Helvetia Contest

Switzerland's national DX contest over the last full weekend of April. Cantons are the multiplier, so Swiss stations are worth chasing on every band, and CW, SSB and digital each count separately.

Rules at uska.chThe rules are the sponsor's. This page holds the dates and the facts.

When it runs

Last full weekend of April

1300Z Saturday → 1259Z Sunday

Times are UTC, as the sponsor states them.

Next runnings

1300Z Sat 24 Apr → 1259Z Sun 25 Apr · 23h 59m2027
in 205 days
Logs due 1259Z Mon 3 May
1300Z Sat 29 Apr → 1259Z Sun 30 Apr · 23h 59m2028
in 576 days
Logs due 1259Z Mon 8 May
1300Z Sat 28 Apr → 1259Z Sun 29 Apr · 23h 59m2029
in 940 days
Logs due 1259Z Mon 7 May
1300Z Sat 27 Apr → 1259Z Sun 28 Apr · 23h 59m2030
in 1304 days
Logs due 1259Z Mon 6 May

Operating

Modes: CW / SSB / RTTY / Digital / FT8/FT4 PSK31, PSK63
Bands: 160m80m40m20m15m10m
Exchange: Swiss stations send RS(T) and their canton abbreviation (59 ZH, 599 ZH); stations outside Switzerland send RS(T) and a serial number of at least three digits.
Power categories: High Power 1000 WLow Power 100 WQRP CW / Digital 5 WQRP SSB 10 W
Logs: Cabrillo · due 8 days after the end · contestlog.uska.ch
Who can enter: Anyone, anywhere.
The Reglement states the contest is 'in der Schweiz und im Ausland ausgeschrieben' -- announced in Switzerland and abroad -- and 2.5.2 gives foreign stations their own exchange, so anyone may enter.

Where this comes from

Checked against the sponsor: Yes. The rule on this page was read off USKA's own published rules. Link last confirmed 2026-08-19.
What the source says: uska.ch Reglement fuer den Helvetia-Wettbewerb, Ausgabe Maerz 2026. 2.1 Datum und Zeit: 'Letztes volles Wochenende im April, Samstag 13:00 UTC bis Sonntag 12:59 UTC.' (Last full weekend in April, Saturday 13:00 UTC to Sunday 12:59 UTC.) 2.4 Baender: '160 m, 80 m, 40 m, 20 m, 15 m und 10 m'. 2.5.1 Schweizer Stationen: 'Rapport (RS oder RST) und dem Kanton (z.B. 59 ZH, 599 ZH)'; 2.5.2 auslaendische Stationen: 'Rapport (RS oder RST) und der laufenden, mindestens dreistelligen Verbindungsnummer'. 2.7 gives 10 points for a QSO with Switzerland, 1 within one's own continent and 3 to another continent; multipliers are cantons plus DXCC entities per band. 2.9 requires a six-hour rest taken in at most two periods. Power: 'High Power 1000 Watt, Low Power 100 Watt', QRP 'CW maximal 5 Watt / SSB maximal 10 Watt / Fuer digitale Betriebsarten maximal 5 Watt'. Digital is defined in the Reglement: 'Digital - Damit sind Modes wie RTTY, PSK31, PSK63, FT4 und FT8 gemeint. Cabrillo Tag fuer RTTY = RY, bzw. PSK31, PSK63, FT4 und FT8 = DG' (Digital means modes such as RTTY, PSK31, PSK63, FT4 and FT8; the Cabrillo tag for RTTY is RY, and DG for PSK31, PSK63, FT4 and FT8). 11 Log: 'Die Logs sind innert 8 Tagen zwingend ueber das webbasierte User-Interface auf der USKA-Website einzureichen: https://contestlog.uska.ch.' Entry is open beyond Switzerland: the Reglement says the contest is 'in der Schweiz und im Ausland ausgeschrieben' (announced in Switzerland and abroad). USKA's own KW-Contest page (uska.ch/kw-contest/) prints the 2026 dates separately from the Reglemente: Helvetia 25.-26. April, Field Day 6.-7. Juni and 5.-6. September, NMD 19. Juli, Weihnachtswettbewerb 5. und 12. Dezember. Every one of them is reproduced by the encoded rule.
Recorded caveats: The last full weekend of April, encoded as n=-1: April 2026 has full weekends on the 4th/5th, 11th/12th, 18th/19th and 25th/26th, so the rule gives 25-26 April, which is what USKA's own KW-Contest page prints. USKA also prints 24-25 April 2027 there, and the rule reproduces that too. Operators must take a six-hour rest in at most two periods; the record carries the full 24-hour window because that is when the contest is on air.

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

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