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| Contests for BeginnersSo you have a 200-foot tower, you can transport to a local mountain and set up your 4 x 25 element Arial array with a 400-watt liner, portable generator, and a state of the art rotator and computer. You are now ready for your first contest.
What a load of rubbish. This may be how some people see contest stations, but it is far from what most stations use. I started out with a 13-element beam for 2 meters a fiberglass mast at about 12 feet two bungee straps and an FT-817 on 2.5 watts setting. This equipment with some friends was taken to a local hill and set up, with this basic station we won the very first contest we entered which was the 3-watt multi-operator section in the RSGB backpackers 2005. The logging was done with paper and pen, and then entered into a computer program back at home.
Some facts that most people don’t realise. 1 There are sections in most contests for the 3 different licence types, often just a few qso’s by the only participating M3 station wins them a certificate. This also applies to 2x0 stations. 2. There is usually an award for the leading single antenna and 25 or less station. This I have won with 5 watts and a 19 ele on 70 cm. 3 Even in big international contests like IOTA there is a section for 5 watt or less and a single operator assisted or not. This I took part in with 5 watts and an inverted L at home and was great fun. So if this has wetted your appetite to try a contest, have a look at some contest web sites to see when they are on. Listen to what the stations are saying to each other. This usually is a report 59 audio received and signal strength, then a 3-digit number like 012 to say that it’s the twelfth station worked in the contest and then for vhf uhf contests the locator square you are in, mine is IO92DU. So it will go like this, for my first contact from home would be 59001IO92DU. Next contact would be 59002 IO92DU and so on. The station you are working will send their report that might be 59007 JO00AA. You will also have to make a note of the time the contact took place. Don’t go on about the weather or your name as this is a contest and the more stations worked the more points you get so time is important. Some contests need special information passing over as in the IOTA contest the number of the island you are operating from so for the UK mainland the exchange would be like 59006 EU-005, where the EU-005 is for the island. If this still sound a bit to much then look out your local club as someone usually has had a go at a contest at sometime. Or give me an e-mail and I will try and help. So get that gear out of the shack and head for the hills and have some fun. It can get very addictive and has been a liked to the sport in ham radio. Good hunting and 73 Dave G0AOD
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