History of Contesting (competitions for Radio Amateurs)

What is contesting?

Amateur radio competitions (contesting) are competition between radio amateurs on the air. The main essence of the competition is to organize the maximum possible number of channels for the exchange of information between given points in a certain time. Both teams of radio amateurs and single operators can take part in such competitions. The rules of the competition indicate in advance the working air bands and limit the type and composition of transmitted information.

Where did it all start?

Such an exciting type of competition originated back in the 1920-1930s of the last century. It was at this time that the task of long-distance radio communications was very relevant. In the first of these competitions, it was necessary to contact as many countries of the world as possible by radio. The first DX connection between America and Europe was established by self-taught radio amateurs during one of the rounds of the struggle. For a long time, two-way stable communication over long distances was the pinnacle of excellence. Radio sports quickly found its adherents in Spain, America, Italy, Germany and Russia. Large companies (electronics suppliers and manufacturers) happily sponsored and continue to sponsor contest competitions. This is a great opportunity to find truly dedicated professionals and offer them a job.

"Field" day

In 1928, an original form of contest battles appeared in Great Britain. Later it became known as “Field Day”. The competition participants chose a suitable field, gathered on it and in real time, constantly changing their location and taking into account the features of the landscape, maintained stable DX connections. A “field” day is a kind of simulation of actions after a man-made disaster, military clashes, etc. Here, the resourcefulness of operators and the art of quickly making decisions in constantly changing conditions come first.

From reforms to the world championship

Over time, the variety of disciplines that are part of a typical contest has grown significantly. The tasks have become more complex, and the rapid growth of electronics has significantly increased the technical level of competition. It is noteworthy that amateur radio competitions as a sport are not controlled by any government or public organizations. All amateur radio competitions must only meet the requirements of such competitions within the country. As a result, there was no single world officially recognized “table of ranks” for a long time, there was no international classification of competitions, and the rules were sometimes so different that it made no sense to compare the results of the winners.

Since 1996, the world team competition championship has been held; now at least 55 teams from 29 countries of the world take part in the WRTC championship, the sport is becoming more formalized, but also more organized.

You can view articles on this topic, as well as read the results on the DXNEWS website. com in the section: http://dxnews.com/ru/contesting/