New to Contesting????

With the new no-code hams on the air now, there is a untapped source of new contesters. As the average age of contesters continues to climb, it is imperative that we welcome new contesters into the fold.

Many news hams fear contests. They hear CW blur by them at 30wpm or hear the guys like K5ZD working 180+ per hour and feel that they are not worthy to enter a contest. That could be farther from the truth.

Every contest needs new blood, because some people tire of contesting and drop out, or just to give people a new QSO!

If you are a new ham and want to dip your toes in the water of contesting, here are some tips from the Mad River Radio Club, a group of contesters from Ohio, Mich, and Indiana. This was taken from the Sweepstakes Handbook on their website

Getting Started In SS

The best advice for anyone seeking to learn how to operate the Sweepstakes, or any other contest
for that matter, is simply to follow the Nike slogan: JUST DO IT.

A beginner to contesting will naturally start by tuning around and finding people to call and work.

This is the basic search and pounce technique. It gives the opportunity to listen to a guy, get his
information and the rhythm of his operation before possibly embarrassing yourself. If the op is really good, you might do well to listen and observe, just soaking in how a real pro does it. But eventually you will have to speak up, or hit the key, and JUST DO IT.

When you have the confidence to make the QSO the first time, without waiting around to observe, you are ready to consider trying to take charge and call CQ. This is how good scores are made.

First, it is faster since it eliminates the tuning around time. Second, if you’re diligent with your S&P work, you will probably run out of people to call.

Conversely, there are many people, perhaps a majority of those on the bands during a contest, who don’t CQ. They are just passing out a few QSOs, checking out an antenna, or don’t have the signal or desire to slug it out for a CQing frequency. If you don’t CQ you won’t work these people.

You will need to find a clear, or relatively clear, frequency. Higher up in the band is often a good
place to look. Sometimes (especially on phone) there simply are no clear frequencies. An
experienced contester might be able to find a possibility and make one, but if you’re reading this
to learn something new, don’t bother. Keep tuning.

But if you find a possibility, JUST DO IT. Call CQ. Keep it short: a 1x2, i.e., “CQ CONTEST FROM KAY EIGHT MIKE RADIO, KILO EIGHT MIKE RADIO CONTEST”. If someone calls you, work him. If someone comes back and says “THIS FREQUENCY IS IN USE”, grab the tuning knob and move on. If nothing happens, JUST DO IT again.

Contest tip of the week: Never make a transmission longer than what
you can say in one breath. If you have to come up for air, you’re talking too long between listens.

The one exception: if you’re sweet-talking a non-contester into a QSO.

There are probably hundred of little tricks and tips, but they are best passed along over a cold one
at a club meeting or hospitality suite. But until you have done enough contesting to say that
you’ve been there, and done that, there is just one tip to remember: JUST DO IT. 􀀀