Beginning Contesting

After you have done something for quite a while, learned a lot about it, experienced working with it, you still believe that you don't know a lot about the subject. Consequently, you think the simplest things in your head everyone would just "know."

The same is true in contesting. Yet, my first contest experience (Field Day) was a lot of learning on what to expect, how to go about making contacts, learning a little bit about how the band behaves in contests as compared to regular conditions -- and to make sure I caught that great Saturday night meal the club put on. Yum yum!

But it was a lot of learning to do. Now it seems like not much. To someone starting out, though, there is a good amount to know.

Be willing to teach the simplest things about contesting to others. Just like learning how to do moon bounce, or mobile operating, or catching the elusive DX station, contesting requires others to teach who are willing to learn.

Be a teacher.

Scot, K9JY