For starting out in contesting it is a good idea to enter short contests like the RSGB 80m CC events or give yourself a couple of hours in one of the big 24/48 hour international contests until you gauge your level of stamina for the ‘big ones’. To use a sporting analogy contesting isn’t a sprint or a marathon – it’s both! It’s all about making QSOs as quickly as possible and keeping it going until the end. Part of preparation will be realising that operating in a contest is different to dx-ing or rag chewing.
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It’s quite possible that your antennas are already in good order and you know how to get the best out of your radio in terms of filtering, AGC settings etc – all the things that will help you contest successfully. Keen DXers may already have receive antennas like Beverages or K9AY arrays but for those starting out or limited for space a small loop like a Wellbrook could be tried. As a starting point, try to ensure that your main antenna is resonant on the contest frequencies and if local noise is a problem, consider a separate receive antenna if space allows. If you are entering the short RSGB contests, you are likely to be using a wire antenna. Remember, “if you can’t hear them, you can’t work them”, and much of your station preparation should be focussed on improving your reception capability.
It also helps train your ears, the most important part of your station! Being able to read signals in a crowded band is a major part of the challenge of successful contest operation and concentrating on listening allows you to become proficient in using whatever filters and noise reduction facilities there are on your transceiver. Contests, especially short ones, will bring many stations onto the band in close proximity to one another and, as the contest starts, an apparently “dead” band will come alive. You may have already “given away some points” in contests by working other participants but, if not, be sure to spend time listening to what happens in a contest first and read and study the rules to decide which category to enter and to make sure you ‘stay legal’. Before jumping in, it will be well worth spending some time thinking about what is involved, both in terms of equipment and software, and the implications of what will probably be a totally different way of operating to what you’re used to. Taking part in your first contest can be a stressful experience without suitable preparation.
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