All these contests are held between 8pm and 10:30pm local time and the idea of the contests is to contact as many other stations as you can in the time allowed AND in as many different locator squares as possible.  You don’t have to take part for the full amount of time, if you only have 20 minutes spare then that’s fine. In the UKAC’s you score 1 point per Km distance the station is you have contacted and a bonus 500 points if that station is in a new locator square.  An example of scoring is you could talk to 50 stations that are 1Km away and get 50 points or you could speak to 1 station that is 52 Km away and score 52 Points……so as you can see tactics and different approaches can yield better or sometimes worse results than the month before. There is a standard format of information that has to be exchanged between the two stations and this is logged and electronically submitted after each contest for cross checking and scoring.

Once all the logs have been checked the contest results are issued. That’s the time when you can see how well you have done both compared to others taking part that month but also compare how you personally did compared to previous months.  This is a really good way to tell if any modifications you have made to your station or style of operating has made an improvement in scores or increased the distance to your furthest contact

So back to the "Marmite" comparison, what draws people to contesting is usually the same thing that puts others off contesting, ......let me explain.

A large part of Amateur Radio is about self-training, technical experimentation, and communication.  If you enjoy talking for hours about the weather or what you watched on tv last night, contesting probably isn’t probably for you.  However, if you enjoy building new equipment, improving your aerials, maybe you're just mike shy (surprising how many amateurs don’t like talking much) or are just pleased to “work” someone further away than normal, then contesting might be just the thing for you.  There’s very little chit chat between the stations as that takes up time you could be looking for the next contact to score more points

Radio bands are alive with stations during contests. People who don’t like contests complain about not being able to find a quite frequency to talk on…. however, this is exactly what contesters want, lots of people to contact in a short time frame.  With lots of activity unusual propagation can sometimes be observed as there is more activity. When the band is quiet conditions may be good but if there is no-one transmitting at the other end, you’ll never notice the improvements. Personally, I have observed on 50Mhz, a Finnish contest station being extremely strong for over an hour, possibly ducting propagation.…if that station hadn’t been taking part the band would just have appear quiet and normal.  With lots of stations on the air such anomalies can be seen

You don’t need lots of expensive, multimode equipment to contest, there are many different types of contests, for some you can use a small 2-meter FM hand held radio. You can slowly improve your station, starting with modifying simple bits and over time to more complex parts as your confidence, skills and technical knowledge improve over time

So, reasons to take part in RSGB contests include:

• Improved Skills: Contesting makes you a better operator in every aspect of the hobby, including in fast-paced scenarios.  Having over well over 200 stations taking part throughout the UK and some parts of Europe gives you chance to test and compare any changes you have made to your station.

• Technical Advancement: It serves as a driving force for improving station configurations, antennas, and transceiver performance.

• Increased Activity: It offers a way to work many stations or new countries in a short period, enhancing your DX capabilities.

• Club and Social Engagement: Many contests, such as the UKAC's contests, encourage team participation, supporting local radio clubs.

• Variety and Flexibility: From quick 90-minute weekday evening sessions (often aimed at newcomers) to full weekend events like the Commonwealth Contest, there is something for everyone. There are contests for all types of equipment from low power and single aerials to very high power and multiple aerials, also there are contests for different modes: - Speech, Morse code, Digital, even bouncing signals off the moon!!!!

• Learning Opportunities: Using computer logging software and mastering operating techniques makes the hobby more efficient and rewarding.  

• Lots of contacts in 2 ½ hours: Like many people, it can be difficult to find time for hobbies. One great benefit of contests is there are many stations on the air at the same time to contact. Also, you don’t have to live anywhere exotic, there are other stations that want to contact you too!  Some people like operate portable stations on hill tops, so even if you live in the bottom of a valley, during a contest you are very likely to hear stations much further away than you normally would.

• Make new friends: Contesters are a friendly bunch, even though you are competing against each other there is always someone to help or give advice to others.

If any of this has made you curious or sparked an interest, please get in touch with the club. People from all backgrounds, ages, ability and experience are always welcome .  You can come and observe a club member taking part in a contest, help out or even take part in a contest as a team.  We’d love to hear from you.

Well done team, good result this month, we've getting up the table, its a big step fro the next position.