The Joys of Contesting

As an avid Contester who represents the basic "Little Gun" station, let me say without hesitation that there are plenty of reasons to derive great pleasure from this exciting aspect of Amateur Radio, even without monster towers or multiple mega-amps and FT 1000's, all in a row. We all would love to work one of the big contests from a first-class contest station, but very few of us will ever have that opportunity. Not to worry, the Spirit of Competition, and the rewards for perseverance are alive and well.

Contesting offers us the opportunity to be a member of a fraternity within a fraternity. Our eyes light up when we hear that a fellow Ham is into Contesting, and if enough time is available, the chatter goes into the night. We contesters are enthusiastic to a fault, easily boring the more prosaic members of the Hobby, and lets be honest, Contesting isn't for everyone, and that's fine. Those of us who have the bug, however, are truly hooked. It's a subtle and deep addiction.

The popular attitude among naysayers is that Contesting serves no purpose, and is a complete waste of time. I beg to differ, and would observe that in order to achieve even modest success in Contesting, particularly from the typical "little-gun" station possessed by most of us, it is critical to develop superior listening and tuning skills, and great patience. Furthermore, it takes great timing to break a pileup where you are down several s-units to those who can literally out shout you for a contact. It is very satisfying to bag a sought after DX station by finesse, when the Big Dogs are trying to out shout you, as you move on, leaving them in the dust. Talk about putting a smile on your face.

The final score really isn't important. Contesting is fun, pure and simple. If you aren't having fun, you should find something else to do. Sure, Contesting takes stamina, organization, and a well thought out and functional station, but let's go a little deeper here and discuss why we Contest in the first place. Some of us are pure competitors, while others just enjoy increasing their country, state, or county total. One good friend was into engineering and building antennas. It satisfied his search for perfection. He didn't operate much, but those who did at the station he helped put together really appreciated his efforts and desire to put up perfect antennas and a well-integrated station. 

I enjoy a perfect Contest exchange, elegant and well executed. Some of us enjoy contests as a Social event, particularly on Field Day. I've heard some more experienced Contesters bemoan the inexperienced operators that come out on Field Day, but this is a non-issue for me, as again, pleasure is what it is all about. There is plenty of time to gain experience in making efficient exchanges once you get the bug, and an enjoyable Field Day often is the first step in getting the heretofore uninterested involved into a more serious effort in Contesting. I have had great luck in developing my Contesting skills with the help of some very fine Contesters in my area, Contest Elmers, if you will, and their enthusiasm is boundless.

It is just about impossible to stand still at anything, so Contesting, when pursued seriously, but with the underlying idea of having fun, is a wonderful way to develop some very valuable skills that you can use in your everyday contacts in any mode. Enjoy, and I hope to hear you on the bands soon.

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