Introduction to
DXing & Contesting
What kind of ham enters a contest?
What’s the object?
Getting started in contesting
The variety of contest types
How to win a contest
Online contesting resources
Even though you may be just a Pup, you can still
have fun contesting with the Big Dawgs!
WHY CONTEST…!!!
1. You built the best station you could engineer.
2. You have worked for years to become a ham..
3. Now contesting tests you and your station to
its upper limits…
N0NI Rippey Iowa
You…!!!
CQ
Contest!
The Casual Contester
Joe W0IW in action
A desire to just have some fun, improve operating
skills, and work new countries, states, counties, etc.
from the smorgasbord of participating stations
The Feisty Contester
A desire to compete
The Committed Contester
Able to leap tall buildings with a single bound
Able to master the art of sleep deprivation
It’s just FUN
Gets the competitive juices flowing
Improves operating skills
Excellent preparation for emergency operations
An excellent use of our allocated spectrum
Remember: “Use it or lose it.”
Multiple radios usually Yaesu ft-1000 or Elecraft k3’s
Legal limit amps .. Alpha auto switching amps
Multiple towers stacks 5/5/5 monos/ prop pitch rotors
Serious station automation stack matches
run top/bottom/all ants at once flip-flop bip-bob
Massive listening arrays and curtains.. Receive
beverages thousands of feet sometimes miles long…
But …You don’t have to be a Big Gun to have..
Big …Fun… contesting!
You buy the best radio you can afford!
( Cry once buy Once ) or upgrade as you can !!!
Own at least a three element tri band beam with
good SWR and get it up in the air…
The biggest amps you can afford ! You will need a
amp for 40/80m /160m…
Use N1MM and get familiar with it everyday
logging and spotting
Work a lot of stations
Work as many “multipliers” as possible
Work smart
Make good band change decisions
Use efficient operating techniques
Don’t waste time or words (( Let dupes happen ))
Work em all sort em later when you run dupe checks…
(similar to emergency operations) work fast fast fast
Know when to “Run” and when to “Search & Pounce”
Know when to take a break …
If you get a run stick with it till its done !!!
Multiple Antennas already pointed in selected
directions using high end antenna switches like
the Array solution 6/8 pak
The Ability to switch directions in seconds not
waiting for rotors and antennas to find
contacts…
EAST
WEST
Different antennas at different
heights allow for different take off
angles…
Having a tall tower and running
Monoband antennas at 30ft /60ft/
90 ft/ 120ft/ 200ft
Using stack antennas sound like
stereo compared to mono audio
Its all about the take of angles
To let you work them all…
N0NI Rippey Iowa
Beginner to Expert
Jan
ARRL
10m
contest
TODAY
ARRL
RTTY
Iowa QSO Party
ARRL
DX
Winter fieldday
CQ WPX
ARRL
Field Day
NAQP
ARRL
VHF
ARRL
UHF
IARU HF World
Championships
State QSO Parties
(Many)
Sprint
CQ WW DX
Dec
YL ISSB
Contest
ARRL
160
ARRL
Schools
on the Air
ARRL
Sweepstakes
160m top band challenge
. . . designed to let you compete on a level playing field
Single operator
Assisted/unassisted
Power
QRP, low, QRO
Single band and/or mode (some contests)
Multi-op, single transmitter
Multi-op, multi-transmitter
Usually on weekends
Starting/ending times vary by contest
Durations as short as 4 hours
As long as 48 hours
Max operating hours also vary
Good on-line contest calendar:
www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/
ARRL
www.arrl.org
ARRL Rate Sheet newsletter
http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/
Contesting.com
www.contesting.com
National Contest Journal
www.ncjweb.com
1.
Field Day
2.
Straight Key Night
3.
Iowa QSO Party in October…
4.
Many to choose from
5.
10-10 meter contest
6.
CQ WPX ssb free for all
7.
Work everybody…!!!
A radio and antennas
A logging system
Pencil & paper
o Tried and true, but hard to keep track of dupes
Computer based logging software
o Many options from freeware to networked
DOS-based: TR Log ($60-75) www.trlog.com
Windows-based
N1MM (free) www.n1mm.com
Writelog (~$75) www.writelog.com
N3FJP ($39-49) www.n3fjp.com
o Some like N1MM can even trigger pre-recorded
voice, CW, or RTTY exchanges
Serial, USB and Parallel Options
Why do it?
Logging automation: less work for you
= higher QSO rates
Date/time
Freq/mode
Contest exchange
Integrated “point-and-shoot” DX
cluster operation
Trigger transmitted exchanges
Officially
Snail mail
Email
Cabrillo file generated by most computerized
logging programs
(may be req’d to be declared a winner)
Unofficially
3830
On the air
http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
At the Club
1.
Trophies, plaques, certificates
2.
Goodies
3.
Example: WA State QSO Party “Salmon Run
4.
category winners receive smoked salmon
5.
QSOs toward non-contest awards
6.
The awe and respect of your fellow competitors
(aka “bragging rights”)
The purpose of the Iowa QSO Party (IAQSO) is to encourage contact
with Iowa amateur radio stations by other Iowa hams and hams
worldwide. Stations outside of Iowa work Iowa stations only.
Iowa stations work everybody, including other Iowa stations. See
the rules for the rest of the details.
You can enter as a
Single or multi op or mobile operator…
http://www.wa0dx.org/IAQSO/
But really….
the real reason you should
contest is… ???
.. -- .. ???
??? ? ..--..
..--.. ???
?
??? ?
Best 73 de W0IW Joe Leto
RADIOHAM@GMAIL.COM
good on QRZ…
SEE U ON THE HF BANDS
