Contesting
Contesting (also known as radiosport) is a competitive activity pursued by amateur radio operators. In a contest, an amateur radiostation, which may be operated by an individual or a team, seeks to contact as many other amateur radio stations as possible in a given period of time and exchange information. Rules for each competition define the amateur radio bands, the mode of communication that may be used, and the kind of information that must be exchanged. The contacts made during the contest contribute to a score by which stations are ranked. Contest sponsors publish the results in magazines and on web sites.
Contesting grew out of other amateur radio activities in the 1920s and 1930s. As transoceanic communications with amateur radio became more common, competitions were formed to challenge stations to make as many contacts as possible with amateur radio stations in other countries. Contests were also formed to provide opportunities for amateur radio operators to practice their message handling skills, used for routine or emergency communications across long distances. Over time, the number and variety of radio contests has increased, and many amateur radio operators today pursue the sport as their primary amateur radio activity.
Because radio contests take place using amateur radio, competitors are generally forbidden by their national amateur radio regulations from being compensated financially for their activity. High levels of amateur radio contest activity, and contesters failing to comply with international band plans, can result in friction between contest participants and other amateur radio users of the same radio spectrum.
During a radio contest, each station attempts to establish two-way contact with other licensed amateur radio stations and exchange information specific to that contest. The information exchanged could include a signal report, a name, the U.S. state or Canadian province in which the station is located, the geographic zone in which the station is located, the Maidenhead grid locator in which the station is located, the age of the operator, or an incrementing serial number. For each contact, the radio operator must correctly receive the call sign of the other station, as well as the information in the "exchange", and record this data, along with the time of the contact and the band or frequency that was used to make the contact, in a log.
A contest score is computed based on a formula defined for that contest. A typical formula assigns some number of points for each contact, and a "multiplier" based on some aspect of the exchanged information such as 'country' or 'state'.
Most contests offer multiple entry categories, and declare winners in each category. Some contests also declare regional winners for specific geographic subdivisions, such as continents, countries, U.S. states, or Canadian provinces.
The most common entry category is the single operator category and variations thereof, in which only one individual operates a radio station for the entire duration of the contest. Subdivisions of the single operator category are often made based on the highest power output levels used during the contest, such as a QRP category for single operator stations using no more than five watts output power, or a High Power category that allows stations to transmit with as much output power as their license permits. Multi-operator categories allow for teams of individuals to operate from a single station, and may either allow for a single radio transmitter or several to be in use simultaneously on different amateur radio bands. Many contests also offer team or club competitions in which the scores of multiple radio stations are combined and ranked.
A wide variety of amateur radio contests are sponsored every year. Contest sponsors have crafted competitive events that serve to promote a variety of interests and appeal to diverse audiences. Radio contests typically take place on weekends or local weeknight evenings, and can last from a few hours to forty-eight hours in duration. The rules of each contest will specify which stations are eligible for participation, the radio frequency bands on which they may operate, the communications modes they may employ, and the specific time period during which they may make contacts for the contest.
Contests exist for enthusiasts of all modes. Some contests are restricted to just CW emissions using the Morse code for communications, some are restricted to telephony modes and spoken communications, and some employ digital emissions modes such as RTTY or PSK31. Many popular contests are offered on two separate weekends, one for CW and one for telephony, with all the same rules. The CQ World Wide WPX Contest, for example, is held as a phone-only competition one weekend in March, and a CW-only competition one weekend in May
The wide variety of contests attracts a large variety of contesters and contest stations. The rules and structure of a particular contest can determine the strategies used by competitors to maximize the number of contacts made and multipliers earned. Some stations and operators specialize in certain contests, and either rarely operate in others, or compete in them with less seriousness. As with other sports, contest rules evolve over time, and rule changes are one of the primary sources of controversy in the sport.
-from wikikpedia:radio-sport
On many weekends you will find hams engaged in the "sport" of amateur radio. Contesting is one of the activities that has more participants than any other sport in the world. On the last weekend of October you will find thousands of amateur operators making contacts on SSB worldwide to see how many other stations they can reach. The top stations will make thousands of contacts in just 48 hours but even a modest station can quite easily make several hundred contacts. How about getting your DXCC in just one weekend? It is possible.
Contests come in many forms but you will find that most require operating in one mode, either CW, SSB or Rtty. A few, such as QSO Parties, permit both CW and SSB. Some of the most popular contests are:
| Contest | Date | Details |
| CQ-Worked PrefiXes (WPX)(RTTY) | Second full W/E February | Stations contact as many stations as possible. Extra points given for new callsign prefixes contacted. |
| ARRL DX Contest (CW) | Third Full W/E February | Worldwide stations contact those in USA / Canada. |
| ARRL DX Contest (SSB) . | First full W/E March | Worldwide stations contact those in USA / Canada. |
| CQ-Worked PrefiXes (WPX)(SSB) | Last full W/E March | Stations contact as many stations as possible. Extra points given for new callsign prefixes contacted. |
| CQ-Worked PrefiXes (WPX) (CW) | Last Full W/E May | Stations contact as many stations as possible. Extra points given for new callsign prefixes contacted. |
| All Asia DX (CW) | Third full W/E June | Worldwide stations contact stations in Asia. |
| IARU-HF Championship (SSB / CW) | Second full W/E July | Contact as many stations as possible. Extra points given for new countries contacted. |
| Island On The Air (SSB/CW) | Last full W/E July | Contact as many stations as possible. Extra points given for contacting island stations. |
| Worked All Europe-DX (CW) | Second full W/E August | Stations outside Europe to contact European stations. |
| All Asia (SSB) | First full W/E September | Contact stations in Asia. |
| Worked All Europe-DX (SSB | 2nd full W/E September. | Stations outside Europe to contact European stations. |
| CQ-WorldWide (RTTY) | Fourth full W/E September | Contact as many stations in as many countries as possible. |
| CQ-WorldWide (SSB) | Last full W/E October | Contact as many stations in as many countries as possible. |
| Worked All Europe-DX (RTTY) | Second full W/E November | Stations outside Europe to contact European stations. |
| CQ-WorldWide (CW) | Last full W/E November | Contact as many stations in as many countries as possible. Contesting is not as difficult as it might seem although winning your category can be very challenging. To begin you need to be familiar with the contest rules and each one is different. Checkout some of the contest calendar web sites for the rules of a contest that interests you. Pay special attention to the exchange that you will be using in the contest. Then when the contest begins listen to how the other stations operate. When you are ready call a station that is calling CQ contest and when he comes back with your call record his exchange and then give your exchange. It's as simple as that. |
QSLing
Part of the fun of amateur radio collecting QSL cards from other amateurs that you've talked to on the radio. Some people like to collect stamps form various parts of the world but hams collect QSLs. If you are also a stamp collector you will find that often a card comes from a distant country with an interesting stamp on the envelope.
Amateur radio operators exchange QSL cards to confirm two-way radio contact between stations. Each card contains details about one or more contacts, the station and its operator. At a minimum, this includes the call sign of both stations participating in the contact, the time and date when it occurred (usually specified in UTC), the radio frequency or Band used, the mode of transmission used, and a signal report. One national association of amateur radio operators, the ARRL, recommends a size of 3½ by 5½ inches (89 mm by 140 mm).
QSL cards are a ham radio operator's calling card and are frequently an expression of individual creativity — from a photo of the operator at his station to original artwork, images of the operator's home town or surrounding countryside, etc. They are frequently created with a good dose of individual pride. Consequently, the collecting of QSL cards of especially interesting designs has become an add-on hobby to the simple gathering of printed documentation of a ham's communications over the course of his or her radio career.
Normally sent using ordinary, international postal systems, QSL cards can be sent either direct to an individual’s address, or via a country's centralized amateur radio association QSL bureau, which collects and distributes cards for that country. This saves postage fees for the sender by sending several cards destined for a single country in one envelope, or large numbers of cards using parcel services. The price for lower postage, however, is a delay in reaching its destination because of the extra handling time involved. In addition to such incoming bureaus, there are also outgoing bureaus in some countries. These bureaus offer a further postage savings by accepting cards destined for many different countries and repackaging them together into bundles that are sent to specific incoming bureaus in other countries.
For rare countries, that is ones where there are very few amateur radio operators, places with no reliable (or even existing) postal systems, including expeditions to remote areas, a volunteer QSL manager may handle the mailing of cards. For expeditions this may amount to thousands of cards, and payment for at least postage is appreciated, and is required for a direct reply (as opposed to a return via a bureau).
Recently, the Internet has enabled electronic transmission as an alternative to the need for mailing a physical card. These systems use computer databases to store all the same information normally verified by QSL cards in an electronic format. Some sponsors of amateur radio operating awards, which normally accept QSL cards for proof of contacts, may also recognize a specific electronic QSL system in verifying award applications.
One such system, eQSL enables electronic exchange of QSLs as jpeg or gif images which can then be printed as cards on the recipient's local inkjet or laser printer, or displayed on the computer monitor. Many logging programs now have direct electronic interfaces to transmit QSO details in real-time into the eQSL.cc database. CQ magazine began accepting electronic QSLs from eQSL.cc for its four award programs in January 2009. 10-10 has been accepting eQSLs since 2002. Another, the ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW), allows confirmations to be submitted electronically for that organization’s DX Century Club(DXCC) and Worked All States awards.
Even in the presence of electronic QSLs, physical QSL cards are often fine historical or sentimental keepsakes of a memorable location heard or worked, or a pleasant contact with a new radio friend, and serious hams may have thousands of them. Some cards are plain, while others are multicolored and y be oversized or double paged.
Click here to view some of the ARTS Club Memebers QSL Cards.
Awards and Certificates
Another reason for collecting QSL cards is to participate in the many award certificate programs available to amateurs. Whether it's getting your DXCC (DX century club) for getting cards confirming contacts with 100 or more DX countries, working all states in the U.S., all provinces in Canada, or many other awards available you will need the cards to support your claim for the award.
There are many different awards and certificates available from all sorts of Amateur Radio groups and organizations. Some are from large organizations such as the ARRL, and some awards are from smaller groups for achievements in more specialized areas of ham radio such as QRP, or CW Operation.
An amateur radio operating award is earned by an amateur radio operator for establishing two-way communication (or "working") with other amateur radio stations. Awards are sponsored by national amateur radio societies(such as the ARRL), radio enthusiast magazines (such as CQ), or amateur radio clubs, and aim to promote activity on the amateur radio bands. Each award has its own set of rules and fees. Some awards require the amateur radio operator to have contacted other stations in a certain number of countries, Maidenhead grid locators, or counties.
Many amateurs decorate their radio "shacks" (the room where they keep their radios) with these certificates. This has led to the popular nickname for these awards and certificates as 'wall paper'.
Most amateur radio operating awards require that the applicant submit proof, such as QSL cards, of the contacts which satisfy the requirements of the award.
There are thousands of operating awards available. The most popular awards are the Worked All States award and the Worked All Continents award, and the more challenging Worked All Zones, DX Century Club (DXCC) and VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC) awards. DXCC is the most popular awards program in the world, initially requiring amateurs to contact 100 of the (as of 2007[update]) 338 recognized countries and territories in the world. Other popular awards include contacting remote islands, US counties, and lighthouses. Many awards are available for contacting amateurs in a particular country, region or city.
The two most popular awards for Ham in the USA are the ARRL DX Century Club(DXCC), and the Worked All States(WAS) certificates.
DX Century Club, or DXCC
The DX Century Club, or DXCC, is an amateur radio operating award earned by making contact with 100 or more geographic entities around the world.
The award is granted by the American Radio Relay League. Radio amateurs worldwide are eligible to apply although applicants from the US, its possessions and Puerto Rico must be ARRL members. Proof of two way contacts, either in the form of QSL cards or via digital entry into Logbook of The World (LoTW), must be submitted to qualify. Each DXCC award certificate is dated and individually numbered.
The basic certificate is awarded to those amateur radio operators who successfully complete and confirm amateur radio communications with land based amateur radio stations located in at least 100 different "entities" on the official DXCC List.
"Entities" are often, but not always, countries. Each entity contains some definable political or geographical distinctiveness. For example, although Hawaii is not a separate country from the United States, it is a separate DXCC entity due to its distance from the rest of the US.
Worked All States
Worked All States, or WAS, is an amateur radio operating award given to those amateur radio operators who successfully complete two-way amateur radio communications with other amateur radio stations located in each of the 50 United States of America (contact with the District of Columbia may be used for Maryland). The award is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. It is available to radio amateurs worldwide although US applicants must be ARRL members.
Here are some links related to QSLing and Awards: