CQ WW VHF Contest: Grids, Rovers and Two Weekends Explained

If you like the idea of a contest but not the idea of fighting through a thousand-station pileup on 20 meters, the CQ WW VHF contest is a gentler way in. It uses only two bands, 6 meters and 2 meters, the exchange is a single four-character grid square, and the whole thing is built around collecting as many different grid locators as you can. It is also unusual in being split into two separate weekends, one for analog modes and one for digital. This guide walks through the rules as published on the official CQ WW VHF rules page on 27 October 2026, explains how the scoring really works, and shows what a small station with a modest antenna can expect to do.

Two Weekends, Two Sets of Modes

The contest is run by the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, the same organization behind the better-known CQ WW DX, CQ WPX and CQ 160-Meter events. The 2026 rules page lists two separate periods. The analog weekend, for SSB, CW and FM, began at 1400 UTC on Saturday 4 July and ended at 1400 UTC on Sunday 5 July 2026. The digital weekend began at 1400 UTC on Saturday 18 July and ended at 1400 UTC on Sunday 19 July 2026. In other words, each weekend lasts 24 hours, and the two are kept completely apart: only analog modes count during the first one, and only digital modes such as FT4, FT8, MSK144 and Q65 count during the second.

That split is clever. It means that a station that only runs FT8 can compete on equal terms in its own weekend, and a station that loves SSB and CW is not outnumbered by a flood of automated digital contacts. It also gives you two chances to enjoy the summer propagation, because the contest is timed to coincide with the season when sporadic E opens the 6 meter band and sometimes 2 meters as well. If you are new to that kind of propagation, our 6 meter band guide explains why summer is the best time and what the openings look like.

Bands, Exchange and the Grid Idea

Only two bands may be used: all frequencies on 50 MHz and on 144 MHz that your license allows. You may work each station once per band. The exchange could hardly be simpler. You send your callsign and your four-character Maidenhead grid locator, for example EM15, and you receive the same from the other station. Signal reports are not required and, according to the rules, should not even be included in the log entry. If you have never used locators, our article on grid squares and the Maidenhead system covers how to find yours and why each grid is about two degrees of longitude wide and one degree of latitude tall.

Because the exchange is so short, the contest rewards quick, clean contacts and good ears rather than long conversations. On SSB a typical contact is a callsign, a grid and a thank-you. On CW it is even shorter. On the digital weekend the software handles the exchange automatically: WSJT-X has a special operating activity for the North American VHF contest, and the message sequence is CQ TEST, callsign and grid, then the reply with the other grid, then the confirmation. A rover can append /R to the callsign.

How the Scoring Works

The score is the number of QSO points multiplied by the number of grid locators worked. A contact on 50 MHz is worth one point and a contact on 144 MHz is worth two points. The multiplier is the number of different grid locators you work on each band, added together. A grid counts once per band, so working the same grid on both 6 meters and 2 meters gives you two multipliers. The rules give a worked example: 50 contacts on 6 meters and 25 grids give 50 points and 25 multipliers; 35 contacts on 2 meters and 8 grids give 70 points and 8 multipliers; the total is 120 points times 33 multipliers, or 3,960.

The multiplier explains the strategy. Early in the contest, almost every contact is a new grid and your score climbs fast. Later, new grids become rare, and the contest turns into a hunt for stations in squares you have not heard yet. That is why you will see operators calling for rovers and asking people to point out distant grids, and why a single rare grid can be worth more than dozens of repeat contacts in a square you have already logged.

Categories: From Hilltopper to Rover

The categories are well adapted to different kinds of operators. All fixed entries must keep transmitters and receivers within a circle 500 meters across, and antennas must be physically connected to them by transmission lines. Beyond that:

• Single operator high power. Up to 1500 watts output, all band or single band.
• Single operator low power. Up to 100 watts output.
• QRP. Up to 10 watts output in this contest.
• Hilltopper. A single-operator portable category for all-band entries, limited to a maximum of six continuous hours and 100 watts. It is meant to encourage backpackers and portable operators who do not want to commit to the full period, and especially to activate rare grids.
• Rover. A station manned by no more than two operators that travels to more than one grid location and signs Rover or /R with no more than one callsign.
• Multi-operator. Two or more operators, still with only one signal per band.

The Rover category deserves a closer look because it is the heart of the contest. A rover who moves into a new grid may count the same grid locator more than once per band, as long as the location change is clearly shown in the log. For the stations who work the rover, each change of grid makes the rover a new contact. So a rover who crosses a grid boundary every half hour is effectively giving everyone a fresh multiplier each time, which is why rovers get so much attention. The final rover score is the sum of the QSO points made in each grid multiplied by the total of all grids worked from every square visited.

Assistance, Repeaters and What Does Not Count

The rules are generous about spotting. All entrants, in every category, may use spotting assistance or nets: DX alerting nets, internet chat rooms, APRS and other packet, reverse beacon networks and repeaters can be used to find stations and announce your availability. The line is drawn at the contact itself. Such assistance may not be used to pass or confirm any required element of the exchange, or to ask for a repeat during a QSO. It is acceptable to use it to tell your partner that you have received everything, for example that you have copied his RRR in an MSK144 contact. Rovers may use APRS or other methods to announce their location and frequency.

Several things do not count. Repeater and satellite contacts are not valid for credit, aeronautical mobile contacts do not count, and commonly recognized repeater frequencies may not be used. Recognized FM simplex frequencies such as 146.49, 146.52, 146.55 and 146.58 MHz and local-option simplex channels may be used for the contest. An operator may sign only one callsign during the contest, and a different multiplier cannot be given out without moving the entire station at least 100 meters. A station located exactly on a grid boundary must choose one grid for the exchange.

Getting Ready: Antennas, Modes and Habits

For a first entry, the most important decision is the antenna. A horizontally polarized Yagi pointed at the best target is the normal choice for SSB and CW on both bands, and even a small three-element beam on 6 meters gives a huge advantage over a vertical. If you only have a vertical or an FM handheld, you can still play, mostly on 2 meters and mostly with local stations, but you should expect a smaller number of grids. Our article on the 2 meter band shows the calling frequencies and the weak-signal segments where the contest action concentrates.

On the digital weekend, you need a computer with accurate time, a USB interface or the sound card of your transceiver, and WSJT-X or a compatible program. If the setup is new to you, start with the WSJT-X user guide, which describes the contest message sequences. Meteor scatter with MSK144 is a natural fit for 2 meters in the summer, and that is covered in our meteor scatter guide. In FT8 and FT4, the software can be told to flag new grids so that you do not waste time on squares you already have.

Some practical habits help every entrant. Log in UTC, because UTC is the required logging time. Listen before calling and keep your calls short. When a rover appears on a spot or on the air, work them quickly and move on, because the queue behind you is the same queue you were in a moment ago. Plan your time: the peak of sporadic E openings is unpredictable, so a station that is on the air during the whole period will catch more than one that only dips in on Saturday evening.

Logs, Deadlines and Awards

Logs must be submitted in Cabrillo format by web upload; that is the only method accepted. Entries for the 2026 contest were due by 10 July for the analog weekend and 24 July for the digital weekend to be eligible for awards. An extension can be requested by e-mail before the deadline with a legitimate reason. The mode field in the QSO lines must be CW, FM or PH for the analog weekend and DG for the digital one, and stations in the United States must show their location in the Cabrillo header. An ADIF converter exists for fixed-station logs. To understand how checking works and how to avoid errors, read our article on Cabrillo logs and the UBN process.

Everyone who submits an entry can download an electronic certificate, and plaques are awarded for the highest scores in sponsored categories. There is also a club competition, with separate groups for United States clubs, limited to members living within a 250-mile radius of the club center, and DX clubs, limited to members living in the same DXCC entity or within 400 km of the club center. National organizations are not eligible, and a club needs at least three logs to appear in the results.

The Bottom Line

The CQ WW VHF contest is one of the friendliest contests on the calendar. It needs only 6 meters and 2 meters, a four-character grid for an exchange, and a willingness to listen for weak signals. The multiplier of different grids makes every new square matter, rovers and Hilltoppers give portable operators a role, and the separate digital weekend gives FT8, FT4, MSK144 and Q65 users their own contest. The dates and rules shown here are those published for 2026, so check the official rules page before the next edition and set up your logger and grid list in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which bands are used in the CQ WW VHF contest?

Only 50 MHz (6 meters) and 144 MHz (2 meters). All frequencies are allowed as far as your local law and license class permit, and you may work each station once per band.

What is the exchange?

Your callsign and your four-character Maidenhead grid locator, such as EM15. Signal reports are not required and should not be logged.

How is the score calculated?

You get one point per contact on 6 meters and two points per contact on 2 meters. The total is multiplied by the number of different grid locators worked on each band, added together.

Can I use FT8 in the contest?

Yes, but only during the separate digital weekend. FT4, FT8, MSK144, Q65 and similar modes count then, and only analog modes count during the SSB, CW and FM weekend.

What is a Hilltopper?

A single-operator portable category for all-band entries, limited to six continuous hours and 100 watts, intended to encourage portable operators and the activation of rare grids.

Do repeater contacts count?

No. Repeater and satellite contacts are not valid for credit, and commonly recognized repeater frequencies may not be used, although some FM simplex frequencies are allowed.