Ham Radio – A contact sport

About a year after the ARRL’s DX CW contest, my certificate arrived:

2008 ARRL DX CW – First Place SOA Iowa.

For the non-hams out there, this is an annual international (DX) Morse Code (CW) contest.

Ham Radio Contests are a lot of fun. Awards aren’t the reason I enter but they are the icing on the cake. In this particular CW contest, there were 10 entries from Iowa. I actually placed 2nd overall (behind N0SM who was competing in the Single Op/High Power category). Of course, as I don’t have an amp, we compete in different classes. 

In the ARRL Amateur Radio Contests, the next level up from the state level is the division level. Iowa is in the Midwest Division. My score placed 2nd in the Midwest Division behind W0TT.

Of course, I probably shouldn’t even compete in the Single Op “Assisted” category. Those who compete in this category are allowed to use packet spots, CW Skimmer, and high power. While I wanted to use the packet spots to pick up some new DXCC countries on CW, I don’t use CW Skimmer and don’t own an amplifier – so I’m at a disadvantage.

I still had fun though and wish I could have played in the 2009 contest.