VHF contests are just plain fun! The rules for each event vary a bit, but in general the idea is to make as many contacts you can using as many bands as possible. Contests are a test of both your operating skills, and you technical skills.
Ask yourself this: Do you have the operating skills to spin the VFO, tune in signals, and switch between bands and modes on the fly, or are you stuck to repeaters like a toddler holding onto mom’s leg?
Are you technical skills up to the challenge of assembling feed lines, building antennas, and spinning up rotators, or are you one of those hams whose mechanical abilities are limited to switching out the whip antenna on your handheld?
If you’re ready to really test your skills as a builder and an operator then there is no more fun way to do so than in contests. Check out the pages below to see how I have been doing contests over the last few years. Feel free to pick up some tips, copy my successes, and (hopefully) avoid some of my mistakes!
2017 – the early days
2018 – getting started in Alaska
2020 – big guns and big mileage
2021 – a new rover is born
Updated 2022-05-21