September is one of the busiest months for State QSO Parties. You’ll have plenty of chances to get on the air to make contacts during events happening from Maine to Washington and lots of states in between. Check out the full list at the bottom of this article.
If you’ve never participated in a State QSO Party, we suggest reading these OnAllBands articles for the basics of these fun events that challenge you to reach as many counties as possible (often rare ones) within a state.
- Ward, N0AX: “State QSO Parties—Great HF Practice”
- Sean, KX9X: “State QSO Parties—Low-Pressure Contesting”
Outdoor operating enthusiasts will want to read this excellent article by John, WG8X, on “Combining Parks on the Air with Contesting,” including State QSO Parties.
Whether you’ll be activating a county or chasing across the state to achieve a clean sweep, you’ll find everything you need at DXEngineering.com to get maximum excitement out of State QSO Parties. Choose from transceivers, antennas, CW keys and paddles, the DX Engineering GO Portable Polo Shirt, and much more.
Here are a few more contests to make it a September to remember:
IARU Region 1 Field Day, SSB: Sept. 5, 1300Z to Sept. 6, 1259Z. This annual event presents an excellent opportunity for clubs to test their low-power portable operating capabilities; experiment with design, construction, and deployment of antennas; and use alternate means of power.
All Asian DX Contest, Phone: Sept. 5, 0000Z to Sept. 6, 2400Z. Sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League, this annual event is for both Asian and non-Asian stations making SSB QSOs on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.
ARRL EME Contest: Sept. 5, 0000Z to Sept. 6, 2359Z. The object of this annual event is to work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth path on any authorized amateur frequency above 50 MHz. September 5-6 is designated for 2.3 GHz and up. Oct. 31-Nov. 1 and Nov. 28-29 are for 50 to 1296 MHz.
WAE DX Contest, SSB: Sept. 12, 0000Z to Sept. 13, 2359Z. The German Amateur Radio Club (DARC) invites amateur operators worldwide to participate in this Worked All Europe contest. The RTTY portion of the contest is scheduled for Nov. 14-15. Read complete rules here.
Ohio State Parks On The Air: Sept. 12, 1400Z to 2200Z (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET). Before the POTA program grew to the size of your average sequoia, an active amateur radio club in the Buckeye State planted the seed for bigger things to come by initiating the first Ohio State Parks On The Air (OSPOTA) special operating event in 2008. Flash forward 18 years and the event—along with portable operating in general—continues to blossom like autumn ragweed in a Ravenna field.
The Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS, K8BF) developed and still sponsors the event, which encourages hams to activate state parks in Ohio the first Saturday after Labor Day. There are 76 parks that can be put on the air for the 2026 edition.
Learn much more about Ohio State Parks On The Air from its longtime chairman and DX Engineering technical writer, Tom, KB8UUZ, in his OnAllBands post later this month.
Also, don’t miss the flora, fauna, frequencies, and fun of Wisconsin Parks on the Air, Sept. 19, 1600Z to 2300Z, sponsored by the Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club, W9ZL.
ARRL September VHF Contest: Sept. 12, 1800Z to Sept. 14, 0300Z. Amateurs in the U.S. and Canada will be trying to work stations in as many 2 degree x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the U.S. and Canada may only work stations in the U.S. and Canada. All legal modes are permitted, including CW, SSB, FT8, MSK144, FM-Only, PSK31, FSK441, and JT65.
QRP Afield: Sept. 19, 1500Z to 2100Z: Hosted by the QRP Club of New England, this low-power event rewards operators based on power levels and location.
ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest: Sept. 19, 0900Z to Sept. 21, 0759Z. North American amateurs will attempt to contact as many stations in as many different locations as possible in North America on bands from 10 GHz (3-centimeter) through Light. Amateurs are encouraged to operate from more than one location during this event. Contesters may enter in either “10 GHz Only” or “10 GHz and Up” categories.
For those interested in 10 GHz operation, you’ll find the Icom IC-905 VHF/UHF/SHF All Mode Base/Portable Transceiver at DXEngineering.com. The rig boasts operating capability up to 10 GHz with the optional CX-10G Transverter (sold separately).
CQ World Wide DX Contest, RTTY: Sept. 26, 0000Z to Sept. 27, 2359Z. This annual event attracts more than 15,000 RTTY enthusiasts from around the world.
Masonic Lodges on the Air: Sept. 26, 1400Z to 2200Z. “The idea for the Masonic Lodges on the Air Contest grew out of the realization that many Freemasons have a love for Amateur Radio,” according to the event’s official website. The idea is to see how many Masonic Lodges you can contact in a day on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters SSB. You do not need to be a Mason to participate, but organizers ask that you get permission from your local lodge to contest from their property.
AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party: Sept. 26, 2000Z to Sept. 27, 2400Z. Sponsored by the Antique Wireless Association, this event is designed to “promote and encourage the use of amplitude modulation on the amateur radio bands” and to “enjoy the friendly atmosphere and pleasant audio quality of AM communication,” per the AWA website. Participants will try to make contacts using the amplitude modulation mode on 160, 75, 40, 20, and 10 meters. From its website, the vision of the AWA is to “preserve and share the history of technology used to communicate and entertain from the first telegram to today’s wireless text messaging.”
State QSO Parties
- Tennessee: Sept. 6, 1700Z to Sept. 7, 0300Z
- Colorado: Sept. 12, 1400Z to Sept. 13, 0359Z
- New Jersey, Sept. 12, 1400Z to Sept. 13, 0200Z
- Texas: Sept. 19, 1400Z to Sept. 20, 0200Z, and Sept. 20, 1400Z to 2000Z
- Iowa: Sept. 19, 1400Z to Sept. 20, 0200Z
- New Hampshire: Sept. 19, 1600Z to Sept. 20, 0400Z and Sept. 20, 1200Z to 2200Z
- Washington State Salmon Run: Sept. 19, 1600Z to Sept. 20, 0700Z, and September 20, 1600Z to 2400Z (find more details on the Salmon Run official website)
- Maine: Sept. 26, 1200Z to Sept. 27, 1200Z
The post Guide to September 2026 Ham Radio Contests—State QSO Party Edition appeared first on OnAllBands.
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