[CQ-Contest] Early Start To ARRL Sweestakes CW Contest - Caution!

[Kutzko, Sean, KX9X]

Hello, fellow Contesters-

I have received reports that several stations inadvertently started operating the ARRL Sweepstakes CW contest at 2000z, an hour ahead of the scheduled start time. These stations apparently began SS CW at the same local time it has started for them in recent years, not taking into account the extension of Daylight Savings Time this year and the affect it has on the relationship between UTC and their local time.

Be advised that all QSOs made before the official start time of 2100 UTC Saturday, November 3 will be deleted from any official entry, both by the SS CW Contest Robot and through the manual scoring of paper logs. Stations that inadvertently started early are STRONGLY advised to re-work all multipliers they think they already have credit for.

GL to all this weekend.

73,

Sean Kutzko, KX9X
ARRL Contest Branch Manager
225 Main St.
Newington, CT 06111
Phone: (860) 594-0232
Email: kx9x at arrl.org