I’ve actually entered an HF contest. Usually, you’ll find me stalking the VHF bands, looking for new grids, and entering contests. But this time, I’ve tried out the WW Digi DX Contest that limits entries to HF and WSJT-X FT8 and FT4.

Considering Entry Category

I spent some time this past week considering the correct entry category. I noted that the record for W5 entries in the 10-meter single band low power category was 10 points. I should be able to beat that. I also saw that there were no W5 records/entries for any of the single-band QRP categories. Since we’re near the sunspot cycle’s peak, I thought there was no better time than now to enter the 10-meter QRP category.

10-Meter QRP Results

There was some activity, but not a great deal. Plus, it’s always hard to be heard with just 5 watts. Plus, I ran an MA6V vertical, so there was no antenna gain whatsoever. Even so, I put 29 stations into the log along with 19 multipliers for a score of 1,748. All were FT8 contacts. I heard one station on FT4, but they didn’t hear me.

The first station into the log Saturday morning was South Africa, followed by the Falklands and Namibia. By Saturday night, I was working a few Australians and New Zealanders.

For logging, I used the N3FJP WW Digi contest log connected directly to WSJT-X. It worked quite well. The rig was an IC-746PRO with a Rigexpert interface and a Diamond Wattmeter to ensure I was at 5 watts.

I had some fun with this contest and learned or refreshed a few things about HF operating.

Update 1-September-2024

Amazingly, the contest’s raw scores were posted today. I finished 1st in North America and 8th in the World. Of course, I’m the only one who entered from North America. Choose your categories wisely!