CQ Contest!

On the eve of one of the biggest SSB contests of the year, I ask…are you a contester? I don’t consider myself to be one…at least in the sense of seriously competing. I must admit, though, I often casually participate. This weekend for a 48 hour period stating at 0000Z Saturday (7pm EST Friday) the phone portions of the non-WARC bands will be a vast sea, more like a title wave of “CQ Contest”. It’s the ARRL International DX contest and probably 2nd only to the CQ WW DX affair in October. I do pity anyone trying to keep a sked, conduct a net or just have a ragchew on weekends like this! I suppose some could move off to 17 meters or try a digital mode or even CW of they’re so inclined.

When I look at my log over the years, I can’t help but notice a lot of new DXCC countries came courtesy of a contact during a contest. For us “small gun” stations, contests do offer a good opportunity to work new, and sometimes rare, countries. While there are pile-ups, they don’t seem to be as intense and a bit of persistence often pays off with a contact. One advantage of the ARRL contest is that DX stations are looking to work Canadian and U.S. stations, as opposed to many of the other international contests where it’s everyone looking to work everyone. So, a “CQ Contest” call from a North American station can quickly produce some attention (even for us 100 watters!).

Hmmm….I’m starting to sound like a “contester”, which as mentioned above, I don’t consider myself to be. A “contester” would submit his/her logs, while I rarely do. A contester would also plan to spend as much time as possible on the air for the duration of the contest, while I try to grab a hour here and there while I accommodate typical weekend family and household obligations. (The really serious contesters must have VERY understanding spouses….or are divorced!).

So, while I plan to spin the dial as much as possible this weekend and make some contacts (a new country would be nice!), it won’t be the focus of my whole weekend. Actually in the last year or so, I’ve rather enjoyed the non-SSB contests. PSK31, RTTY and CW to be specific. There’s an awfully nice sound and rhythm to the sound of “CQ test” on CW. (I’m sure it gets the true contester’s adrenalin flowing!)

Maybe we’ll work you on the bands this weekend!

73, Greg