Guide to December 2025 Ham Radio Contests—Year-End Wrap-Up Edition

OnAllBands is putting a bow on the ham radio year with our final contesting guide of 2025. It has been another banner trip around the sun (courtesy of Solar Cycle 25) for experienced enthusiasts who filled the airwaves with rapid-fire QSOs and beginners who discovered the adrenaline rush of making their first tentative contesting contacts via CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, and lesser-used modes.

To all those who continue to make the amateur frequencies a vibrant place that encourages new hams and promotes the very best of operating practices, we salute you. We’d also like to give a shout out to the DXpeditioners who made ATNOs possible for operators around the globe:

Hal, W8HC, fourth from left, sent us this photo from the November 2025 Burundi 9U1RU DXpedition. DX Engineering provided the team with an Icom IC-7610 transceiver, which “performed flawlessly,” he reported. The team logged upwards of 180,000 QSOs during their three-week stay.

So, what can you anticipate contesting-wise for 2026?

Here are a few things you can count on:

• The DX Engineering team, boasting active operators with more than 1,000 years of combined experience and members of the CQ Contesting Hall of Fame, will continue to provide knowledgeable assistance to help you reach your goals, whether that means ranking at the top or just getting your feet wet in the world of contesting.

• As always, finding the right gear to improve your station will be fast and simple at DXEngineering.com. Choose from transceivers, antennas, power supplies, CW instruments, amplifiers, antenna analyzers, premium coaxial cable, logging software, digital interfaces, and absolutely everything you could need to heighten your contesting capabilities, including devices like the 403A Power Genius XL HF/6M SO2R Amplifier:

• Customers will continue to earn points on their purchases and convert them into DX Bucks good toward more gear from DX Engineering. Click for all the details about the DX Engineering Rewards Program. Also, take advantage of DX Engineering’s Protection Plan, which provides coverage beyond the manufacturer’s warranty on many products.

• OnAllBands will continue to let you know about upcoming contests and special events, contest-friendly gear available at DX Engineering, and advice you can use to maximize your scores and have the most fun possible in the heat of competition. Here are a few of our favorite recent contesting articles:
  • “The Importance of Calling CQ”
  • “Winning, Losing, and Playing the Game”
  • “Ham Radio Contesting for Techs? Yes, You Can!”
  • “How Young Operators Can Get Involved in Contesting Season”
• DX Engineering multimedia partner Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio will continue to provide exceptional long-form video content about the contesting and DXing communities. Here’s a recent sample from their YouTube channel about the apex of Radiosport challenges—the 2026 World Radiosport Team Championships from the United Kingdom. DX Engineering is a Gold Sponsor of this quadrennial event scheduled for July 2026.

Here’s wishing you enjoyable contesting in December, the happiest of holiday seasons, and a prosperous New Year from OnAllBands and DX Engineering!