ARRL 160m CW Contest

The ARRL 160m CW Contest was a fun event. To add to the fun, we also scored well.

We had good participation in the contest ranging from members who are new to contesting and expert members who have been enjoying contesting since high school and everything in between. We all got a chance to test and improve our CW operating skills and learn about the station capabilities.

Above all else, it was fun. Some of us operated in groups, deepened our friendships and gave each other operating and contesting tips. We also got a chance to meet and operate with new members and start new friendships.

Normally, there are hardly any operators on the 160m band, but not during the contest. Every spot on the band was occupied. With our station capabilities, making QSOs was like fishing in a barrel. One member commented “There’s something intriguing about using the most primitive mode on the most sophisticated SDR rigs”. Indeed.

We got a chance to stress the W2ZQ station’s 160m capabilities under contest conditions and the station came through with flying colors. We often talk about the “big gun contesters”. With our station capabilities on the 160m band, we are a big gun contester. We have a great asset.

At some point, we will get our official results and see how we did against our friends near and far and against people who we don’t know. We will also see how we did against past results and establish a standard to evaluate our progress next year.