15m Booming With IOTA Contest 2024!

When I switched on the radio today evening I was on 15m. I was quite surprised to see several signals on the waterfall display of my FT-710 radio. Usually I see very few signals if at all on 15m here. Tried listening to one of them. It was an IOTA Contest Station YC4SIZ calling CQ IOTA Contest on 21.143 MHz. I could easily work that station and he gave me OC143, 59008 and I gave him 59001 in return, though I was not very sure of the exchange for IOTA contest. I have never bumped upon IOTA contest stations earlier.

After that I tuned around and heard YC3DOC exchanging OC021 on 21.240 MHz.

Tuning further, I heard DZ7AS exchanging OC129 on 21.250 MHz.

Though I tried calling both of them, I could not break through the pileup.

My curiosity on the IOTA Contest took me to the RSGB IOTA Contest Information page, which told me that this year’s contest is scheduled for 27-28 July 2024, that is today and tomorrow. IOTA Reference, sent by Island Stations in the IOTA Contest, consists of two letters indicating the continent, and a number indicating the allocated reference within that continent. So all the three stations which I heard are operating from Islands in the Oceania region with prefix OC for the Island group. Will look out for more IOTA Contest stations to test my operating skills and propagation from my limited HF setup of ‘100W and Wire’.