AWA Valve SSB QSO Party

Four hours of SSB on 40 and 80 m for valve radios, on the first Sunday of May and of October; you exchange the set you are using.

Rules at mysarl.org.zaThe rules are the sponsor's. This page holds the dates and the facts.

When it runs

First Sunday of May and October

1300Z → 1700Z Sunday

Times are UTC, as the sponsor states them.

Next runnings

1300Z Sun 4 Oct → 1700Z Sun 4 Oct · 4h2026
in 3 days
1300Z Sun 2 May → 1700Z Sun 2 May · 4h2027
in 213 days
1300Z Sun 3 Oct → 1700Z Sun 3 Oct · 4h2027
in 367 days
1300Z Sun 7 May → 1700Z Sun 7 May · 4h2028
in 584 days
1300Z Sun 1 Oct → 1700Z Sun 1 Oct · 4h2028
in 731 days
1300Z Sun 6 May → 1700Z Sun 6 May · 4h2029
in 948 days

Operating

Modes: SSB
Bands: 80m40m
40 m SSB 7 063-7 100 and 7 130-7 200 kHz, with 7 100-7 130 contest free; 80 m SSB 3 603-3 650 kHz, with 3 651-3 699 contest free.
Exchange: Call sign, an RS report, a consecutive serial number starting at 001, and the type of radio used -- for example 'HT37 TX'.
Power categories: 100 W, unless the rig itself exceeds it 100 W
Logs: no deadline or format recorded
Who can enter: Anyone, anywhere.
The manual states no participation clause for this contest, as for the other club parties. Recorded worldwide with verified false -- an absence of words rather than a statement.

Where this comes from

Checked against the sponsor: Yes. The rule on this page was read off AWASA's own published rules. Link last confirmed 2026-08-19.
What the source says: 2026 SARL Contest Manual Version 1.1 (2025-12-15), mysarl.org.za, 'Antique Wireless Association Valve SSB QSO Party', which names the organiser and links it: 'The AWASA http://www.awasa.org.za/'. '1. Aim The aim of the AWA Valve QSO party is to create activity on the 40m and 80m bands. It is a phone only contest using SSB. Preferably, valve radios or radios with valves in them may be used. No linear amplifiers may be used.' '2. Date and Time 13:00 to 17:00 UTC 1st Sunday of May and October. Sunday 3 May 2026 - 13:00 to 17:00 UTC. Sunday 4 October 2026 - 13:00 to 17:00 UTC.' '4. Power The output power may not exceed 100 w, unless the rig itself has a higher output power (FTDX400, etc.)' '5.1. Call sign, RS report, a consecutive serial numbers starting at 001 and the type of radio used, eg HT37 TX.'
Recorded caveats: The exchange includes the RADIO you are using, and the four scoring classes are all-valve, hybrid, solid state pre-1970 and solid state post-1970 -- which is the point of the contest rather than a curiosity. No linear amplifiers, and the power limit bends for a rig that simply runs hotter than 100 W by design. Sourced from the SARL Contest Manual, which carries this contest's full rules and names its organising body -- the venue in which South African clubs publish their rules, not a listing of them. See data/sources.md, 'Nine South African clubs, one manual'.

Something wrong? How to report it — a link to the sponsor's own page is all it takes.

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