ARRL November Sweepstakes is one of the oldest and friendliest contests on the calendar, and it's a great first contest for a new operator. Every contact is with a station in the US or Canada, the exchange is the same for everyone, and nobody expects you to run a pileup. This beginner's guide covers how Sweepstakes works, what the exchange means, and how to make your first contest contacts.
Sweepstakes runs on two separate weekends, CW on the first full weekend of November and phone on the third. For 2026 that's CW on November 7 to 9 and phone on November 21 to 23. Each one starts at 2100 UTC on Saturday and ends at 0259 UTC on Monday, which on the East Coast is 4:00 pm Saturday through 9:59 pm Sunday.
What Is ARRL November Sweepstakes?
Sweepstakes is a domestic contest. The goal is to contact as many stations as possible in the US and Canada and to work as many of the ARRL and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) sections as you can. Sections are the geographic areas the ARRL uses for field organization. Most states are one section, and larger states are split into several. Florida, for example, has three: Northern Florida, Southern Florida and West Central Florida.
Working every section in one weekend is called a Clean Sweep, and it's the brass ring of the contest. Operators who do it can buy the famous Clean Sweep mug from the ARRL store. In our experience, even operators who never chase a high score enjoy hunting down the last few rare sections on Sunday evening.
The Sweepstakes Exchange Explained
The exchange is the part that looks intimidating, and it's the main reason some new operators skip this contest. It's actually just five pieces of information, sent in the same order every time:
- Serial number. Your contact number for the contest, starting at 1 and counting up.
- Precedence. A single letter for your entry category: Q for QRP (5 watts or less), A for low power (up to 100 watts), B for high power (over 100 watts), U for single operator unlimited, M for multi-operator, and S for a school club.
- Your callsign.
- Check. The last two digits of the year you were first licensed. You send the same check all weekend.
- Section. Your ARRL or RAC section abbreviation, such as NFL, SFL or WCF.
Put together, a phone exchange from a station that's made 46 contacts, running 100 watts, first licensed in 2019, from Northern Florida sounds like this:
"Number 47, Alpha, Kilo One Alpha Bravo Charlie, check 19, Northern Florida."
On CW it's simply 47 A K1ABC 19 NFL. It looks like a lot written down, but after the third or fourth contact it becomes second nature. We recommend writing your own exchange on a card and taping it next to the radio. The only part that changes is the serial number, and your logging program keeps track of that for you.
How Sweepstakes Is Scored
Every complete contact is worth 2 points. Your score is your total points multiplied by the number of different sections you've worked, so new sections matter a lot. Each station counts only once, no matter which band you work it on.
There's also a time limit. Of the 30 hours the contest runs, each station can operate for 24, and only contacts made in your first 24 hours of operating count toward your score. Breaks have to be at least 30 minutes long, and listening counts as operating time. For a casual operator who plans to spend a few hours on the air, none of this matters much. Just get on, make contacts, and have fun.
Bands and Who Can Take Part
Sweepstakes uses 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters. There's no contesting on the WARC bands (30, 17 and 12 meters).
General and Amateur Extra operators have the whole contest available. Technicians can take part too. Technician privileges include CW on parts of 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters, so the CW weekend is open to you, and 10 meter phone between 28.300 and 28.500 MHz is open for the phone weekend whenever the band cooperates. A Technician working Sweepstakes on 10 meter phone with a simple antenna is a great way to see how far your signal really goes.
How to Make Your First Contest Contacts
Search and Pounce
The easiest way to start is called search and pounce. Tune across the band, find a station calling "CQ Sweepstakes" or "CQ SS," and answer with your callsign once. When he comes back with his exchange, copy it down, then send yours. That's a complete contact. Then tune up the band and do it again.
Listen to a few exchanges before you call your first station. You'll hear exactly how the experienced operators pace it, and you'll be able to copy the station's exchange before he sends it to you, which takes a lot of pressure off.
Running a Frequency
Once you're comfortable, try calling CQ yourself. Find a clear frequency, ask if it's in use, and call "CQ Sweepstakes" followed by your callsign. You'll be surprised how many stations answer, even with modest power. Running is how big scores are made, but it's also when the contest gets really fun: the stations come to you.
Keep It Short
Contest contacts are quick and businesslike. There's no need to chat about the weather or your rig. Send the exchange cleanly, confirm you copied his, thank him and move on. If you miss part of an exchange, just ask for that part again, for example "say again your check." Everyone does it, and nobody minds.
Logging Software for Sweepstakes
You can log Sweepstakes on paper, but a contest logger makes it far easier. A good contest logger tracks your serial numbers, warns you about duplicate contacts, shows which sections you still need, and creates the log file you'll submit at the end. N1MM Logger+ is free for Windows and widely used, and there are several other good options.
We recommend installing your logger a day or two early and making a few practice entries, so you're not learning the software while stations are calling you.
Submitting Your Log
Send in your log even if you only made a handful of contacts. Logs are submitted in Cabrillo format through the ARRL's online log submission page, and they're due within seven days after the contest ends. Most contest loggers create the Cabrillo file for you. Your log helps check everyone else's contacts, and your call will show up in the published results.
After the Contest: Keep Your Contacts Working
A good Sweepstakes weekend can put a hundred or more new contacts in your log, and many of them will be new states. Export an ADIF file from your contest logger and import it into your QSL Shack logbook, then send the contacts on to Logbook of the World or QRZ from the same place. Those confirmations count toward Worked All States, and our guide on how to use Logbook of the World explains how.
New to HF? Read how to make your first ham radio contact before the weekend, and HF propagation for beginners will help you decide which band to try first. Then get on the air and hand out some contacts. Sweepstakes needs you as much as you need it.