I’m already thinking about the 2027 SWL contest! This year, the focus will be on listening to amateur radio bands from 10 to 160 meters using SSB. There will be a winter segment in January and February 2027 covering the 40, 80, and 160-meter bands, as conditions on these bands are better in winter. The summer segment will cover the 10, 15, and 20-meter bands in SSB during July and August 2027. The goal, of course, will be to hear as many DXCC entities as possible. You can choose to participate in just one contest or in both the winter and summer events. For the summer contest, IOTA (Islands on the Air) listed islands will be accepted in the log, though this is optional. Consequently, there will be three awards: one for the winter contest, one for the summer contest, and one for the summer contest that also includes IOTA island groups. The rules for the winter contest will be published in November 2026, and those for the summer contest in May 2027. The aim is simply to enjoy listening for DXCC entities and IOTA islands. If you have no prior experience with amateur radio listening, everything will be explained to you. There are fewer and fewer AM radio stations to listen to on shortwave these days. However, on the HF bands using Single Sideband (SSB), there are 340 DXCC entities and 1,200 IOTA-listed island groups to discover! You can also receive some beautiful QSL cards. Even if you don't speak English, you only need to learn a few very short phrases. Amateur radio operators often keep their QSOs (contacts) very brief in order to reach as many stations as possible. Back in the 90s, after listening to AM broadcast stations (BCL), I started listening to amateur radio bands and IOTA stations myself. I have confirmed 250 DXCC entities and 330 IOTA islands via paper QSL cards. There you have it—I hope these contests interest you. 73 from Frank (SWL F14368), organizer of the SWL CONTESTs since 2023.
