[CQ-Contest] ARRL Sweepstakes and RTTY Roundup Set New Records

[Jim Reisert AD1C]

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The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 8
February 27, 2009
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* ARRL Sweepstakes and RTTY Roundup Set New Records: The lack of good HF
propagation didn't seem to affect participation in the 2008 Sweepstakes
or the 2009 RTTY Roundup contests. According to ARRL Contest Manager
Sean Kutzko, KX9X, both contests were record-breaking events. "We have
received 3298 logs for the November SSB and CW Sweeps combined in 2008,"
Kutzko said. "That is -- at bare minimum -- a 5 year high. The 2009 RTTY
Roundup in January saw 1564 entries, also a 5 year high." Kutzko said he
attributes some of the increase to the hoopla surrounding the 75th
running of Sweepstakes: "The excitement over the new Triple Play Award
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/#tripleplay> was likely a large factor in
the RTTY Roundup increase. Interest in contesting in general is on the
rise."

-- 
Jim Reisert AD1C/Ø, <jjreisert at alum.mit.edu>, http://www.ad1c.us