide.

Exchange and Scoring

The exchange is simple: a signal report in the RS(T) format, and a serial number beginning with 001. The scoring is simple as well. Each contact is worth one point, and the multiplier is the number of different correspondents worked during the entire contest. The final score is the number of points multiplied by the multiplier. If several participants have the same result, the participant with a higher QSO confirmation coefficient has priority. A participant may use only one callsign during the contest.

Observers have their own system. An observer gets one point for a one-sided observation, in which only one side of the contact is heard, and three points for a two-sided observation. The same callsign may be counted at most six times, once in CW and once in SSB in each round, and observers have no multiplier. This makes the event welcoming for a newcomer without a license, who can listen and write down callsigns and exchanges.

Classes: From Individuals to Cities

One of the more unusual things about the contest is the number of ways in which a result can be counted. The rules list individual entries, team entries, observers, clubs, cities and districts. A team may have two or three members, and a team may have only one CW signal and one SSB signal on the air at the same time. Only the results of participants who have made at least ten contacts, including at least three with representatives of other cities or districts, are counted in the standings. This rule pushes participants to work stations outside their own town, which gives the event its regional character.

The class system also makes it easy for a club to take part as a group. A club ranking lets small clubs compete with each other, and the city and district rankings add a local pride that you rarely see in international contests. If you want to practice before the event, a club evening with a few stations on 80 meters and a simple logging program is enough. See our article on the contest station checklist for a list of things to test the week before.

Prizes and Titles

Winners in the personal and team categories receive the title of champion of the Republic of Lithuania for the year, and medals go to the prize winners in the individual ranking. LRSF prizes are awarded to the individual winner, the winning team, the highest-placed youth participant up to 18 years of age, the highest-placed junior up to 14 years of age, the observer winner, the highest-placed woman, the best team of schoolchildren, the participants with the best results using limited power of up to 100 watts or QRP of up to 5 watts, and the winner among veterans over 60 years old. Prizes in a subgroup are given if at least five participants are classified in a personal subgroup, or at least three teams in a team subgroup.

LRSF diplomas go to the winners of the individual ranking and to the best club. LRMD medals and diplomas go to the members of the teams that took prize places and to the participants with the best results in a single mode, CW or SSB. Young and junior participants must state their age in the report so that they can be classified. This structure shows that the event is designed to encourage a wide range of people, not only top contesters, and it fits well with the goal of promoting the hobby among young people.

Reports and Deadlines

Reports must be sent within three days after the contest, which in 2026 meant by 30 September inclusive. The results of all participants who send their reports on time are included in the common standings. If, for an objective reason, a report cannot be sent in three days, the participant must inform the organizers by e-mail. Reports sent later than three days after the contest are classified as checklogs. Electronic reports are sent by e-mail to the address given by LRSF, and the Cabrillo format is recommended. Paper reports can be photographed and sent to a second address that is given in the announcement.

The report must include the callsign, the name and surname of the participant, age, class, power used, the club that is to receive the points, the city or district, a declaration that the license requirements and the contest rules were followed, and the contacts made during the championship. The announcement gives an example of a Cabrillo header, with CONTEST: LYTBC, the operator and assisted categories, 80M as the band, a mode of CW, SSB or MIX, a power category of HP, LP or QRP, and fields for age, e-mail and address. The details of the Cabrillo format and the checking are explained in our article on Cabrillo logs and the UBN process.

How to Take Part From Abroad

The announcement describes the participants as Lithuanian shortwave amateurs, teams and observers, so the championship is a national event, and foreign stations are not listed among the entrants. If you live abroad, read the full rules on the LRSF website before you decide how to take part, and do not assume that a foreign entry will be classified in the standings. If you are a listener, the observer class is the most natural way to join: you need only a receiver and a log, and no transmitting license.

Lithuanian clubs also take part in international events. The LRMD HF page says that the society forms a Lithuanian team every year for the IARU HF World Championship, using the special callsign LY0HQ. For comparison with contests that are open to everybody, see our article on QRP operating, which is relevant to the 5-watt prize class of the championship.

Preparing a Station for the Day

A good plan begins with the antenna. For a one-hour round of regional contacts on 80 meters, a dipole at a reasonable height or an inverted V works well, and a vertical is also possible if you have a good radial system. Test your receive noise on the morning of the contest, and use a headset that you know is comfortable. Prepare a logging program or a paper sheet with the exact rules for the serial number, and practice switching between CW and SSB. Since each round allows one CW and one SSB contact with each correspondent, you should plan to work a station on one mode and return later on the other, if the station is still on the air.

During the contest, maintain a steady rhythm. Call CQ when the band is quiet and search when it is busy, because the multiplier is the number of different correspondents, and new stations are always more valuable than repeats. Keep each exchange short and clear, and log immediately. Because the report is due in only three days, do not leave the preparation of the log to the last evening. Your results will depend on a clean file, and a quick look through the log for obvious errors will often save you a place in the standings.

A word on the three rounds: they are not only a clock, they are a reset. At the start of each round, every correspondent becomes available again for a CW and an SSB contact, so the first minutes of a round are often the busiest, with many participants calling at once. A sensible way to use the hour is to begin with the stations that you have not worked yet, because they raise the multiplier, and to spend the remaining time on repeat contacts in the other mode. Keep a list of who is still missing in each mode, and note any stations from other cities or districts, since you need at least three of them for your result to count.

The Bottom Line

The Lithuanian HF championship is a national contest with a simple exchange, three one-hour rounds on 80 meters and a wide choice of ways to be counted: as an individual, a team, a club, a city, a district or an observer. The 62nd edition took place on 27 September 2026, and the next one is expected on 26 September 2027. Reports are due within three days, in Cabrillo format when possible, and the awards include medals and the title of champion of the Republic of Lithuania. For clubs, schools and new hams in Lithuania, it is a natural first contest.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Lithuanian HF championship held?

On the last Sunday of September, from 0800 to 1059 Lithuanian time. In 2026 that was 27 September, and the next edition is expected on 26 September 2027.

Which band and modes are used?

The 80 meter band, with CW from 3510 to 3600 kHz and SSB from 3600 to 3700 kHz.

What is the exchange?

A signal report in RS(T) form and a serial number starting from 001.

How is the result calculated?

Each contact is one point, and the multiplier is the number of different correspondents worked during the contest. Observers get one point for one-sided and three points for two-sided observations.

How many contacts do I need to be classified?

At least ten, including at least three with stations from other cities or districts.

When must the report be sent?

Within three days after the contest. Later reports are classified as checklogs.