What is contesting?

Contesting usually involves a competition to see who can contact the most stations in a set period of time on certain bands and within specific rules

While contests often have similar objectives, each event has its own set of rules and kinds of information that you can exchange with the stations you contact during the contest.

Contesting has been the driving force behind the many technical advancements in amateur radio, from transceiver/amplifier design to antenna and station configuration, and there are three RSGB committees dedicated to contest administration, development and adjudication.

These committees organise contests throughout the year on both the HF and VHF—and above—bands.

Most of these contests are for RSGB Members and/or RSGB affiliated clubs although participation by overseas stations is welcomed.

If you are new to contesting, the RSGB has published a guide for beginners, specifically aimed at HF contests although much of the advice is equally applicable at VHF and above. A VHF-specific guide How to Enter a VHF Contest is also available.

Much more information about contesting can be found on the RadCom Contesting page, which includes links to a series of introductory articles about contesting that have been published in the society journal.

Contest rules and results

• Rules and results for all RSGB HF Contests

• Rules and results for all RSGB VHF Contests

Further information

• HF Contest Committee

• VHF Contest Committee

UK Contesting Discussion Groups

You may find it useful to subscribe to one or both of the following UK Contesting discussion groups. These are neither organised nor moderated by the RSGB but are privately administered by contesters who are RSGB members.

• UK HF Contesting

• UK VHF Contesting

Contest clubs and groups

If you are, or wish to be, an active contester and do not belong to an RSGB affiliated club, why not join the RSGB Contest Club? Membership is open to all RSGB Members at no cost.

Your local club may also be active in contests, so do check with them via our Club Finder map.

In addition, there are also a number of groups across the UK that specialise in contests. You can find these using the map search below.

Find a contest group or club

To find a specialist contest group or club, enter your town or postcode and select travelling distance

If your search term doesn’t return any results, try widening your search area