The Oceania DX Contest returns this October for its 83rd running, continuing one of amateur radio’s longest-established international HF contests. Once again, stations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Pacific will become the sought-after DX as thousands of operators around the world turn their antennas towards Oceania.
The SSB Contest will be held on 3–4 October 2026, followed by the CW Contest on 10–11 October 2026. Each contest begins at 0600 UTC on Saturday and continues for 24 hours, concluding at 0600 UTC on Sunday.
Scoring is based on QSO points multiplied by the number of different amateur radio prefixes worked on each band from 160 to 10 metres (excluding the WARC bands). The exchange is signal report plus sequential serial number. Computer logging is recommended, with popular contest logging programs such as WriteLog, N1MM Logger+ and others providing full support for the Oceania DX Contest. Electronic log submission is required, and operators using paper logs can easily enter their contacts using the online log entry facility.
Full contest rules, online log submission, previous results, records and other contest information are available at oceaniadxcontest.com. Whether you are an experienced contester or trying the event for the first time, there is a category to suit every station including high power, how power, QRP, multi-band, single band, multi-op, single-op and SWL. Why not see if you can establish a new record in your preferred category?
Oceania Region
Unlike many international contests where Oceania stations spend the weekend chasing DX, this is your opportunity to be the DX. From modest home stations to the world’s largest contest stations across Europe, Asia and North America, operators will be searching the bands for contacts throughout Oceania. Even a few hours of operating can produce an enjoyable log, plenty of rare DX and the satisfaction of contributing to one of the world’s great contest weekends.
More than 40 plaque awards are presented across the various operating categories each year, including special plaques for newcomers, YL and youth entrants.
The Oceania DX Contest Committee looks forward to your participation in the 83rd Oceania DX Contests and wishes you enjoyable operating, great DX and every success in the 2026 events.