North American QSO Party: A Contest Guide for DX Stations

The North American QSO Party, usually shortened to NAQP, is the contest many operators recommend to anyone who wants to try radiosport for the first time. It lasts only twelve hours, it allows no amplifiers, and the exchange is a first name and a location. Small stations can run effectively because nobody has a kilowatt. This guide explains how the contest is organised, what the exchange looks like, how the multipliers work, how the operating categories differ and what stations outside North America should know before they join in.

The NAQPs are sponsored by the National Contest Journal, and each event is run separately in CW, SSB and RTTY. Because everybody is limited to 100 watts, the contests reward good operating and good antennas more than raw power, which makes them an excellent school for newer contesters on every continent.

What the NAQP Is

The sponsor describes the NAQPs as favourites of beginners and seasoned operators alike. They are low-power only, with no amplifiers allowed, which leaves more room on the bands. Multipliers count once per band, so a multiplier can be worked again when you change band, and small stations can produce very effective runs. The 12-hour format lets participants do serious contesting and still have time for other activities during the weekend.

The stated object in the rules is to work as many North American stations as possible during the contest period. Any amateur radio licensee may enter. A North American station is defined by the ARRL DXCC list, with the addition of Hawaii. That definition matters for your strategy, and we will return to it in the section for stations outside North America.

Dates and Times

Each mode runs twice a year, and all NAQP contests last 12 hours, from 1800 UTC to 0559 UTC. The 2026 rules published by the sponsor describe the pattern:

• CW: the second full weekend of January and the first full weekend of August.
• SSB: the third full weekend of January and the third full weekend of August.
• RTTY: a late February start, beginning on the last Saturday of the month, and the third full weekend of July.

The 2026 sessions have all been held by now, so the next one is January 2027. Dates change from year to year, so check the sponsor’s page and a contest calendar before you plan. The WA7BNM contest calendar is a convenient place to confirm start and end times, and our guide to choosing your next contest explains how to match a contest to your station.

For a station in Lithuania, the January contests run from 20:00 to 07:59 local time, and the August contests from 21:00 to 08:59. That puts the best North American propagation on 40 and 80 meters in the middle of the night and on 20 and 15 meters in the early evening, so plan your bands and your sleep in advance.

The Exchange

The exchange is the best feature of the contest for beginners. The rules require:

• North American stations: the operator’s name and the station location, which is a state, province or country.
• Stations outside North America: the operator’s name only.

Each entrant has to use a single name throughout the contest, including multi-operator entries. A typical CW exchange is therefore as short as “TU ROB TX”, and a typical SSB exchange is a quick “name and state.” If you are outside North America, you send only your name, and that makes you very easy to log.

Because the exchange contains a name, a good logging program with a name database will fill in the name for you after you type the call. Our walkthrough of Super Check Partial and call history files shows how that works, and it can double your accuracy in a fast contest.

What a contact sounds like

On SSB a North American station calls “CQ NA, this is” followed by the call sign. You answer with your call, the station replies with your call, its own name and its state, and you return your name. On CW the same sequence is compressed into a few characters. In both modes the conversation takes only a few seconds, so keep your transmissions tight, say your name clearly once and repeat only what is requested.

Names are easy to mishear

Names are the hardest part of the exchange for operators who do not speak English every day. Practise common North American first names before the contest, and keep the habit of typing the name as you hear it, then correcting it when the database offers a match. The rules remove contacts with an incorrectly received exchange, so a quick confirmation is better than a guess.

Bands, Power and Modes

The contest uses 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters, with no 160 meters in the RTTY contests. Each contest is single mode: CW only in the CW parties, SSB only in the phone parties and RTTY only in the RTTY parties.

Power is limited to a maximum of 100 W from the output of the final amplifier. Stations running 5 W or less are recognised in the QRP results, and stations that choose to run more than 100 W or enter as high power are classified as check logs. Entries found to use more power than they claim are disqualified. A station can be operated remotely, but all transmitters, receivers and antennas used by an entrant must be associated with one station.

Categories at a Glance

The three main entry classes differ mainly in how much help you can use and how many signals you can transmit:

The rules also allow teams. A team consists of two to five single operator or single operator assisted stations whose scores are added together, and it must be registered before the contest begins. For a newer contester, the unassisted single operator class is the most instructive, because it forces you to find stations by tuning, which builds the skills you need in every other contest. Our article on running and search and pounce explains how to balance the two.

Multipliers and Scoring

The multipliers are all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, the Canadian provinces and territories (thirteen of them) and other North American entities as defined by the DXCC list. For those other entities the rules ask you to use the standard DXCC prefix in the received location field of your log. Multipliers count again on each band.

The score is simple: the total of valid contacts multiplied by the sum of the multipliers worked on each band. Stations may be worked once per band, and a duplicate gives no credit. Contacts with an incorrectly received exchange are removed with no further penalty, but a busted call sign or a call that is not in the other log is removed and costs one QSO point, so accuracy is worth more than speed at the margin.

A valid contact consists of a complete, correctly copied and logged two-way exchange between a North American station and any other station. The rules require the time in UTC and the band for each contact in the log.

If You Are Outside North America

This is where many European operators hesitate, and the answer is that you can join in and enjoy it. The rules say that a valid contact is one between a North American station and any other station. Non-North American countries, maritime mobile and aeronautical mobile stations do not count as multipliers, but they may be worked for QSO credit, and they should be logged as DX in the received location field.

In practice, that means:

• You are worth one QSO point to a North American station, but not a multiplier. Some busy stations may prefer to call a state they still need, so you may need patience in a pileup.
• Your own multipliers are the North American locations. Each state or province you work counts again on every band, so a good plan is to work as many different areas as possible on each band.
• You send only your name. This makes the exchange quick, and a short exchange keeps your rate high.
• Your best bands are 40 and 20 meters. On most winter nights a path to the east coast of North America opens on 40 and 80 meters, and 160 meters can add a few extra multipliers for those with an antenna to match.

A station that wants to try the lowest band may find our guide to 160 meters useful before the contest.

Strategy That Works for a 100 W Station

1. Start on the band with the best rate. Look at the time of day and move up or down as propagation changes. Since multipliers count again on each band, band changes are worth the time.
2. Run when you can. A calling frequency gives a steady rate if you can hold it, and in a low-power contest everybody is in the same situation.
3. Use the 10 of 12 hour rule. A single operator may use up to 10 hours. Plan the two off hours at the slowest time on the bands, and make each off period at least 30 minutes.
4. Do not skip the log checks. A busted call costs a point, so confirm unusual calls.
5. Prepare the software. Load the name database, set the contest to the right mode, and test the keyer or voice keyer in advance.

Submitting the Log

Logs must be submitted electronically in Cabrillo format via a web upload, and entries must be received no later than 7 days after the end of the contest. For paper logs, the sponsor links to web forms that convert the data to Cabrillo. Our article on Cabrillo logs and the UBN report shows what the checking process looks for. Certificates of merit are available to all participants with a final score above zero, and plaques are awarded for the high scores in selected categories if there are at least five entries.

Common Mistakes

• Using a different name during the contest. The rules require one name for the whole event.
• Running too much power. More than 100 W turns the log into a check log.
• Using spotting in the single operator class. Spotting information is allowed only in the assisted and multioperator classes.
• Forgetting that multipliers count per band. Work the same state again when you change band.
• Not saving the time and band. Each contact needs both for the log.

The Bottom Line

The North American QSO Party is a friendly, quick and fair contest. The 12-hour format, the 100 W limit and the short exchange make it ideal for newcomers, and the per-band multipliers keep experienced operators busy. From Europe, it offers a pleasant way to work North America on the low bands with a modest station. Read the sponsor’s rules, check the calendar for the next date, load a name database in your logger and enjoy a night of friendly competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the North American QSO Party?

Each NAQP lasts 12 hours, from 1800 UTC to 0559 UTC. Single operators may operate up to 10 of the 12 hours.

What is the NAQP exchange?

North American stations send their name and their state, province or country. Stations outside North America send their name only.

Can stations outside North America take part?

Yes. They can be worked for QSO credit, and their own multipliers are the North American locations they work. They are logged as DX and do not count as multipliers for others.

Why is NAQP limited to 100 watts?

The contest is designed to be low power only, which leaves more room on the bands and lets small stations compete. Entries using more than 100 W are classified as check logs.

Do multipliers count on every band?

Yes. Multipliers count once per band, so you can work the same state again after changing band. The score is the number of valid contacts multiplied by the sum of the multipliers on each band.

How do I submit my NAQP log?

Upload a Cabrillo-formatted log through the sponsor’s web form within 7 days of the end of the contest. Paper logs can be converted with the web forms linked from the sponsor’s page.