9. Help and Support

Clubs

Whatever problems you encounter, those with more contest experience will have faced (and overcome!) them before. Fortunately, there are many sources of help and support.

Contesting can be at its most rewarding when you are part of a team in which you will receive all the support and encouragement you need. You will contribute to the team’s efforts right from the start and may even find yourself part of a winning team from the outset.

There are two types of clubs that participate in contests

Local clubs, that may or may not have other radio-related interests. Such clubs will have regular meetings that will allow you face-to-face contact with other team members. Members normally live within easy travelling distance of the club meeting place.

National clubs, normally dedicated to contest operation. Members may live anywhere in the UK and are likely to come together infrequently to operate in major contests (such as National Field Day). Communication will frequently be via email. One such national club is the RSGB Contest Club, open to any RSGB member.

Most RSGB-affiliated Local Clubs are listed here. Not all participate in contests, however, and the best approach is to look at the results pages for the 80m Club Championship and find an active club near to you (if there is one). The club finder will then provide contact details and meeting details. If you are interested in joining the RSGB Contest Club, full details are here.

If you wish to access advice on a specific topic or be part of a wider on-line community committed to contesting, the UK HF Contesting Group is a good place to start.

If you are having problems with your logging programme, some of the providers provide links to email support groups and all have extensive help facilities on the websites.

Finally, YouTube hosts many videos about all aspects of contest operation.