Introduction to DXing & Contesting

What kind of ham enters a contest? Whats 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!

N0NI Rippey Iowa You…!!! 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…

The Casual Contester 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 CQ Contest! Joe W0IW in action

Its 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 k3s 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 dont 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 Dont 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

ARRL Field Day ARRL Field Day ARRL Schools on the Air ARRL Schools on the Air ARRL DX NAQP Winter fieldday Winter fieldday CQ WW DX ARRL 160 YL ISSB Contest State QSO Parties (Many) ARRL VHF CQ WPX CQ WPX IARU HF World Championships IARU HF World Championships ARRL Sweepstakes ARRL Sweepstakes ARRL RTTY ARRL RTTY ARRL UHF Sprint Beginner to Expert Iowa QSO Party Iowa QSO Party 160m top band challenge 160m top band challenge ARRL 10m contest ARRL 10m contest TODAY Jan Dec

Single operator Assisted/unassisted Power QRP, low, QRO Single band and/or mode (some contests) Multi-op, single transmitter Multi-op, multi-transmitter... designed to let you compete on a level playing field

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:

ARRL ARRL ARRL Rate Sheet newsletter ARRL Rate Sheet newsletter Contesting.com Contesting.com National Contest Journal National Contest Journal

1. Field Day 2. Straight Key Night 3. Iowa QSO Party in October… 4. Many to choose from 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) Windows-based N1MM (free) Writelog (~$75) N3FJP ($39-49) 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 Cabrillo file generated by most computerized logging programs (may be reqd to be declared a winner) Unofficially 3830 On the air 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…

But really…. the real reason you should contest is… ???

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Best 73 de W0IW Joe Leto good on QRZ… SEE U ON THE HF BANDS