The next major contest of the year will be this weekend’s IARU HF World Championships. This contest will this year include participation by the World Radio sport Team Championship contestants, which adds extra interest to this year’s event. If you would like to know more about WRTC and the IARU HF World Championships please read on (with thanks to the ARRL and EI8RC (for the ITU Zone maps).
Contest Objective: To support amateur self-training in radiocommunications including improving amateur operating skills, conducting technical investigations, and intercommunicating with other amateurs around the world, especially IARU member society headquarters stations, using the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands.
Dates: The second full weekend of July (July 11-12, 2026).
Contest Period: Begins 1200 UTC Saturday and runs through 1159 UTC Sunday. Both Single and Multioperator stations may operate the entire 24-hour period.
Click here for the complete IARU HF World Championship Rules (PDF)
Exchange:
IARU member society HQ stations, such as VK5WIA, send signal report and official IARU member society abbreviation as listed on the IARU website at https://www.iaru.org/reference/member-societies/. IARU International Secretariat club station NU1AW counts as a HQ station, and sends “IARU”. Members of the IARU Administrative Council and the three IARU regional Executive committees send “AC,” “R1,” ”R2,” and “R3” as appropriate.
All others send signal report and ITU zone.
ITU Zone Map
Log Submission Deadline
Logs are due within SEVEN (7) days after the event is over. Logs may be submitted either online or via mail, but electronic Cabrillo logs are the preferred method. Electronic logs must be submitted via our web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org/
Logs that have been submitted electronically are listed on the Logs Received page. Click the contest name to see a list of submitted logs sorted by call sign and club name.
Online Log Submission – Cabrillo formatted logs must be uploaded via our web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org.
Submitting Paper Logs By Mail – Be sure to mail your completed Summary Sheet and Log Sheets (include a dupe sheet if over 500 QSOs) postmarked before the log submission deadline to: IARU HF Contest Logs c/o IARU International Secretariat, Box 310905, Newington, CT 06111-0905 USA.
IARU HF Summary Sheet: PDF file
Log Sheet: PDF file
If submitting a paper log, it is strongly suggested you use a delivery method that offers a tracking number.
If you wish to convert your log into a Cabrillo formatted log for electronic submission, visit www.b4h.net/cabforms/ and select the event of interest. You can input your log data which will be converted to a Cabrillo formatted log for you (it will generate a log and return it to you), and then you can in turn submit your Cabrillo log online via the web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org/.
Awards:
Certificates will be awarded to the high scoring entry in each category in each ITU zone, each DXCC country and each ARRL Section.
Certificates of participation will be awarded to all IARU member society HQ stations. Achievement level awards will be issued to those making at least 250 QSOs or having a multiplier total of 75 or more.