ARRL January VHF Contest 2026 Rove Plan

ARRL Jan VHF Contest Rove Plan Contest Rover AA2SD/R

AA2SD/R  and KE5NJ/R Rove Plan Jan 2026 VHF Contest

Saturday Rover Plan Jan 17th 2025 ARRL Jan VHF Contest Site Overviews Grids  and Links

East Earl Township Maintenance Lot Blue Ball PA and Shady Maple RV Center

Sunday Rover Plan Jan 18th 2025 ARRL Jan VHF Contest Site Overviews Grids  and Links

January VHF Contest 2026 - January 17-19th

Contest Objective: For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US & Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its possessions) and Canada.

Dates: The third or fourth full weekend in January as announced. (January 17-19, 2026)

Contest Period: Begins 1900 UTC Saturday, ends 0359 UTC Monday.

Notice: Participants in the FM Only category can now count contacts made on 902 MHz and 1.2 GHz toward their scores. Previously, only contacts on the four lowest VHF bands (50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz) counted toward participants' scores in this category.

Click Here for Complete ARRL January VHF Contest Rules (PDF)

For contest information contact contests@arrl.org or (860) 594-0232

AA2SD/R and KE5NJ/R Pack Rat Rovers Team Up for the Jan 2026 VHF Contest to Grid Circle

Lancaster PA AA2SD/R Rover -  Jan VHF Contest 2026  -  Plan to point your antennas to Grid Square Convergence in GAP PA during the Jan VHF Contest. 

We are pleased to report that “Chris KE5NJ/R Rover” and “Scott AA2SD/R Rover” will be Grid Circling up at (4) different overlooks throughout the Jan VHF Contest to maximize Pack Rat Club Member Contacts. (January 17-19, 2026) Contest Period: Begins 1900 UTC Saturday, ends 0359 UTC Monday.

At the start of the Jan 2026 VHF Contest both Rovers  will be strategically located at 800 feet elevation in Morgantown PA GRID FN20AD87J.“ The busiest time of the contest is the first 4 hours and we plan to be both operating in a combined  grids with good elevation to maximize contacts” says Scott D AA2SD/R. You can join our text list, for (1) msg from each location below.

Bands and Liaison Frequency

• KE5NJ/R Rover Chris  ( Bands 6-144-222-70-903-1296) Phone  302- 382-9177 

• AA2D/R Rover Scott    (Bands with 6-144-222-70-903-1296-2.3-3.4-5.7 & 10GHz)  Phone 609 254 7120

• Starting frequencies will be 50.128 and 144.210 -144.215 +/- based on conditions

How To Track and Find the Rovers?

We will be utilizing the W3SZ App to allow you track our movement during the contest please use the links below. Please use the important links below, we suggest you sign up for text alerts.

W3SZ Map for tracking https://w3sz.com/map.php

AA2SD/R Web Site with Updates https://www.aa2sd.com/arrl-2025-september-vhf-contest

Join text here https://eztxt.net/2jYm9L

Contest info   https://www.arrl.org/january-vhf

Additional Contest Information for the Jan VHF Contest from K1RZ Dave FM19JH 

VHF Contest Operators.   The January VHF Contest is January 17, 2026 at 1900 UTC to January 19, 2026 at 0359 UTC – a Month from now.   Everyone Entering their Plans lets you all know Where everyone is going to be and When they will be there.  Two functions outlined here:  DATA ENTRY & RETREVAL and ROVER / PORTABLE SITE PLANNING.

DATA ENTRY.   The link at https://w3sz.com/k1rz/getUpdateForm.php.  You can select to enter your plan in either UTC (Default) or LOCAL Time (LOCAL must be chosen at the top of the Data Entry form EACH TIME you enter that form).  If you are a Fixed station or a Rover be sure to set your Start Date-Time and Stop Date-Time for this contest for each Grid you activate.

DATA RETRIVAL.  The link to the File Download to Print Hardcopy in either CSV or PDF format is https://w3sz.com/k1rz/K1RZDownloadPage.html

The Multi-function Download Window provides Sort selections for Geographic Lat-Lon Filtering, plus Sorts by Callsign, Grid, Azimuth or Time.  Contest Bands, Contest Date-Time Filter to select ONLY those stations intending to be on in THIS CONTEST, and displaying Plans in either UTC -or- Local Time, plus optional Azimuth Filtering Sorts.

ROVER / PORTABLE SITE PLANNING – the DATABASE MAP EXTENSION. https://w3sz.com/map.php    Making site selection plans is critical to the success of your PORTABLE or ROVER operations.  IF everyone enters their planned Grid(s) in TEN CHARACTER Grid Format, you will get a more accurate look at the Path Profile near you, and near a distant station you want to work.  A Double-Click on the other stations marker on the map will show you the PATH PROFILE pop-up between you and another distant station.   As a Rover be sure to change the INFO Button for each Grid you activate, so that Azimuth, Distances and Path Profile are correct for you. Note also there is a TIME SLIDER at the bottom of the map that allows you to focus only on those stations who plan to be in THIS CONTEST – just CHECK THE BOX at the right end of the slider and then slide the slider to the beginning DATE-TIME (in LOCAL Two-Hour time segments) to track Rover plans and Fixed Station Plans through the contest. Have Fun with the Map Extension!

MAP TUTORIAL.  Tutorial links below take you to video’s Roger made to show ALL the MAP EXTENSION capabilities https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhcWbjH-CpxrCOdlLEDECRrED18B4NZ9n.  While hovering your mouse over the map, type the letter “p” to see a List of Map Keyboard Functions.  The Help button at the left end of the Time Slider will also bring up the Keyboard Function List.  An Example of a useful sequence of Keyboard Functions is “j”, “k”, “c”, and “d”: where “j” and “k” allow entry of two grids up to 10 characters in length, “c” provides the AZ, Reverse AZ and Distance between the two grids and “d” provides the Path Profile between the two grids.

MAP AS VISUALIZATION TOOL.  After you make your Grid Start/Stop Date-Time NEW Plan or UPDATE Plan in UTC TIME and DATE -or- LOCAL TIME and DATE, including your station capabilities for Fixed Stations and Rovers, then go to the MAP EXTENSION page, RELOAD the Map Page, and “check” what pops up when you click on other stations markers on the map. You can now Visualize where all the other stations in the region are, plus see a pop-up containing how to liaison with each station, their bearing and range from you, their bands, etc.  Plus, if you change the 2-hour local timeslot with the < > keys you’ll see the ROVERS move across the map, in accordance with their entered Plans.

Pack Rat Bowl.  Get in the Game.  Make Some Noise.  Run the Bands.  Call CQ on SSB between 144.180 – 144.220 in the time between 2pm and 5 pm Sunday Afternoon. Here is a link to use to promote this activity time with your own group.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UB0g2hrcQljpF4DWN_N5n8gkEjHs3b0g/view?usp=sharing

Thanks Everyone.  Have fun in the JANUARY Contest. Listen for the weak ones. Stay-in-the-Seat as long as you can.  Operate ALL MODES available, or ANALOG Only.  SSB and CW are still the Fastest QSO Modes we have.   With FT4 as the Possible Exception. 

73,  Dave K1RZ and Roger W3SZ  

January ARRL 2026  Contest Pack Rat Bowl 

The Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club will be hosting a special activity period during the upcoming January VHF Contest.  On Sunday afternoon January 18th from 19:00 to 22:00 UTC the Pack Rats will be gathering on 2 Meter SSB looking for contacts to move up the bands.

2 MTRS CALL CQ USB 144.180 - 144.220

https://www.packratvhf.com/index.php

Sunday afternoon is usually the slowest part of the contest with many stations drifting off to check out the NFL activity. In order to provide an incentive to stay in the VHF game we will be hosting the Pack Rat Contest Bowl a 3-hour period to find stations with multiple bands that will help raise your grid totals and final score.

Take advantage of the Sunday afternoon doldrums. Join the Pack Rats on 2M SSB/CW and move stations up the bands. Increase your higher band Q's and grid totals. More efficient than sending endless unanswered CQ's on FT8.  Tell everyone you know - the place to be on Sunday afternoon from 2 PM to 5 PM EST is 2M SSB and QSY UP.

GET IN THE GAME!

JOIN US AT THE PACK RAT BOWL

Jan 2026 ARRL VHF Contest

Pack Rat Bowl  

Sunday Jan 18th    19:00 UTC to 22:00 UTC

2 MTRS CALL CQ USB 144.180 - 144.220

Take advantage of the Sunday afternoon contest doldrums, join the Pack Rats on 2M

SSB and move stations up the bands. Increase your higher band Q’s and grid totals.

More efficient than sending endless unanswered CQs on FT8. Tell everyone you know –

The place to be on Sunday afternoon from 2 PM to 5 PM EST is 2M SSB/CW and QSY UP.