#Contest Rules
Contest rules define the exchange, the categories, the scoring, the operating periods and the way logs must be submitted. They differ from contest to contest and can change between years, so reading the current text is part of every serious preparation. This tag collects articles that explain common rule topics in plain language, such as zones, breaks, off time and deadlines. Where a rule is specific to one contest, the articles say so and point to the official source. They are meant to help you understand the rule and plan around it, not to replace the rules themselves.
Oct 23, 2026 · 8 min readOff Time and Breaks in Contest Rules: Plan Them Well
How operating time and off time are counted in contests, including the CQ WW 60-minute rule for single operators, and how to plan breaks…
Oct 23, 2026 · 8 min readCQ WW DX SSB Checklist: Before, During and After
A practical CQ WW DX SSB checklist covering station and logger setup, the RST plus CQ zone exchange, planning breaks, and sending your log…
Oct 23, 2026 · 8 min readCQ Zones Explained for CQ WW: Splits and Typical Errors
What CQ zones are, how to find the zone of a station, why USA, Canada, Russia, Brazil and China need care, and the typical…
Oct 23, 2026 · 9 min readCabrillo Log Header Explained: Every Field and Mistake
A field-by-field guide to the Cabrillo 3.0 header: CALLSIGN, CONTEST, CATEGORY lines, OPERATORS, CLAIMED-SCORE, CREATED-BY and the most common errors.