ARRL Sweepstakes Guide: Exchange, Precedence and Sections

Of all the major contests on the calendar, the ARRL Sweepstakes has the most distinctive exchange. Instead of a signal report and a zone, you send a serial number, a letter that describes your power category, the call sign again, a two-digit “check” and your ARRL or RAC section. It sounds complicated, and the first few contacts usually feel like it. After half an hour it becomes a rhythm, and for many operators it is the most enjoyable contest of the year.

This guide explains what the November Sweepstakes is, when the CW and phone weekends run, what each part of the exchange means, how the operating time limit works, how to log and submit your entry, and how to prepare so that the first hour goes smoothly. Everything here comes from the ARRL’s own contest page, so check the current rules before you operate.

What the Sweepstakes Is

The ARRL November Sweepstakes is a contest for stations in the United States and Canada, including their territories and possessions. Participants exchange information with as many other US and Canadian stations as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metre bands. The ARRL describes its objective as supporting amateur self-training in radiocommunications, including improving operating skills, conducting technical investigations and intercommunicating with other amateurs.

The CW and phone contests are held on different weekends. The CW event takes place on the first full weekend in November, and the phone event on the third full weekend. On that basis, the 2026 CW weekend should fall on 7 and 8 November and the phone weekend on 21 and 22 November, but always confirm the dates on the ARRL’s own pages and on a contest calendar. Each contest begins at 2100 UTC on Saturday and runs until 0259 UTC on Monday, which is a 30-hour window.

If you live outside North America, the contest is mainly a chance to listen and learn. The rules describe an event for US and Canadian stations, so read the rules carefully before deciding how you could take part.

The Exchange, Part by Part

The required exchange has five elements, one of which is simply your call sign:

1. Serial number. A consecutive contact number, starting with 1. Your first contact is number 1, your second number 2, and so on.
2. Precedence. A single letter that describes your entry category. The table below lists the letters.
3. Your call sign. The call sign must be part of the exchange, so you send it again after the precedence.
4. Check. The last two digits of the year the operator, or the station, was first licensed. You must send the same check throughout the contest.
5. ARRL or RAC section. One of the 85 section abbreviations in the ARRL’s contest multipliers list.

The ARRL gives a typical contact. The CQing station calls “CQ Sweepstakes from W9JJ”. The answering station gives its call, W1AW, and the CQing station replies with its exchange: W1AW 123 A W9JJ 79 CT. The answering station then sends its own: 43 M W1AW 31 CT. The CQing station says thanks and calls CQ again. As the answering station, you do not have to send the CQing station’s call before your exchange unless there might be confusion about who you are answering.

The Precedence Letters

The precedence tells other stations which category you entered. The ARRL lists these letters:

Choose your category before you start, because you must send the same precedence for the whole contest. If you are weighing your options, our guide to ham radio contest categories explains the differences between power and operator classes.

The 85 Sections

The ARRL and Radio Amateurs of Canada divide the country into sections, and each one counts as a multiplier. The contest has 85 section multipliers, and for 2026 there are no changes to the multipliers. Canadian stations in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut continue to send TER, for territories, as their section. Several Ontario sections were redefined from 2023, so if you are operating from Ontario, check the current descriptions on the ARRL page.

The Sweepstakes stands out for the “clean sweep”, which means working all of the sections in one event. The ARRL offers a keepsake coffee mug for operators who achieve it in either the CW or the phone contest, and a participation pin for each year and mode. A clean sweep is demanding and usually needs a good run of activity from the smaller sections.

The 24-Hour Operating Limit

The contest period is 30 hours, but each station may operate no more than 24 of them. Scores are calculated from contacts logged during the first 24 hours of operation. Listening time counts as operating time, and off-times must be at least 30 consecutive minutes without operating. Contacts logged after 24 hours do not count towards your score, though there is no penalty for including them in a log, and the station you contacted can still receive credit for the contact.

That rule turns planning into part of the contest. You decide when to take your six hours off. Many operators sleep during the early hours of Sunday, when activity and propagation are weakest in their area, then return for a strong second half. Our guide to rest and time management in 24 and 48 hour contests explains how to choose your breaks.

Preparing Your Station and Software

A Sweepstakes exchange has more fields than most contests, so your logging program matters more than usual. Check that it supports the contest and that the exchange fields are in the right order: serial number, precedence, call sign, check and section. Most major loggers include the contest and can fill the fields automatically from a call history file. Our N1MM Logger+ setup guide shows how to configure a contest and use function keys.

A short preparation list:

• Set your precedence and check once. Both stay fixed throughout the contest, so put them into your logger’s profile and function key messages.
• Program the exchange message. Your answer should include your serial number, which the logger fills in, followed by your precedence, check and section.
• Learn the section abbreviations. Many of them are easy, but a few are unusual. Keep a list near the radio.
• Test your audio or keying. A long exchange sent badly takes many repeats. Make sure your voice or CW is clean before the contest starts.
• Plan your bands. Sweepstakes is a contest for six bands, from 160 to 10 metres, and conditions at your location will favour different bands at different times of day.

Operating Strategy

Because every station has a five-part exchange, rates are lower than in a contest with a short exchange. Consistency matters more than speed. A few principles:

• Run when you can. A clear frequency lets stations come to you, but expect to sit through a longer exchange for each one. Our guide to running and search and pounce explains when each approach pays.
• Send your exchange the same way every time. A steady order helps the other station copy and log it.
• Do not send more than you need. Add the full call sign in the exchange as the rules require, then stop. Extra words slow you both down.
• Work the sections you need. Late in the contest, look for the sections you are missing, because every new section is a new multiplier.
• Repeat the parts that were wrong, not the whole exchange. If the other station missed your check, send only the check.

Logging and Submitting Your Entry

The ARRL requires logs to be submitted within seven days after the event ends. They must be submitted online in Cabrillo format through its log submission web app, and the CW and phone entries must be submitted separately before their own deadlines. The ARRL also notes that for all ARRL and IARU HF contests beginning 30 September 2026, only online log submission will be accepted. After you submit, your log appears on the Logs Received page.

Check your log before you submit it. Duplicate contacts, wrong sections and mistyped call signs can cost points. Our guide to Cabrillo logs and the UBN process explains how to review a log and what the checking reports mean.

Awards and Clubs

The ARRL awards certificates to the top CW and phone scores in each category in each ARRL or RAC section and division. Overall and division winners receive plaques sponsored by individuals, groups, clubs and the principal awards sponsor. The Sweepstakes is also one of the ARRL’s affiliated club competition contests, in which a club’s members’ scores are combined. If you belong to a club, entering together can be a good way to make the contest more fun. A contest calendar and the ARRL contest calendar list the dates for all of these events.

CW or Phone: Which Weekend Suits You?

The two weekends share the same exchange but feel quite different. The CW contest is quieter and more relaxed in tone, with a steady stream of experienced operators who copy a full exchange without fuss. The phone contest draws a larger and noisier crowd, with more pressure on spoken clarity, phonetics and repetition. If you are new to contesting and comfortable with CW, the CW weekend can be a gentle way to learn the exchange. If you prefer voice, the phone weekend offers plenty of activity and a chance to hone your clear, steady delivery.

Whichever you choose, remember that a longer exchange benefits from a consistent pace. In CW that means a speed that most stations can copy on the first pass. In phone it means clear phonetics, especially for the section abbreviation and the check, which are easy to mishear.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Changing the check or precedence mid-contest. Both must stay the same, and a change causes confusion for anyone who logged you earlier.
• Forgetting to send your call sign inside the exchange. The call sign is part of the required exchange, so it has to be sent after the precedence.
• Wasting your off-time. The six hours you rest are part of your plan. Take them when your location has poor propagation, not when the bands are busy.
• Ignoring the clock. Listening counts as operating time, so a long listening session while you wait for a band to open uses up your 24 hours.
• Leaving log checking until the last minute. Submit within seven days, and check for duplicates and wrong sections before you upload.

The Bottom Line

The ARRL Sweepstakes is a six-band contest for US and Canadian stations, held in two weekends in November, one for CW and one for phone. Its exchange is a serial number, a precedence letter, your call sign, a check and your section, and it sounds harder than it is. Pick your category, prepare your logger and messages, plan your six hours off within the 24-hour limit, and submit your Cabrillo log online within seven days. Even a small entry earns a place in the results and gives you a taste of one of the most traditional events in the hobby.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the ARRL Sweepstakes held?

The CW contest takes place on the first full weekend in November and the phone contest on the third full weekend. Each runs from 2100 UTC on Saturday to 0259 UTC on Monday. Confirm the exact dates on the ARRL page or a contest calendar.

What do I send in the Sweepstakes exchange?

You send a serial number, your precedence letter, your call sign, your check and your ARRL or RAC section. The precedence and check stay the same throughout the contest, and the serial number increases with each contact.

What is the check?

The check is the last two digits of the year the operator, or the station, was first licensed. Send the same check for the entire contest.

How many hours can I operate?

You can operate up to 24 of the 30 hours. Listening counts as operating time, and off-times must be at least 30 consecutive minutes. Only contacts from your first 24 hours of operation count for your score.

How many sections are there?

There are 85 section multipliers. Working all of them in one contest earns a clean sweep, for which the ARRL offers a commemorative coffee mug.

How do I submit my log?

Upload a Cabrillo log through the ARRL’s online log submission web app within seven days after the contest ends. CW and phone entries are submitted separately.