CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY
A quick guide for operators — what to expect, what to say, and how it's scored.
This guide is a draft and hasn't been checked yet. Contest rules change from year to year — the sponsor's official rules are the final word.
What it is
The RTTY (radioteletype) edition of CQ WW: 48 hours, with the computer doing the sending and the decoding.
The exchange
RST, CQ zone, and for US/Canadian stations the state or province. We send "599 03 BC".
A typical contact
Scoring
Points depend on distance (different continent scores most). Multipliers are CQ zones, DXCC countries, and US states / Canadian provinces, counted once per band.
Bands
80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 m.
Tips for first-timers
Click a decoded callsign to put it in the log. If a decode is garbled, wait for the next CQ rather than guessing. Keep an eye on the waterfall for strong, clean signals.
Official rules
The club in this contest
Last updated 2026-10-29 by draft (Claude).