Understanding Contest Operating in Ham Radio: Tips and Strategies for Successful Participation

1. An Introduction to Contest Operating Bud Semon N7CW November6, 2008

2. What is a Contest? • An organized operating event where hams keep score to compare operating skills • Contests vary from local to international • YARC’s 10M Contest last year with no “scoring” • CQ World Wide where everyone in the world tries to contact other countries and the competition is intense

3. What is a Contest? • Trivia Question – when was the first contest? (Answer later) • There is a contest of some sort almost every weekend and some week days • Sometimes there are multiple contests on one weekend • Some fill the bands, others are hard to find

4. What is a Contest? • Some are very specific • California QSO Party (CQP) – the world chases CA counties • Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) Islands on the Air (IOTA) – the world chases hams operating from islands • Operate only using QRP (less than 5 watts)

5. What is a Contest? • Some are very specific (cont’d): • County Hunters chasing Mobile stations • Operate only VHF bands or even only Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) • FIELD DAY!

6. What is a Contest? • Unique Aspect of Ham Radio Contesting • You need your competitors cooperation to do well! • Every time you use a 1x1 call (e.g. K7A) you are contesting • Calling attention to yourself so that you can work lots of stations • Many hams try to work all the 1x1 callsigns • See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contesting

7. Why Contest? • Fun • Excitement of the chase • Variety of operating events • Fulfillment • Beating yourself or someone else • Helping amateur radio • Frequencies - Use ‘em or lose ‘em

8. Why Contest? • Friends • Regular contesters have friends all over the world • Contester gatherings at every hamfest and convention

9. CQ Contest! Why Contest? • 3 types of operators • Competitive • Casual • Contest Haters • For the competitive operator: • Improving is the goal • Improvements come in operator skills, station design, equipment selection, use of technology, antennas, etc.

10. Why Contest? • For the casual operator: • Get on the air (keep the radio warm) • Have fun – work a few folks • Fill in the awards • New states for Worked All States (WAS) • New countries for DX Century Club (DXCC) • Islands, counties, grid squares, Japanese cities, etc.

11. Why Contest? • For the casual operator (cont’d): • Improve operating skills • Learn about propagation • Get together with friends for an 807

12. Why Contest? • If you’re a Contest Hater • Move to the other mode (CW or RTTY during SSB contests) • Move to WARC bands – 30, 17, 12 Meters • No contests allowed on these bands

13. Why Contest? • Competitive contesters develop the skills to move the most information in the least amount of time, accurately • Logs are checked against each other for errors • Errors cause points to be deducted • Contesting develops your radio communication skills for use in other areas • ARES/RACES, for example

14. What do You Need? • A ham license • Access to a radio (with an antenna attached) • HF is best – contests on VHF and above are not as common • Some free time – probably on a weekend

15. What You Don’t Need… A Super Station (OL7R)

16. What You Don’t Need… Antenna Switching (KC1XX)

17. What Do You Do? • Pick a contest and learn the exchange • Every contest has a unique exchange • Might be your CQ Zone (we’re in zone 3) • Might be IARU Zone (we’re in zone 6) • Might be your county (we’re in Yavapai County) • Might be a consecutive serial number (1, 2, 3, etc.) • Lots of other possibilities – know it before you call someone • Almost every exchange includes a 59 (599 on CW) • It’s a signal report, but it never changes

18. What Do You Do? • Get on the AIR! • Find someone calling CQ Contest • Don’t be intimidated by someone going very fast – they want you in their log – they will slow down • Listen first to a couple contacts they make, so you know what they are saying • Don’t tell them anything extraneous • No discussion of weather, your home town, etc.

19. What Do You Do? • Sample QSO • (them) “CQ Contest, this is Kilo Echo 7 Tango Whiskey Radio” • (you) “Norway 7 Charley Whiskey” • (them) “N7CW, you’re 59 06” (IARU zone) • (you) “Thanks, you’re 59 06” • (them) “QSL, QRZed this is Kilo Echo 7 Tango Whiskey Radio”

20. What Do You Do? • Hints • Don’t repeat his call when you’re calling him • You’re on his frequency and he already knows his call • Don’t say “Please copy my 59 06” or “Roger that OM, I got you 5 by 9 in Prescott Arizona” • Even the “you’re” could probably be deleted • Use phonetics that have punch in them • Say Norway vs. November – which one is easier to understand? Radio vs. Romeo? (Sorry, Lloyd)

21. Real Contest Operating • Calling CQ vs. Search and Pounce (S&P) • Competitive contesters almost always call CQ continuously • There are many more casual contesters than competitive contesters and they want to answer someone, not call CQ • Tuning around and finding someone to call is called S&P • This is how you fill in the countries or states for your awards

22. Real Contest Operating • Computer Logging • If you’re going to submit your log (to see your callsign in print), it must be done via computer • You can log on paper and copy it into a computerized form (on the Internet) to submit it, but why bother? • See Patty’s presentation on N1MM Logger – it’s free • http://pages.cthome.net/n1mm/

23. Real Contest Operating • Awards • Most are plaques or certificates • Some are cool • California QSO Party gives a bottle of wine to the top 20 single operator stations • Washington State QSO Party gives packages of smoked salmon to district winners • Make a bet with a local friend – high score buys pizza

24. WRTC • World Radio Team Championship • The Olympics of Contesting • Held during the IARU contest (July) every 4 years • 2010 will be in Russia • About 50 2 person teams from many different countries are selected on the basis of their operating skills • Equivalent stations are set up by the host country

25. Trivia Question • When was the first contest? • The competition started when the third ham was licensed.

26. Contest Websites • Definition of contesting • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contesting • Contest Calendar • http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/weeklycont.php • News, Stories, Surveys, Hints, Station Profiles, Email Reflectors • http://www.contesting.com/ • Free contesting software • http://pages.cthome.net/n1mm/

27. Upcoming Contests • 10 Meter Contest (CW & SSB), Dec. 13/14, 0000Z to 2359Z • Techs can participate • Propagation is marginal, but there will be some activity • North American QSO Party, SSB, Jan. 10/11, 1800Z to 0600Z • Lots of activity, everyone restricted to 100 W

28. Questions? Bud, N7CW n7cw@cableone.net 928-771-8267