Introduction to Contesting

Juan Lopez - AC6ZM

Juan Lopez, AC6ZM, gives a beginner-friendly introduction to amateur radio contesting — covering operating categories, where to find contests, mobile and rover operating, contest etiquette, and gear for portable and mobile setups.

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Overview

Juan Lopez, AC6ZM, presented an introduction to amateur radio contesting. Juan’s radio background began in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as a field radio operator and later as a Navy MARS operator, including tours as Chief MARS Operator at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and at Camp Butler, Okinawa. He was introduced to ham radio contesting by his mentor, Dennis, N6KI, while stationed at Camp Pendleton and operating with the Palomar Amateur Radio Club. Juan has contested seriously since around 2017–2018, competing both as a single operator and in mobile state QSO parties with his partner Brittany Wynne, KR4NFU, driving. Together they have won multiple state QSO party mobile titles, including in Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Juan has also participated in DXpeditions to Montserrat (VP2M) and Bimini Island, and in the RSGB IOTA contest.

The presentation covered the basics of what contesting is, the categories and rules contesters operate under, where to find contests, mobile and rover operating, on-air operating technique, and etiquette around log submission.

Key Topics

What Is Contesting?

At its core, a contest’s goal is to contact as many other stations as possible within a set time window, which can range from a few hours to 48 hours. Every contact counts toward a station’s score, and multipliers — such as states, counties, or countries worked — increase that score further. Juan emphasized that participation doesn’t require competing for first place; every contact helps other stations complete theirs, so operators of all experience levels are encouraged to get on the air even for an hour or two.

Contest Categories and Operating Classes

Contests accommodate a wide range of power levels and setups, from QRP (low power, often 5 watts or less) up to legal-limit high power. Categories include single operator (assisted or unassisted), single band, and multi-operator entries. “Assisted” operating means using tools like a band map or DX cluster spots to help locate contacts, while unassisted operators tune the band manually. Juan also described more advanced techniques used by top contesters, including SO2R (single operator, two radios) and 2BSIQ, where an operator interleaves transmissions between two radios simultaneously to increase contact rate.

Finding and Preparing for Contests

Juan recommended two resources for finding contests to enter: the “Periodic Table of Amateur Radio Contests,” a chart maintained by Tim Shoppa, N3QE, available at radiosport.world, and ContestCalendar.com, maintained by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, which shows an eight-day rolling window of upcoming contests sortable by type. He also pointed to CWT (CW Ops Test) sessions, held multiple times each Wednesday at varying speeds, as a good way to practice contest-style CW exchanges outside of a formal contest. Before entering any contest, Juan stressed reviewing that contest’s specific rules — including exchange format, band/frequency privileges, and multipliers — since these vary contest to contest.

Mobile and Rover Operating in State QSO Parties

Juan discussed the difference between mobile and rover operating: a mobile station operates continuously while driving, while a rover stops in each location to operate before moving on. In state QSO parties, each county entered counts as a new multiplier, making mobile and rover stations especially valuable contacts for other participants. Juan and Brittany plan mobile routes in advance using mapping software, build in time buffers for delays, and track their position for other operators using tools like aprs.fi, DX cluster spots, and Club Log’s Live Stream feature, which lets other operators confirm they were logged correctly in near real time.

Operating Techniques: Search and Pounce vs. Running

Juan described the two basic operating techniques: “search and pounce,” where an operator tunes across the band looking for other stations calling CQ, and “running,” where an operator calls CQ on a clear frequency and lets others call in. He also touched on operating slightly off another station’s exact frequency (“zero beat” avoidance) as a courtesy that helps both the calling and called stations hear each other clearly.

POTA and Park-to-Park Multipliers

Juan noted the growing popularity of combining Parks on the Air (POTA) activations with contesting, particularly when operating from a park located on a county line, which can count as multiple contacts and multipliers for a single QSO. Some state QSO parties have begun adding dedicated POTA/rover categories to accommodate this style of operating.

DXpeditions and Special Operating Locations

Juan shared experience from operating trips to Montserrat (VP2M) for CQ World Wide, including a multi-single entry, and a solo QRP/low-power entry from Bimini Island. He also described operating in the RSGB IOTA (Islands on the Air) contest, and noted logistics for reciprocal licensing when operating from certain islands repeatedly.

Log Submission and Contest Etiquette

Juan covered proper log-submission practice: logs should always be submitted to the contest sponsor regardless of how few contacts were made, since this helps sponsors cross-check and validate other stations’ logs. He also clarified an important ethics point: it is acceptable to go back and correct a busted callsign or exchange in your log after the contest is over, once you receive a log-checking report — including for Logbook of the World credit — but it is considered unsportsmanlike to look up or correct a call sign in real time during the contest itself, before the contact is confirmed. Juan also mentioned 3830scores.com, a site (also maintained by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM) where contesters can post informal running scores immediately after a contest to compare results with others before official log-checking is complete.

Gear Mentioned

  • Icom IC-7100 — Juan’s primary radio, used in a compact “radio in a box” portable setup built into a small rack enclosure.
  • Cobweb antenna — A horizontally polarized, compact multiband antenna (20–6 meters) Juan uses for Field Day and portable operation; he noted it performs with lower noise than a vertical for his use case.
  • Camouflage military mast poles — Lightweight aluminum sectional poles used to support portable antennas, packed with guy lines in a canvas-style bag for travel, including on DXpedition trips.
  • DX Engineering tripod-mounted vertical antenna — A four-radial vertical antenna used at Field Day, purchased at a discount at the Dayton Hamvention.
  • Alpha/Sierra 2259 NVIS antenna — A military-surplus double-dipole NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) antenna Juan has used for short-range HF work, including during a hurricane-response net assignment.
  • Elecraft KX1 and a low-power HF transceiver — Used for QRP contest entries at 5 watts.
  • Flex 6600 — An SDR transceiver Juan uses for two-radio (SO2R) operation, taking advantage of its dual receive capability.
  • Battery setups — A 40 amp-hour battery in a hard case for portable/POTA-style operation, and a 100 amp-hour battery for extended mobile contesting from his vehicle.
  • Mobile HF setup — A tri-band (40/15/20 meter) mobile antenna mounted on his vehicle for single-operator mobile QSO party operation.

Resources Referenced

  • radiosport.world — Host of the “Periodic Table of Amateur Radio Contests” chart by Tim Shoppa, N3QE.
  • ContestCalendar.com — Rolling contest calendar maintained by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM.
  • 3830scores.com — Informal post-contest score reporting and comparison site, also maintained by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM.
  • N1MM Logger+ — Free contest logging software Juan recommends for beginners, with built-in band mapping, cluster integration, and per-contest exchange templates.
  • Logger32 — General-purpose logging software mentioned as an alternative for everyday and award-tracking use.
  • DXLog — Contest logging software popular among European contesters.
  • Logbook of the World (LoTW) — Used for post-contest contact confirmation.
  • Parks on the Air (POTA) — Referenced in the context of park-to-park contest multipliers.
  • aprs.fi and Club Log Live Stream — Tools other operators can use to track a mobile station’s position and confirm they were logged correctly during a contest.
  • CW Ops Test (CWT) — Weekly Wednesday CW practice sessions at multiple skill levels.
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