Contesting

What is radio sport or contesting?

Contesting is the sporting side of amateur radio and is known in many countries as ‘RadioSport‘. During an amateur radio contest event, amateurs, participating as individuals (single-op) or as teams (multi-op), strive to contact as many other participants as possible in a specific allotted amount of time. There are certain pieces of information which must be exchanged to count as a valid contact, and each of these contacts contribute to the participant’s score. The high score wins, at local, regional, national and international levels.

The rules for each contest are very specific in describing the mode of operation permitted (Morse Code, voice, or digital methods) as well as the frequencies and time periods for the competition. Each contest also has its own scoring method and the information that must be exchanged such as signal reports, states, counties, countries, and so forth. There are many different contests throughout the year, and each competition requires different skills and strategies!

Getting involved

Many members of the Kansas City DX Club are avid contest operators, and participate in a wide variety of the competitions each year. Some operate regularly as single-op entrants from their home stations, while others enjoy guest operating as part of a team at some of the countries largest and finest multi-operator locations.

Interesting in learning more attend a club meeting.

Resources

Be sure to check out the following vital contesting links: